Rabindranath Tagore - Nizam Mir Usman Ali Khan and Hyderabad

 Rabindranath Tagore, the renowned Indian poet, writer, and philosopher, had a significant and unique relationship with Nizam Mir Usman Ali Khan, who was the last ruling Nizam of Hyderabad, a princely state in India.

Their relationship was marked by mutual respect and admiration. Nizam Mir Usman Ali Khan was an admirer of Tagore's literary and intellectual contributions, and he invited Tagore to visit Hyderabad. Tagore visited Hyderabad in 1934 at the invitation of the Nizam.

During his visit, Tagore gave lectures and interacted with scholars and intellectuals in Hyderabad. The Nizam also supported Tagore's educational and cultural initiatives. He donated a substantial amount to Visva-Bharati University, which was founded by Tagore in Santiniketan, West Bengal.

This visit and association with the Nizam were significant for Tagore, as it highlighted the broader appeal and influence of his work beyond his native Bengal. It also demonstrated the transcultural impact of Tagore's ideas and literature, reaching even the princely states of India.

The Nizam's support for Tagore's endeavors in education and culture underlines the recognition of Tagore's contributions to Indian society and the importance of his vision for a more enlightened and culturally rich India.

Back when Rabindranath Tagore bonded with the Nizam of Hyderabad over education

Information Desk

 9 May, 2023 16:25:37

Back when Rabindranath Tagore bonded with the Nizam of Hyderabad over education

(Left to Right) Sir Amin Jung with Maharajah Sir Kishen Pershad & Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, at Amin Manzil.- Image Courtesy : https://www.siasat.com/

Rabindranath Tagore and the Nizam of Hyderabad had developed a deep sense of mutual respect and admiration over the years and the one thing that bonded them was education. In 1933, Tagore was invited by the Nizam to visit Hyderabad. The poet who had earlier visited some other places in this region, gladly accepted the invitation forwarded by Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung, who was then one of the top officials of the Nizam government.

“Where knowledge is free and the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls…" - education was a subject very dear to Tagore’s heart. Through his poetry, he constantly urged his countrymen especially under the colonial rule of the British to broaden their outlook through the acquisition of knowledge and not fall prey to narrow prejudices and superstitions. Tagore admired the Nizam for having established educational institutions within his domain. Osmania University, founded in 1921, had the distinction of being the seventh university built on Indian soil and it had already produced several eminent personalities.

Tagore who himself founded Visva Bharati wrote to the Nizam: “I have long been waiting for the day when freed from the shackles of a foreign language, our education becomes naturally accessible to all our people. It gives me great joy to know that your State proposes to found a University where instructions are to be given in Urdu. It is needless to say that your scheme has my fullest appreciation.” The Nizam too appreciated and understood what Tagore was trying to achieve. Thereby he allocated a handsome grant of one lakh rupees for a hostel to be constructed at the Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan.

Tagore’s English Translation of Jana-Gana-Mana

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people

Dispenser of India’s destiny.

The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha,

Of Dravida and Orissa and Bengal.

It echoes in the hills of Vindhyas and Himalayas,

Mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganga and is

chanted by the waves of the Indian sea.

They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise

The saving of all people waits in thy hand,

Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.

When Tagore arrived in Hyderabad, he was received by the city’s intellectuals, mushairas, and gatherings were organized and he was put up at the Banjara Hills residence of Mehdi Nawaz Jung. Early every morning he would set out on foot to explore and the peaceful surroundings awoke the poet in him. He fell in love with the rugged rocks and the green valleys. It is said at one point, he even thought of building a house there and spending time in Hyderabad. He had to drop the idea for his work commitments at Santiniketan.

According to an article in The News Minute, one memorable event from Tagore’s visit was a get-together organised at Finance Minister Amin Jung’s residence. It was attended by many city elites including Sarojini Naidu. Both Tagore and Amin Jung sported long beards. Their beards grazed each other as the two embraced, thereby sparking witty comments from those present. Prime Minister Maharaja Kishen Pershad, then serving his second term in office, was a consummate poet and he wrote: “Mehfil mein hain aaj jama do saheb-e-resh, Donon dilshad aur donon dilresh.” (Assembled today are two bearded gentlemen/ Both are cheerful and both have wounded hearts).

Rabindranath Tagore on his part, immortalised every place he stayed by writing a poem or creating a cultural facet around that place. As a young man when he visited Karwar on the west coast close to Goa, it is said that he conceptualised the theme for his Gitanjali that brought him the coveted Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. The pristine beach at Karwar is today known as ‘Tagore Beach.’ His visit to Madanapalle in Chittoor District in Andhra Pradesh in early 1919 resulted in the creation of literary history when the poet translated his Jana gana mana song (National Anthem of India) into English as The Morning Song of India. It was during the same time that the present musical tunes for the National Anthem were also composed in his presence by Margaret Cousins, the wife of James H. Cousins, the then Principal of the Theosophical College there.

