The late Mir Moazzam Hussain told me this story.
In 1935, he was asked by his father, Rais Jung, to proceed to Bombay, to purchase a car and have it sent to Hyderabad. He gave his son 500 Hyderabad Rupees.
In Bombay, Moazzam Hussein was in a trance. Impressed by the city, he lost track of time, spent all the money and a week there before realizing he had to execute a task.
He contacted a car dealer and, after introducing himself, the dealer agreed to send the car to Hyderabad, to be paid for on its arrival.
When he returned to Hyderabad, Moazzam Hussain was at a complete loss. How to generate 500 rupees? Who would give him a loan? And on what guarantees?
The next morning, Moazzam Hussain went to Nizam College, to attend his classes. As he arrived, he passed his Urdu teacher, Aga Hyder. This venerable man, who dressed in the finest silks of his time, was somehow related to or descended from the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. As a result of this connection, his Urdu had been learnt from ladies who had lived in the Mughal court or were their children. This language was called Begamati Zubaan (language of the Begums). Sometimes, his Urdu would be funny to hear. Instead of saying "Main jaa raha hoon" (I am leaving), he would say "Main jaa rahee hoon" (female conjugation of the word "jaa" in the first person). Some people, when they heard this, derisively said "he is not Aga Hyder, he is Aapaa Hyder" (Sister Hyder).
But back to our story. Moazzam Hussein knew that his teacher knew of his family. After all, who did not know Moazzam Hussein's grandfather, Nawab Fakhrul Mulk, who built Irrum Manzil, in Punjagutta? Surely, the Aga also knew that the very college he was working in, Nizam College, was built on land donated by him?
In the professor's chamber, Moazzam Hussein stated his purpose. Could Aga Hyder advance him five hundred rupees?
After he had questioned him, Aga Hyder decided he would help the boy.
Meanwhile, the car had arrived, and wharfage was mounting.
Aga Hyder gave Moazzam Hussein what appeared to be a very large book, and instructed him to sell it, without identifying the seller's name. The teacher said that the best person to buy it would be Nawab Salarjung.
Moazzam Hussain made haste to Dewan Devdi, where Salarjung lived, pursuing a life of his pursuits of collecting art and artifacts.
He showed the book to Salarjung.
The Nawab enquired if the book was for sale, and on hearing a yes, asked for the owner's name. Sworn to silence, Moazzam Hussain said that the buyer asked to remain anonymous.
Salarjung opened the book. As soon as he saw the first page, he sat up, almost in attention. As he turned the first few pages, his eyes opened wider and wider. There were notes in the margins from the writer, and it was obvious to Moazzam Hussain that he was in for a long wait, seeing how delighted the Nawab was with the book. He made some perfunctory noises, such as clearing his throat, and coughing but to no avail. The Nawab was glued to the book.
Finally, Salarjung said, "Go upstairs to Hadi, and ask him to make a cheque for five hundred rupees, and bring it down for me to sign." At the mention of the magic sum, Moazzam Hussain wondered, did the Aga inform the Nawab?
Moazzam Hussain took the signed cheque and dashed off to the Imperial Bank of India. This bank building exists intact to this today, hidden behind the ugly, modern State Bank of India building on Bank Street in Hyderabad.
With the check cashed, and the car released for delivery, Moazzam Hussain breathed a sigh of relief.
At college the next day, Aga Hyder accosted him. Did the book sale go through? Yes. What did the Nawab say? Nothing. Was the car released? Yes.
And then the last question. Did he see what the book was about?
Sheepishly, Moazzam Hussain said no, he was in such a rush to complete the whole transaction, and save face with his father, he had not bothered to open the book.
Aga Hyder almost lost his temper. He shook his head, and almost screamed, "Do you know what that book was? It was a copy of the Quran".
Hearing this, Moazzam Hussain wondered, well, what was so unique? There were many copies of the Quran in his father's library.
Aga Hyder continued, "Did you know that when Shah Jehan was imprisoned in the Agra Fort, he asked for pen and paper. And he copied the whole Quran! And that was the Quran you sold Salarjung, and you didn't even take a look at it". Aga Hyder was livid with rage.
The Quran had been passed from Shah Jehan to some on his staff. It is said that the Qutb Shah carried it on his head when he was coming out of Golconda fort when he was surrounded and, on seeing his father's hand, Aurangzeb then gave it to the first Nizam. From then on, it passed down to Aga Hyder.
And, then, to Nawab Salarjung.
After he had retired from UNESCO, Moazzam Hussain went to the Salarjung Museum Library. He said he consulted the catalogue.
There was no mention of any such Quran.
Arvind Acharya is a management consultant in New York. He can be reached at arvindach@gmail.com
