and Descriptive Sketch of the Nizam's Dominions," compiled by Syed Hussain Bilgrami, b.a.; and C. Willmott, c.s., is out of print; and this book, which is, no doubt, the best history (in English) of Hyderabad, and which is, I believe, used as the text-book on Hyderabad for Civil Service examinations in England, ends with the death of H. H. Afzul-ud-Daula in 1869.
And it is a fact that there is no history of the long reign of H. H. Mir Mahabub Ali Khan—1869-1911—whatsoever at the present time, and that for information concerning all that has taken place during the last fifty years in Hyderabad State affairs we must go to the Administration Reports that have been published from time to time by His Highness's ministers. Consequently we read of the great reforms and improvements introduced by Sir Salar Jung I, and we find these things full-grown in the reign of the present Nizam, and so much altered and improved that Sir Salar Jung himself would scarcely know them now. And I need scarcely point out that Government Administration Reports are difficult to obtain, and that until about twelve years ago these official documents were published in Urdu.
