Shah Alam Khan was the son of Zabardast Khan and belonged to an affluent Muslim family of Hyderabad state. Born in 1921, he grew up in an environment of relative wealth and privilege, and was already 26 years old when the old feudal order was overturned by the Independence of India in 1947. His father-in-law was the founder of the Hyderabad Deccan Cigarette Factory, which was established during the reign of the last Nizam in 1921. Shah Alam Khan lost his father when he was a child, and his mother died when he was a teenager. His maternal uncle played a large role in raising him after the death of his father. At a young age, while he was still a college student Shah Alam was married to Abida Khatoon, daughter of Mohammad Abdus Sattar, a successful tradesman turned industrialist who had founded the Hyderabad Deccan Cigarette Factory. Mr. Sattar had already died, and Abida, his only child and heir, was barely into her teens at that time. Shah Alam Khan was favored by Abida's mother because he was well-educated and hailed from a respectable Nawaabi family, but had little money and no immediate family. The match was arranged by their families in the usual Indian way, and the marriage, which lasted all their lives, was entirely harmonious. Abida Khatoon, a traditional lady raised with thoroughly Indian values, was a devoted wife and mother who took no interest whatsoever in business matters at any time. The couple were blessed with seven children, all boys, being:
Mehboob Alam Khan, eldest son. Currently runs the Hyderabad Deccan Cigarette Factory and is a well known food connoisseur. He has at least one son, Mujahid, who is married to Nimra Fatima, daughter of Ahmad Alam Khan. Mujahid and Nimra welcomed their first child in December 2007.
Khader Alam Khan, second son. Married to Raffath Begum. They have at least one son, Zafar.
Zahid Alam Khan
Mohammad Alam Khan. Marrid to Seema, he has at least one son, Sayeed Alam.
Mahmood Alam Khan. His wife, Najma, had a botched hysterectomy operation at Lilavati hospital, Mumbai, in 2008. She lay in a coma in that hospital for over six years before she was moved in a vegetative state to Hyderabad in 2014. The anasthesia doctor committed suicide. Mahmood and Najma have three children, including sons Badar and Nasr. Samia Manzoor Alam Khan.
Ahmed Alam Khan - married to Uzma, daughter of Dr. Moinuddin Khan Sandozai of Bangalore. His only son, Barkat Alam Khan, married Qudsia, eldest daughter of Asaduddin Owaisi, in December 2018. Two of his daughters have been given in marriage to two of his nephews. The elder daughter, Nimra Fatima, is married to Mujahid Alam Khan, son of Mahboob Alam Khan, while the younger daughter, Sidra Fatima, is married to Zafar Alam Khan, son of Khadar Alam Khan.
Dr. Mustafa Alam Khan - married to Sara Alam Khan. Two of his daughters have been given in marriage to two of his nephews. Iqra Fatima was married to Badar Alam, son of Mahmood Alam, in Dec 2015. Zikra Fatima was married to Sayeed Alam, son of Mohammad Alam, in January 2016. The weddings were held within two weeks of each other.
Not long after their wedding, the couple had to adjust to change on a grand scale. The end of the British Raj, the extinguishing of the State of Hyderabad and the partition of India were epochal events which shook every certainty of their lives and changed forever the society in which they lived.
Career
Shah Alam Khan soon took charge of the cigarette factory, which had been faltering after the death of his father-in-law. Despite a challenging social situation, he nurtuted the factory to unprecedented heights of success. The "Golconda" brand of cigarette was popular in India for several decades. It became a major money-spinner, and Shah Alam Khan, who was a sensible and even canny businessman despite his gentlemanly deportment, made intelligent investments in urban real estate, agricultural lands, a dairy farm and so on. Nevertheless, by the mid-1970s, the cigarette business was again faltering for several reasons. The tax regime was very unfavorable; cigarettes were now strongly discouraged by government and society alike. More importantly, multinational companies run by foreign-trained MBAs had changed the entire marketing paradigm of cigarettes and other consumer goods.
Other interests
Shah Alam Khan was the chairman of the Sultan Anwar ul Uloom Educational Society. He was also a member of Board of Management and Academic Senate of Osmania University. He had other interests as well. He was the founder member of Hyderabad Rose Society and was known for his intimate knowledge about cultivation of roses. He had won many awards both nationally and internationally for his rose cultivars.
Death
Shah Alam Khan died on 23 October 2017 aged 96. His mortal remains were laid to rest at the Masjid-e-Salima Khatoon in Himayatnagar at 5 pm the same day. He was survived by his wife, seven sons, and many grandchildren.
