List of Hyderabadi Muslims

Hyderabadi Muslims are an ethnoreligious community of Muslims, part of a larger group of Dakhini Muslims, from the area that used to be the princely state of Hyderabad, India, including cities like Hyderabad, Aurangabad, Nanded and Bidar.
First generation immigrants are not included, but second and third generation immigrants who have adopted Hyderabadi Muslim culture are usually considered Hyderabadi Muslims, and are included in the list. Descendants of those who shifted from Hyderabad or the Deccan to other regions/countries are also included.

Literature

Syed Waheed Akhtar, Urdu poet, writer, critic, orator, and Muslim scholar and philosopher
Samina Ali, PEN/Hemingway Award winner for her novel Madras on Rainy Days
Sulaiman Areeb, Urdu poet
Siraj Aurangabadi, Sufi mystic poet and a Persian/Urdu author and poet
Fatima Surayya Bajia, Pakistani Urdu novelist and playwright
Mirza Farhatullah Baig, Urdu writer
Abid Hasan, translated Tagore's Jana Gana Mana into Shubh Sukh Chain
Mujtaba Hussain, Urdu satirist and humorist; Padma Shri recipient
Amjad Hyderabadi, Urdu poet of Ruba'i
Khamakha Hyderabadi, Urdu language poet and humorist from Hyderabad, known for his poems and was a regular at Mazahiya Mushairas
Razaul Jabbar, Indo-Canadian author of many books, settled in Canada
Omar Khalidi, authored Hyderabad: After the Fall; migrated to US
M. A. Muqtedar Khan, political science professor, Islamic philosopher and Muslim intellectual
Masood Ali Khan, authored Islamic and cultural encyclopedia
Mir Taher Ali Khan, distinguished linguistic scholar and professor in European languages
Bilkees I. Latif, authored four books
Syed Abdul Latif, Indian writer of English literature; president of Institute of Indo-Middle East Cultural Studies and Academy of Islamic Studies, Hyderabad; author of books on Islamic culture and Urdu literature
Kenan Malik, writer on race and multiculturalism
Anwar Maqsood, Pakistani script writer, anchorperson, show host
Ahmed Abdullah Masdoosi, Pakistani poet
Fatima Farheen Mirza, American novelist best known for her novel A Place for Us, which was a New York Times best seller
Makhdoom Mohiuddin, Urdu poet and Marxist politician
Sayyid Ahmedullah Qadri, Urdu writer, critic, author and politician; President of Lutfuddaulah Oriental Research Institute, Hyderabad
Sayyid Shamsullah Qadri, Urdu scholar, writer, historian and archaeologist
Aziz Qaisi, Urdu poet, short story writer, and film writer
Awaz Sayeed, Urdu writer of short stories and biographer
Haroon Siddiqui, Indo-Canadian journalist
Wali Mohammed Wali, considered by many scholars to be the "father of Urdu poetry", being the first established poet to have composed ghazals in the Urdu language
Mohiuddin Qadri Zore, Urdu poet, literary critic and historian, established Idare Adabiyaat-e-Urdu in Hyderabad
Sikandar Ali Wajd - Urdu poet from Aurangabad, Maharashtra India
Sughra Humayun Mirza - Also known as Begum Sughra, was a social reformer, Urdu writer and traveller from Hyderabad, India. She is believed to be Hyderabad's first female novelist, having written 14 major novels.

Religious scholars

Maulana Abdullah Quraishi Al-Azhari, Islamic scholar from Hyderabad; served as the khateeb and imam of the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and the vice chancellor of Jamia Nizamia University
Hashim Amir Ali, Islamic scholar and translator of the Quran in English under the title The Message of the Quran – presented in perspective
Hameeduddin Aqil, founder of the Darul Uloom Hyderabad
Muhammad Hamidullah, professor, translator of Quran into French, authored over a hundred books
Sahib Husayni, Sufi saint from Hyderabad State; had a great influence over spiritual developments in the Deccan area; belonged to Qadiri Order; proponent of the concept of Wahdat al-Shuhood
Syed Sultan Mahmoodullah Shah Hussaini, renowned Muslim Sufi, saint and scholar of the Quadri, Chisti order
Inayat Khan, founder of the Sufi Order in the West
M. A. Muqtedar Khan, reformist Islamic thinker and strong advocate of Ijtihad
Abul Ala Maududi, Pakistani philosopher, founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami
Sayyid Shamsullah Qadri, author and Scholar who wrote a history of Urdu literature, Urdu E Qadim
Abdul Raheem Quraishi, Indian Islamic scholar who served as the president of Majlis-e-Tameer-e-Millat, a socio-religious organization based in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, founded by Syed Khaleelullah Hussaini in the 1950s
Ghousi Shah, Muslim Sufi saint and poet
Hazrath Syed Kamalullah Shah, renowned Muslim Sufi, saint and scholar of the Quadri, Chisti order
Kareemullah Shah, Muslim Sufi, saint and scholar of the Naqshbandi order
Moulana Sahvi Shah, Sufi mystic, scholar, writer, and poet born in Hyderabad; founded the Conference of World Religions, and served as editor for Urdu weeklies like Jhalkian, Inquilab, and Al-Noor
Muhammad Muslehuddin Siddiqui, Islamic scholar, migrated to Pakistan
Rasheed Turabi, Islamic scholar
Syed Sadatullah Husaini, the president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Vice President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board

