Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam, ruled Hyderabad, the largest and richest of the princely states. He was a Muslim ruler over a population that was mostly Hindu. In 1938 the Hyderabad State Congress and the Arya Samaj led satyagraha campaigns for responsible government and religious freedom, and thousands were jailed. A Reforms Committee chaired by Aravamudu Aiyangar had been set up after a message from the Nizam in September 1937. In this firman of July 1939 the Nizam announced what he accepted of its report. The text is the abridged version printed by the International Labour Office in 1944, and the ILO editors' omission marks are kept.
The firman replaces the Legislative Council with a Legislative Assembly of 42 members elected by "interests" (landholders, agriculturists, labour, commerce, the professions and others) and 33 nominated, alongside the Executive Council. The Assembly is to be "of a recommendatory character." It sets up advisory committees, including a Religious Affairs Committee with "equal representation in it of the two major communities," and village panchayats, and it eases the rules for public meetings. The Nizam calls Hyderabad "this Muslim State, the Premier State of India," and ends with his own sovereignty: "In the exercise of my Sovereignty, under the guidance of Providence, I am deeply conscious of my responsibility for the good government of my State."
[p. 518] I have read the Arzdasht of the Constitutional Affairs Department dated 27th Jamadi-ul-Avval 1358 A.H. (15 July 1939) submitting the opinion of the Executive Council on the recommendations of the Reforms Committee set up in pursuance of my Message of the 16th Rajab 1356 A.H. (22 September 1937).
I much appreciate the labours of that Committee, so ably presided over by Dewan Bahadur Aravamudu Aiyangar, and order that its report may now be published together with the resolution of my Government thereon which I approve.
I am desirous that provision should be made for the more effective association of the different interests in my dominions with my Government, and I, therefore, deem it expedient now, in furtherance of that intention,
(1) To reconstitute the Legislative Council, to be known as the Legislative Assembly, as follows:
(a) 42 members elected as follows:
1. Holders of Samasthans and Jagirdars ..... 4
2. Maashdars ..... 2
3. Agriculturists:
Pattedars 8, Tenants 8 ..... 16
4. Labour interests ..... 2
5. Industries ..... 2
6. Commerce ..... 2
7. Banking ..... 2
8. Legal profession ..... 2
9. Medical profession ..... 2
10. Graduates ..... 2
11. District boards ..... 2
12. District municipalities and town committees ..... 2
13. Hyderabad municipal corporation ..... 2
and (b) 33 members nominated as follows:
(i) 5 members nominated by the Ilaqas as follows:
1. The 3 Paigahs ..... 3
2. The Peshkari Estate ..... 1
3. The Salar Jung Estate ..... 1
(ii) 28 members nominated by the Government of whom 14 shall be officials and 14 non-officials.
In addition to the above, the Members of the Executive Council and three representatives appointed by me from the Sarf-i-Khas shall also be Members of the Legislative Assembly.
I agree with the proposals made by my Executive Council as regards the representation of the Muslims and of the different communities in the Assembly. I further agree with the opinion of the Council with respect to the powers and functions of the Assembly, and its distribution of matters expressly excluded from and included within the purview of the Assembly as well as the class of matters with respect to which the initiative of introducing bills should rest with my Government.
[p. 519] The expansion of the present Legislative Council to the proportions of the proposed Assembly will be of help to me, whenever I may require it in a particular case, in going outside the usual circle of noblemen and officials for selecting Members of my Executive Council, as I shall then have before me the names of such Members of the Assembly as may by their character, loyalty and judgment of public affairs have merited my confidence and proved their ability to discharge the onerous duties attached to membership of my Council.
(2) To establish Statutory Advisory Committees with respect to the following matters:
(a) Agricultural development
(b) Education
(c) Finance
(d) Industrial development
(e) Public health and sanitation
(f) Hindu religious endowments
(g) Muslim religious endowments
(h) Religious affairs.
These Committees will advise the Members of Government concerned on such matters, to be referred to these Committees, as have been described in my Council's opinion, the composition of these bodies to be as recommended by the Reforms Committee and the Council.
