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Shaikh Ibrahim: The modern day Salar Jung
Hyderabad: Who doesn’t want to collect things? Almost everyone has this urge to gather personal memorabilia. Be it dolls, greeting cards, family photos or comic books – there is a tiny collection with everyone. Usually there is a familial and emotional connect behind this craze. At a professional level collection is more than just buying […]
Hyderabad: Who doesn’t want to collect things? Almost everyone has this urge to gather personal memorabilia. Be it dolls, greeting cards, family photos or comic books – there is a tiny collection with everyone. Usually there is a familial and emotional connect behind this craze.
At a professional level collection is more than just buying objects. Some do it as a hobby, some to make money by selling what they collect and yet others collect things for the thrill of the hunt. For some it is prestige and recognition that is the driving force.
Meet Shaikh Ibrahim, the modern day Salar Jung. He has a passion nay obsession to accumulate things. Like the famed collector, he has spent a great deal of money, energy and time to track down rare objects. What started as a childhood craze has turned into a lifelong pursuit for him. What does he collect? Well it is postage stamps, stamp papers, old photographs of Hyderabad, medals, monograms, Hundi papers, special adhesive stamps, military buttons, badges, belts, coats of mail and books of historical value. The range is really mindboggling. Interestingly all his collection belongs to the era of Sarkar-e-Asafia , the Princely State of Hyderabad. And it covers the period from 1869 to 1960.
His collections are a reflection of his personality. Being a Hyderabadi, Mr. Ibrahim wanted to do something to reflect the fabulous culture of the place of his birth. And what better way than focussing on the bygone era to showcase its grandeur and splendour. “So I started collecting stamps of Hyderabad which are not only unique but highly sought after in the international markets. For the last 30 years I have never missed a chance to bid in international philatelic auctions to acquire Hyderabadi stamps”, says Mr. Ibrahim who is basically a philatelist.
As a teenager he was attracted to film star, Dharmendra, and started cutting his pictures from magazines and preserving them. As he grew up he was inspired by Riayzath Husain, a philatelist. A law graduate, Mr. Ibrahim’s passion increased further when he joined the General Administration Department in Secretariat. And his hobby took off when he went to Saudi Arabia in 1975. His association with Mohammed Kamal Safdar, President, Saudi Arabian Philatelic Society, helped him take part in international exhibitions.
A member of renowned philatelic societies like the Royal Philatelic Society, London, American Philatelic Society, New York, Philatelic Congress of India, Mr. Ibrahim displayed his collections in 9 countries and bagged innumerable gold medals.
Mr. Ibrahim’s collection is unique in that it contains a wide range of stamps issued for various purposes – judicial and non judicial stamp papers, Hundi papers, court fee stamps, process fee bill, hire-purchase agreements, Forest Department stamps, share transfer stamps, Revenue Cancellations, Toddy Pass tickets, Hyderabad War Fund Seals, bi-colour pictorial commemorative stamps, the first adhesive postage stamp issued on September 8, 1869. He has the War Fund stamps issued in Urdu, Telugu and Marathi languages and in green, orange and purple colours. Some stamps are in the denomination of 4 pies with black colour and Sarkar-e-Asafia monogram, 8 pies (green), 1 anna (brown), 2 annas (violet), 4 annas (ultramarine), 8 annas (orange), 12 annas (scarlet) and 1 Rupee (yellow).
“The first Hyderabad postage was issued in 1286 Hijri (1869 AD). The design is in Tughra, an ornamental interwoven in Persian script. It is the most beautiful in Muslim calligraphy”, says Mr. Ibrahim. The stamps tell a great deal about the Asaf Jahi administration.
This apart, Mr. Ibrahim has an assortment of Hyderabad Army badges, buttons, belts, cross belts. All these he got not from Hyderabad but from a London auction. He also possesses stamp papers of Nizam government, Jagirdars, Paighas, Sarfe Khas, Hyderabad Residency. The judicial and non judicial stamps are in the denomination of Rs. 500 to Rs. 2000. His collection also includes the stationery of different departments of the Nizam government.
Of late Mr. Ibrahim has been collecting picture postcards of mosques around the world. He has 11 albums, each containing 360 cards. His house in Tolichowki resembles a museum with the objects neatly packed in containers and broad files. But they need a gallery for proper display. The Salar Jung Museum can do justice to it.
Behind a successful man there is always a woman. In his case it is his wife and children who are responsible for his unique collection. “I couldn’t have collected so many things without their support”, Mr. Ibrahim remarks.
You’re only as good as your record collection. And Mr. Ibrahim is the best if his treasure trove is any indication.
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