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2006-03-21 India-Pakistan

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Posted by john 2006-03-21 00:00|| || Front Page|| [9 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 This Prince Mukarram Jah lives in Turkey now with his fifth wife.

His divorce settlements did not go well and he is said to be close to bankruptcy (no triple talaq in Turkey).

Didn't help that Indian government bought the family jewels for a pittance.

He is the little boy on the left

His father (at center) was more frugal

The last Nizam Osman Ali, however, used to follow a rather austere lifestyle. He wore the same tattered fez for 35 years and ate off a tin plate on a mat on the floor of his bedroom.

Yet, when the Indian government ran into a cash crunch soon after independence in 1947, his loan of gold sovereigns occupied two wagons of a special train to Bombay.

Earlier, during World War One, he made a generous contribution of 25 million pounds to the British exchequer, for which he was rewarded with the title of 'Exalted Highness' -- the only such title given to any of India's erstwhile maharajas by the colonial rulers.

Osman Ali, the legend goes, wrapped the 185-carat Jacob diamond, one of his most prized possessions, in newspaper and used it as a paperweight.

The treasure comprises 173 pieces of rare value and antiquity. Among them are the uncut Jacob Diamond, one of the seven biggest diamonds in the world, weighing 184.75 carats; a seven-strand pearl necklace strung with 150 large and 230 small pearls, with a two-diamond pendant attached to it; a pair of bracelets studded with 270 diamonds, 22 fine partially uncut and unmounted emeralds weighing 414.25 carats; and a diamond-set belt made in France by Oscar Massi Pieres. There are also rings, brooches, buttons, studded swords, diamond-studded images of camels, gold ingots

Photo Gallery of Nizam's Jewellery

Posted by john 2006-03-20 19:13|| 2006-03-20 19:13|| Front Page Top

#2 Here are some interesting facts about the Jewels of Nizams.

* The treasure of the Nizam of Hydrabad, which now is a property of the Government of India is one of the largest and the most valuable collection of the Indian jewellery.
* The treasure belongs to the Asaf Jah dynasty that ruled the state of Hydrabad from 18th century till the independence of India.
* The collection contains over 25,000 diamonds weighing over 12000 carats.
* The weight of the 2000 emeralds in the collection is over 10000.

Posted by john 2006-03-20 19:14|| 2006-03-20 19:14|| Front Page Top

#3 The last Viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten (the cousin of Queeen Elizabeth) laid down the law as regards the accession of princely states to the dominions of Pakistan and India.
The state had to be contiguous with either India or Pakistan. No independence was possible.

The Nizam refused, wishing to join Pakistan even though most of his subjects were Hindu and most importantly, the state was entirely surrounded by India. Accession to pakistan would violate Mountbatten's guidelines and was not allowed.

Muslim radicals supported him. A muslim militia called the Razakars engaged in an orgy of rape, looting and murder, even into India itself.

The now Governor General Mountabtten advised caution and Nehru held his hand.

The Razakar leader Kasim Razvi vowed that "if India invaded nothing but the bones and ashes of 10.5 million Hindus would be found".

After Hyderbad loaned 200 million to Pakistan and sent a delgation to the UN, India had had enough

The Indian army was sent in, operation Polo - "a police action" according to India.

It is said many of the Nizam's Arab troops and the Razakars were summarily executed by the Indian army.

Posted by john 2006-03-20 19:34|| 2006-03-20 19:34|| Front Page Top

#4 WOW john, facinating history.

nice rock collection too!

Posted by RD 2006-03-21 02:42|| 2006-03-21 02:42|| Front Page Top

#5 Here are some interesting facts about the Jewels of Nizams.

I have contacted you because I got your name through a confident. I have possession of the jewels of Nizam and need help getting them out of Nigeria. If you will provide your bank account numbers...

Posted by rjschwarz">rjschwarz 2006-03-21 09:53|| 2006-03-21 09:53|| Front Page Top

#6 I was talking over the concept of a renewed Caliphate with my Iranian friend. If there was a total reversion to the lifestyle of that time, the lack of modern medicine, the imprisonment of political dissidents and wholesale slaughter of homosexuals, refusniks and uppity wimmenfolk would result in a tremendous loss of life. Combined with the violent overthrow of all countries necessary, my friend quickly estimated that such an event could easily cost the world half of its population.

Compared to the 1.25 billion Muslims in this world, some 3.5 billion potential lives to be lost represent a definite tipping point. It is the perception of this and several other tipping points which have convinced me that Islam is a threat to all non-Muslims and must be contained or destroyed.

Posted by Zenster 2006-03-21 11:53|| 2006-03-21 11:53|| Front Page Top

#7 As some on Bros. Judd say, the Caliph resides in DC......

Posted by anonymous2u 2006-03-21 13:12|| 2006-03-21 13:12|| Front Page Top

#8 Son, what do you want to be when you grow up ??
Oh Father, I want to be a loyal member of Hizbut Tahrir.....
Califate my foot... first they will have to learn to count on the fingers of their second hand (the one traditionally used by Moslems to wipe ass...), then we'll consider the califate...

Posted by Elder of Zion 2006-03-21 13:25|| 2006-03-21 13:25|| Front Page Top

#9 Here are some interesting facts about the Jewels of Nizams.
I thought Trump had them on display in the Haj Room of the Trump Taj Majal, but that was before he filed Chapter 11...

Posted by capsu78 2006-03-21 17:38|| 2006-03-21 17:38|| Front Page Top

#10 He would jump at the chance.

They've been kept in the vaults of the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai.

They were put on display once, in 2001.

Posted by john 2006-03-21 18:01|| 2006-03-21 18:01|| Front Page Top

#11 Some 7000 Arab soldiers (mercenaries in the Nizam's army) were put on boats to Aden after capture by the Indian army in 1948.
200 Pashtun soldiers were likewise sent back to Afghanistan.

Large numbers of Razakar militiamen, who had committed atrocities, were summarily executed by the Indian army.
There were 200 000 militiamen originally so several thousand were probably shot in the days following the "108 hour war".

Interestingly, the Razakar leader Kasim Razvi survived. He was arrested but later migrated to Pakistan.

He had boasted he would plant the green flag of Islam on the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi (the seat of former Mughal power).
He had mocked the Indian army, bizarrely expecting to slaughter "thin dhoti clad" soldiers (his image of hindus was apparently derived from the persecuted hindu peasants who lived under muslim rule in Hyderabad).

Posted by john 2006-03-21 18:28|| 2006-03-21 18:28|| Front Page Top

#12 I think Caliphate should be the new mineral name for the slightly radioactive ashen glazed rock left over from the "Big Pushback". (Often found in what were primitive societies where toilets= slit trenches down main street and kids learn a religious book by rote head-banging, but have no marketable skills)

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-03-21 19:31|| 2006-03-21 19:31|| Front Page Top

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