<p>In the erstwhile state of Hyderabad, Nizams were known for their lavish lifestyles and lively courts. But it was not just them; even the princes and nobles led such ostentatious lives that even today they are remembered for their extravagant ways.<br /><br /></p>.<p> One such prince whose easy ways of living was never surpassed was Prince Muazzam Jah, the second son of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, known to be the richest man in the world. Whenever the Prince went to Europe, which he did quite often, he had 300 suits to wear and 150 walking sticks to flaunt. He earned the title, “best-dressed man in Europe.” <br /><br />As the second son of the Nizam, this Prince had no serious government responsibilities. However, being the monarch’s son, he was entitled to all the privileges befitting the royalty. Thus, Prince Muazzam had the best of both worlds. <br /><br />He was an accomplished composer of ghazals and wrote with the pen name ‘Shahji’. The junior Prince had a great love for Urdu poetry. While still young, he established a court of his own with scores of Urdu poets. <br /><br />While the well-known poets were paid by the Prince, others were attracted to the high-profile dinners, drinks and the social status associated with such a court. The magnificent Hill-Fort Palace, beautifully perched at the foot of Naubathpahad, was assigned to the prince for his living, and it was in this palace that he held his court.<br /><br />The distinguishing feature of the Prince’s court was that it was held, as a rule, only during nights. Around 7.30 pm, the courtiers were brought from their homes in a posy of cars sent by the prince. They came with the aroma of attar renting the air. One after another, they greeted the Prince with ‘Seven Salaams’. Glasses of choicest drinks were served over exchange of pleasantries. Then the Prince formally escorted all the courtiers to the adjacent dining hall where a multi-course meal awaited. The best biryani, exquisite dry-fruits from Arabia, custard and the finest pastry soaked in ghee were served in dazzling china and silver wares.<br /><br />The dinner ended at midnight with the expensive paan, wrapped in golden foil. All the courtiers then were ushered into the Durbar Hall where the plush, cushioned sofas awaited. The Prince then would set the tone by reciting a poem that he had penned. They would burst out in applause, shouting “wahwa-wahwa”. <br /><br />Gratified, he would call the courtiers for their renditions. Poetry in varied hues flowed and the Prince, with undivided attention, got drenched in the flood of their compositions.<br /><br />The court would go on thus till the first call for prayer, early in the morning, which would be heard from the nearby mosque. The proceedings of the court would then wind up and the Prince would announce its adjournment. He would then take his dose of sleeping pills and withdraw to his private chamber. The entire day time was meant for sleep and he woke up only for breakfast the next day, by 11, and for lunch at 3. And then, he woke up in the evening for the “day’s court”.<br /><br /> The junior Prince, at the age of 24, in 1931, married Princess Niloufer, the niece of the deposed Turkish Sultan, Abdul Majid, who at that time was living in France, after the Caliphate was abolished by Mustapha Kamal Pasha in 1924. <br /><br />Niloufer was known as the most beautiful woman in the world. The Prince’s addiction to poetry, obsession with the nocturnal court and his peculiar sleeping habits took a heavy toll on his marital bliss. Niloufer, who could not mend the Prince, finally left Hyderabad never to return. <br /><br />Later in life, she married a British diplomat after divorcing the Prince. There is now in Hyderabad a hospital that takes her name. After the merger of Hyderabad State with Indian Union in 1948, the financial woes of the junior Prince began. His annual allowance was stopped. In 1949, the Prince left the Hill Fort Palace and went to Mumbai, where he lived for five years. Returning to Hyderabad in 1954, he moved to a modest house in the Red Hills. The nocturnal court virtually came to end with his leaving the Hill Fort Palace.<br /><br />On September 15, 1989, the Junior Prince passed away. He was 82. There were very few who turned up at his funeral. The Prince, who entertained thousands in his life, and never ate a meal without the company of at least a score of ten, went almost alone to his grave.<br /><br /></p>
