September 17, 1948

The Fall of the Nizam: Hyderabad 1948

Chapter 1: The Kingdom of the Nizam

The sun rose slowly over the sprawling lands of Hyderabad on a September morning in 1948. Once, it had been the jewel of the Deccan—a princely state ruled by the Nizam, Asaf Jah VII, a man whose wealth was legendary. Newspapers had called him the richest man in the world; his Jacob’s Diamond, worth $100 million, rested idly on his desk as a mere paperweight. His kingdom stretched over 215,339 square kilometers, covering present-day Telangana, Marathwada in Maharashtra, and parts of Karnataka, home to 16.34 million people, 85% of whom were Hindu.

Despite the numbers, the Nizam ruled a minority, with feudal landlords, or doras, acting as his enforcers. Telugu, the language of the majority, was sidelined in favor of Urdu, making education and opportunity a luxury few could attain. In villages, peasants toiled under bonded labor, fearful of the landlords and the Nizam’s distant gaze.

But cracks had appeared in the gilded walls. Across Telangana, unrest simmered. Chakali Illamma, a brave woman, had defied a local zamindar who tried to seize her four acres of land. This single act sparked a rebellion that rippled through the countryside. Villages rose, peasants armed themselves, and the Communists and Congress leaders joined the fray. Songs rang out in the night: “Bandenaka Bandi Katti, Padaharu Ballu Katti, Nenosthanu koduka ra Nizam sarakaroda”—the promise of resistance.

Chapter 2: The Rise of the Razakars

While the peasants stirred, Qasim Rizvi, an Aligarh-educated firebrand, seized his moment. He founded the Razakars, a private militia loyal to the Nizam, pledged to defend Muslim rule and resist integration with India. Villages lived in terror: nights were punctuated by screams, arson, and looting. Even Muslims who favored joining India were hunted. The Nizam, perhaps blind to the monster he had created, provided weapons and funds, letting Rizvi’s influence grow beyond his control.

Inside the Nizam’s palace, tension simmered. He 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, despite this confession, he clung to the belief that Hyderabad could stand alone against India, confident in foreign intervention and in the Razakars’ terror.

Chapter 3: India’s Resolve

Across the newly independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel watched Hyderabad with unease. An independent state at the heart of India, with 200,000 Razakars terrorizing its citizens, was intolerable. Peaceful negotiations had failed. The Standstill Agreement of November 1947 had sought only to maintain the status quo, but the Nizam’s ordinances banning Indian currency and sending loans to Pakistan breached it.

Enter K.M. Munshi, a bespectacled lawyer, revolutionary, and founder of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Munshi had faced house arrest in Hyderabad, yet now he was the Agent General of the Indian Government, tasked with a delicate mission: to secure the Nizam’s surrender.

When Munshi met the Nizam on 16 September, the man who had ignored him for decades looked broken. “The vultures have resigned; I don’t know what to do,” he said, speaking of his cabinet. Munshi, calm and resolute, knew history was at a tipping point.

Chapter 4: Operation Polo Begins

The Indian Army struck on 13 September 1948. Code-named Operation Polo, the plan involved two thrusts: one from the west under General J.N. Chaudhari, and another from the east under General A.A. Rudra. The Hyderabad State Army, a ragtag mix of mercenaries and poorly armed troops, and the Razakars, with outdated equipment, could not withstand the professional Indian forces.

The first battles were fierce. At Naldurg Fort, the 2nd Sikh Infantry captured the stronghold after a brutal clash. Towns like Jalkot, Tuljapur, Hospet, and bridges over the Tungabhadra River fell one by one. Street fighting in Osmanabad and Aurangabad tested the Indian forces, but within days, control shifted. The Razakars, once feared, began to crumble.

Day 1 (Sept 13): A fierce battle at Naldurg Fort. The Indian Army secures the fort and towns of Jalkot and Tuljapur.
Day 2 (Sept 14): Heavy street-fighting in Osmanabad and Aurangabad. Both cities fall.
Day 3 (Sept 15): Jalna falls. Indian Air Force strikes clear Suryapet.
Day 4 (Sept 16): Zahirabad falls, though Razakar ambushes continue.
Day 5 (Sept 17): Bidar and Chityal are captured. The road to Hyderabad city is open. The Nizam, knowing the game is lost, announces a ceasefire at 5 PM, surrenders, and disbands the Razakars. The Hyderabad State Army suffered 490 dead and 1,647 captured; the Razakars lost 1,373 men with 1,911 captured.

Chapter 5: The Fall of Hyderabad

By 17 September, columns had advanced into Bidar, Chityal, and Hingoli. Indian troops had captured Zahirabad, faced ambushes from remaining Razakars, but steadily gained ground. The Nizam knew he had lost.

At 5 PM, his voice echoed across Deccan Radio: “I hereby order a ceasefire… Hyderabad welcomes the Indian Army.” The Razakars were disbanded, their pipe dream of an independent Hyderabad shattered. By the next day, General El Edroos formally surrendered, Qasim Rizvi was arrested, and Laik Ali placed under house arrest. The Asaf Jahi dynasty’s 235-year reign was over.

In his final radio broadcast, the Nizam distanced himself from the chaos, stating, "This group... by methods reminiscent of Hitlerite Germany... rendered me completely helpless."

Chapter 6: Aftermath and Shadows

The Sunderlal Committee later reported 27,000 to 40,000 deaths, mostly in Razakar strongholds. Looting, massacres, and revenge killings followed. Entire districts—Osmanabad, Gulbarga, Bidar, Nanded—bore the brunt of vengeance. Yet even amid the horror, acts of courage shone through: Hindus risking their lives to protect Muslim neighbors, families sheltering each other from the chaos.

The Nizam would later portray himself as a victim of the Razakars, a man trapped by his own creation. Yet history would not forget that he had armed, funded, and encouraged the very terror that had plagued his people. Hyderabad, once a kingdom of riches and fear, was now part of a united India, its people forever changed by rebellion, courage, and the relentless march of history.

Epilogue: Legacy of September 1948

Hyderabad’s liberation was more than a military victory. It was the culmination of decades of oppression, rebellion, and political maneuvering. Chakali Illamma, the peasants’ revolt, the Congress and Communist resistance, the terror of the Razakars, and the decisive action of the Indian Army—all intertwined to end a kingdom and usher in a new India.

In the villages and cities, stories of fear, resistance, vengeance, and heroism became the tapestry of a state reborn. The echoes of September 1948 still resonate in Telangana, a reminder that history is not just dates and events—it is the lived experience of courage, sacrifice, and transformation.

References


http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/threads/rare-photos-of-operation-polo-hyderabad-police-action-1948.55823/

https://ia801306.us.archive.org/7/items/PanditSundarlalCommitteeReportOnTheMassacresInHyderabad1948/Pandit-Sundarlal-Committee-Report-on-the-Massacres-in-Hyderabad-1948_text.pdf

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/hyderabad-indian-army-telangana-police-action-independent-india/1/309167.html

https://historyunderyourfeet.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/operation-polo/

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24159594

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/NbxBUAuu49lp7FtxDErnNM/Telangana-Liberation-Day-Five-things-to-know.html