Princess Niloufer was married to the second son of Nizam of Hyderabad. She was better educated. She had a painful tragic life due to lack of children. It was when she lost her maid in child birth ,she had decided to start a hospital for the cause of women and child care. She caught the media's attention due to unparalleled beauty and sense of fashion. She was undoubtedly the queen of beauty and was one of the top ten beautiful women in the world of her time.

1. The Princess is remembered as a lady who had cut across a line between western
education , etiquette and oriental elegance.
I

2. She was the toast of the party circuit in Hyderabad and in
Europe wherever she went

3. PRINCESS NILOUFER
WAS ONE OF THE TOP
TEN BEAUTIFUL
WOMEN OF THE
WORLD!
HER PHOTOS
APPEARED IN THE
COVER PAGES OF
MAGAZINES!

6. Niloufer was born on 4th January, 1916, in the
Goztepe Palace in Istanbul in Turkey. Her mother
was Adile Sultan, a grand-daughter of Sultan
Murad V.
Adile was married and divorced earlier and it was
with her second husband, Salahuddin Morali,
that she gave birth to Niloufer.

7. Much before
television,
beauty
pageants and
glamour rags
could begin
their reign
over the public
imagination,
yet Princess
Niloufer’s
exquisite looks
and clothes
were a talking
point across
the country
and in the
cities of
Europe.
Niloufer was
the “Kohinoor
of Hyderabad”

9. Princess Niloufer With Begum Aga Khan

14. Arvind Acharya explains how Princess Niloufer, in this portrait dressed in a western
outfit, straddled multiple cultures.— Photo: K.V.S. Giri

15. An incredible tale of Turkish Princess
It was sometime ago in the summer of 2003, Arvind Acharya, a management consultant
from Scarsdale in New York was called for an interview by Evelyn Pope. It wasn’t for a job
but for something which was even more valuable. Evelyn Pope was the second wife of
Edward Pope, the second husband of Hyderabad’s Princess Niloufer. Evelyn wanted to
place the private papers of Princess Niloufer in safe hands and Arvind’s name was
suggested by Omar Khalidi, then a librarian in MIT. Arvind passed the interview and the
result can be seen on Monday, January 4, 2016, exactly 100 years after the birth of Niloufer
in the family of Ottoman Caliphs. The suitcases that Evelyn handed over to Arvind in New
York included the first shaved lock of Niloufer, the string of pearls used to tie her hair and
her class VII progress report from a school in Nice, France. “Evelyn did it systematically.
Niloufer’s fascinating collection of saris designed by a jeweller from Bombay, Madhavdas,
went to New York Fashion Institute and Technology, the Turkish firmans went to the
University of Washington and I got the private papers,” says Arvind Acharya, as he narrates
the incredible tale of the Turkish Princess, who lived in Paris, married a Hyderabadi prince
and died as a wife to an American Edward Pope.

17. Princess Niloufer had
flamboyant taste for
fashion which was
reflected in her sarees.
Her fashion was widely
talked about even in
Europe. 34 of her
sarees were presented
to the Fashion Institute
of Technology at New
York.

19. These saris were worn by Princess
Niloufer Farhat Begum Saheba of
Hyderabad (1916-1989).
As the consort of an Indian prince, she
was required to wear saris. Having grown
up in France, mostly she commissioned
designs that reflected flare for Western
fashion, sensibility in their color, motif,
and placement of embellishment.
These particular saris were made in India,
but Princess Niloufer also commissioned
saris from French designers such as
Jeanne Lanvin.
Saris, Circa 1946, India, Gifts of Mr. Edward
Pope, 92.132.18 and 92.132.26, photograph by
Irving Solero

22. She made the traditional sari her own by giving it
a Western touch through decoration and the
placement of motifs. Her saris were crafted with
sequins, beads and metallic embroidery on
fabrics like the chiffon, crepe and net, with the
floral designs falling in the front or over the left
shoulder. Most of these sarees were designed by
a Frenchman, Fernande Cecire, and embroidered
in India. This reminds us of the days of the
British Raj, when Indian princesses used to
travel to Paris and had sarees designed by
French couturiers.

23. Her Highness the
Princess Niloufer
of Hyderabad,
c.1946, gift of
Evelyn Pope in
memory of
Edward J. Pope

24. Princess Niloufer was
married to the second
son of the last Nizam
of Hyderabad.
She was also the last
princess of the
Ottoman Empire.

25. Niloufer Farhat Begum Sahiba

26. Tall and beautiful, when she entered a
room or hall full of chattering people at
a function or a wedding, there was a
sudden hush as everyone fell silent. All
the people would turn their heads to
gaze at this beautiful face, resplendent
, and stunning appearance .
Her glowing complexion, twinkling eyes
under long lashes, full smiling mouth
and strands of swirling, wavy hair were
as beautiful even when she was
without any makeup at home in the
daytime.