<p>In the erstwhile state of Hyderabad, Nizams were known for their lavish lifestyles and lively courts. But it was not just them; even the princes and nobles led such ostentatious lives that even today they are remembered for their extravagant ways.<br /><br /></p>.<p> One such prince whose easy ways of living was never surpassed was Prince Muazzam Jah, the second son of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, known to be the richest man in the world. Whenever the Prince went to Europe, which he did quite often, he had 300 suits to wear and 150 walking sticks to flaunt. He earned the title, “best-dressed man in Europe.” <br /><br />As the second son of the Nizam, this Prince had no serious government responsibilities. However, being the monarch’s son, he was entitled to all the privileges befitting the royalty. Thus, Prince Muazzam had the best of both worlds. <br /><br />He was an accomplished composer of ghazals and wrote with the pen name ‘Shahji’. The junior Prince had a great love for Urdu poetry. While still young, he established a court of his own with scores of Urdu poets. <br /><br />While the well-known poets were paid by the Prince, others were attracted to the high-profile dinners, drinks and the social status associated with such a court. The magnificent Hill-Fort Palace, beautifully perched at the foot of Naubathpahad, was assigned to the prince for his living, and it was in this palace that he held his court.<br /><br />The distinguishing feature of the Prince’s court was that it was held, as a rule, only during nights. Around 7.30 pm, the courtiers were brought from their homes in a posy of cars sent by the prince. They came with the aroma of attar renting the air. One after another, they greeted the Prince with ‘Seven Salaams’. Glasses of choicest drinks were served over exchange of pleasantries. Then the Prince formally escorted all the courtiers to the adjacent dining hall where a multi-course meal awaited. The best biryani, exquisite dry-fruits from Arabia, custard and the finest pastry soaked in ghee were served in dazzling china and silver wares.<br /><br />The dinner ended at midnight with the expensive paan, wrapped in golden foil. All the courtiers then were ushered into the Durbar Hall where the plush, cushioned sofas awaited. The Prince then would set the tone by reciting a poem that he had penned. They would burst out in applause, shouting “wahwa-wahwa”. <br /><br />Gratified, he would call the courtiers for their renditions. Poetry in varied hues flowed and the Prince, with undivided attention, got drenched in the flood of their compositions.<br /><br />The court would go on thus till the first call for prayer, early in the morning, which would be heard from the nearby mosque. The proceedings of the court would then wind up and the Prince would announce its adjournment. He would then take his dose of sleeping pills and withdraw to his private chamber. The entire day time was meant for sleep and he woke up only for breakfast the next day, by 11, and for lunch at 3. And then, he woke up in the evening for the “day’s court”.<br /><br /> The junior Prince, at the age of 24, in 1931, married Princess Niloufer, the niece of the deposed Turkish Sultan, Abdul Majid, who at that time was living in France, after the Caliphate was abolished by Mustapha Kamal Pasha in 1924. <br /><br />Niloufer was known as the most beautiful woman in the world. The Prince’s addiction to poetry, obsession with the nocturnal court and his peculiar sleeping habits took a heavy toll on his marital bliss. Niloufer, who could not mend the Prince, finally left Hyderabad never to return. <br /><br />Later in life, she married a British diplomat after divorcing the Prince. There is now in Hyderabad a hospital that takes her name. After the merger of Hyderabad State with Indian Union in 1948, the financial woes of the junior Prince began. His annual allowance was stopped. In 1949, the Prince left the Hill Fort Palace and went to Mumbai, where he lived for five years. Returning to Hyderabad in 1954, he moved to a modest house in the Red Hills. The nocturnal court virtually came to end with his leaving the Hill Fort Palace.<br /><br />On September 15, 1989, the Junior Prince passed away. He was 82. There were very few who turned up at his funeral. The Prince, who entertained thousands in his life, and never ate a meal without the company of at least a score of ten, went almost alone to his grave.<br /><br /></p>
