Dum-e-Kaus: The Hyderabad Nizam's Love Tonic

News18

18-07-2025

Last Updated:
Dum-e-Kaus, a royal Unani soup once served in Hyderabad's Nizam court, was famed for boosting male vitality. Made with rare ingredients, its legend still lingers today
In the heart of historic Hyderabad, under the rule of the Nizams, there existed a powerful and mysterious elixir known as Dum-e-Kaus, a richly spiced, slow-cooked soup reputed to enhance virility, invigorate the nerves, and awaken the senses. Crafted in secrecy by expert Unani hakims, this remarkable tonic earned a reputation not just for its effects, but also for the grandeur it accompanied.
A Regal Tradition: Strength And Sensuality In A Bowl
The name Dum-e-Kaus translates to 'strength of the storm', and it lived up to this reputation. This non-vegetarian soup was served before royal festivities and was believed to greatly enhance male potency and energy. According to historical accounts, Nizam Mahboob Ali Pasha (reigned 1869–1911), the sixth ruler of Hyderabad, would consume several bowls before indulging in all-night gatherings of music, poetry, and dance.
During one such Ishqiya Mehfil, an elaborate Friday-night celebration held weekly in the Nizam's court, it is said that 15 courtesans and dancers performed while the Nizam, energised by three bowls of Dum-e-Kaus, remained enthralled throughout the night. According to entries in the diary of a British Resident from the 1870s, the soup became a symbol of masculinity and vitality in the Hyderabad court.
ghazal, jokingly told the Nizam, ' Janaab, if I too receive a cup of Dum-e-Kaus, the courtesans will faint at my poetry". Amused, the Nizam summoned his personal hakim and ordered a bowl to be brought to the poet, who reportedly continued performing all night to roaring applause.
Even the British were intrigued. In 1878, Major Caveng, a British officer stationed in Hyderabad, wrote in his personal diary, now archived in the British Library, that after being served a 'thick, potent brew", he experienced 'a sudden heat throughout the body within two hours". He noted its use among nobles as a royal aphrodisiac and strength tonic.
The Secret Recipe: Ingredients Of Power
The preparation of Dum-e-Kaus was no simple task. It took months to gather and process the rare ingredients, and the final concoction was slow-cooked for 12 to 18 hours by Unani hakims such as Hakim Ajmal Khan and Hakim Luqman Ali.
The rich soup was further enhanced with natural sweeteners and aromatic herbs. According to Unani medicine, this preparation increased libido, strengthened nerves, boosted semen production, and revitalised the body and senses.
Effects Of Dum-e-Khus: Fire In The Veins, Music In The Mind
Accounts from that era describe how within 30 to 60 minutes, the effects of Dum-e-Kaus would begin. The entire body would warm, circulation would quicken, and the muscles would tense, as if one had completed intense physical exercise. The nerves would feel electrified, and the senses heightened, particularly in intimate or musical settings.
Courtiers often remarked that it stirred a dual intoxication of love and artistic fervour. One popular saying from that era: ' Dum-e-Kaus turns a man into a lion, and the heart into a lover".
Where Can One Find Dum-e-Khus Today?
Though the original Dum-e-Kaus is no longer prepared in its royal form, modern versions of this Unani tonic still exist. Certain traditional hakims in Hyderabad (Charminar and Muzzammil Gali), Lucknow (Chowk and Nakkhas), and near Jama Masjid in Delhi, prepare similar remedies under names like:
These tonics continue to be marketed as remedies for male vitality, albeit with updated formulations and slightly milder ingredients.
Sources And Historical References
Tibb-e-Unani: The Science of Greco-Arabic Medicine – Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman
The Last Nizam: An Indian Prince in the Australian Outback – John Zubrzycki
Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh – Sangeeta Bhatnagar & R.K. Saxena
Riwayat-e-Deccan (1903, Urdu manuscript)
The Hyderabad Gazette (British Records, 1870s)
Private Diaries of Major Kavanagh – British Library Manuscripts Collection
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