WORLD’S RICHEST MAN

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 159, 2 April 1937, Page 18

WORLD’S RICHEST MAN

Ruler of Hyderabad JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS From end to end of Hyderabad; the premier n,alive Slate of India, the people are eelebrating (lie silver jubilee of their revered ruler, his Exalted Highness Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Bnraliur, seventh Nizam in tlie dynasty of Asttf Jah. The Nizam lias many titles, and that by which he is most widely known is “The Richest -Alan in tlie World.” Tie rules over a dominion greater in extent than England and AValfts, and his subjects number more than 15,000,000. It is said lie has never' discovered the amount of his riches. In his glittering Palace of Falaknuma—-where King George V ami tlie Duke of AVindsor. ,as Prince of AVales, once visited — he keeps treasures vaster ami more precious than those in Ali Baba’s caves. His collection of jade alone is worth more than £1,000.000, and if is whispered in all the bazaars that his piivate vaults tire stuffed with enough rupees to dislocate tlie whole currency of India if put suddenly into circulation. His riches in gold, it is declared, total £100.000,000, and the number of his diamonds exceeds that possessed by anybody else on earth. The most famous stone among them is the “Nizam Diamond,” 277 carats in weight, which has been in the ruler's family for hundreds of years.

Simple Habits,

Yet the Nizam, such is his rare character, lives simply, as one who holds that Hie treasures most to be prized are those of the mind and spirit. He eats frugally, and his dress is always plain—tlie traditional simple long coat of tlie Mohammedans, of whom he is the principal ruler in liwli.a. He is a scholar and a poet. He has written many love songs; one of them, translated from Urdu, a form of Hindustani, begins: If such are the shafts those eyes send forth, Then there is no hope left for my heart. . . . The Nizam's silver jubilee nearly coincided with the late King George’s, and it would have been held before the close of 1935 but for an outbreak of plague in the State. It was postponed a second time as a mark of mourning for the death of the King-Emperor. The original plans for the celebrations were on an extremely lavish scale, according with the Indians’ love of display: but soon after King George died Ute Nizam began to make known his will that there should be no extravagance.

At his express wish large sums of money which, consequently, have been saved will be expended on works of permanent benefit to his people; they include four model villages, four orphanages and a sanatorium. Throughout the rejoicings he will have with him his two sons, Prince Azam Jah and Prince Mouzzam Jah, and their wives—the beautiful Turkish Princesses Dhurru Shevar, daughter of the ex-Caliph of Turkey, and Niloufttr, his niece—who have zealously interested themselves in the movement for the emancipation of women in the State. The weddings of the two princes and princesses took place simultaneously at Nice in 1931. Fostering Modern Amenities. The Nizam is a hard worker —Ids hours arc from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. No detail of State affairs is too small for his personal attention. By precept ami example be inculcates the virtues of simplicity, economy, industry and learning. He possesses 30 palaces, but he would be content to live in a tent. With his poet's vision he combines a steadfast determination to advance the material prosperity of bis dominion. Higher education, the foundation of a broadcasting system, an internal air service, a new airport linking his cubital with the Empire Air Mail route, irrigation projects, improved sanitation these and many other modern amenities he has encouraged and fostered.