For 235 years, the Asaf Jah dynasty had reigned over Hyderabad. By 1948, its seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, was known to be the richest man in the world. And, of all the princely states, Hyderabad was the largest with a territory of 82,698 Sq miles (133089 kilometres) – more than that of England and Scotland put together.
With India gaining independence in 1947, the Nizam found himself surrounded by turmoil. The newly carved nations of India and Pakistan were swallowing up the princely states. Of the 562 princely states, Hyderabad was the only one yet to pick a side.
The Nizam was against India’s partition and had at one time banned Jinnah from entering Hyderabad. He wanted to retain Hyderabad as an independent state and refused to surrender his sovereignty, acceding to neither India nor Pakistan.
In an attempt to hold onto his state, he attempted to manoeuvre towards a deal where he could negotiate an alliance with India rather than an amalgamation into India. To avoid accession, he signed the Standstill Agreement with the Government of India – which promised that the terms provided to the Princely States under British rule would continue until an agreement was made.
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