(January 30, 2023) When Sahebzadi Feroze Jahan Begum wore her ancestral ‘khada dupatta’ (stole) for her wedding, it drew a lot of attention, worldwide. Passed down to her by her grandmother Sahebzadi Masarrat Begum, the antique fabric and the craftsmanship that went into creating a garment worthy of a princess made it a one-of-a-kind piece. After all, it was worn by the royals in the Asaf Jahi dynasty, who once ruled the kingdom of Hyderabad.
The admiration that came her way for her royal outfit gave birth to a mission, which was to connect the past with the present by reviving the ancient and dying traditions in handicrafts, hand looms, painting, architecture and more. The great-granddaughter of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, few are better placed than Sahebzadi Feroze Jahan Begum to revive the India’s rich and storied royal Nizamate.
“The rich culture and heritage of the previous generations is lost. This generation has no clue about the era of the Nizams, the food and culture. I am striving to connect that era with the present,” says Sahebzadi Feroze Jahan Begum, speaking exclusively to Global Indian.
Feroze Jahan Begum with her husband, Syed Abbas, during their wedding in Hyderabad.
Preserving a royal legacy
An advocate for the preservation of the country’s regal heritage, Begum says she wants people to be proud of the Nizam’s era. “Every piece of clothing in that era is a masterpiece. I want to tell the world everything about my illustrious ancestors,” she says, of her mission. Born and brought up in Hyderabad, Feroze Jahan Begum studied at Nasr School, chose humanities and graduated with a degree in Psychology from Villa Marie College.
She then went on to pursue fashion from FAD, Dubai, the premier Institute honouring internationally certified courses in Fashion design and styling. “This course in Dubai gave me the wings to turn my dreams into reality. It enabled me to see the finer details in the royal outfits worn by my ancestors,” says the fashionista, who is married to Mumbai-based businessman Syed Abbas Ali.
Growing up in the royal family, she has plenty of tales to tell. “Once, an uncle of mine shot a tiger in the jungles of Karnataka when the animal had turned man-eater. In the pitch dark surroundings, the tiger was pouncing on the tree when a staffer threw light on him with a torch and my uncle took the shot. The animal was brought home after hunting and its skin preserved,” says the globetrotter, who has many more such royal stories to share.
Mission to spread awareness
Coming back to work, Begum has embarked on a long tour as part of her mission to spread awareness about the bygone era. She aims to cover all the palaces, heritage monuments and royal architecture. Her first stop was Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
“There is historic evidence of associations between the Nizam — a 21-gun salute state and Begums of Bhopal, a 19-gun salute state,” she explains adding that the insignia of Bhopal state, disbanded by Bhopal Municipal corporation three years ago, was a mark of allegiance to the Nizam of Hyderabad. “It was Bhopal insignia from about 1740 onwards. Between 1819 and 1926, four Muslim women rules ruled Bhopal, which was the second largest Muslim state in India,” she explains.
As Begum tries to has been promote her Asaf Jahi family heritage and highlight the royal India in every space possible, she believes that the royal families of north India are far more connected. “There are no great patrons of royalty in the central and south-east of the country,” she feels.
Her next stop is Bengaluru and Mysuru, where she has lined up meetings with some of the royal families. “Many may not know that the Nizam of Hyderabad donated 5,000 kg gold to the National Defence fund during the Indo-China war of 1962,” says Begum, who will soon be leaving for Turkey, as part of her project.
Memories of the Ottomans
“Turkey is a region rich in world history. It is the place where the Ottoman empire reigned from 1299–1922. Due to its vast presence, history and gigantic size, it becomes the most sought-after destination for my heritage project,” says the Hyderabadi.
She says her great grandfather also got two Turkish princesses married to his first two sons. Prince Azam Jah married princess Durreshehvar, daughter of last caliph Abdulmejid II, who was the last heir apparent to the Ottoman throne and Moazzam jah was wed to princess Nilofer.
“So, Hyderabad and Turkey have strong bonds and ties since time immemorial,” says Begum, who has already scheduled her visits to various palaces including Topkapi Palace, Yildiz Palace, Ciragan palace, Maslak Kasri and Adile Sultan palace among others.
The Nizam’s heritage, which can be seen all through Hyderabad city, makes her nostalgic. “The exquisite jewels of the Nizam, which were once on display in Salarjung museum and sadly now lie in the RBI vault in Mumbai, need to be made available for the public to see,” she insists, pointing out that no matter how drastically fashion changes across the globe, one keeps going back to royal India’s treasured outfits.
“Most well-known designers work is based on antique designs. The royal outfits come with a cultural atmosphere and we need to connect with that style of clothing,” says Begum.
Honouring the traditional aesthetic
Begum is all set to launch a clothing line in keeping with her desire to honour the Nizam’s fashion aesthetic. Presently, she is making plans to popularise it not only in India, but also overseas. “I am working to recreate the royal outfits worn by the daughters and begums of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. I am on the lookout for artisans who can help me do that as working on real gold and Sancha fabric is something not every artisan can do,” she explains.
Her royal blog ‘lifeofbegum’ will debut soon. “It is part of my heritage project,” remarks Begum, who has been actively working with the Freedom Again Foundation, a Hyderabad-based NGO involved in philanthropy and humanitarian causes.
In between promoting her Asaf Jahi family heritage and highlighting royal India in every space possible, Begum takes a keen interest in horse riding, in tune with the most preferred activity of the royals back in the day.
- Follow Feroze Jahan Begum on Instagram
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