The Last Nizam

The Last Nizam
by John Zubrzycki

“After kissing the Threshold of Your Throne, it is humbly submitted to the Great and Holy Protector of the World, Shadow of God, Mighty Holder of Destinies, Full of Light and Most Elevated among Creatures, the Exalted, May God’s Shadow Never Grow Less, may God Protect Your Kingdom and Your Sultanate, Most humbly I beg to submit….”

That was the way you asked the Nizam of Hyderabad, if you were a noble, to leave Hyderabad to go to Poona to the races.

You bent low, like you were in Ruku for salat – you hand touched your forehead and falling to the ground, seven times – in the presence of His Excellent Highness, The Nizam of Hyderabad. John Zubrzycki saya a dozen time but that is not true. The Mughal Emperor got a niner, the Nizam, always in allegiance to the Mughal Emperor (and later to British) got a sevener. I was there, I did it as a toddler with my uncle, before a scruffy looking man who looked poorer than our gardener and handy job man, Chunnu Mamoo.

John Zubrzycki’s book “The Last Nizam” it a delicious slice of history, for those interested in that part of the world, for those interested in the intricacies of the Rise and Fall of dynasties.

At one time considered the richest man in the world, with no real count ever made of his wealth. Olympic sized swimming pool could be filled with his diamonds, the whole of Broadway could be paved with his pearls, his gold was not counted in ounces but tons.

And Mukarram Jah, the heir to the wealth (and the Last Nizam), the heir to the Caliphate spent it, lost it in one lifetime declared himself bankrupt.

I have always been interested in history, especially that of the Deccan Plataeu, so I found it immensely readable. John Zubrzycki is no William Dalrymple but the book, mostly, is a good read.

It is a study in how power and wealth is aqcuired, maintained and lost. An old Sanskrit saying comes to mind:

San Sapoot Toh Dhan Kyon Sanchay

San Kapoot Toh Dhan Kyon Sanchay

Shorter Novels

I have increasingly become a fan of shorter novels. I have not read On Chesil Beach, Bibliobibuli recommends it and I must get it soon. I enjoyed God of Small Things very much, and it was a relatively short novel, so was Incident of Dog at the Night Time, enjoyable that.

Life of Pi was not that long either, I was enthralled by it. I picked up the House of Blue Mangoes three times before I could finish it.

Exceptions were there, I re read Atlas Shrugged recently, in small tiny print of the paperback version and still could go through it with ease. Considering that I could thread a needle with ease at the time when I first read it and now not as much. But even the small print did not deter me from reading Ayn Rand.

There have been of course, even more exceptions, where the novel just captures your imaginations and the shortness of time just doesn’t seem to matter. That is happening with Divisadero now.

Fictional Characters

When you sit down to think about it – other characters appear in the horizon of memories, fictional characters that made a huge difference at the time. Some that left indelible imprint on you and changed you in a small – maybe imperceptible – way.

Howard Roarke, from Fountainhead: I remember being spell bound by that book, my first taste of Ayn Rand till later I went searching for her Atlas Shrugged.

Or Mr Chips. The lovable old man from Good Bye Mr Chips.