Mir Farqunda Ali Khan (25 April 1794 – 16 May 1857) commonly known as Nasir-ud-Daulah, was Nizam of Hyderabad, a princely state of British India, from 24 May 1829 until his death in 1857. Born as Farqunda Ali Khan to Nizam Sikandar Jah and Fazilatunnisa Begum, Nasir-ud-Daulah ascended the throne in 1829. He inherited a financially weak kingdom. On his request, Lord William Bentinck withdrew all of the European superintendents of civil departments and followed a policy of non-intervention in the Nizam's affairs. The Nizam founded the Hyderabad Medical School in 1846; he also owed large debts to the Arabs, the Rohillas and the British, and in 1853 he signed a treaty with the British during the reign of Governor-General The Earl of Dalhousie. The British agreed to liquidate all of his debts in return for ceding part of his territory to the British. Early life Nasir-ud-Daulah was born as Mir Farkhunda Ali Khan in Bidar, at present-day Karnataka, India, on 25 April 1794. He was the eldest son of Nizam Sikandar Jah. Nasir-ud-Daulah's mother was Fazilatunnisa Begum, the favourite wife of his father. The Nizams were the erstwhile ruler of Hyderabad, the largest princely state of British India. Reign Nasir-ud-Daulah's father Nizam Sikandar Jah died on 21 May 1829. On 24 May, he ascended to the throne of Hyderabad. He inherited a financially troubled state because of the irregularities of the assistant revenue minister Maharaja Chandu Lal. Upon ascending the throne, possibly on the advice of Maharaja Chandu Lal, Nasir-ud-Daulah asked Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General of India, to have Resident of Hyderabad Sir Charles Metcalfe stop interfering in matters of civil interest. The governor-general responded affirmatively and the European superintendents of civil departments were removed. Throughout his reign, Bentinck followed a policy of non-intervention in the affairs of the state. Because of the state's financial difficulties, Nasir-ud-Daulah found it difficult to pay his army. The state was becoming more and more indebted to the British. He mortgaged parts of his kingdom to the Arabs and the Rohillas. Smaller jagirdars (feudal landholders) also mortgaged their estates and as a result, these moneylenders controlled significant parts of the kingdom, including extensive parts of Bhir and Osmanabad districts. This made the zamindars (aristocrats) and the large jagirdars more arrogant. In Hingoli district, the Resident was forced to send troops to put down a rebellion. According to contemporaneous records, highway robbery, looting,