Operation Polo: The long-forgotten history of polo and the Nizams of the City of Pearls

The royal game of polo had a widespread following in Hyderabad during the time of the sixth and seventh Nizams. According to some reports, the reason why the police action in Hyderabad after independence was named Operation Polo may have been because prior to independence, Hyderabad was a very important centre for the game of Polo. No less than 17 polo grounds and seven horse racing courses existed in and around the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. So, Hyderabad was widely associated with polo and horse racing.

Hyderabad’s ‘wizard’ Mirza Baig was the Shah of Indian polo and one of the world’s greatest

According to Siraj Attari, former Steward of the Indian Polo Association, Hyderabad was the main hub of equestrian events in India from 1876 till about 1910. While speaking to this correspondent, he explained: “It was Viqar-ul-Umrah, of the Paigah family, who promoted and developed polo in Hyderabad from 1877 onwards. No other state in India had the kind of infrastructure for equestrian events as Hyderabad had back then.”

No other state in India had the kind of infrastructure for equestrian events as Hyderabad had back then, says Siraj Attari. Pic: Telangana Today

“The aristocrat was a widely traveled man and on one occasion was invited to Great Britain by Queen Victoria in 1877. There, after lunch at the Windsor Castle, he was invited by the Queen to witness a polo match. When he saw the action-packed contest, he immediately fell in love with the game. After he returned to Hyderabad, he bought 50 Arab horses, roped in the best trainers from Rajasthan and Punjab, and began to develop the grounds in Hyderabad and Secunderabad to make the twin cities the leading polo centre in all of India,” said Siraj.

“Everyone was surprised when Viqar-ul-Umra’s Paigah team won the Bombay Presidency Open championship. Soon the British army outfits located in Secunderabad began forming their own teams with great enthusiasm. Great names of polo such as General Beauvoir de Lisle, Captains Ricket and Charles Gough and other British officers helped the game to develop. Famous people of history such as Lord Kitchener, Sir Winston Churchill and Earl Mountbatten have played polo in Hyderabad,” said Siraj.

Former British PM Winston Churchill played in Hyderabad

It is recorded in a magazine that in November 1896, the 21-year-old Winston Churchill’s team (Queen’s 4th Hussars) came to play a tournament in Hyderabad. The prize was a silver trophy which was worth Rs 1000 (a big sum in those days). His team won the trophy and the next day he wrote a letter to his mother in which he stated: “Our final match against a native team was witnessed by nine thousand natives who cheered every goal by their side but were terribly disappointed at the end.”

Churchill was a big fan of polo. He began playing at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst. Later, when he was posted to India, he bought a stud farm near Pune (then named Poona) which had 25 horses. In 1899 he led the team of the 4th Hussars to victory in the Inter Regimental polo championship in Meerut and emerged as the top scorer in the tournament.

It is recorded in a magazine that in November 1896, the 21-year-old Winston Churchill’s team (Queen’s 4th Hussars) came to play a tournament in Hyderabad

“Polo became so popular that even in the height of summer, polo tournaments were being played. Viqar-ul-Umra organized polo tournaments for the royal families. The best player that Hyderabad has ever had was Shah Mirza Baig. Later we have had players like Shamsheer Ali and his brother Basheer Ali who played for Hyderabad Chougan,” said Siraj.

Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan was an important patron

“The 6th Nizam of Hyderabad namely Asaf Jah VI, Sir Mahboob Ali Khan, was extremely attracted to the game and was very passionate about polo. The present Malakpet Racecourse used to have polo matches initially. It was part of the Mahboob Manzil grounds and the Nizam himself saw to its development first for polo and then for horse racing. It is now one of the top racecourses in India and holds prestigious events,” said Siraj.

Viqar-ul-Umrah, of the Paigah family, had promoted and developed polo in Hyderabad from 1877 onwards

“The main polo grounds in Secunderabad were at the present Bison polo ground which still exists, another opposite the old racecourse near the Begumpet airport, and another in Bolarum and then the Parade ground. In Hyderabad the important grounds were at Falaknuma Palace which had stables and a spacious ground which housed the polo ponies of the Sixth Nizam, then Fateh Maidan ground (before the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium was built), Shamshabad, Masab Tank, one near Sanjeeviah Park, one near the Administrative Staff College and two in Golconda besides several others,” said Siraj.

Hyderabad’s leading teams

“There were several famous teams. They were the Nizam’s team, Salarjung’s team, Nizam’s Army team, British Regiment team and the Prince of Berar’s polo club. The prince imported as many as 50 top class polo ponies from Argentina and put together a terrific team. He also took care of the horses of the African Cavalry Guards (AC Guards). But from 1955, the prince began to focus more on horse racing than on Polo so the game suffered. The highly reputed Golconda Polo team was shut down during this period,” said Siraj.

“However, polo lovers like Major General Nawab Khusro Jung Bahadur, Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung and Mr. Ata Ur Rahman took the help of the government and formed the Andhra Pradesh Riding Club in 1956. The Hyderabad polo season was conducted regularly up to 1958 when there was a gap till 1962.”

The present Malakpet Racecourse used to have polo matches initially. It was part of the Mahboob Manzil grounds and Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan saw to its development first for polo and then for horse racing

“After that it was started again but the man who really revived it in a big way in 1974 was a top army officer by the name of Major General K S Bajwa. The AP Riding Club also got help from Maharaja Prem Singh who was then the IPA Steward. The Maharaja spent a few months in Hyderabad every year and trained youngsters to play the game. The Society of Equine Art was formed in 1972, and its polo team was granted affiliation too,” explained Siraj.

Maharaja Prem Singh of Jodhpur, also a colonel in the army, was one of the most distinguished figures in Indian polo history. His career highlights include leading the Woolmers Park Team to victory in the Rome Championship in 1953 and contributing to India’s success in tournaments such as the Queen’s Cup in the UK.

The Maharaja also excelled in golf and won the Asian Championship in 1953. He played a pivotal role in reviving polo in Bombay, Madras, and Hyderabad after leaving the military. In 1961, he became the first polo player to receive the Arjuna Award from the Indian government.

Polo was revived in Hyderabad in the 1990s

“But again the activity came to a halt and from 1985 to 1994 there was no polo. Then in 1995, I began conducting the polo season again and I also roped in sponsors and big teams such as the 61st Cavalry and the President’s Bodyguard. For several seasons, we ran the polo tournaments with great success. There was a lot of media coverage in all the local and national dailies as well as television channels. But again, due to a variety of factors it came to a halt,” stated Siraj.

Siraj Attari (in picture) says that in the past, Hyderabad even had a ladies polo team. Indeed, Hyderabad was one of the few centres where a ladies’ team was also in the fray

Siraj says that in the past, Hyderabad even had a ladies polo team. Indeed, Hyderabad was one of the few centres where a ladies’ team was also in the fray. The ladies were the great granddaughters of Sir Afsar-ul-Mulk. The women were Begum Hameedunnisa, Begum Najmuddin Khan, Begum Asif Ali Baig and Miss Roshan Rustomjee.

Nowadays, conducting any polo tournament depends upon the help and cooperation of the army. Siraj is hopeful that the army will again support this wonderful game and polo will once again be witnessed at the Bison polo ground in Secunderabad in future.