World’s Largest One-Man Collection of Antiques by Salar Jung III
In 1951, Mir Yousuf Ali Khan (or Salar Jung III) inaugurated the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad and opened up his extensively curated collection of antiques to the rest of the world. While not technically a royal, The Salar Jungs were one of the most illustrious families of Hyderabad, with several men from the family, including Salar Jung III, serving as Prime Ministers (or dewans) of Hyderabad. Yousuf Ali Khan, reportedly, relinquished the post of Prime Minister in favour of devoting his life to collecting treasures of art and literature from all around the world, building the world’s largest collection of antiques by a single man.
From jade daggers belonging to Emperor Jehangir to pieces from the wardrobe of Tipu Sultan, the collection is varied and rich. Salar Jung Museum is one of the largest museums in the world.