Fazl-i-Ali Khan of Banganapalle

Saiyid Fazl-i-Ali Khan was the last ruling Nawab of Banganapalle.¹ He ruled from 1922 until the State joined the Madras Province in February 1948.²³ He died a few months later.¹ See the Banganapalle State.

Succession

The Memoranda on the Indian States (1934) give his name as “Nawab Saiyid Fazl-i-Ali Khan Bahadur”.² They say that he was born on 9 November 1901 and that he succeeded on 22 January 1922.² He was the eldest son of the Nawab Ghulam Ali Khan.⁴ See Ghulam Ali Khan III.

In 1934, the Memoranda say, he had a permanent salute of 9 guns and was a member of the Chamber of Princes (the council of the ruling princes).⁴ His position gave him the right to be received by the Viceroy.⁴ A son was born to him on 12 October 1925 and a daughter on 31 August 1927.⁴ The Memoranda give the State’s area as 275 square miles and its average yearly revenue as 4,58,000 rupees.²

His rule

The District Census Handbook of Kurnool (1961, printed 1964) calls him “a generous and an enlightened ruler”.¹ It says that the trade and industry begun in his father’s time grew in his reign.¹

But the Nawab, his Diwan (chief minister) and the British Resident disagreed about the government of the State.¹ In the end, the handbook says, the Nawab was persuaded to give up his powers over law and order.¹ The British Government then ran the State through its Resident at Mysore.¹ In these years the State’s departments were rebuilt on the pattern of British India.¹

Shortly before British rule ended, the Nawab received the title of “His Highness” with a salute of eleven guns.¹

The end of the State, 1947–1948

The Nawab came back to the State on 26 June 1947.¹ The handbook says that he was met with cheers and rejoicing.¹ On 1 July 1947, at a durbar (court ceremony) at Banganapalle, he announced a State council and a new constitution.¹ It was meant to give the people a large share in the government.¹

After India became free, he signed an agreement to merge the State on 18 February 1948.³¹ The handbook says he was the first ruler in South India to do so.¹ The White Paper on Indian States (1950) says that the government of the Madras Province took over the State on 23 February 1948.³ Banganapalle became a separate sub-taluk of the Kurnool district.¹ See Kurnool.

Death

Fazl-i-Ali Khan died suddenly of heart failure on 1 July 1948, while still young.¹ The Government of India recognised his only son, Mir Ghulam Ali Khan, as his successor.¹

Where the sources disagree

The sources differ on the date of his succession. The Memoranda say that his father died on 22 January 1922 and that he succeeded then.²⁴ The Census handbook dates his father’s death to July 1922.¹

Footnotes

1. A. Chandra Sekhar, Census of India 1961, Andhra Pradesh: District Census Handbook, Kurnool District (1964), p. xxxii (PDF p. 53) (censusindia.gov.in↗ (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased (Public domain in India). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

2. Memoranda on the Indian States, 1934 (Delhi, 1934), p. 138, Madras States Agency (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. Ministry of States, White Paper on Indian States (revised ed., 1950), p. 44, para. 107 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased (Public domain in India). ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Memoranda on the Indian States, 1934 (Delhi, 1934), p. 139, “Banganapalle” (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