Syed Ahmed El-Edroos | |
|---|---|
 Major General El-Edroos (at right) offers his surrender of the Hyderabad State Forces to Major general (later General and Army Chief) Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri at Secunderabad. | |
| Born | 3 March 1899 Sangareddy, Hyderabad State |
| Died | 20 July 1962 (aged 63) Bangalore, India |
| Allegiance |  Hyderabad State |
| Rank | Commander-in-chief, Major general |
| Unit | Hyderabad Lancers Hyderabad State Forces |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II Operation Polo |
Syed Ahmed El-Edroos (Arabic: سيد أحمد العيدرس, romanized: Saiyid Aḥmad al-‘aidarūs; 3 March 1899 – 20 July 1962) was the commander-in-chief of the Hyderabad State Forces at the time of the annexation of Hyderabad State by India in 1948.
Syed Ahmed El-Edroos was of Arab Hadhrami descent. He was a Ba'Alawi Sayyed of the Bani Hashim meaning he belonged to a Hashemite family i.e. a direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[citation needed] He was commissioned in 1919. El-Edroos participated in both World Wars, serving in the 1st Hyderabad Lancers.
El-Edroos was a close confidante and trusted aide of the Nizam of Hyderabad.[citation needed] His brothers were also senior officers and distinguished members of the Nizam's army.
He was ready for a war but was advised by the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, not to fight and surrendered to the Indian Army forces outside of Hyderabad city so that there would be no bloodshed of innocent people.[1]
In September 1948 El-Edroos held the rank of Major-General and Commander of the State Army of Hyderabad.[2] This numbered 6,000 men and consisted of three armoured regiments, a horse cavalry regiment, 11 infantry battalions and artillery. It was supported by 18,000 poorly armed and trained irregulars. In the course of Operation Polo, the Indian Army was able to scatter this mixed force in five days of fighting. General El-Edroos, who had advised the Nizam against opposing the entry of Indian forces, surrendered on 17 September.
His autobiography Hyderabad of the Seven Loaves was published in April 1994 and presented a historical account of the Asaf Jahi dynasty with an autobiographical sketch of the author, covering the events of Hyderabad's merger with the Indian Union. It narrates several anecdotes and facts about the city during the Nizami reign.[3] The book also contains some rare pictures of the royal and aristocratic events that took place at the time.[citation needed]
