State flag of Hyderabad (Osmanistan): Difference between revisions

Hyderabad State
Use	Civil and state flag
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	13 September 1948

Latest revision as of 10:27, 17 August 2022

The Flag of Hyderabad state is the flag of the State of Hyderabad. The Hyderabad state flag shows Green and Red (fly) with a Star and reversed Crescent (in white) in the centre, used as a state flag. It was annexed by India in 1948, after Winston Churchill had proposed to the United Nations to consider it as an independent state.^[1]

Flag History[edit]

The forebears of the Asaf Jahi Dynasty came to India from Samarkand, in Central Asia, but the family actually originated from Baghdad. In 1724, the Mughal Governor of the Deccan, (Nizam ul-Mulk) Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I, established himself as an independent ruler of Deccan. Hyderabad became the capital and later lent its name to that of the state he had created. The first Nizam's successors became closely allied to the British colonialists, frequently assisting them in subduing their enemies, the Maratha dynasty, Tipu Sultan of Mysore, and the French. In later years, the Nizam's troops invariably took part in all the main campaigns undertaken by the British Indian Army. Large numbers of his troops took part in the First and Second World Wars. These contributions earned for the Nizam unequalled titles and honours from a grateful Emperor.

The state was the largest and premier of all princely states within the British Indian Empire. After the Pakistani and Indian Independences, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII decided that the Princely state of Hyderabad will not join the New Dominion of India or Dominion of Pakistan. His decision found favour with Pakistan but not with India, when he formally declared it on the 24th of August in 1947 respectively. The Nizam’s state was a prosperous one and had its own army, railway and airline network, postal system and radio network. On 15th August 1947, India declared itself an independent nation. And so did Hyderabad.

At the time of the Independence movement of India, the State of Hyderabad was the largest of all princely states in India. The Nizam ruled over lands extending to cover 82,698 mi² (214,190 km²) of fairly homogenous territory and was bigger than Belarus but was smaller than the Guyana. The Nizam ruled over a cosmopolitan comprised of a population of roughly 16.34 million people (as per the 1941 census) of which a majority (83%) was Hindu. These advantages persuaded the Nizam to attempt an Independent existence when the British withdrew from the sub-continent in 1947. He blatantly refused to succumb to be subdued to any pressure whatsoever to reluctantly join either India or Pakistan, preferring to form a separate Kingdom of its own within the British Commonwealth of Nations. Hyderabad State had its own Army, Airline, Telecommunication system, railway network, postal system, currency and Radio broadcasting service.

On 6 October 1948, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Zafarullah, requested the President of the United Nations Security Council that Pakistan be permitted to participate in the discussion of the Hyderabad question in accordance with Article 31 of the United Nations' Charter.^[2] The Government of Pakistan took the case and raised the question of the State of Hyderabad to the United Nations security council Pursuant to Article 31, where it is still pending for resolution Pakistan has been mainly involved in arguments for the rights of Kashmiris. In spite of raising questions that predominantly affect Pakistan, the Pakistan delegation is often able to play a significant role in debates on other issues as well. As a number of states had not attained independence in the 1950s, Pakistan became an effective spokesman of many Asian states and movements, It states:

"Any state that is a member of the United Nations and feels its interests specially affected by development or any state that is or is not a member of the United Nations and is a party to a conflict under question may be invited to participate without vote in the debating of the question(s). respectively".

In this distinct entity of State of Hyderabad, where no official Referendum was held and where the ruler did not accede, the forced accession to India brought about by Military action, was presumed to have the tacit approval of the predominantly Hindu population. In each case of annexation there was a different rationale, but a similar goal, namely Annexation of territories. The use of military force provided the only consistency in India's policy. The state that was once so well noted for its religious and ethnic toleration, ruled by a highly cultured and intellectually brilliant elite who maintained all that was best in the old Mughal order, was now no more. Although it has not always been satisfied with the effectiveness of the United Nations to act on Kashmir, Pakistan remains a keen and active member. Pakistan would like to see the United Nations strengthened so that it can serve as an effective force to uphold International law and protect weaker states.