Her Imperial Highness Princess Niloufer Khanum Farhat Begum Sahiba (born Nilüfer Hanımsultan; 4 January 1916 – 12 June 1989), affectionately known as the “Koh-i-Noor of Hyderabad” (Mountain of Light), was a prominent figure of the 20th century, celebrated for her grace, progressive ideals, and profound humanitarian contributions. An Ottoman princess by birth and an Indian princess by marriage, she masterfully navigated her dual heritage, becoming a celebrated style icon and a powerful agent of social change in the princely state of Hyderabad.
Princess Niloufer was born in the Göztepe Palace in Istanbul, a member of the illustrious Ottoman dynasty. Her father was Damad Moralızade Selaheddin Ali Bey, a distinguished member of the Turkish aristocracy, and her mother was Adile Sultan, a granddaughter of the Ottoman Sultan Murad V. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in , the royal family was exiled, and Niloufer spent her formative years in Nice, France.
In a strategic alliance orchestrated by the Caliphate Committee, a marriage was arranged between the Ottoman and Hyderabadi royal houses. On November , at the age of 15, Niloufer married Prince Moazzam Jah, the younger son of the 7th and last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. This union, along with the marriage of her first cousin Princess Dürrüşehvar to the Nizam’s elder son, brought a cosmopolitan and modernizing influence to the Asaf Jahi court.
Upon arriving in Hyderabad, Princess Niloufer quickly became the center of the court’s social life. Renowned for her ethereal beauty and impeccable fashion sense, she seamlessly blended traditional Indian saris, which she had custom-designed, with Western haute couture. More than just a style icon, she was a proponent of women’s advancement. She famously abandoned the traditional purdah (veil) and encouraged other women of the nobility to participate more freely in public life. Her active role in high-society events, sports clubs, and public functions redefined the role of women in the court and made her a symbol of modern femininity.
Niloufer’s most enduring contribution stems from a personal tragedy. Devastated by her inability to have children and the death of one of her maids during childbirth due to a lack of medical facilities, she declared, “No more Rafaths will die.”This resolution spurred her to action. With the Nizam’s support, she championed the establishment of a specialist hospital for women and children. The result was the Niloufer Hospital, which opened in Hyderabad in . The institution remains a premier hospital in the city, continuing her legacy of compassionate care. During World War II, she also trained as a nurse to help wounded soldiers.
Later Life, Publications, and Honours
Princess Niloufer’s marriage to Prince Moazzam Jah was dissolved in due to their childlessness and his extramarital relationships. She subsequently moved to Paris. In , she married Edward Julius Pope Jr., an American diplomat and film producer. She spent her remaining years between Paris and the United States, living a relatively private life.
Her life has been the subject of renewed interest. A photo-biography and exhibition titled “Princess Niloufer: The Koh-i-Noor of Hyderabad” was curated in . More recently, historian Dr. Betül Başaran published an essay on the princess in the book An Eye for Couture and is working on a comprehensive biography.
While she received many informal accolades, a notable formal honor was the Dame Grand Collar of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia, conferred upon her by the exiled Royal House of Georgia. Princess Niloufer passed away in Paris in and was buried in the Muslim cemetery of Bobigny, leaving behind a powerful legacy of a princess who used her platform not just for glamour, but for substantive change.