The 1930s were eventful years in the history of Hyderabad with a relative increase in communal mobilisation and intense debates about the princely state’s future. A sort of polarisation of the population on communal and ideological lines was in place. However, contentious politics did not stop love for poetry and Mushairas were ecstatic with the arrival of Rabindranath Tagore in Hyderabad city, who they knew was against all forms of communalism. 

Amjad Hyderabadi, the people’s poet of Hyderabad wrote:

In donon ki mukhtasar si ta’reef ye ḥai

Darwīsh parast aik, aik hai darwīsh

(Here is the introduction to these two personages,

One is a devotee of mystics and the other is a mystic)

Nawab Bahadur Yar Jung, the leader of the Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen, was also invited. Recounting the event in a eulogy upon Tagore’s death in 1941, Bahadur Yar Jung said that the poet had wanted to hear a good orator in Urdu, and his name was recommended by Sarojini Naidu and others. Jung, who was one of the finest Urdu orators of that era and one who never had to prepare his speeches, wrote that he had to especially draft and practice his speech for that occasion. The Nobel Laureate appreciated his speech and suggested that with practice he could be a great speaker in any language, including English. The admiration between the two was mutual. Jung said that Tagore was not any ordinary poet but a true student of nature who unveils its mysteries to the masses.

He wrote:(Tagore) nai aman aur shanti ka raag alaapa, kapaṭ ki chita mein jalnai walon ko prem jalke chinṭe diye. Aur dunīa ko dekhnai aur sunnai walon ke liyai aik mujassam naġhma bana gaya.

(Tagore sang the melody of peace, sprinkled the water of love on those burning in the fire of deceit, and left an embodied song for those who wanted to hear and see the world.)

He even wished Tagore to have led the country: “Communal organisations would not have emerged in the country if only Hindustan’s political reins were in the hands of sincere and principled patriots like Tagore.” Jung came on a two-day visit to Santiniketan where he saw first-hand Tagore’s vision in action and was touched. 

(Data Source: Deccan Series)

Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to Hyderabad: When poetry triumphed over politics

There was a thriving cultural scene in the state where Hyderabadis of all persuasions came together. Their love for poetry and Mushairas led them to admire and celebrate poets and persons across religious and linguistic divides.

 Sir Amin Jung, Maharaja Kishen Pershad and Rabindranath Tagore in Hyderabad, 1933

Sir Amin Jung, Maharaja Kishen Pershad and Rabindranath Tagore in Hyderabad, 1933

Written by :Mohammed Ayub Khan

Published on : 

25 Sep 2021, 11:06 am

This piece is part of TNM’s Deccan Series brought to you in collaboration with the Khidki Collective, a collection of eight essays that will look at what it means to belong to the Deccan, which does not exist as a state or administrative entity, but still defines people and communities, how they live, what their politics is.

The September 17th anniversary of the ‘Police Action’, which led to the integration of the princely state of Hyderabad in 1948, has become increasingly contentious with selective use of history by political parties to further their current polarising agenda. Lost in the din is nuance and context which allows us to see the complex socio-political reality behind the binaries. There were many instances where the contending groups came together and cooperated. Similarly, there were many figures of the nationalist movement who were universally admired in Hyderabad.

This article focuses on one such instance by showing how individuals can rise above the divides and be a force for unity and cooperation. It also demonstrates that the Hyderabadi society of the 1930s and 1940s was in flux when multiple visions of the future were being debated and discussed. It also challenges the simplistic attempts at communal characterisation of historical figures for contemporary gains.

The 1930s were eventful years in the history of Hyderabad with a relative increase, as compared to the rest of the subcontinent, in communal mobilisation and intense debates about the princely state’s future. This marked the early beginnings of polarisation of the population on communal and ideological lines. Fissures in the Muslim community between nationalists and those who wanted to maintain the status quo also began to appear. However, contentious politics was not the only thing on the minds of Hyderabadis. There was a thriving cultural scene in the state where Hyderabadis of all persuasions came together. Their love for poetry and Mushairas led them to admire and celebrate poets and persons across religious and linguistic divides. The arrival of Rabindranath Tagore in Hyderabad city in 1933 clearly demonstrated this admiration.

The poet was not unfamiliar in the Nizam’s dominions. His institutions, Visva Bharati and Santiniketan, received generous donations from the Nizam. The latter had donated Rs1 lakh for the construction of a hostel in Santiniketan in 1933. Therefore, when Mehdi Nawaz Jung, secretary to the Nizam’s Executive Council, invited Tagore to come to Hyderabad the same year, he accepted with alacrity.

