Hyderabad: The VII Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, led a very simple life, loved simple food and clothes, smoked 555 cigarettes one pack a day and read Deccan Chronicle daily.
“Sarkar used to wake up at about 6 am, have a cup of tea and smoke one 555 while relaxing on his aaram kursi (easy chair) in the King Koti Palace. He never had nashta (breakfast) and preferred lunch,” says Mr Mansoor Ali, a Khanazad of the Nizam.
All the Khanazads attached to the Nizam used call on him at about 8 am or 9 am and offer “salaam”. Around 10 am, the Nizam held official meetings for half-an-hour to one hour before retiring to his room, a lonely man.
The Nizam VII, who was well versed with English, Urdu and Farsi, regularly read newspapers.
“He used to read Deccan Chronicle, Nizam Gazette, and Shiraz weekly which contained his firmans. He was a poet and read out couplets on occasions,” recalls Mr Mansoor Ali.
The Nizam often ate Basmati rice with kateki kadi, sweet dal made of milk with four anjir, sometimes chicken soup, Mr Mansoor Ali said. Even during banquets in honour of dignitaries, the Nizam ate simple food.
He used to have lunch at about noon and a similar dinner at about 8 pm and went to sleep at between 8.30 pm and 9 pm. “Those of us assigned to the duty used to massage the Nizam’s feet and he used to fall asleep. My duty was from 9 pm to 10 pm for massage,” the Khanazad said.
According to Mr Mansoor Ali, the Nizam was sick a year before his death and suffered from flu, cold and cough.
The Nizam never used wardrobes and hung his sherwani to a nail on the wall, slept on an old bed and pillow. “We were provided with new blankets and pillows but Sarkar used to sleep on an old mattress. He led a fakir’s zindagi. None will believe that the richest man in the world led such a simple life,” he says.
The Nizam, according to him, was a stickler for punctuality and protocol. “One day Mrs Indira Gandhi came to the King Koti palace without an appointment and sat in the portico. The Nizam was immediately informed about it,” Mr Mansoor Ali said.
Standing at a distance, he says he heard the Nizam ask Mrs Gandhi, “Beti kaise aye achanak (Daughter, how come you made a surprise visit?)”. Mrs Gandhi replied with a smile, “Beti baap ke ghar me puch ke ati hai (Should a daughter seek father’s permission to meet him)?”
“Sarkar laughed and welcomed her. Sarkar also gave 5,000 kg gold to Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri when he appealed for donations (during the war effort),” Mr Mansoor Ali says.
Citing the secular credentials of the Nizam, he says all his trusted doctors were Hindus, Dr Bali (husband of actor Vyjayanti Mala), Col. Waghrey, Dr Ramaiah and others. “He held them in high esteem,” Mr Mansoor Ali said.
