Think of Deccan history and what pops into mind is M.A. Nayeem. You just can’t separate the duo. He knows the history of Deccan like the back of his hand. The 20-odd books he has authored bears testimony to it.
What better way to acknowledge his contributions than bringing out a book on him. That’s what scholars have done. As many as 33 of them from India and abroad have come together to compile a felicitation volume to record their appreciation of Dr. Nayeem’s services.
The whole project is the result of the initiative taken by friends and admirers of Dr. Nayeem, particularly Prof. Syed Ayub Ali, President, Deccan History Society. Dr. Sudarshan Rao, Chairman, Indian Council of Historical Research, too has chipped in to honour him in an appropriate way.
The festschrift volume released on Saturday at Salarjung Musem was a fitting tribute to the maestro in his 77th year. It throws light on the untiring efforts of Dr. Nayeem in becoming a professional historian despite minimal support. What adds colour to the commemorative volume ‘Studies in Medieval Deccan History’ is the erudite articles of eminent scholars on a wide range of topics.
Behind every successful man is a woman, goes the saying. In Dr. Nayeem’s case, his doctor wife, Fouzia Nayeem, had been of immense support.
Through painstaking research, he has recaptured the opulent oriental life of Hyderabad, the grandeur of the royal palaces, the heritage of Golconda, the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the Bahmanis and Baridis of Deccan.
His transformation from a science graduate into a historian took place at the State Archives where he worked as a research officer.
“No scholar on Deccan history can afford to ignore his books,” says Sajjad Shahid, Secretary, Centre for Deccan Studies.
In the twilight of his life, Dr. Nayeem is happy to see his contributions recognised. Will he be coming out with yet another book? “No, I am tired,” he says. But the gleam in his eyes tells he is game for another tome. “There is so much to be written that even next ten years will not be sufficient,” he remarks.
The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future. That’s what Dr. Nayeem thinks.
