STORIES OF A NIZAM.

Auckland Star, Issue 17, 21 January 1932, Page 13

STORIES OF A NIZAM.

HAS ONLY 300 WIVES. THE WORLD'S RICHEST MAN. (By A Spcclal Correspondent.) XEW YORK, December 12. Mast of the information available about the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Indian potentate who casually gave away £240,000 the other day as a wedding present, probably isn't true. That word '■casually"' is probably wrong, too, because it appears that the Nizam never gives any tiling- away casually. Nevertheless, such reports and tales of the gentleman as. have penetrated to these parts arc most revealing. For one thing, it is said that a native official of Hyderabad lent his expensive automobile to a, friend before going to make a business call at the palace. The official drove up to see His Nibs in a battered old flivver. The Nizam lias ; according to reports, only about -100 or 600 automobiles, but he's always on the look-out for one more good one. He has only 300 wives, too, ho they say. I His father, the Nizam, who died in 1011. had 700, but this Prince, it is said, takes the cash and lets the women go. He is reported to have said I can't afford any more wives. Not that the depression affected him any. Say what you will about the Nizam, he never gambles with stocks or bonds. He is reputed to be worth £200,000,000. Some account's have it that he is worth twice that amount. It seems fairly well established that he is the world's richest man. This Nizam's wealth doesn't need, any converting from paper certificates before it will buy shoes, either! It is said— take it or leave it—that he has f100,000,000 in gold coin and gold bullion in the palace vaults. At one time the coffers got so full he had to take out about four million and put it in ihe Bank of India. His Precious Honey. They say he has diamonds by the bushel. The late Nizam used to have a paper weight kicking around on his desk. When he died somebody thought to have the thing appraised. It was simply an uneut diamond, valued at about £6000. The jewels in the cellar have never been appraised, but anyone can guess at their value for himself. One of the prizes of the collection is said to be a dinky little diamond of only 45 carats. It's badly cut, they say. and no estimate of its value is furnished. It was picked out of a clay bank a few generations ago, and presented to one of this Nizam's granddaddies. Present little trifles like this to the Nizams is a. good old Hyderabad custom, and one still observed. For instance, it is said the honey and almonds in the royal storerooms began to get stale once upon a time. The Nizam promptly cleaned them out. He sent quantities around to court and State officials, permitting them to acquire some of each at £15 a pound. Tn the markets the same article would have been bought for .maybe 10 cents ft bushel —but it goes to show how honey and almonds improve under a Nizam's care.

Picking Up Odd Change. When the Nizam does go travelling, ' though, lie makes a little something. He thought up a. good idea. Each town he visits pays him 25 per cent tax as '•'nazarana," or "presents to the. ruler." Tn three towns he visited on one of his tours, he collected £50,000. This according to report.-, was a good week's work for him. His income, it is said, is about £10,000,000 a. year, independent of these "gifts" he manages to receive from time to time. In this special train there is a big hookah—one of those piped, always alight, up near tlio engine. Smoke pipes run through the train, and mouthpieces come out at each seat. When the Nizam rides in his train he can pick up a nozzle at any seat and smoke himself sick, if he wants. When he is oil tour, the Nizam regulates all events by his royal convenience. If he feels like visiting a r-tore he sends word he'll be there <it I 1 next morning, maybe. All the employees ■ stand by waiting for him. If the Nizam doesn't feel like going there at 11 o'clock, he doesn't go. Tie goes, perhaps,! day after, to-morrow. Of course, that upsets the clerks who have been waiting] for him, but when he doe.s arrive he buys everything in sight and this takes some of Ihe curse off. They say that the Government of Hyderabad is pretty bad. Extortion, inefficiency, graft, corruption, favouritism and what not favour it. Some say the Nizam is a, miser, others say he isn't but there's no doubt that the Nizam never gets the worse of a bargain. Not in Hyderabad. The Nizam's favourite trick—until the British Government spanked him— was to .confiscate estates. When a wealthy man died in Hyderabad the State took his property. The Nizam was the State and things were getting to a pretty pass before the brakes were put on him. Britain Gentle With Nizams. The British, however, have always been gentle with the Nizams. Britain never conquered Hyderabad in war. but has always recognised ,its rulers as supreme under the British crown. Hyderabad gave great aid to the British during the Indian mutiny in 1557, and during the late war the Nizam was liberal with his gifts, ft is said that he supported a. whole ambulance train in France, and that he sent at his own expense two whole battalions of Indian troops to France. He kicked in about £10,000,000 to tlic British war chest, and his loyalty during that trying time was a big help. King [ George even gave the Nizam the extra | title of "Exalted Highness"- —a distinction the Nizam seems to cherish. Tie is now in the limelight because of the marriage of his two sons to the daughter and to the niece of ihe exCaliph of Istanbul. The ex-Caliph, ; Prince Abdul Med jid Effendi, is supreme : spiritual ruler, ruler of .300,000,000 Mahommedans still, although he lost his . temporal sovereignty in 192-f. Ihe Nizam has been supporting him ever since, because the Nizam is the second ; ■biggest Mahommedan spiritual authority , in the world. Princess Durai married Prince Azam i .Tali, heir to the throne of Hyderabad, i and hence, at the age of IS. becomes i potentially the richest woman in the < world. Durai is said to be a lovely < creature, well educated and capable in < the Western fashion. She has never < worn a veil, although, they say. she doesn't use makeup.— (X.A.N.A.) 1