Zubaida Yazdani

Yazdani also supervised the translation of Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi's novel ''Taubat-Al-Nusuh'' (''Repentance Of Nussooh: The Tale Of A Muslim Family A Hundred Years Ago'') from Urdu into English. This is an important literary work of the late 19th century on the life of Muslims in India.

The preface for the book was written by Gordon Johnson (Director of the Cambridge University Centre for South Asian Studies and President of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (2015–18)) who wrote that not only does the study chronicle the live of the last Nizam but also the complexities of the relationship of the Indian States with the British raj which is an often ignored aspect of Indian history. Dr. Gordon wrote that the study thus contributes to our understanding of modern political developments in the sub-continent.

Zubaida Yazdani published her second book titled "The Seventh Nizam: The Fallen Empire" in 1985. The book is a study of Hyderabad under the Seventh Nizam (1911–48), the greatest of the Asaf Jahi rulers of Hyderabad. It also embraces a study of the British government's policies towards the Indian states. It also shows the effects of the two world wars on British policy up to the time when India and Pakistan became independent. The book was a scholarly work based on original papers that were obtained from the India Office library in London as well as original papers of the Nizam that were made available to her by the Nizam's family. Many of these papers have never been studied before this book was published. The book painstakingly document's the source of all materials and provides voluminous references.

Zubaida Yazdani also established the Hyderabad School for Languages and Sciences in Hackney in London. The school was started in February 1981 because she had been approached by parents of children from Hyderabad and Pakistan to teach Urdu. She and her husband, Mir Yaseen Ali Khan, initially taught the classes, but after a few months the Inner London Education Authority visited the school and awarded a grant. After that the school was able to employ more teachers. The school taught primary, junior and secondary pupils in Urdu up the O and A level. The school also taught English, Arabic, and Science subjects. The school closed some years after Zubaida Yazdanis death.

Zubaida Yazdani retired in 1976 and came to Britain with her husband, Mir Yaseen Ali Khan, because two of her sons, Hussain and Hassan, were already residents in Britain. She then wrote (with Mary Crystal) her second book, The Seventh Nizam: The Fallen Empire.

From 1967 to 1969 she was senior reader at the Women's college, Osmania University, and was also its acting principal. Then she became reader in history at the Arts college, Osmania University, and finally head of its history department.

Zubaida Yazdani, however, had a great desire to pursue postgraduate education. Indian teaching staff with more than ten years of service were allowed two years leave with full pay. She left for Britain in March 1963 and started attending postgraduate classes at London university School of Oriental and African Studies and later transferred to Oxford University, where she completed her postgraduate studies at St. Hilda's College.

There was also no building for the proposed college. So she approached Sultan Bazar library because their buildings were empty all day and the administration of the library agreed to let the college use their buildings temporarily. Then the college was started with an initial enrollment of about 35 students[10]. An incident that occurred during this time speaks to the unshakable determination and dedication of Zubaida Yazdani. The Sultan Bazaar library eventually wanted their rooms back and decided to make the college leave by locking the doors to the building. They would not listen to any requests from the college. Zubaida Yazdani faced this crisis in her usual determined way. She told the students to go home and that it was a college holiday for them and to come back to the same place the next day and they would be informed of the college's new location. She also told the teachers to come back the next day at their usual time and they would then go to the new premises. The teachers were astonished because there weren't any new buildings to move to. She then went home and took her teenaged son with her and took him with her and went to meet the President and Secretary of the Sir Nizamat Jung Trust library. She requested that the halls and rooms of the library be rented out to the college. The President and Secretary of the library announced the forming of a committee and then we will let you know their decision. Zubaida Yazdani told them that by the time the committee is formed the college will be finished. The President and Secretary then asked her more questions about the college. They were so impressed by her determination and dedication and also that she was not about to take no for an answer that they gave her the keys to the halls and rooms the same day. The next day when the students and teachers came back to the college, they were met by a smiling Zubaida Yazdani who gave them directions to the new college building. Eventually the college moved to a more permanent location. Under her leadership the college started arts classes in history, economics and sociology for underprivileged girls. Then science classes were started and a library and laboratory were set up, with very satisfactory results. Zubaida Yazdani wanted that the college should be affiliated with Osmania university. One lakh rupees (Rs. 100,000) were needed for the proposal. The Osmania university graduates association office bearer Rai Shankar Ji took the fully functional college under the sponsorship of the Association. And in 1961, despite opposition, the U.W.C.A. college was affiliated to Osmania University. It is now, under its Hindi name, Sarojini Naidu Vanitha Maha Vidyalaya, one of the largest women's colleges in Telangana state. It is located in Nampally area of Hyderabad.

On her return home to Hyderabad she was appointed lecturer (1942) and then reader (1947) in history at the Women's College, Osmania university. She started M.A. classes there. She taught there for many years and also conducted and published research while teaching there.

Zubaida Yazdani got her degree at Oxford in June 1940. After the outbreak of World War II, she was determined to stay on and do postgraduate studies at Oxford. In her own words:

Zubaida Yazdani passed her senior Cambridge exams with high marks from Mahboobia School. Her father recognized her talents and came with her to Britain at his own expense so she could sit for the Oxford university entrance examination. Zubaida Yazdani travelled to Oxford in 1935 and sat for the entrance exam for St. Hilda's college and after interviews was accepted. She writes in her own words that the students "came mostly from the British middle classes and aristocracy ... not only academically the cream of English society but in their manners ... very humble and living ... paid great respect to their tutors".

Zubaida Yazdani (27 April 1916 – 11 June 1996) was an Indian historian specializing in the history of the Deccan Plateau and the Nizam State of Hyderabad.in India. She studied History at Oxford and was a contemporary of Mrs Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India.

Zubaida Yazdani was born in Hyderabad, India on 27th April 1916. Yazdani was one of the first Asian women to enter Oxford University. She authored two books and numerous scholarly articles about the history of India. Her book "Hyderabad during the residency of Henry Russell 1811–1820" was a scholarly exposition of the Indian Subsidiary Alliance system. A second book, "The Seventh Nizam: The Fallen Empire," was a memoir of the last Nizam of Hyderabad and also a study of the constitutional and political complexities which surrounded the relations of the Indian states with the British Raj. Her scholarship explores the topics based on the painstaking use of original records, documents that had been overlooked by previous investigators. Deeply archival, Yazdani's scholarship challenged of conventional histories.

Zubaida Yazdani published her first book "Hyderabad during the Residency of Henry Russell 1811 – 1820". The book was based on her B.Litt. thesis at Oxford university. It was a scholarly work based on original sources which were available at the Bodleian Library at Oxford which housed the Russell and Palmer papers. She was the first to make a detailed study of these voluminous papers. Rushbrook Williams (CBE, FRSA), who was a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford wrote in the preface to the book that the study breaks new ground and enforces the revision of hitherto accepted judgments and is an unbiased and thorough investigation of the subject.