The poet, in his flowing beard and robes, became a magnet for the intellectual classes of Hyderabad. He was widely feted at ‘at-homes’ and other events organised by various individuals and cultural organisations. He stayed at Kohistan, the Banjara Hills residence of Mehdi Nawaz Jung. Impressed by its sylvan surroundings, he wrote a poem of the same name.

One memorable event from that visit was an ‘at-home’ organised at Finance Minister Amin Jung’s residence, which was attended by a large number of the city’s Muslim elites. Both Tagore and Amin Jung sported long beards. Their beards grazed each other as the two embraced sparking witty comments from the attendees.

The Prime Minister Maharaja Kishen Pershad, ever the consummate poet and an embodiment of the courtly culture of Hyderabad, composed the following couplet on the spot:

Mehfil mein hain aaj jama do saheb e resh

Donon dilshad aur donon dilresh

(Assembled today are two bearded gentlemen

Both of them cheerful, both have wounded hearts)

The Maharaja had used a clever pun as resh indicated both beard and a wound.

Amjad Hyderabadi, the people’s poet of Hyderabad known for his simple poetic style with deep philosophical meanings, was also in attendance and added two verses to complete the quatrain:

In donon ki mukhtasar si ta’reef ye ḥai

Darwīsh parast aik, aik hai darwīsh

(Here is the introduction to these two personages,

One is a devotee of mystics and the other is a mystic)

Nawab Bahadur Yar Jung, the leader of the Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen, was also invited and delivered a short speech. Recounting the event in a eulogy upon Tagore’s death in 1941, Bahadur Yar Jung said that the poet had wanted to hear a good orator in Urdu and his name was recommended by Sarojini Naidu and others. According to one version, Sarojini Naidu apparently told Tagore, “You haven’t seen Hyderabad yet if you haven’t met Bahadur Yar Jung.”

Bahadur Yar Jung, who was one of the finest Urdu orators of that era and one who never had to prepare his speeches, writes that he had to especially draft and practice his speech for that occasion. The Nobel Laureate appreciated his speech and suggested that with practice he could be a great speaker in any language, including English.

The admiration between the two was mutual. In his eulogy for Tagore in 1941, Bahadur Yar Jung said that Tagore was not any ordinary poet but a true student of nature who unveils its mysteries for the masses.

He compared the Urdu poetry of Muhammad Iqbal with that of Tagore and said both had the same goal even though their emphases were different. The former’s poetry was that of action: Iqbal awakened the sleeping masses, urged the awakened to stand up, motivated the standing to walk, and pushed the walking to run.

In contrast, Tagore’s poetry was that of love and peace. In eloquent Hindustani, Bahadur Yar Jung said:

(Tagore) nai aman aur shanti ka raag alaapa, kapaṭ ki chita mein jalnai walon ko prem jal ke chinṭe diye. Aur dunīa ko dekhnai aur sunnai walon ke liyai aik mujassam naġhma bana gaya.

(Tagore sang the melody of peace, sprinkled the water of love on those burning in the fire of deceit, and left an embodied song for those who wanted to hear and see the world.)

He opined that Tagore’s poetry resonated in the West more than that of Iqbal’s as it was tired of the wars and rivalries and was ‘hungry for a message of peace’.

Turning to Indian politics, Bahadur Yar Jung wished that people like Tagore should have led the country: Communal organisations would not have emerged in the country if only Hindustan’s political reins were in the hands of sincere and principled patriots like Tagore. Alas, if only the leaders of the big communities walk in the footsteps of Tagore and allay the fears of the smaller communities.

Bahadur Yar Jung mentioned his two-day visit to Santiniketan where he saw first-hand Tagore’s vision in action. He admiringly talked about the classes under the trees, the library, the frescoes displaying the glory of Indian civilization and the sculptures. This is notable given that Bahadur Yar Jung had at one time expressed his disapproval of sculpture to the Director of the Hyderabad Fine Arts Academy in a letter, stating that such arts are not in consonance with Hyderabadi culture, where even the sculptures of kings are not made.

The Tagore memorial where Bahadur Yar Jung delivered his eulogy was presided over by Sarojini Naidu. The transcript of his speech was published as ‘Ah! Gurudev’ (Sigh! Gurudev) in all the Urdu newspapers of Hyderabad the next day.

The public commemoration of Tagore’s death evoked the memory of three years earlier when Maharaja Kishen Pershad had led Hyderabadis in mourning the passing of that other poet, Muhammad Iqbal.

A thorough reading of lives and letters will also reveal the multi-dimensional personalities of the leaders of that era. For instance, Bahadur Yar Jung appears as the ‘son’ of Sarojini Naidu, ‘friend’ of Mahatma Gandhi and an admirer of Rabindranath Tagore.

