An exhibition of postal stamps, envelopes, documents and photographs of the Nizam era held at New Delhi recently was a journey into the past not only for history lovers and inquisitive minds ready to peep into the bygone era at any given opportunity but also for descendants of the last and seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan.
The exhibition with the theme of ‘Property of a Gentleman – Stamps from the Nizam of Hyderabad’s Dominions’ was organised jointly by The Gujral Foundation and Guli Art Foundation at Bikaner House from March 9 to 24 with the collection from the Ewari family. The kin of the seventh Nizam, including one of his grandsons Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, who visited the exhibition along with other family members, were all praise for the Ewari family for their prized collection.
Mr. Najaf Ali Khan said the collection comprised a selection of stamps originating from the erstwhile Hyderabad State during the Nizam’s rule. “The philately and other collection has a deep personal connect with Hyderabad,” he said, adding that the genesis of the expansive collection was the legacy of Nawab Iqbal Hussain Khan, the Post Master General in the Government of Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur Nizam VII.
First adhesive stamp
In all, the Ewari collection includes three million stamps from across the world, including the rare Penny Black, the first adhesive postage stamp in the world. It also featured every single stamp in the chronology of the senior most princely state of colonial India, Hyderabad. “The Asaf Jahi rule with Hyderabad as its headquarters issued its own stamps for almost 80 years from 1869 to 1949 till it joined the Indian Union,” Mr. Najaf Ali Khan explained. Against the present day advanced technology in communication, postage stamps were the indispensable remnants of the bygone era. The seemingly insignificant pieces of paper played an essential role as payment to help transfer messages, to facilitate revenue collection, taxation and other fiscal purposes, he noted.
Historic value
“Thanks to the organisers, who created such an ambience that immediately drew us in and we felt transported to the era of such royalty, it was a mesmerising experience. The dimly-lit huge landscapes of structural marvels of Hyderabad and custom-made lead boxes housing the stamps added to the beauty of the collection. We thank the Ewari family for preserving these priceless and alluring exhibits of historic value,” Mr. Najaf Ali Khan said.
