Ottoman Princesses in India (2)
Part two: Princess Niloufer, the first fashion influencer
Born in Ottoman Istanbul and exiled to France as a child, Princess Niloufer had never draped a sari until she arrived in India with her new husband, Prince Moazzam Jah, second son of the legendary seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. The wide-eyed, teenaged bride soon became the style icon of her time, designing and wearing saris and jewelry that set the trends for Indian aristocrats and socialites.
Becoming an Indian icon
Her youth and beauty beguiled a nation. At the time of her arranged marriage in December of 1931, Niloufer — officially Princess Nilüfer Farhat Hanim — was only sixteen. Having lost her father at age four, she had written a letter to her future father-in-law, expressing her hope of finding a loving father figure in him, and he responded to her appeal. Before they had even met, a bond was forged between them. A known stickler for protocol, the Nizam allowed her to call him “Papa” in private. He also paid for Niloufer’s mother, Princess Adile Sultan, to be able to accompany her daughter to her new home and help her settle in.
This is surprising, as some sources claim that her marriage to Moazzam was actually an afterthought. The story goes that the notoriously stingy Nizam was…