27. Princess Niloufer was actively
involved with various welfare
projects. She helped establish the
Hyderabad Women and Children’s
Medical Aid Society in 1943 with
Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung, through
which the Niloufer Hospital was
built.
She was also involved with the
Hyderabad Women’s Association for
Education and Social Advancement,
as well as the Women’s Volunteer
Corps during World War II.

34. At the age of eight, Niloufer moved to
Nice in France.

35. THE PRINCESS WAS
BROUGHT UP IN
FRANCE
Princess Niloufer of Turkey

36. Princess Niloufer
of Hyderabad
(1916-1989).
Paris, March
1947.

37. Niloufer had a style of dressing that attracted the
public. She captured the attention of the fashion
media. Her sarees were especially crafted by
Madhavdas, a designer from Bombay.
These were frequently reviewed and
analyzed. Even in later years, when she shifted
to wearing European style clothes when
travelling abroad, she still managed to cut a fine
figure.
One of her European dresses formed the topic of
discussion in the New York Times in 1961.

38. Princess niloufer khanum sultana

39. Muazzam Jah, Walashan Sahebzada Nawab Mir Sir Shuja’at ‘Ali Khan Bahadur, KCIE (21 December 1907 -
15 September 1987), was the son of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII and his first
wife Dulhan Pasha Begum. The popular Moazzam Jahi Market of Hyderabad is named after him.

40. The deposition of the Khalifa was a significant
political event. Mahatma Gandhi felt that this
would be the right time for the Khilafat
movement, to restore the Khalifa. The leaders
of the movement were Maulana Mohammed
Ali and Maulana Shoukat Ali. During this
movement, Shoukat Ali came to be on very
friendly terms with the Khalifa.
Thus, in 1931, seeing that the Khalifa had no
son, Shoukat Ali proposed that the Khalifa’s
daughter, Durru Shehvar, be married to Azam
Jah. The negotiations for the terms of the
marriage started, but soon broke down, as the
Nizam felt that the requirement for the Mehr
was exorbitant. Eventually, the Nizam was able
to get two marriages within the specified
amount. In this way, the marriage of Niloufer
to Moazzam Jah was finalized. They were
married on November 12, 1931; at this
wedding, the Khalifa himself acted as the Kazi.

43. Ex-sultan of Turkey Sultan Abdul Mejid (front row, centre) with Princess Durrushehvar and
Prince Azam Jah on the left and Princess Niloufer and Prince Moazzam Jah on the right, in
Nice, France after their weddings

44. Princess Niloufer With her husband, Prince Moazzam Jah

45. Princess Niloufer with her husband Prince Mozamm Jah , second son of Nawab of Hyderabad,
Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII

48. Princess Niloufer
(extreme right) with
Nizam Osman Ali Khan
and his daughter

49. Nizam mir Osman Ali khan ke sath princess Durre shahwar aur
princess Niloufer ki ek yaadgaar

50. “Her violet eyes and blue-black
Circassian hair were enough to
ruin a man’s appetite,”
remarked the British official Sir
Conrad Corfield, who declared
her “the loveliest creature I had
ever set my eyes on”. When
she accompanied the Nizam to
Delhi, the Viceroy, Lord
Willingdon was also equally
enchanted incurring the wrath
of his wife.

51. “After her marriage to Prince Moazzam Jah, the younger son of the
Nizam, at the age of 15 in December 1931, Princess Niloufer came to
live in Hyderabad at what was then called Hill Fort Palace. She even got
a midwife with her, a French lady, just in case she does her royal duty of
delivering a baby. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any children, while her
cousin Princess Durrushevar had two sons. As time passed, Niloufer
evolved into a beautiful princess, elegant and tall at 5’8” with an
alabaster complexion. She was the toast of the party circuit in
Hyderabad and in Europe wherever she went. But she was unhappy,”
says Arvind, riffling through a bunch of papers which show letters
written by the British Resident, Churchill’s son-in-law, and a host of
others to her.
In 1946, she had a servant called Rafatunnissa Begum, who was
pregnant, and later died during childbirth. “Niloufer is supposed to have
said ‘no more Rafats will die’. That is the name of this exhibition and it is
through her effort that the Niloufer Hospital was inaugurated in1953,”
informs Arvind.

52. At the age of 15, she married the
second son of Nizam, Moazzam Jah.
Her philanthropy and empathy for
the poor and the sick took the form
of the iconic, prestigious Institute
Niloufer Hospital to serve, care and
nurture many a sick, sane and
critical cases.

54. Mission Statement
!! Together we share and
care, give and grow !!

56. Niloufer Hospital had been housed in a magnificent building in the heart of historic
Hyderabad with an interesting past. The reputed institution was founded in 1949 by the
benevolent princess Niloufer, who was the daughterof Ottoman Empire of France,
married prince Moazzam Jah, the second son of seventh Nizam (the last of the Asaf Jahi
rulers) of Hyderabad in 1931.
Such was the story of a lovable dream of a French princess who had the vision to serve
the poor surprisingly in India just like Florence nightingale, who served the poor as a
nurse. In 1953 what began as a 100 bed hospital with a specific vision to meet the health
requirements of both mother and child, was destined to progress with no backward
looking. Initially the authorities had an unnerving and unstinting efforts. The hospital fleet
developed from a 100 bed occupancy to 500 beds with advanced maternity, pediatric,
pediatric surgery supported by excellent diagnostic facilities.

