Hyderabad, TELANGANA / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Syeda Mirza pens the legacy of Aly Asker, the man who put the city on India’s horse racing map and built iconic colonial bungalows

Bengaluru : 

Once a quaint lane that housed colonial bungalows, Ali Asker Road (situated between Cunningham Road and Infantry Road) may now be a bustling street with commercial outlets, only retaining some of the old-world charm. But the street comes with a rich history, which Syeda Mirza (Aly Asker was her husband’s great-grandfather) is trying to re-tell through the story of Aly Asker in her first book, Agha Aly Asker. 

Having heard of stories – Aly Asker leaving his homeland, Shiraz, as a 16-year-old to come to India in 1824 to trade Persian and Arab horses, building 100 bungalows around High Grounds, Cantonment, and Richmond Town, at the behest of Sir Mark Cubbon – Mirza felt the need to highlight his contribution to Bengaluru and Mysuru, which she had heard from elders. “A great-uncle of my husband had compiled some history and anecdotes which also came handy,” says Mirza, who is in her 80s. She adds that his legacy lingers in the family to this day among her grandchildren, with her grandson, equestrian Fouaad Mirza, getting prepared for the Tokyo Olympics.   

Her book also mentions the key role that Aly Asker played in saving the then Mysuru state from being annexed by the British, with their policy at that time stating that if there was no direct heir, the state would be annexed.

“Here, Aly Asker played a crucial role in convincing Sir Cubbon and Krishna Raja Wadiyar-III about an adoption, but sadly it’s not remembered. Everyone in the family knows about it though,” says Mirza, who started work on the book 18 years ago, and completed it within 2-3 years. The manuscript, though, was in hibernation ever since.  

While information was aplenty, the challenge lay in authenticating it. “It was like a thread, one thing led to another. But then again, everything was a family legend,” she says.

With Aly Asker being a historical figure, making a mark in the history of the city, they were particular that the information was verified. This meant going through several archives and hours of research, which was done by historians. “We kept getting bits and pieces and had to keep changing it. My three children did a lot of leg work to look up the records,” says Mirza, who got some information from unexpected sources, including the Ooty Library.    

pix: ink-and-feathers.blogspot.com

Mirza, now keen to bring out a cookery book, decided to self- publish the book (printing 500 copies), to ensure that the story was told the way she wanted to. “I didn’t want anything changed. I’ve written it for my grandchildren,” says Mirza, who is currently working on translating the book into Urdu, and getting it translated into Kannada.

With several books having been written on Sir Mirza Ismail, the grandson of Aly Asker, and Diwan of Mysore, Mirza hopes this book on Aly Asker will highlight his history as well. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Bengaluru / by Vidya Iyengar / pix added: as above / January 14th, 2020