# Caliphate almost became Indian institution in 1930s 2026-08-09T03:49:18+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet In the 1930s, after Turkey abolished the caliphate, the last Caliph Abdulmejid and Hyderabad's Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan attempted to transfer the 1,300-year-old institution to India. The plan involved marrying Abdulmejid's daughter Durrushehvar to the Nizam's eldest grandson, Prince Azam Jah, according to a new book by Imran Mulla, The Indian Caliphate. The wedding was held in Nice in November 1931. The Nizam's legendary fortune was meant to fund the impoverished caliphate. Shaukat Ali, the Khilafat movement leader, persuaded Abdulmejid to pass the caliphate to the eldest male child of Azam Jah and Durrushehvar. The Hindu reports the British opposed the move. The Nizam built an Ottoman-style mausoleum in Khuldabad for Abdulmejid, but the last caliph was never buried there. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: Caliphate, Hyderabad history, Khilafat Movement, Nizam of Hyderabad, Ottoman Empire, Shaukat Ali Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/caliphate-almost-became-indian-institution-in-1930s/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/caliphate-almost-became-indian-institution-in-1930s/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.