Bereket Jah, grandson of last Ottoman caliph, dies

ISTANBUL

Bereket Jah, the last ruler of the Hyderabad state in India and the grandson of the last Ottoman caliph Abdülmecid, has passed away at the age of 89 in Istanbul.

Once one of the richest names in the world, Jah had lived a secluded life in Istanbul since 1996.

The former ruler of an Indian state, who had a tabloid and sensational life in his youth, lived with his caregivers in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district.

Jah passed away last week at the age of 89, while his funeral was taken to India.

The official ceremony was held in the palace named Chowmahalla belonging to his dynasty.

His body in the coffin was displayed to the public during the funeral ceremony attended by thousands of people before it was buried in a specially prepared mausoleum.

His mother married Azam Jah, the son of the ruler of Hyderabad in 1931. Born in 1933, Bereket Jah studied at the London School of Economics in the U.K. He also graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy.

When Hyderabad, a wealthy and autonomous state on the Bay of Bengal, was occupied by India in 1948, years of exile began for Bereket Jah.

However, he was still a well-known figure in the world as he was quite powerful due to his dynastic wealth.

Though he ascended the throne in 1967, his exile continued as his reign was symbolic.

His titles became invalid following the amendments in India’s constitution in 1971.

As a result of this change, his family’s remaining palaces were confiscated. He was able to take back some of the five palaces, the most famous of which are named Feleknüma and Chowmahalla. His struggle with India and his tumultuous private life had almost melted his fortune. He settled in Istanbul in 1996 and started to live a modest life.

Jah was especially known in Türkiye for marrying former Miss Türkiye Manolya Onur.