Nizam's Footwear and Madan Mohan Malaviya

Madan Mohan Malaviya was trying to build a good university; he had toovercome many difficulties and barriers. He worked with determination tostart the university. There was a funds crisis; but he did not getdisheartened. He went from town to town, met many rich people and traders tocollect donations.

He went to the Nizam of Hyderabad to request him for funds. The Nizam was furious, 'How dare you come to me for funds... that too for aHindu university? he roared with anger and took off his footwear and flungit at Malviya. Malviya picked up the footwear and left silently. He camedirectly to the market place and began to auction the footwear. As it wasthe Nizam's footwear, many came forward to buy it. The price went up. When Nizam heard of this, he became uneasy. He thought it would be an insultif his footwear were to be bought by someone for a pittance. So he sent oneof his attendants with the instruction, 'Buy that footwear no matter whatthe bidding price be!' Thus, Malaviya managed to sell the Nizam's ownfootwear to him, for a huge amount. He used that money to build the Banaras Hindu University.

Moral: It is not what you have, but it is how you use what you have thatmakes the difference in your life.