Dear Khalid, What you say about Nizamddin Aulia is certainly true in that the saint lived and died in the 13th and 14th century. 1238-1325 to be precise. I have read a story about him and one of the Khilji rulers of the Delhi sultanate, so he certainly was not the one who fed kulchas to Mushid Qulich Khan Nizam ul Mulk. Still the anecdotal evidence linking kulchas and the royal house oif Hyderabad is very strong. I wonder whether Mewar's use of three rice grains on a laal tikka could be seen as a parallel as another royal house using a food item (not product) as a symbol. Though of course it does not match the ubiquity of Hyderabad's symbolic kulchas. Thank you Akshay for sharing and Khalid for adding colour. Arjun On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:09:10 +0530 wrote >Dear Mr.Akshay Though you have quoted the popular legend of Kulcha offered to Mir Qamar-ud-din Asaf Jah I but there are certain blunders that need your attention with subsequent correction. 1- Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia was not alive during Mir Qamar-ud-din?s period. Meer Qamar-ud-din was born in 1671 and died in 1748 as the first Asaf Jah or Nizam of Subah Dakkan. While you would know that Nizamuddin Aulia died in 1325 AD, some 400 years before Asaf Jah. Therefore this attribution to him is certainly wrong. 2-Regarding the legend, as I would relate it later, there are several versions · Once, during the Deccan campaign, Mir Qamar-ud-din had lost his way in the wilderness. As night was gathering, he saw a faint, flickering light in the distance. It turned out to be a fakir's hut. The holy man, who was about to sit down to his evening meal, asked the young general to join him. Qamar-ud-din, being hungry, did so, and during the course of the meal ate seven kulchas-- soft, flat discs of unleavened bread. The fakir urged him to eat some more. But Qamar-ud-din thanked him: he had eaten his fill, he said. Again the fakir urged him to eat some more. Again Qamar-ud-din declined politely. Then the fakir prophesied that he would soon become a king -- and as he had eaten seven kulchas, so would his dynasty rule for seven generations. · The next oft-related tale is that in 1724, while leaving Delhi for the Deccan, Asaf Jah sought the blessings of a holy man. The saint, about to start his meal, offered the food to Asaf Jah who took a few pieces of the bread. The holy man kept asking him to take more. After accepting seven kulchas, Asaf Jah said he could take no more. The saint then gave his blessings and told him that he would be the first of seven of his dynasty to rule the Deccan. And so it came to be, for Mir Osman Ali Khan was the seventh and last Nizam who ruled the dominions of Hyderabad. · Third version ??.In one of his journeys to the Deccan, Mir Qamar-ud-din is said to have lost his way in a jungle. Thirsty, hungry and woe-bygone, he approached a saint for succor. All that the saint could offer him was dry baked bread (called kulcha) and plain water. The exhausted noble had his fill and inspite of the saint's insistence, could eat no more than seven loaves. Thereupon the hermit remarked :"My son you have eaten seven kulchas. Your dynasty will rule for seven generations. God bless you." 3-Now come to my research ???I had read this tale / legend somewhere few years back which seemed to me quite correct not only historically but factually also. The fact is the Mir Qamar-ud-din Chin Qulich Khan Asaf Jah I was the disciple of Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Aurangabadi ,Qutub-e-Deccan , a saint who passed away in 1729 and whose tomb still exits at Nizamuddin Road, Shahganj in Aurangabad. When Mir Qamar-ud-din was sent as the Nizam ul Mulk of Deccan, he approached his mentor and asked for his blessings, the saint offered him cooked meat (with bones) along with Rotis or Qulchas which he took 7 qulcahs to his fill?? after that the saint foretold his rule over the dominion for 7 generations. It came true as all of us know. 4 -The legend that the Asaf Jahi flag carried the symbol of the Kulcha in memory of the incident of his having eaten seven Kulchas. However, the first Nizam did not accept this theory and in his diary as recorded by his chief secretary, Lala Mansa Ram, the Nizam stated that actually the flag carried a symbol of the moon which was derived from his own name - Qamar-ud-din (Qamar means moon). However the tradition still stood firm and when a new design of the flag submitted to Nizam VI ,itwas approved by him in 1899 with observation that the symbol was that of a kulcha. Such was the force of tradition that even a specific denial by the subject could not withstand it??and the kulcha became the centerpiece of the Hyderabad coat-of-arms. It would appear everywhere, from the golden-yellow state flag and the velvet ministerial insignias??. down to the rank markings on a policeman's epaulettes. 5-Another fact is that there were 10 Nizams in real but only seven are considered the accepted and recognized as the proper Asaf Jahs or Nizams.( 3 were not granted the titles of Asaf Jah by the then Mughal Emperors ) I hope my submissions would be accepted and granted the status of acceptance. With regards, Khalid Bin Umar akshay chavan Sent by: india-royalty-bounces@rootsweb.com 01/08/2010 11:39 PM My new blog article: Did you know that Nizams of Hyderabad were the only royal dynasty in the world to have a food product on their flag and the coat of arms! Kulcha, the north Indian delicacy, usually eaten with chole was their proud emblem. But why did the mighty Nizams of Hyderabad make the humble kulcha as their symbol insted of more exotic hyderabadi biryani? Check out the folklore behind it: http://akshay-chavan.blogspot.com/2010/01/kulcha-official-emblem-of-nizams-of.html Follow on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Theakshaychavan?ref=name#/pages/Indian-Royalty-Maharajas-and-more/128834262589 Regards Akshay Chavan ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. 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