Hyderabad, ANDHRA PRADESH (present TELANGANA) :
Princess Niloufer, the beloved daughter-in-law of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, may have left the city shortly after the Police Action in 1948. But even a good six decades later, she continues to be an enigma that at once intrigues and haunts Hyderabadis. On her centenary year, even as a photo exhibition by Birad Rajaram Yagnik attempts to reveal unknown vignettes of her life, and a documentary film on her is being worked on by historian Arvind Acharya, Hyderabad Times looks back at the dramatic life of the much loved princess of the city of Pearls. Surely, it was nothing short of a movie!
A fairytale set in 19th Century
When Niloufer Farhat Begum Sahiba was born in Istanbul, in January 1916, the Ottoman Empire was already fast crumbling. When she was barely a toddler, the Ottoman surrender was formalised aboard a British warship (October 1918). And by the time she was seven, the 700 year-old empire had officially fallen. In the backdrop of this downfall, the princess had to leave her fairytale life in Istanbul behind, and move to France with her mother in 1924, never to return. aged eight at that time, Niloufer would go on to lead a very ordinary life, learning to read and write French along with Urdu. Her exercise books had her learning about geography of the world. she stuck bits and pieces of the map in separate pages, oblivious to what the future held for her — a future where she would be remembered as the beloved princess of three cities. And yet, hold reign over none.
The romance with Hyderabad
Cut to 1931. In Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam — also the world’s richest man — was looking for suitable brides for his sons. And that’s how Niloufer, just 15, found herself in Hyderabad. In a grand, royal wedding held in Nice in November 1931, Niloufer married Moazzam Jah, the Nizam’s younger son.
The Nizam had chosen Durru Shehvar (Niloufer’s first cousin) for his elder son — so the shift to a foreign land was less daunting perhaps. Another reason that made Hyderabad feel like home was that the Princess found a father figure in the Nizam. Though known to be officious and keen on protocol otherwise, the Nizam considered Niloufer his daughter. He even let her call him ‘father’. Life in the Hill Fort Palace was grand, Hyderabad was at its cultural peak, and the Princess took on many avatars — fashionista, socialite, philanthropist.
The sartorial queen
Between 1933 and 1948, Niloufer became a fashionista through whom the world got acquainted with Hyderabad. Her sarees, her choice of jewellery, her lifestyle became a talking point. Photographers, especially a crafty portrait photographer, Antony Beauchamp, loved her easy beauty. the international press adored her. Niloufer is credited with adding Parisian grace to the Indian saree. Her sarees were crafted specially for her, by Madhav Das in Mumbai. She loved chiffons and crepes, and wore them often with a broad woven Banaras brocade border. In fact, Mme. Fernande Cecithe, who was originally hired as a midwife for the princess, later created excellent designs to be embroidered on her sarees too. Her wardrobe is still studied by fashion students across the globe and her collection of sarees are now treasured at the New York Institute of Fashion Technology.
The socialite princess with a golden heart
One of the very prominent facets of Niloufer’s social life was the Lady Hydari Club, through which she also initiatied events and dos to raise funds. In 1941, Niloufer decided to organise the staging of a play Ondine (by dramatist Jean Giraudoux) to raise funds for London, which was recuperating from the damages of World War II. She was told by her father-in-law that a princess must not be seen acting in a play. So, her secretary at that time, Fatima Ghani, who would accompany her all the time and therefore even knew the dialogues, took on the princess’ role of a knight-errant Hans von Wittenstein zu Wittenstein.
But it wasn’t until 1949, that Niloufer’s biggest contribution to Hyderabad was going to emerge. When her maid, Rafath Unnisa Begum, died in childbirth, she was so shattered that she decided to ensure that no more such deaths take place. she decided to set up a maternity hospital, which stands today as Niloufer Hospital in Nampally.
The truth behind the glamourous veneer
She was one of the most beautiful women of her time. She was a much loved princess, both at home and overseas. But Niloufer had long learned that the glamour of all this was just that — an eyewash at best. At the heart of it all, there was pain and emptiness. She spent her best years in Hyderabad, craving to experience motherhood — a desire that was never fulfilled.
By this time, Niloufer had already witnessed her first cousin Durru Shehvar give birth to two sons, Prince Mukarram Jah in 1933 and Prince Muffakham Jah in 1939. Her childlessness put much strain on her marriage. In 1948, Moazzam took a second wife, Razia Begum. And by 1951, Niloufer had decided to split from her Hyderabadi commitments.
She moved back to France with her mother. Nice, back then had many members of royalty in exile, allowing Niloufer to still be socially active. As she aged gracefully, her photos from the era show her wearing the string of pearls that her mother had gifted her at birth.
However, irrespective of where she was based, Niloufer never severed her Indian ties. Her friendship with Jawharlal Nehru was one such connection. One of her letters following the assassination of Gandhi read: “Dear Pandit, You have heard and read the cry of so many millions of hearts — you have felt perhaps more than anyone else that great silence that set the void and the loneliness after he (Gandhi) was no more”. The duo continued to stay in touch, Niloufer wrote to Nehru even during the elections and Nehru who was on the road canvasing for the polls, replied, “But I want to tell you that you will always be welcome here whenever you care to come.”
Finding love again
After a good 11 years of being single, Niloufer met Edward Pope and found love once again. In February 1964, she married Pope in the presence of Nawab Ali Yawar Jung who was the Best Man.
Niloufer died in 1989 and was buried in a grave in Bobigny near Paris. The Muslims-only cemetery that is a two-hour drive from Paris not only has her mother resting there, but also all the members of her Seljuk dynasty. Surely, a life as romantic, as magnanimous, and as dramatic as Niloufer’s, deserves to be immortalised.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / by Samyuktha K, TNN / January 06th, 2015