These long forgotten episodes in Hyderabad’s history show that there were and are opportunities for individuals and communities to overcome their divisions even in times of intense polarisation and conflict. What is needed are unifying figures like Tagore, Iqbal, Maharaja Kishen Pershad, Amjad Hyderabadi and Sarojini Naidu. Or in other words, more poetry and less politics. The idea of the Urdu Mushaira as a site where people from different backgrounds come together for their love of poetry needs to be revived.

Also part of the series:

Becoming a Deccani artist: Tracing the history of Hyderabad’s School of Art and Crafts

Search for the past: Stories from the dusty archives of the Deccan

What the Hyderabad-Deccan region teaches us about belonging

Mohammed Ayub Khan is an independent researcher of the history and politics of Hyderabad. Views expressed are the author’s own.

The Khidki Collective is a group of scholars committing to reimagining and building perspectives on regional identities with a view to challenging established narratives around history, nationhood and belonging. Regions have existed even before India came into being and continue to exist. By not neatly fitting into dominant notions such as Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan, regions expand our imaginations. The collective takes its name from Khidki – window, the early medieval name of Aurangabad city, as well as the name of a famous octagonal mosque in Delhi built by an administrator who identified himself as a Telangani. The collective is anchored at the Hyderabad Urban Lab.

Rabindranath Tagore loved Hyderabad so much that he wanted to make City his second home

He loved the rugged rocks and the green valleys (in Banjara Hills). He even thought of building a house there and spending several months every year in Hyderabad.

Photo of Abhijit Sen Gupta Abhijit Sen Gupta|   Published: 6th May 2023 7:07 pm IST

 (Left to Right) Sir Amin Jung with Maharajah Sir Kishen Pershad & Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, at Amin Manzil.

In 1933 the Nizam of Hyderabad, through his administration, extended a formal invitation to Rabindranath Tagore to visit Hyderabad. The poet who had earlier visited some other places in this region, gladly accepted the invitation forwarded by Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung, who was then one of the top officials of the Nizam government.

Before that, there had developed a sense of mutual respect and admiration between the Nizam and the famous poet. Education was a subject that was very dear to Tagore’s heart. He wrote in his collection of poems titled Geetanjali: “Where knowledge is free and the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls…etc.” Through his poetry, he urged people to broaden their outlook through the acquisition of knowledge and not fall prey to narrow prejudices and superstitions. He also founded the Visva Bharati University.

Tagore admired the Nizam for having established educational institutions within his domain. Osmania University, founded in 1921, had the distinction of being the seventh university built on Indian soil and it had already produced several eminent personalities.

MS Education Academy

Tagore wrote to the Nizam stating: “I have long been waiting for the day when freed from the shackles of a foreign language, our education becomes naturally accessible to all our people. It gives me great joy to know that your State proposes to found a University where instructions are to be given in Urdu. It is needless to say that your scheme has my fullest appreciation.”

Tagore also wanted modern India to emerge fully armed with knowledge and education to tackle the world’s challenges. The Nizam appreciated and understood what Tagore was trying to achieve. Thereby he allocated a handsome grant of one lakh rupees for a hostel to be constructed at the Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan.

When Tagore arrived in Hyderabad it was a momentous occasion for the city’s intellectuals. He was feted at many mushairas and gatherings by some of the most prominent citizens of Hyderabad. He was put up at the Banjara Hills residence of Mehdi Nawaz Jung.

Early every morning Tagore would set out on foot to explore the environs of the hilly region. Soon he developed an abiding love for Hyderabad’s salubrious climate and peaceful living conditions. It awoke the poet in him. The Banjara Hills area which was then uncluttered and pollution-free captured his heart. He loved the rugged rocks and the green valleys. He even thought of building a house there and spending several months every year in Hyderabad. But eventually, he had to drop the idea because of his work commitments at Shantiniketan.

According to an article in The News Minute, one memorable event from Tagore’s visit was a get-together which was organised at Finance Minister Amin Jung’s residence. It was attended by a large number of the city’s elites including Sarojini Naidu. Both Tagore and Amin Jung sported long beards. Their beards grazed each other as the two embraced, thereby sparking witty comments from those present.

Prime Minister Maharaja Kishen Pershad, then serving his second term in office, was a consummate poet and an embodiment of the courtly culture of Hyderabad. On the spur of the moment he composed the following couplet: “Mehfil mein hain aaj jama do saheb-e-resh, Donon dilshad aur donon dilresh.” (Assembled today are two bearded gentlemen/ Both are cheerful and both have wounded hearts).

Tagore’s visit to Hyderabad drowned the political bickering of people of different affiliations. For a brief period, everyone forgot about their differences and thought only of peace, brotherhood, and poetry. When Tagore passed away in 1941 he was remembered by all those who had met him. All the newspapers in Hyderabad carried lengthy tributes to the poet from Bengal who had fallen in love with Hyderabad and had wanted to build a house in this city.