Paigah tombs
#GS-01 Indian Heritage
For Prelims
Paigah tombs
- Paigah tombs officially called Maqhbara Shams al-Umara, are located in the suburbs of Pisal Banda in Hyderabad.
- The necropolis is located in a quiet neighbourhood 4 km southeast of Charminar.
- They are a group of tombs (catacombs) of the Paigah aristocratic family who were fierce loyalists of the Nizams.
- The tombs boast of striking architecture and contains marvellously carved marble panels.
- Incredible lattice screens, minarets, and detailing are present in the complex.
- They are set to be restored with funding by the S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
House of Paigah
- Paigahs are a noble family in the senior aristocracy of Hyderabad State in service of the Nizam.
- They have been associated with the ruling Nizam since the inception of Hyderabad state.
- The word Paigah is a title which means pomp and rank in
- It was given to Nawab Abul Fateh Taig Jung Bahadur by the second Nizam of Hyderabad in appreciation of the royal services rendered by him.
- They are said to trace their linage up to Omar bin Al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islam.
- The Paigahs intermarried with the Nizam starting with the daughter of Mir Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah II marrying the son of Abul Fatah Khan.
- Due to constant intermarriage between the royal family, the Paigah’s were considered next only to the Nizams.
