Deshmukhs of Sowali

The Syeds of Sowali were Deshmukhs. They ruled from about 1720 till 1948 when the Nizam of Hyderabad was overthrown by the newly formed Indian government. The Syeds were direct descendants of Hazrat Khwaja Bande Nawaz Gesu Daraz a famous Sufi Saint, and further down the line of Prophet Mohammed himself.

The First of the Syeds was Syed Maqdoom, a general (Sipah Salar) for the First Nizam ul-mulk (Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I). He had under his command 500 horsemen and due to his success in battle he was granted 34 villages (Deshmukhi) of approximately 110 square miles (280 km2/70,400 acres)in what is now the district of Nanded.

Sowali was one of the 34 villages in which there already stood a castle, so he decided to build on that (of which only one burj (Bastion) remains) and occupy it therefore making Sowali his centre.

Family tree

1. Syed Maqdoom
2. Syed ?
3. Syed Raje
4. Syed Mohammed
5. Syed Rustom
6. Syed Mihran
7. Syed Alam

Syed Hyder is the deshmukh of Alandi and active member of Indian National Congress since independence. His son Syed Masood is sarpanch of the Alandi and is doing a lot of social work.^{[citation needed]}