Chin Qilij Khan Asaf Jah I was the founder of the Asaf Jahi dynasty that ruled Hyderabad state from 1724 to 1949. He was a general in the Mughal empire who was designated governor of the deccan, and sent to south India. Taking advantage of the decline of the mughal empire, especially their lack of control over the deccan, he asserted his independence and established the kingdom of Hyderabad, with the beautiful city of Hyderabad as its capital. This kingdom lasted till the independence of India in 1947, and was indeed the largest among the princely states of the British Raj. The Nizams (as they were later called) lived lavishly and spent fortunes on jewels and diamonds (their possession, Golconda, being rich in diamonds). The famous Koh-e-noor (Kohinoor) diamond was extracted from here, before the British pocketed it. The jewels are in display at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad. Hyderabad and Berar, 1903 Hyderābād was an autonomous princely state of south-central India from 1724 until 1948, ruled by a hereditary Nizam, and an Indian state from 1948 to 1956. ... Events January 14 - King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne February 20 - The premiere of Giulio Cesare, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, takes place in London June 23 - Treaty of Constantinople signed. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Extent of Mughal empire in the late 1600s: the Mughals ruled all but the southern tip of the subcontinent. ... The Deccan Plateau is a vast plateau in India, encompassing most of Central and Southern India. ... A map of South India, its rivers, regions and water bodies. ... Hyderabad and Berar, 1903 Hyderābād was an autonomous princely state of south-central India from 1724 until 1948, ruled by a hereditary Nizam, and an Indian state from 1948 to 1956. ... Hyderabad or Haydarābād (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు Urdu: حیدر آباد ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... The Indian independence movement was a series of steps taken in the Indian subcontinent for independence from British colonial rule, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... A princely state or native state was a feudal monarchy in British India ruled by a hereditary ruler, who was nominally sovereign. ... The British Empire at its zenith in 1919. ... Koh-i-noor is Persian and means Mountain of Light. The Koh-i-Noor, Koh-i-Nur, or Kohinoor is a 108 carat diamond that originated in the subcontinent of India and belonged to various Indian and Persian rulers at different points in its history. ... The Salar Jung Museum is located in the city of Hyderabad, state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ...