Today marks the 35th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Nilufer Hanımsultan, who passed away on this day in 1989! The Ottoman Princess married the younger son of the Nizam of Hyderabad and became a patron of women’s healthcare before marrying an American Diplomat!
The daughter of Damad Moralızade Selaheddin Ali Bey and Princess Adile Sultan, a granddaughter of Sultan Murad V, Princess Nilufer was born at the Göztepe Palace in Istanbul and after the Imperial Family was exiled in 1924, she grew up in Nice.
In 1931, her cousin, Princess Dürrüşehvar, married Azam Jah, the Prince of Berar, the elder son and heir of the Nizam of Hyderabad, while Princess Nilüfer, married his younger brother, Prince Muazzam Jah, in a double Wedding at the Villa Carabacel in Nice.
According to some sources, the Nizam was trying hard to obtain the hand of her cousin, Dürrüşehvar, for his eldest son. Unhappy with the high mahr demanded by her family, he finally settled for a second Ottoman bride to be included in the deal. However, Şehzade Osman Fuad and his wife the Egyptian princess Kerime Hanım wanted the Nizam’s younger son to marry Niloufer, whom they had prepared to marry someone rich. They dressed her up, made her look pretty, and introduced her to Muazzam Jah. Niloufer, who was then a ravishing beauty, was so attractive that Mahpeyker could not compare. When Muazzam Jah saw her he completely forgot about Mahpeyker, and insisted on marrying Niloufer. For arranging the wedding, Osman Füad received £25,000 annually, until 1952.
Following the Wedding, the two couples traveled to Hyderabad, where Prince Moazzam Jah and Princess Nilüfer became quite close.
On the way, they were taught how to wear sarees, and the expected etiquette in the presence of the Nizam. After their landing in Bombay, they boarded the private train of the Nizam. Niloufer’s and Dürrüşehvar’s mothers also accompanied them.
There was also a midwife, a French lady, to help with their future pregnancies. When the princesses arrived in Hyderabad, they were given a lavish welcome. A banquet was held at the Chowmahalla Palace on 4 January 1932.They then settled down in their respective homes. Niloufer and Mouzzam Jah settled in the Hill Fort building on Naubhat Pahad.
Her husband was an Urdu poet. Almost every evening he organized a mushaira. He lived a lavish lifestyle and doted on his wife, painting and photographing her. Life seemed quite comfortable and everything was going well in the Nizam’s kingdom.
However, Prince Moazzam Jah and Princess Nilüfer were unable to have children, and she thus had a very active social life as a patron of several charities and social organizations, including the Niloufer Hospital for women and children.
While Niloufer’s private life seemed empty due to lack of children, she compensated by making her public life very glittering. She was part of the elite women’s club at the time, Lady Hydari Club. Unlike other ladies in her family (this is true of both her natal family in Turkey and her marital family in India) who felt that their dignity and “honour” lay in not making “public spectacles” of themselves, Niloufer preferred to move about the city quite freely, leaving the zenana of the palace frequently to attend public engagements, cocktail parties and late-night revels.
She attended many functions and also inaugurated several events. As no other lady of the Hyderabad royal family had ever moved about unveiled or attended cocktail parties or even official public events, Niloufer came to be regarded as a torch-bearer for women’s advancement. Her beauty and active public life received mention in the press, and she was featured on the cover pages of magazines. She was judged as one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world. She was nicknamed the Koh-ih-noor of Hayraba (the diamond of Hayrabad, by famous Koh-ih-noor).
Niloufer for a long time was the President of the Hyderabad Chapter of Indian Women Conference (IWC) a national body founded by Margaret E. Cousins. Padmaja Naidu, daughter of Sarojini Naidu was a great friend of Niloufer in Hyderabad. During the Second World War, she obtained training as a nurse, and helped in relief efforts.
In 1949, one of the princess’ maids, named Rafatunnisa Begum, died during childbirth due to lack of medical facilities. On hearing the news of death of her beloved maid, the princess was very shattered. She then decided to ensure that no mother faces death hereafter.
Niloufer made known to her father-in-law the problems arising due to this lack of medical facilities. As a result, a specialty hospital for women and children was built in the Red Hills area of the city. Indeed, the hospital was named Niloufer Hospital in her honour and she was named its patron, a position she retained as long as she lived in Hyderabad. Even today, the hospital remains a well-known one and is a prominent landmark of the Red Hills neighbourhood. Her step-grandson Himayat Ali Mirza helps patients and families coming to the hospital by providing food and financial assistance.
In 1948, Prince Moazzam Jah took a second wife, Razia Begum, while Princess Niloufer went to stay with her mother in France until they divorced in 1952. The Princess refused several movie roles, and married American Diplomat Edward Julius Pope Jr. in Paris in 1963, where she passed away in 1989, and is buried in the Bobigny Cemetery. Edward Pope Jr. married his childhood classmate, Evelyn Maddox Pope, who continues to honour Princess Niloufer’s legacy through donations and museum exhibitions from her collections
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