Mir Ahmed ALi, Nawab Au Nawaz Jung Bahadur, was born in Hyderabad in July, 1877. His father, Mir Wahid Au, was Assistant Secretary of Daftar-e-Mulki. He studied at St. George’s Grammar School, Madrasa-i-Aliya and then joined Nizam College. In 1896 he was sent to England on State scholarship to the famous engineering college of Coopers Hill where he had an exceptionally brilliant career, topping the list of successful candidates and gained several scholarships in various branches of engineering.

He returned to Hyderabad in 1899 and joined the Public Works Department as an Assistant Engineer. In 1913 he was made the Secretary to the Government P.W.D. and Telephones Department. In 1918, he became Chief Engineer and Secretary. In 1929, he was invited by the Bombay Government to report in collaboration with Sir M. Visweshwaraya on the financiaL and technical aspects of Sukkur Barrage, and his services were acknowledged by the Bombay Government.

During his tenure as Chief Engineer, large irrigation works were conceived, launched and executed. Nawab Saheb was responsible for construction of several buildings and bridges including major bridges over the Godavari and the Manjira. Extension of telephone service to the districts was due to his initiative. He was responsible for large irrigation projects viz., Wyra, Paler, the Fateh Nahar. One of his prize design projects was the Nizamsagar dam.

The famous Hyderabad House at Delhi was also designed and constructed under his supervision. The question of allocation of waters of the Tungabhadra and the Krishna was sorted out by Nawab Saheb between Madras and Hyderabad governments. His handling of the difficult problem was remarkable. In 1930, the Madras Government conceded to Nizam Government the right of utilizing 50% waters of the river. He was one of the most brilliant engineers Hyderabad has ever produced and Au Sagar in Nizamabad was named after him.