Page:The Nizam.djvu/144

 CHAP. VII

THE MAHOMMEDAN SCHISMATICS AT COURT." — TITLES OF MAHOMMEDAN AND HINDOO NOBLES. RAJA RAGONATH DASS, THE FIRST PRIME MINISTER. SYUD LUSHKUR KHAN. SHAH NUWAZ KHAN. BAZALUTJUNG. NIZAM ALEE. RAJA PURTAB WUNT. ROKUN-OOD-DOWLAH. ARISTO JAH. MEER ALLUM. MOONEER-OOL-MOOLK. SHUMS-OOL-OOMRAH. RAJA CHUNDOO LALL. SURAJ-OOL-MOOLK. SALAR JUNG, MOOKTHEEAR-OOL-MOOLK, THE PRESENT PREMIER,

The Nizam is of the Soonee sect. Among the nobles there are about an equal number of Sheeahs and Soonees. The kings of Golconda of the Kootub Shahee dynasty, which was overthrown by Aurungzebe, were Sheeahs, but none of the families of that time have survived to the present. The families which came from Delhi with Nizam-ool-Moolk, and which are now the oldest at Hyderabad, are of the Soonee sect. But many of them have fallen into decay, and the influx of Persian families during the administration of Azeem-ool-Oomrah and Meer Allum, several of whom have risen to consequence, has given both number and importance to the Sheeahs. One of the objections which the Nizam urged against appointing Shums-ool-Oomrah to succeed Meer Allum, was that he was a Soonee, and that it had been usual for the Soonee prince to have a Sheeah minister. A considerable degree of jealousy subsists between the two sects, and they seldom intermarry.