58. While her private life seemed empty due to lack of children,
her public life became very glittering. She was invited to
several functions, inaugurated several events and became a
torch-bearer for women’s advancement. During the Second
World War, she obtained training as a nurse, and helped in
relief efforts.
Her beauty, and her active public life, received high acclaim
in the press, and her portfolios featured in magazines. She
was judged one of the 10 most beautiful women in the
world, and was offered several roles in films.

59. HER PUBLIC LIFE
Unlike other ladies in her family 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 in addition to her charity
work.

60. A MARRIAGE THAT ENDED IN DIVORCE
For reasons unknown, their marriage hit
the rocks when the Prince followed Muslim
divorce proceedings by intoning “Talak”
(divorce) three times before two witnesses
after 21 years of marriage with no children
in the year 1952 at Hyderabad.

61. Life of a Historic Princess

65. There is a long story of how Acharya caught hold of “five suitcases” filled with Princess Niloufer’s
belongings and how both got together to tell the lady’s story to the city of Hyderabad.
Going back to how the “five suitcases” were served to him on a silver platter, Acharya recalls, “In
2003, I got a call. There was a lady on the other end of the line and she said,” begins Acharya, in
a British accent imitating the lady, “Mister Acharya, I would very much like to talk to you about a
beautiful woman from Hyderabad. Now even if she didn’t say of Hyderabad, I would still be
interested. But anyway, I said, who is this about? She said, Princess Niloufer and my ears picked
up.”
She went by the name Evelyn Pope, was married to Edward Pope who was first married to
Princess Niloufer. “I have five suitcases of documents, papers, photographs, passports, her hair
sample all sorts of letters from the Nizam, from the Duke of Windsor and Jawaharlal Nehru and
so on and on and on,” Evelyn Pope told Acharya.
He met her the next day and replied to many questions Evelyn asked him about the Nizam. It
was easy because, “I belong to the family that served the Nizam for a brief period. She was
convinced that I was legit and then I asked where the papers were?
She said, let’s go take a look. With her walking stick, the 77-year-old took me to her cold
basement and the first thing I could see was a handwritten letter from Jawaharlal Nehru with a

66. The letter read:
My dear Princess Niloufer,
We are going through a very
hard time on account of
foreign exchange. But I do
want to let you know, that I
have told Sir Gopala Swamy
Iyenger to release all your
money in pound, sterling
immediately.
Sincerely,
Jawaharlal Nehru.

67. When India became independent, Niloufer was in a peculiar
position. Hyderabad had yet to decide on joining the Indian
Union. As this situation dragged on, eventually Hyderabad was
amalgamated into the Indian Union by a “Police Action”. Although
the Nizam was retained as the Head of the State, he was just a
shadow of his former self.
Niloufer decided never to return to India again. Her marriage with
Moazzam Jah came to an end in 1952. She continued to live in
Paris, with her mother, in a flat. Since she was barely 36, she
continued to attract a lot of attention, and had some of the most
famous people as friends. She was offered yet another role in a
Hollywood film, but she turned it down again.
Niloufer died on 12 June 1989 (aged 73)Paris, France and was
buried next to her mother.

68. REFERENCES
1. Wikipedia
2. The Siasat Daily : Niloufer the last Princess , Sunday , 3 January
2010 by Arvind Acharya
3. www.princessniloufer.blogspot.in Thursday, 20 August 2009
4. www.academia.edu/women inhyderabad state/a historical
analysis by Rekha Pande
5. The saga of Princess Niloufer by Serish Nanisetti
(www.the hindu.com dated 5th January 2016)
6. Princess Niloufer Sultana of Hyderabad by Begum Bilkees I.
Latif

69. ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Ms. Dayamani Surya holds Master’s Degree in the English Literature from Osmania University,
Hyderabad, Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching of English from CIEFL, Post Graduate Diploma in
Teaching of English from CIEFL, Bachelor’s degree in Science and Bachelor’s degree in Education.
She holds online professional certifications like:
•Project Management
•Human Resource Management
•Financial Accounting
• Management and Accounting
• Business Process Outsourcing
•Advance Learning Certificate in English Literature Analysis from Ireland.
As a Research Associate in the District Centre for English Scheme, Department of Training and
Development, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad since 1 May 2007, her
work focuses on administration, curriculum development and teaching in the International Training
Programme for Foreign Students at the University.
At the personal level, she works online as a mentor, helps the scholars in their project work,
compilation of articles and research papers, contributes to the publication of articles and
international peer reviewed journals.