Arts

Mahmood Ali, Pakistani television and radio artist
Mast Ali, Indian actor
Mohammad Irfan Ali, singer and winner of Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star
Sulaiman Areeb, Indian poet
Talat Aziz, ghazal singer
Shabana Azmi, Bollywood actress
Zeshan Bagewadi, American singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and recording artist with family roots from Hyderabad
Mohammad Ali Baig, theater personality and ad film maker; Padma Shri recipient
Fatima Surayya Bajia, Pakistani Urdu novelist, playwright and drama writer
Aditi Rao Hydari, Bollywood actress
Kamal Irani, Pakistani film actor
Sana Javed, Pakistani television actress
Adnan Sajid Khan, Indian comedian and actor, popularly known by his stage named Gullu Dada and Gullu Bhai
Ajit Khan, Bollywood actor
Ateeq Hussain Khan, qawwali musician
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Hindustani classical musician and vocalist
Bahauddin Khan, Pakistani qawwali musician; used to perform in the court of the Nizam
Inayat Khan, Indian classical musician and Sufi leader
Kabir Khan, Indian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer
Razak Khan, Bollywood actor
Shahrukh Khan, Bollywood actor
Anwar Maqsood, Pakistani playwright and satirist
Dia Mirza, Bollywood actress and Miss India 2000
Ghulam Mohiuddin, Pakistani actor with roots from Hyderabad India
Mumtaz, Bollywood actress
Aziz Naser, actor and film director
Irshad Panjatan, actor and mime artist
Aziz Qaisi, Urdu poet, short story writer, and film writer
Munshi Raziuddin, Pakistani qawwali musician; used to perform in the court of the Nizam
Waheeda Rehman, Bollywood actress and classical dancer; Padma Bhushan recipient
Ahmed Rushdi, Pakistani playback singer
Nigar Sultana, Bollywood actress
Tabu, Bollywood actress; Padma Shri recipient
Sharmila Tagore, Bollywood actress
Zubaida Tariq, Pakistani chef and cooking expert
Warsi Brothers, qawwali musicians
Subhani Ba Yunus, Pakistani actor and television and radio personality
Surayya Tyabji -, Indian artist who designed the current Indian national flag

Academics

Mehdi Hasan, British-American broadcaster, journalist, and founder of the media company Zeteo
Syed Ali Bilgrami - An Indian scholar and linguist
Abid Hussain, Indian economist, civil servant and diplomat; India's ambassador to the United States 1990–1992; member of the Planning Commission 1985–1990
Ali Yavar Jung, served as vice-chancellor of the Osmania University as well as the Aligarh Muslim University
Arastu Yar Jung, chief physician and advisor to the Nizam
Nizamath Jung Bahadur - High court judge of Hyderabad State and author
Omar Khalidi, Muslim scholar, staff member of MIT in the US, and author
Mohammed Vizarat Rasool Khan, founder of Shadan Group of Institutions
Syed Ahmed Quadri, administrator, educator, and senior officer in the government of the Nizam of Hyderabad and later in the government of India and the UNO
Muhammad Zia ud-Din, served as the acting vice-chancellor of Federal Urdu University, having an Alvi Urdu-speaking Hyderabadi Muslim background
Ghulam Yazdani, Indian archaeologist; one of the founders of the Archaeological Department during the colonial-era reign of Nizam of Hyderabad
Faizan Zaki, first Muslim to win the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Scientists

Saleh Muhammad Alladin, among the most famous 100 astronomers of the world and served as the educational advisor to former president APJ Abdul Kalam of India
Ahmed Mohiuddin, founder of the Pakistan Zoological Society, wrote 37 books on scientific research
Aneesur Rahman, physicist
Raziuddin Siddiqui, theoretical physicist; member of imperial Britain's nuclear physicist delegation; participated in nuclear weapons programs of the US and UK

Politics

Mahmood Ali, Indian politician, deputy chief minister of Telangana 2014–2018
Mir Laiq Ali, last prime minister of Hyderabad State
Shabbir Ali, minister during Indian National Congress rule in AP
Maulvi Allauddin, revolutionary and Indian independence activist
Mohammed Hameeduddin, American former politician and the former mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey
Ghazala Hashmi, American politician serving as a Virginia state senator from the 15th district since 2020
Mohammad Majid Hussain, former mayor of Hyderabad
Sir Akbar Hydari, former prime minister of Hyderabad
Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, former governor of Assam
Imtiyaz Jaleel, Indian politician
Ali Yavar Jung, former governor of Maharashtra
Bahadur Yar Jung, prominent figure of the Pakistan movement
Mehdi Nawaz Jung, former governor of Gujarat
Akbar Ali Khan, former governor of Uttar Pradesh and governor of Orissa
Suhail A. Khan, American conservative political activist
Turrebaz Khan, revolutionary and war hero of the Indian War of Independence
Idris Hasan Latif, former governor of Maharashta
Makhdoom Mohiuddin, communist activist of the Telangana Rebellion
Hassan Nasir, Pakistani communist activist
Akbaruddin Owaisi, MLA from Chandrayangutta constituency
Asaduddin Owaisi, president of AIMIM and member of Parliament
Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, served six terms as member of Parliament; former AIMIM president
Sayyid Ahmedullah Qadri, Indian independence activist
Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri, politician
Qazi Saleem, Indian politician and Indian Urdu poet
Nabeela Syed, American politician and Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 51st district

Military services

Moin-Ud-Daula Bahadur, an Indian nobleman and member of the Paigah Nobility and the Amir of the Asman Jahi Paigah one of the 3 great Paigahs of Hyderabad State
Syed Mohammad Ahsan, admiral and former chief of Naval Staff, Pakistan Navy; weapon engineer officer for Royal Naval Engineers, United Kingdom during the Second World War; recipient of the United Kingdom's Distinguished Service Order military medal
Captain Mateen Ansari, British Indian Army officer; graduate of Indian Military Academy; served in the British Indian Army as a part of the 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment in World War II; posthumous recipient of the George Cross
Muhammad Ali Beg, Indian military leader from Hyderabad State, serving there and in the British Indian Army
Syed Ahmed El Edroos, veteran of both World Wars; last commander-in-chief of the Hyderabad State Army
Moinuddin Haider, retired three-star rank general of the Pakistan Army, who later served as the governor and chief minister of Sindh, and then as the federal Interior Minister of Pakistan
Abid Hasan, major in the Azad Hind Fauj
Shahid Karimullah, admiral and former four-star naval officer; chief of Naval Staff, Pakistan Navy, 2002–2005; graduate of the United States Naval War College; recipient of the United States military Legion of Merit medal and French military Légion d'honneur medal; former senior officer of the Pakistan Navy Elite Special Service Group, SSGN commando division
Hashim Ali Khan, commandant of the 2nd Lancers, Hyderabad Imperial Service Troops
Sami Khan, former lieutenant general of the Indian Army; former Commandant of Indian National Defence Academy
Idris Hasan Latif, former chief of Air Staff, Indian Air Force
Jameel Mahmood, commander-in-chief, Eastern Command of the Indian Army
Sultan Mehmood, former major general of the Indian Army
Talat Masood, retired three-star rank army general, political commentator, and mechanical engineer
Kamal Matinuddin, Pakistani general, diplomat, and military historian; wrote on Pakistan's foreign policy, nuclear policy, and military history
Mohammad Ahmed Zaki, former lieutenant general and director general of the Indian Army Infantry
Syed Ali Akbar - commander of the Paigah army in Hyderabad State

Administrators, civil servants and diplomats

Ali Yavar Jung, served as the Indian ambassador to Argentina, Egypt, Yugoslavia and Greece, France, and the United States
Abid Hasan, served as India's ambassador to Denmark
Abid Hussain, IAS; served as India's ambassador to the United States 1990–1992
Ausaf Sayeed, IFS; served as India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen and high commissioner to Seychelles
Mohammed Asad Ullah Sayeed, IAS, served as district collector of East Godawari, Khammam and Mahbubnagar districts in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh
Shirin R. Tahir-Kheli, former director of political military affairs, United States National Security Council, US; former research professor at Johns Hopkins University Foreign Policy Institute at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, in Washington DC, US
Sohail Mohammed, New Jersey Superior Court judge, 2011
Abdul Razack, judicial member, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Government of India
Kazi Zainul Abedin, Urdu poet and an officer in the Government of the Nizam of Hyderabad; the last Kazi of Udgir under the Hyderabad State
Mehdi Nawaz Jung, 1st governor of Gujarat
Zain Yar Jung - was an architect. He served as the Chief Architect of Hyderabad State.
Viqar-ul-Umra - Prime Minister of Hyderabad State

Sports

Engineering

Ali Nawaz Jung, former chief engineer of Hyderabad State

Social work

Victor Begg, American author, philanthropist and community leader
Shahnaz Bukhari, Pakistani human rights activist with family roots linked to Hyderabad, noted for her pioneering work against domestic violence and women's rights
Amina Hydari, known for her work during the Great Musi Flood
Asma Jahangir, primarily associated with Pakistan but had ancestral roots tracing back to Hyderabad; human rights lawyer and activist, co-founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Zehra Ali Yavar Jung, founder of Society For Clean Cities ; Padma Bhushan recipient
Bilkees I. Latif, known for her work in the slums of Mumbai; Padma Shri recipient
Khalida Parveen, social and human rights activist and women's social leader, president of Amoomat Society, Hyderabad

List of Hyderabadi Muslims

Literature

Religious scholars

Arts

Academics

Scientists

Politics

Military services

Administrators, civil servants and diplomats

Sports

Cricket

Football

Tennis

Other sports

Engineering

Social work

Asaf Jahi dynasty

Nizams of Hyderabad

Descendants of Asaf Jah VII