Operation Polo · 1948
The Police Action that ended the Nizam's reign and united Hyderabad with India
The Kingdom of the Nizam — once the richest monarchy in the world, sprawling over 215,000 square kilometres, home to 16 million people, with a feudal order that crushed the peasant majority. By 1948, the Nizam, Asaf Jah VII, armed a radical militia called the Razakars, who spread terror across Telangana and Marathwada. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's Iron Man, could not tolerate a hostile state festering at the heart of the new nation. On 13 September 1948, Indian armed forces launched Operation Polo — a lightning campaign that would topple the Nizam in five days, liberate millions, and forever reshape the Deccan.
This is the chronicle of the last war of princely India: rebel songs, forgotten heroes, the Razakar nightmare, and the final surrender at 5 PM on 17 September 1948.
On a September morning in 1948, the Nizam's dominion — Hyderabad — remained an anachronism: an independent princely state ruled by Asaf Jah VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, whose personal wealth was legendary. The Jacob’s Diamond, worth $100 million, served as a paperweight on his desk. His realm covered 215,339 km², larger than many European nations, with a population of 16.34 million, of which 85% were Hindu. But the Nizam and his feudal landlords, the doras, enforced Urdu as the sole official language, sidelining Telugu and Marathi. Peasants languished under bonded labour, exploited by jagirdars.
Across Telangana, resistance fermented. Chakali Illamma, a dalit woman, defied a zamindar who seized her four acres — a spark that ignited a peasant rebellion. Communists and Congress leaders joined forces, while night songs echoed through villages: “Bandenaka Bandi Katti, Padaharu Ballu Katti, Nenosthanu koduka ra Nizam sarakaroda” — a promise of armed resistance against the Nizam’s rule. The ground was ready for an eruption.
Qasim Rizvi, an Aligarh-educated firebrand, founded the Razakars — a militant volunteer force that pledged to preserve Muslim supremacy and resist integration with India. Armed and funded by the Nizam, the Razakars unleashed a reign of terror: villages burned, minorities were attacked, and even Muslims who advocated for joining India were hunted. The Nizam later confided to his advisors, “In November last, a small group compelled my trusted ministers to resign… by methods reminiscent of Hitlerite Germany. They have rendered me completely helpless.” Yet he continued to fund Rizvi’s menace, believing Hyderabad could survive as an independent dominion backed by foreign intervention. The atrocities mounted, and the Indian government watched with growing alarm.
The Indian Army struck before dawn on 13 September 1948. Codenamed Operation Polo, the plan involved two main thrusts: one from the west under Major General J.N. Chaudhari, and another from the east under Major General A.A. Rudra. The Hyderabad State Army — a mix of mercenaries and poorly equipped troops — alongside the fanatical Razakars, were no match for the professional Indian forces. Yet the fighting was fierce: at Naldurg Fort, the 2nd Sikh Infantry captured the stronghold after brutal close-quarters combat. Towns like Jalkot, Tuljapur and Hospet fell rapidly. Street battles in Osmanabad and Aurangabad tested the Indian soldiers, but by day two, the momentum became unstoppable.
Naldurg Fort captured. Jalkot & Tuljapur secured.
Heavy street fighting in Osmanabad & Aurangabad → both fall.
Jalna captured. IAF strikes clear Suryapet.
Zahirabad taken; Razakar ambushes continue but fail.
Bidar & Chityal captured. Road to Hyderabad open. Ceasefire at 5 PM.
The Hyderabad State Army suffered 490 killed and 1,647 captured. The Razakars lost 1,373 men with 1,911 taken prisoner. Indian Army casualties were relatively light, but the operation demonstrated the rapid efficiency of the young nation's armed forces. By 17 September, Indian columns had entered the outskirts of Hyderabad city. At 5 PM, the Nizam announced a ceasefire over Deccan Radio, disbanded the Razakars, and surrendered.
The Sunderlal Committee later reported an estimated 27,000 to 40,000 deaths, most occurring in Razakar strongholds where vengeance and reprisals swept through districts such as Osmanabad, Gulbarga, Bidar, and Nanded. Yet amidst the horror, ordinary acts of courage emerged: Hindus shielding Muslim neighbours, families protecting each other from the chaos. The Nizam would later portray himself as a victim of the Razakars, but history remembers that he had armed, funded, and encouraged the terror that plagued his people. Hyderabad, once a kingdom of diamonds and fear, became a state reborn — a testament to the price of liberation.
The military victory was also a social turning point: bonded labour was abolished, land reforms initiated, and the feudal structure dismantled. Hyderabad’s integration paved the way for the linguistic reorganisation of states and strengthened the secular fabric of India.
Hyderabad’s liberation was the culmination of decades of oppression, peasant rebellion, communist resistance, and decisive statecraft. Chakali Illamma’s defiance, the songs of the Telangana armed struggle, the terror of the Razakars, and the swift armoured columns of the Indian Army — all interwoven into the tapestry of a new India. Every year, 17 September is observed as Hyderabad Liberation Day in Telangana, honouring those who fought against the Nizam’s autocracy. The echoes of those five days in 1948 still resonate, reminding us that history is not just dates — it is the courage of ordinary peasants, the grit of soldiers, and the unyielding will for freedom.
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