Asaf Jah Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur got married with Princess Shehwar in a simple ceremony on 12 November 1931. Then the princess was 18 years old and Prince Azam Jah was 25 years old.
Turkey-born princess became ‘India’s daughter-in-law’
The story of the Nizams in Hyderabad has also been very interesting. The rule of the Nizams came to an end after the country got independence. But from 1724 to 1948, the Nizams remained like emperors. During this, there were 7 Nizams in Hyderabad. ‘Asaf Jah’ used to be associated with his name. Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah was the first Nizam of Hyderabad. Hyderabad used to be a princely state then.
The Nizams did a lot for the princely state of Hyderabad. The seventh Nizam became very famous because of his social work. Asaf Jah Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur. His Begum played a special role in this. He has huge achievements to his credit. Even today people in Hyderabad take his name with great respect.
His name is Durru Shehwar. She was the daughter of the last Caliph of Turkey (now Turkey). Then how did she reach India and how did she become the daughter-in-law of a rich family after coming here? Let’s know the whole story.
Interest in social service since childhood
At that time there was the rule of Khalifas in Turkey. But it was shrinking. In March 1924, Turkey became a republic and the Caliphate came to an end. Abdul Majeed II was the last Caliph of Turkey. His daughter was – Princess Durru Shehwar. Born on 26 January 1914, Durru was intelligent since childhood.
He was very fond of reading and writing and was also very interested in social service. After coming to Hyderabad, he did a lot of work. She was a very beautiful princess. The Shah of Persia and King Fouad I of Egypt sought her as a bride for their successors. However, it was written in her destiny to come to India and become the daughter-in-law of the Nizam of Hyderabad.
How did Durru Shehwar reach India?
After Turkey was declared a republic in March 1924, the royal family was expelled from the country. Abdul Majeed settled with his family in the southern French Mediterranean port city of Nice. He used to be counted among the big Muslim rulers of the world. The British Red Crescent Society was sympathetic to him. So he appealed to the Muslim rulers all over the world to help this ‘poor Khalifa’.
On the persuasion of Maulana Shaukat Ali and his brother Maulana Mohammad Ali, Hyderabad’s Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan decided to give a life-time pension of 300 pounds to Khalifa. Agreed to send allowance to other family members as well. Shaukat Ali gave another advice to the Nizam – to send a proposal of marriage of his elder son to Shehwar. The Nizam agreed.
Strange coincidence while returning to India
That date was 12 November 1931. Asaf Jah Nawab Mir Usman Ali Khan Bahadur got married with Princess Shehwar in a simple ceremony. Then the princess was 18 years old and Prince Azam Jah was 25 years old. It is said that she was much taller than Prince Azam Jah. However, after staying for a month in Nice, the Nizam left for India from Venice on December 12, 1931 with his Begum. See the coincidence that the ship in which he was traveling, Mahatma Gandhi was also returning from the same ship.
College-hospital opened, airport built
Durru Shehwar was the most beautiful and powerful wife of Azam Jah Bahadur. He did many works related to social service. Inaugurated the airport and Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad. Durru Shehwar Children’s and General Hospital was built for women and children in the old city here. In 1939, he inaugurated the Ajmal Khan Tibbia College Hospital in Aligarh. Also established a junior college for girls in Hyderabad.
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