Born on 6th April 1886 at the Purani Haveli palace, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan was the 7th and last Nizam of the princely state of Hyderabad. He was the second son of Mir Mahboob Ali Khan by Amat-uz-Zahrunnisa Begum. Due to the unfortunate death of the first son, Mir Osman Ali Khan ascended to the throne to govern the state of Hyderabad in the year 1911.

Reign of Mir Osman Ali Khan
The reign of Mir Osman Ali Khan as the Nizam of Hyderabad as the primary source of wealth for the state was from the mines of Golconda. This was because the kingdom of Hyderabad was the only supplier of diamonds for the global market in the 18th century. Osman Ali was given the title of "Faithful Ally of the British Crown" after the First World War due to his financial contribution to the British Empire`s war effort. He paid for a Royal Navy vessel, the N-class destroyer, HMAS Nizam commissioned in 1940 and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy.

During his 37 years rule, electricity was introduced along with the development of railways, roads and airways. Osman Ali is credited with the establishment numerous public institutions in the city of Hyderabad, including the Osmania University, Osmania General Hospital, State Bank of Hyderabad, Begumpet Airport, and Hyderabad High Court. He was also responsible for the construction of 2 reservoirs, namely Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, which were built to prevent another great flood in the city. The first one being struck in 1908, 3 years before the Nizam`s coronation, which resulted in mass destruction and deaths.

Administration under Mir Osman Ali Khan
The reign of Mir Osman Ali Khan saw the climax of the cultural, economic, political and administrative development of Hyderabad which had begun during the time of Salar Jung I. It should be observed that one of the major reasons for this all round progress was the great financial stability which Hyderabad attained during the rule of Mir Osman Ali Khan. Not only was the last Nizam a good and shrewd financier himself, but from the beginning of the 20th century Hyderabad had had the good fortune to acquire the services of a plethora of financial experts, starting with Sir Cassan Walker in 1901 then after him, Sir Reginald Glancy, and then Muhammad Akbar Nazar Ali Haidari, who was later known as Sir Akbar Haidari.

The reigning period of Osman Ali Khan witnessed the drastic reformations and development, in the revenue department, law and order in the judicial reforms and also educational reforms. Apart from these reconstructions in the administrative sections, Osman Ali Khan showed great excellence in the building of the great irrigation projects which led to the rapid economic development of the country. Osman Ali Khan`s reign was also memorable for linking up the most distant parts of the Hyderabad Dominions. He took special care in reformations, modernisation and preservation of ancient monuments and the revival of an interest in the ancient culture, relics, monuments of the Deccan and his own dominion. He also took initiative in establishing new magnificent edifices in his dominion. However, Osman Ali Khan`s patronage of art and architecture was reflected in almost all parts of his domain and these instances of art and architecture unfolded throughout India and also in and around the Muslim world as well.

Personal Life of Mir Osman Ali Khan
At the age of 21, on April 14th, 1906, Osman Ali married Dulhan Pasha Begum who was the daughter of Nawab Jahangir Jung. Osman Ali had 42 concubines and 7 wives. His second wife was the daughter of Nawab Nazir Jung Bahadur, Iqbal Begum. He had fathered 42 children among whom Azam Jah and Moazzam Jah was the eldest of his sons by his first wife Dulhan Pasha Begum. After a prosperous reign, Mir Osman Ali Khan died on 24th February, 1967.