I welcome the suggestion of the Council that the last-mentioned Committee should be added to the list recommended by the Reforms Committee. I have, since my accession, always favoured the establishment, as far as possible, of institutional in place of personal agencies; a Religious Affairs Committee, composed in such manner that there shall always be equal representation in it of the two major communities, will give effect to my own desire to have such an institution for this purpose, and it is my earnest hope that it will maintain the traditions of goodwill and mutual toleration which have distinguished the long course of Asafia rule in the Deccan, and base its advice on the greatest possible measure of common agreement.
(6) To establish Panchayats for villages having a population of between 2,500 and 5,000, the members to be selected from a panel of double the number required, the panel itself to be selected at an open meeting of the householders of the village. I agree with the Council in the opinion it has submitted on the question of the powers and functions and of the composition of Panchayats and also with the suggestion that effective rural reconstruction societies may be recognised as Statutory Panchayats, in which case the 2,500 minimum of population need not be insisted on.
. . .
A responsible press and a responsible public platform are assets of great value. I trust that the new Newspapers Regulation and the proposed new rules for public meetings will have the effect of encouraging the growth of such a press and platform. I shall await the draft enactments with regard to these before signifying my final assent but in regard to public meetings I agree in principle that the existing rules may be repealed, provision being made whereby conveners of public meetings will be required not to obtain any permission but only to give previous intimation to the local authority, power being reserved to it, subject to appeal and control, to prohibit the holding of any particular meeting but only if in its opinion such meeting is likely to cause disturbance of the public tranquillity or to promote sedition or enmity between classes.
The enactments required to give effect to these decisions should be completed for promulgation as early as possible . . .
In determining the franchise for purposes of the different enactments, the [p. 520] Department concerned must take into consultation suitable district officers. The basis of interests has been selected not only to bring the different interests into closer association with each other and with my Government but also in the interest of the poorer classes of my subjects. Financial limits may be necessary in certain cases for determining the franchise, but I would regard any too high a limit, in a country which is largely agricultural as defeating to some extent the object with which the economic basis has been prescribed. Further, in order that the interests may be truly represented, it is essential that only those engaged in them should be entitled to vote or stand for them. In addition, a person voting or standing for one interest should not be entitled to vote or stand for any other interest in any given election.
Although as unanimously recommended by the Reforms Committee, the Legislature will be of a recommendatory character, nevertheless, the duty will rest on the executive no less than on the non-official members of the different bodies of importing into the working of the Constitution that spirit of accommodation and response which must be its keynote . . .
Such Members of my Government as will be assisted by Statutory Advisory Committees must have due regard to their advice, and must refer cases where they may disagree with such advice to my President of the Council . . .
. . .
I pray that this Constitution may have the blessing of Providence. I commend it to all classes of my subjects; to my Nobles, who are the pillars of my State; to the holders of Samasthans and my Jagirdars and Maashdars, who all enjoy grants from me; to the agriculturists who are the foundation of my State's economy and who for the first time will be taken into such association with my Government; to all those engaged in industries, trade, commerce or banking or in the liberal professions; to women with whom rests in such large measure the task of moulding a nation, and to all others of my beloved subjects.
Since the time when Asaf Jah I founded this Muslim State, the Premier State of India, rights of citizenship have been enjoyed equally by all subjects of the State, of whatever caste, creed or community, and I trust that in now exercising those widening rights each will continue the tradition of mutual respect for the sentiments and interests of the others and that all who live under its benign rule and protection will work together for this State as the valued and indivisible asset of all. I am confident that, if worked in the spirit in which it has been conceived, this Constitution will provide both a large measure of present advance and a wide scope for future expansion as, in course of time, both my Government and my people acquire sufficient experience. I trust that both will share the spirit and the desire which have actuated me throughout. In the exercise of my Sovereignty, under the guidance of Providence, I am deeply conscious of my responsibility for the good government of my State, and I am confident that in its due discharge I shall continue to command the best endeavours of all concerned in the same manner as I and my House have always possessed their loyalty and affection.
International Labour Office, Constitutional Provisions Concerning Social and Economic Policy (Montreal: International Labour Office, 1944), pp. 518–520. The ILO editors abridged the firman; their omission marks are kept.