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Ali Yavar Jung
Governor of Maharashtra
In office
26 February 1971 – 11 December 1976
Preceded byOm Prakash Mehra
Succeeded byKona Prabhakara Rao
Indian Ambassador to the United States
In office
1968–1970
Preceded byBraj Kumar Nehru
Succeeded byLakshmi Kant Jha
Indian Ambassador to France[1]
In office
1961–1965
Preceded byN. R. Pillai
Succeeded byRajeshwar Dayal
Indian Ambassador to Egypt[2]
In office
1954–1958
Preceded byK.M. Panikkar
Succeeded byRatan Kumar Nehru
Indian Ambassador to Argentina[3]
In office
1952–1954
Personal details
BornFebruary 1906
Hyderabad, Hyderabad State, British Indian Empire
Died11 December 1976(1976-12-11) (aged 70)
Raj Bhavan, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Spouse(s)Alys Iffrig (known after her second marriage as Alys Hyderi)
Zehra Ali Yavar Jung
ChildrenTyabji family (through son-in-law)
Bilkees I. Latif (born of Alys Iffrig)
RelativesIdris Hasan Latif (son-in-law)
Alma materQueen's College, Oxford
Occupationdiplomat, politician
AwardsPadma Vibhushan
Padma Bhushan

Nawab Ali Yavar Jung Bahadur (February 1906 – 11 December 1976) was an Indian diplomat. He served as Indian Ambassador in Argentina, Egypt, Yugoslavia and Greece, France, and the United States.

He was governor of the Indian state of Maharashtra from 1971 to 1976. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan, India's highest civilian honors, in 1959 and 1977, respectively.

Early life[edit | edit source]

He was born in Hyderabad to a distinguished Hyderabadi family of scholars, administrators and educators, and studied at Queen's College, Oxford,[4] earning a degree in History.

Career[edit | edit source]

Nawab Ali Yavar Jung served as the Vice-chancellor of Osmania University from 1945 to 1946 and from 1948 to 1952.[4] In year 1965 to 1968 he was Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.[5] He opposed reservation on religious grounds at AMU.[6] In 1946-47 he was Minister Constitutional Affairs, Home and Educational, Public Health and Local Government in the Nizam's Governorate. He resigned from that post in 1947.

He was India's ambassador to Argentina (1952–54), Egypt (1954–58), Yugoslavia and Greece (1958–61), France (1961–65), and the United States (1968–70).[4] His personal rapport with Juan Perón, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Josip Broz Tito, Charles de Gaulle, and Lyndon B. Johnson substantially contributed to their understanding and appreciation of India's independent foreign policy.[citation needed]

He was appointed governor of Maharashtra in 1971, and died during his term as governor at Mumbai's Raj Bhavan in December 1976.[4][7]

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan, India's highest civilian honors, in 1959 and 1977, respectively.[4][8] The Western Express Highway in Mumbai[9] and The National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped[10] located there are named after him.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

He married a French lady Alys Iffrig, but the couple got divorced. His daughter with Iffrig was Bilkees I. Latif. Bilkees' husband, his son-in-law, was the Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif, the 10th Chief of the Air Staff.[11] Later, he married Zehra Ali Yavar Jung, a social worker.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "History". Embassy of India, Paris. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  2. "List of former Ambassadors". Embassy of India, Cairo. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  3. "Former Ambassadors". Embassy of India, Buenos Aires. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Shri W.A. Sangma (14 December 1976). Obituary References (Speech). Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  5. "Proceedings of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly assembled after the First General Election". Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  6. "Aligarh Muslim University: 50% quota for Muslims creates a storm, UPA govt in tight spot". 30 May 2005.
  7. "Previous Governors List". Raj Bhavan, Maharashtra State. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  8. "List of Padma Vibhushan Awardees" (PDF). Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  9. Chacko, Benita (18 September 2017). "Western Express Highway: Few know this arterial road honours a former diplomat". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  10. Qureshi, M. U. (2006). Encyclopaedia of Social Problems and Social Welfare. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. p. 203. ISBN 81-261-2584-5.
  11. "A Life of service honoured with the Padma Shri award" (PDF). You and I — eMag. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
Academic offices
Preceded by
Nawab Azam Jung
Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University
1945-1946
Succeeded by
Woli Mohammed
Preceded by
Muhammad Raziuddin Siddiqui
Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University
1948-1952
Succeeded by
Suri Bhagavantam
Preceded by
Bashir Hussain Zaidi
Vice-Chancellor of AMU
1965-1968
Succeeded by
Abdul Aleem
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Jamshed Burjorji Vesugar
Ambassador of India to Argentina
1952-1953
Succeeded by
N. Raghavan
Preceded by
K. M. Panikkar
Ambassador of India to Egypt
1954-1958
Succeeded by
Ratan Kumar Nehru
Preceded by
N. Raghavan
Ambassador of India to France
1961-1965
Succeeded by
Rajeshwar Dayal
Preceded by
B. K. Nehru
Ambassador of India to the United States
1968-1970
Succeeded by
L. K. Jha
Political offices
Preceded by
Om Prakash Mehra
Governor of Maharashtra
1971–1976
Succeeded by
Kona Prabhakara Rao