Paigah Tombs, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh India

Paigah Tombs or Maqhbara Shums Ul Umra,are the tombs belonging to the nobility of the Paigah or the Shums ul Umrahi family. They are located in Hyderabad, India, at Pisal banda suburb.

The Paigah nobility was founded by Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung while in service to the second Nizam, Salabat Jang. For his dedication and efforts, the Nizam conferred to him the hereditary titles of Shams-ul-Doula, Sahams-ul-Mulk, and Shams-ul-Umara, the latter meaning “the sun among the nobles or masses” and the Paigahs were tasked to take care of the defence and security of the state. The Paigah nobles were very close to the Nizams and the bond was even more strengthened when Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung’s son Fakhruddin Khan was married to the daughter of the second Nizam of Hyderabad in 1797. Since then, Fakhruddin Khan’s descendants married daughters of other Nizams. By protocol, the Paigahs were considered next only to the Nizams.

The Paigahs, great patrons of the arts and commanding the respect of the other nobles and the people, extended their unparalleled grace and elegance even to their tombs. The Paigah Tombs are among the wonders of Hyderabad and their marvelous artistry and are shown in their inlaid mosaic tilework.