‘Succession’ battle over Salar Jung Museum board seat out in the open

Hyderabad: The Salar Jung family, which keeps a low profile, is in the news perhaps for the first time over the issue of “succession” – not over the property but over a berth on the board of governors of Salar Jung Museum. The Museum was named after Nawab Mir Yusuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III, who was the prime minister of princely Hyderabad state and was known for his unique and largest single-man collection of arts, artefacts, rare books, sculptures, and paintings among other invaluable objects of historical and cultural heritage.
Fight over legacy

The issue of property (virasat of inams or inheritance of grants) was settled some years ago.But what makes the nomination to the board of governors of the museum so important that the family members had to fight it out in a court of law? According to a former member of the board, first, it’s the prestige associated with the post and secondly, a say in the administration of one of the biggest museums in the world. Finally, as the Salar Jung Museum Act 1961 makes a provision for the nomination of a member of the Salar Jung family to the board, it makes him a successor to the legacy of the great Nawab.
Family tree
Salar Jung III passed away on March 2, 1949, issueless. He had not married. Hence, his family would be predominantly the family of his paternal ancestor.
The patriarch and ancestor of the Salar Jung family was Nawab Sir Mir Turab Ali Khan, popularly known as Sir Salar Jung I. He was the prime minister (Diwan) of Hyderabad for about three decades, serving the Nizams IV, V, and VI. As the Nizam VI, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, was only three years old when he became the ruler, Salar Jung I served as the regent.
According to Salar Jung scion Ahteram Ali Khan, who served as a board member for five terms each of five years, Sir Salar Jung I had four children — two sons and two daughters. The elder son Laiq Ali Khan (Salar Jung II) had only one child — a son, Mir Yusuf Ali Khan (Salar Jung III). The younger son Mir Sadat Ali Khan had only one child — a daughter Karimunnisa Begum, who died in her early teens.
Salar Jung II had married Zainab Begum, who hailed from a Moulvi family. Salar Jung I possessed vast jagirs and had a taste in art and culture. A large number of antiquities, artefacts, and books, which are part of the Salar Jung Museum and library, were collected by him, Ahteram told TOI. Nawab Salar Jung III inherited this trait and passion from his grandfather and expanded the family collection.
The claimants
The present legal battle is between Ahteram Ali Khan and Syed Abdul Wahab, brother of Zainab Begum. While Syed Abdul Wahab said he should be nominated to the board as he is a member of the Salar Jung family, Ahteram Ali Khan said Zainab Begum as a result of her marriage to Salar Jung II would be considered as a member of the Salar Jung family, but her brother Moulvi Syed Abdullah can’t be termed as a member of the Salar Jung family.
On the other hand, Syed Abdul Wahab claimed that the issue of descendants was settled in a civil court in 2004.