Fact Check: Did the Nizam of Hyderabad Donate 5,000 Kg of Gold to India During the 1965 War?

Claim

A widely shared claim on social media states that Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, donated 5,000 kilograms of gold to India during the 1965 Indo-Pak war to help the nation overcome its financial difficulties.

Many posts contrast this alleged donation with modern political events and present it as a historical fact.

Verdict: Unverified and Likely False

No documentary evidence has been found proving that the Nizam donated 5,000 kg of gold to the Government of India or the National Defence Fund. Available records instead indicate that he invested approximately 425 kg of gold in a government gold bond scheme, which earned interest.

What We Found

To verify the claim, we looked for official government records, historical newspaper reports, and statements from institutions connected to the alleged donation.

One of the strongest pieces of evidence comes from a Right to Information (RTI) query filed with the Prime Minister's Office. According to the RTI response, the government stated that it had no information regarding any donation of 5,000 kg of gold by the Nizam to the National Defence Fund. This finding was reported by VSK Telangana's RTI-based investigation and later cited by multiple fact-check organizations.

The same investigation uncovered historical records suggesting that the Nizam invested 4.25 lakh grams of gold (425 kg) in the National Defence Gold Scheme launched by the Government of India in 1965. Unlike a donation, this scheme offered investors an annual interest rate of 6.5%.

What Do Contemporary Records Show?

Historical newspaper reports from December 1965 provide important context.

According to records cited in the RTI investigation, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri publicly congratulated the Nizam for investing 4.25 lakh grams of gold in government gold bonds. The reported amount corresponds to approximately 425 kg of gold—not 5,000 kg.

The reports also indicate that the gold consisted largely of old gold mohors (coins), which the government hoped could fetch a higher value due to their historical significance.

Notably, these contemporary reports make no mention of a 5,000 kg donation.

Why Does the 5,000 Kg Figure Appear Online?

The exact origin of the 5,000 kg claim remains unclear. Over the years, the story has been repeated in speeches, social media posts, and opinion pieces, often without citing any primary historical source.

Some recent articles continue to reference the story. However, even a Times of India feature discussing the claim acknowledges that RTI findings and subsequent investigations point to a 425 kg investment rather than a 5,000 kg donation.

Similarly, a review by Factly found no evidence supporting the 5,000 kg figure and highlighted the RTI response stating that the government possesses no records of such a donation.

Is There Any Evidence Supporting the Donation Claim?

There is some disagreement on the issue.

In 2023, a report in The Times of India quoted one of the Nizam's descendants, who argued that historical records involving gold coins support the broader donation narrative.

However, no publicly available government record, National Defence Fund record, or primary source has been produced that conclusively verifies the often-repeated claim that 5,000 kg of gold was donated.

As a result, the evidence currently available weighs more heavily in favor of the RTI-backed version of events involving a 425 kg investment rather than a 5,000 kg donation.

Conclusion

The claim that Mir Osman Ali Khan donated 5,000 kg of gold to India during the 1965 war is not supported by available documentary evidence.

Government responses obtained through RTI requests indicate that no record of such a donation exists. Historical reports from the period instead reference an investment of approximately 425 kg of gold in the National Defence Gold Scheme, which carried interest benefits.

While the Nizam was undeniably one of the wealthiest rulers in modern Indian history and contributed significantly to Hyderabad's development, the widely circulated story of a 5,000 kg gold donation remains unverified and is contradicted by the strongest documentary evidence currently available.