Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad

Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Bahadur Yamin us-Sultanat (1864 – 13 May 1940) was an Indian noble who served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad twice.

He was a childhood friend of the Nizam and a staunch Nizam loyalist throughout his life. In 1892, Pershad became the Peshkar (deputy minister) of the state. Nine years later, Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan appointed him dewan (prime minister). During his first tenure as dewan, he was credited with increasing the state's revenue and helping victims of the Great Musi Flood of 1908. In 1926, he was reappointed as dewan. During this period, he passed the Mulki regulations, which favoured local citizens over British for administrative positions.

A proponent of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (culture of the central plains of Northern India), Pershad also wrote Urdu and Persian poems, which were influenced by Sufism. He was a patron of poetry, paintings and music. He had seven wives including both Hindus and Muslims.

Pershad had built the Chitragupta Bhagwan Temple in Hyderabad. He was also an active freemason.

Early life Pershad was born in 1864, but his exact date of birth is unrecorded. He claims to have origins from a Khatri Mehra. He claimed to have been "born two years before his highness [ Mahboob Ali Khan]". Pershad's ancestor, Rai Mull Chand, migrated from Delhi to Hyderabad with Asaf Jah I. His grandfather Narinder Pershad served as dewan and peshkar (deputy minister) during the reign of Mahbub Ali Khan.

In his youth, Pershad was disinherited by his grandfather Narinder Pershad in favour of his younger brother. Subsequently, he was patronised by Salar Jung I and was educated along with his sons in a western school. Pershad studied accountancy, medicine, religion, astrology and sufism. Besides these, he learned martial arts, Mughal etiquette and court grooming at the school. Pershad studied the Sanskrit language because of his Hindu faith and accountancy because he had the hereditary charge of the royal treasury.

Political career

In 1892, Pershad was appointed peshkar of Hyderabad, and dewan in 1902. During this ten-year period he played an insignificant role in the administration of the state. He became the military minister in the nizams cabinet. He also fulfilled his responsibilities as a peshkar, which included him constantly attending to the Nizam to help him complete the formalities of state.

In 1901, the Nizam appointed Pershad as dewan of Hyderabad and dismissed Viqar-ul-Umra. He was also conferred with the title "Yamin us Saltanat" (English: right hand of the realm) and his status was raised from that of a raja to a maharaja. During his second tenure, friction occurred between Pershad and Walker over political appointments. While Walker was in favour of appointing Britons to administrative positions, Pershad was in favour of appointing Mulkies (local citizens). Panic spread amongst the locals because of Walker's preference. They thought that no post, of even moderate or lesser importance, would be available to them. The clash between Pershad and Walker over this matter was continuous and all government departments were affected by it. Pershad passed the Mulki regulations according to which an "outsider" could not be appointed to any position if a suitably-qualified Mulki was available for the job; their educational qualifications were to be given more weight than their family background and retirement was fixed at fifty-five years of age.

One of Pershad's favorite wives was Ghousia Begum. She belonged to an orthodox Muslim family. Although she lived under a strict purdah, they managed to court each other using disguises. According to Islamic law, marriage between a Muslim and a Hindu is not allowed. To marry her, he was ready to convert to Islam. However, Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan was not in favour of him converting as he did not want a Muslim peshkar.

Interests and beliefs

Pershad wrote Persian and Urdu poems under the pen name "Shad" (English: happy). His poetry was influenced by Sufism. He was also a proponent of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims). He wrote

I am neither Hindu nor a Muslim My faith reposes in every religion Shad alone knows of his religious beliefs As none but the free can fathom the essence of freedom. and the GCIE in 1910.

Death

Pershad died at Hyderabad on 13 May 1940. Upon his death, Nizam Osman Ali Khan said "society has witnessed the departure of the last vestige of the Mughal Empire".