Ali Yavar Jung

Nawab Ali Yavar Jung Bahadur (February 1906 – 11 December 1976) was an eminent Indian diplomat. He served as Indian Ambassador in Argentina, Egypt, Yugoslavia and Greece, France, and the United States.

Nawab Ali Yavar Jung
Governor of Maharashtra
In office 26 February 1971 – 11 December 1976
Preceded by	Om Prakash Mehra
Succeeded by	Kona Prabhakara Rao
Indian Ambassador to the United States
In office 1968–1970
Preceded by	Braj Kumar Nehru
Succeeded by	Lakshmi Kant Jha
Indian Ambassador to France[1]
In office 1961–1965
Preceded by	N. R. Pillai
Succeeded by	Rajeshwar Dayal
Indian Ambassador to Egypt[2]
In office 1954–1958
Preceded by	K.M. Panikkar
Succeeded by	Ratan Kumar Nehru
Indian Ambassador to Argentina[3]
In office 1952–1954
Personal details
Born	February 1906 Hyderabad, Hyderabad State (now Hyderabad, Telangana, India)
Died	11 December 1976 (aged 70) Raj Bhavan, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Spouse(s)	Alys Iffrig (known after her second marriage as Alys Hyderi) Zehra Ali Yavar Jung
Children	Bilkees I. Latif (born of Alys Iffrig)
Relatives	Idris Hasan Latif (son-in-law)
Alma mater	Queen's College, Oxford
Occupation	diplomat, politician
Awards	Padma Vibhushan Padma Bhushan

He was governor of the Indian state of Maharashtra from 1971 to 1976. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan, India's highest civilian honors, in 1959 and 1977, respectively.

Early life

He was born in Hyderabad to a distinguished Hyderabadi family of scholars, administrators and educators, and studied at Queen's College, Oxford,[4] earning a degree in History.

Career

Nawab Ali Yavar Jung served as the Vice-chancellor of Osmania University from 1945 to 1946 and from 1948 to 1952.[4] In year 1965 to 1968 he was Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.[5] He opposed reservation on religious ground at AMU.[6] In 1946-47 he was Minister Constitutional Affairs, Home and Educational, Public Health and Local Government in the Nizam's Governorment. He resigned from that post in 1947.

He was India's ambassador to Argentina (1952–54), Egypt (1954–58), Yugoslavia and Greece (1958–61), France (1961–65), and the United States (1968–70).[4] His personal rapport with Juan Perón, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Josip Broz Tito, Charles de Gaulle, and Lyndon B. Johnson substantially contributed to their understanding and appreciation of India's independent foreign policy.

He was appointed as governor of Maharashtra in 1971, and died during his term as governor at Mumbai's Raj Bhavan in December 1976.[4][7]

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan, India's highest civilian honors, in 1959 and 1977, respectively.[4][8] The Western Express Highway in Mumbai[9] and The National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped[10] located there are named after him.

Personal life

He married a French lady Alys Iffrig, but the couple got divorced. His daughter with Iffrig was Bilkees I. Latif. Bilkees' husband, his son-in-law was the Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif, the 10th Chief of the Air Staff.[11] Later, he married Zehra Ali Yavar Jung, a social worker.

See also

• Zehra Ali Yavar Jung
• Syed Akbaruddin

References

1. "History". Embassy of India, Paris. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
2. "List of former Ambassadors". Embassy of India, Cairo. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
3. "Former Ambassadors". Embassy of India, Buenos Aires. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019.
4. Shri W.A. Sangma (14 December 1976). Obituary References (Speech). Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
5. http://megassembly.gov.in/proceedings/1976/14-12-1976.htm
6. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aligarh-muslim-university-50percent-quota-for-muslims-creates-a-storm/1/193559.html
7. "Previous Governors List". Raj Bhavan, Maharashtra State. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
8. "List of Padma Vibhushan Awardees" (PDF). Retrieved 17 July 2008.
9. Chacko, Benita (18 September 2017). "Western Express Highway: Few know this arterial road honours a former diplomat". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
10. Qureshi, M. U. (2006). Encyclopaedia of Social Problems and Social Welfare. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. p. 203. ISBN 81-261-2584-5.
11. "A Life of service honoured with the Padma Shri award" (PDF). You and I — eMag. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2016.