The Nizam's jewels

The jewellery collection that once belonged to the Nizam of Hyderabad arrives in New Delhi for public display.

THE government's decision to display at the National Museum the jewellery collection that once belonged to the Nizam of Hyderabad has created much excitement in New Delhi. One of the most fabulous collections of its kind in the world, it was kept in the safe vaults of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Mumbai owing to protracted litigation over the treasure. The date of the exhibition itself was initially a highly guarded secret. Officials of the Ministry of Culture and those of the National Museum were tight-lipped about it, for "security reasons".

The only piece of information that was doing the rounds in the capital was that the collection would be on display at the museum's jewellery section for a month from August 14. "We cannot talk about it because of the dangers involved. We will let you know at the right time," said Vaidyanathan Aiyer, Secretary, Department of Culture. Officials at the National Museum, including R.D. Chaudhary, its Director-General, were even more evasive.

If the government's decision created tremendous curiosity among historians, art students, connoisseurs of fine jewellery and journalists, it was only heightened by the secretive manner in which the fabled treasure, valued anywhere between Rs.1,870 crores and Rs.2,500 crores, was brought to New Delhi on July 2 from Mumbai. Interestingly, even as news about the display spread, books on Nizam's jewellery "disappeared" from the National Museum library. "All these books seem to have been issued," said a member of the library staff.

After a month's display at the National Museum, the collection is likely to be taken to the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad. According to officials in the Department of Culture, once the government's decision to display the jewellery was known, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu staked his State's claim to it, saying that it was part of Hyderabad's heritage and culture. It is learnt that Chandrababu Naidu sent six letters to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee before extracting a promise from him that the jewellery will be sent to the Salar Jung Museum. "The treasure belongs to the State of Andhra Pradesh and there is no controversy about where it should be kept. Obviously at the Salar Jung Museum, which has other relics from the Nizam era too among its exhibits. The jewellery is a part of our history and heritage," said a senior official of the Andhra Pradesh government. Officials at the Department of Culture in New Delhi, however, refused to comment on this.

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 and so on. This explains the extraordinary security arrangements at the National Museum. Casual frisking of visitors at the entrance has now given way to a careful body search with metal detectors. A closed-circuit television system has been installed. The entire area is under surveillance by the Central Industrial Security Force.

THE royal treasure left the palace of the seventh and last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, in 1948, shortly after he decided on the princely state's accession to the Indian Union. He created two trusts and stipulated that the jewels should not be sold during the lifetime of his eldest son Azam Jah. At his instance, the jewellery was kept in the vaults of the Flora Fountain branch of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Mumbai and the trusts paid a sum to the bank for the care of the collection. The trusts decided to sell the jewellery in 1970, after the death of Azam Jah.

Litigation began in the Supreme Court in 1979 when news broke about the trustees' attempt to auction a part of the collection (Frontline, January 27, 1995). Auctioneers from all over the world were invited to New Delhi, but the auction was stopped at the intervention of Union Education Minister Dr. Karan Singh and the late Dr. Laxmi Prasad Sihare, who headed the National Gallery of Arts. Sihare convinced Karan Singh that the jewellery collection was part of the national heritage and hence could not be allowed to be auctioned to foreigners. As the auction was about to begin, Sihare arrived with a stay order and stopped it. Litigation continued for 16 years. Sihare took over as the Director-General of the National Museum in 1984 and personally pursued the case until he retired in 1991. He passed away in 1993. The government of India won the case in 1995 and bought the jewellery from the Nizam for Rs.218 crores. The jewellery was kept with the RBI because the government could not decide where to display it.

Historians and art lovers who were associated with Sihare describe the Government's move to display the jewellery at the National Museum as a "personal victory" for him. "He has been vindicated after all these years. But for him, the nation would have lost this priceless collection as it did in the case of the Kohinoor," said a close associate of Sihare.