Among the eminent British lent officers of the old regime who served Hyderabad for a long period and with distinction, Mr. A.J. Dunlop is more intimately associated with this place and its people than others who succeeded him. He came from the Berar service in the middle of the eighties and served the State for more than a quarter of a century. To his vast knowledge and experience of revenue matters, he added sympathy with the people and regard for their interests and friendly feelings towards those officials with whom he was associated in his work. In this way, he came to be loved and esteemed by all and was looked upon as a man belonging to Hyderabad. He was a personal friend of my father and uncle and I am glad to say that in my early official career I had the opportunity of cultivating his acquaintance when I was serving as Under Secretary in the Legislative Department. We met frequently at committee meetings to discuss drafts of bills and he came to have in course of time an opinion of me that induced him to offer me the Revenue Secretaryship. It was a great compliment to a junior officer, as I then was, and I felt flattered by it, but I excused myself on the ground that my career lay in the Judicial Department.

I once took the liberty of suggesting to Mr. Dunlop the desirability, not to say the urgent need, of having the multifarious revenue gashtis which were in a state of confusion, reduced to an orderly and compendious form. And I further pointed out to him how necessary it was to have a definite procedure followed in revenue cases and to have some finality in the decisions. I remember that he got a committee appointed to go into these matters and I can even recall the name of one of them, Moulvi Abdul Qader (afterwards Qader Nawaz Jung) , but what the committee actually achieved and what the result of its recommendations was, I do not know.

His Highness the late Nizam was pleased to put Mr. Dunlop in charge of the management of the Salar Jung estate during the minority of the present (Prime Minister) Nawab Salar Jung. It is said that the estate was managed well under his control and to the entire satisfaction of the ruler. This service of Mr. A. J. Dunlop is in no way inferior to the services rendered by him to the State in the Revenue Department at the head of which he remained as Director General till his retirement in 1911. He was succeeded by Mr. G.E.C. Wakefield, C.I.E., O.B.E., another fine officer and a man of great practical ability. He too, like Mr. Dunlop, spoke Urdu fluently with a correct accent, and had a courteous and pleasing manner which made him popular.  

Appointments Held : Minister of Revenue, entered the Nizam's service from the Berar Commission, 1883 ; 1885, Inspector-General of Revenue, Imam Commissioner, Chairman Board of Irrigation, Survey Settlement Commissioner, Senior Member Board of Revenue ; 1889, Famine Commissioner, Administrator Court of  Wards, Customs Department, Administrator Abkari Department (Liquor, Opium, Ganja). Retired 1912.

Increase in State Revenue during his 31 years of service, Rs. 14,270,853.

Born: 7th April, 1848. Died : 1919.

Son of Henry Dunlop, Craigton House, Lanark.

N.B.—Mr. Dunlop was appointed by Sir Sarlar Jung I and his work has been the foundation of the prosperity of Hyderabad. The ryots who had formerly no security of their holdings now cannot be disturbed. Land formerly unsaleable now realizes io to 20 times the assessment.