By Syed Qamar Hasan
New Delhi: UK High Court entitling descendants of Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan Bhadur, V11 Nizam of Hyderabad, access to a jumbo Rs 305 crore (35 million pounds) may have sent the hundreds of would be claimants into a tizzy, dreaming of cat fatting on the windfall, of luxuries and extravagance denied since the fall of the state and passing away of the benevolent patriarch.
70 year old dispute
Justice Marcus Smith, of the High Court of England and Wales, who passed the judgment to a 70 year old dispute is unfortunately not aware of the entangled roots of the descendants of the V11 Nizam. Who during his life time had a posse of women who shared his bed other than his many wives and the umpteen off springs.
Prince Mukkaram Jah, the officially recognized descendant of Nizam by virtue of his being grandson bearing the title of V111 Nizam of Hyderabad and his brother Mukkafam Jah along with the government of India were fighting the case all these years. However, the legal, political and family polemics will not make it easy for the two brothers to lay hands on their grand-dads’ money.
Osman Ali Khan
Osman Ali Khan had transferred about a million pounds to his account in the National West Minister Bank London , to be passed on to Pakistan, as the Indian army was zeroing in on his dominion in 1948. Later he changed his mind and called for the transaction to be reversed resulting in legal battle to the moneys ownership between Government of India, Osman Ali Khan, later his grandsons Mukkaram Jah and Mukkafam jah and the government of Pakistan. Meanwhile the sum grew as interests on the deposits accumulated.
Mukkaram Jah’s coronation
Mukkaram jah’s coronation as V111 Nizam took place at the iconic Chow Mahla Palace in old city in 1967,in a spectacular manner reminiscing the once grandeur of the Asif Jahi Courts. He also continued in the kingly traditions of marrying several women of beauty. His first wife Princess Esra Birgin, mother of Prince Azmath Jah and princess Shaekar begum , now holds the general power of attorney for Mukkaram Jah has been managing the crumbling finances of her husband salvaging and restoring several iconic properties that were left neglected.
Mukkaram Jah, is known to have squandered a fortune from the wealth and properties he inherited from his grandfather in futile and unprofitable ventures. The most scandalous being the purchase Murchison House Station in Western Australia. The outback tuned out unlucky for the Oxbridge educated and Sand Hurst trained prince. He had to abandon the property with the heavy bulldozers and other farm equipment he had bought.
Living in a two bedroom flat in Istanbul overlooking the Bosporus, the 83 year old Prince has to be a changed man and thank providence for the second chance.