Meet Indian Royal family for whom marrying Turkish royals was a matter of prestige, owned properties in Turkey; the family ruled…

In 1992, Mukarram Jah, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, married former Miss Turkey Manolya Onur, who was also a member of the Ottoman dynasty, that once ruled Turkey under the Ottoman Empire.

Despite the recent souring of ties triggered by Ankara’s support to Pakistan during the latest round of India-Pakistan tensions, the relations between India and Turkey stretch back centuries, to the time when the Ottoman Empire was at its peak, and ruled vast swathes of land in Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and a large part of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Nizams of Hyderabad and the Ottoman Empire

One particular royal family in colonial India, the Nizams who ruled the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad, had close ties with the Ottoman royal family of Turkey, a bond that was further strengthened with marital ties between two royal families. According to historians, the Nizams of Hyderabad were very fond of Ottoman Caliphate, and its was a matter of prestige to get their sons and daughters married in the Turkish royal family.

The eight Nizam, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, spent almost his entire life in Turkey, where he later passed away. During the early, 20th century, when Ottoman Sultanate witnessed its downfall in Turkey, the last Ottoman Caliph, Abdul Majid II,  along with his family, was living in exile in France.

Around the same time, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad and one of the richest rulers in colonial India, was searching for brides for his sons from among prestigious royal families.

Historians note that the 7th Nizam had a deep political relationship with Turkey and the Ottoman Sultanate, rooted in the religious symbolism which the Ottoman Caliphate embodied. Mir Osman Ali Khan, who considered himself the official deputy of the Ottoman Caliph in the Indian subcontinent, arranged the marriage of his sons with the daughters of the last Caliph of the Ottoman Sultanate, and also tried to find suitable matches for his own daughters from among Turkey’s royal families.

Its believed that the name of one of Nizam’s daughter’s is linked to a Turkish prince, but the relationship did not last long.

Nizam’s sons married Turkish Ottoman princesses

After completion of royal formalities, the Nizam’s sons were wedded to Turkish princesses in a simple yet elegant royal wedding that took place in Nice city, France, on November 12, 1931. Princess Durru Shehwar, the daughter of the last Ottoman Caliph, Abdul Majid II, was married to Prince Azam Jah, the Nizam’s elder son, while his youngest, Prince Mauzam Jah was wedded to Princess Nilofer– the daughter of Caliph’s brother.

Following the wedding, the Turkish princesses started living in the royal palaces of Hyderabad, and Princess Durru Shehwar soon became a loved and respected figure among the Nizam’s subjects because of extensive social work, including the establishment of hospitals, women’s education and healthcare.

The Turkish Princess is widely regarded among one of the most beloved and popular members of the Nizam family of Hyderabad.

While Durru Shehwar was known for her outgoing nature and social work, Nilofer Begum, famed for her modesty and beauty, lived a subdued life, reportedly due to an unhappy marriage.

On his deathbed, the Nizam declared his grandson, Mukarram Jah, as the heir to the throne of Hyderabad. He later became the eighth and last Nizam of Hyderabad, before the princely state merged with the Indian Union after independence.

The last Nizam and his love for Turkey

Continuing the family’s tradition of marrying Turkish princesses, Mir Barkat Ali Khan, aka Mukarram Jah, married Princess Ezra, who belonged to a prominent Turkish family. The couple had two kids, a son and a daughter, before the marriage ended after 15 years, when the Nizam decided to move to Australia, while his wife declined to settle in a foreign country.

Later, Mukarram married an Australian woman but the relationship ended after a short while. In 1992, Mukarram Jah wedded former Miss Turkey Manolya Onur, who was also a member of the Ottoman dynasty. The couple had a daughter, Nilofer, but the relationship ended after five years.

Mukarram’s fifth wife, Princess Arkadi, also came from an elite Turkish family. Even though the eighth Nizam’s romantic escapades spanned several countries, including Morocco, Australia and England, but his heart always belonged to Turkey, as he spent the rest of his days in the country, living in a modest two-room apartment.

Nizams owned property in Turkey

Its been documented that the Nizams of Hyderabad sent large sums of money and valuables to the Ottoman Caliph in Turkey between 1910-1924, an in return several immovable properties, including bungalows in Istanbul and Bursa, were registered in the name of Nizam and Hyderabad State, according to records.

The Ottoman Calip also sent many valuable artifacts, weapons and historical documents as gifts to Nizam, parts of which are still preserved at the Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad.