From Kolkata to Amman: The Indian-born princess linking Jordan’s royal family to the subcontinent

Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan (brother of King Hussein) marries Sarvath Ikramullah in Karachi, 28th August 1968. (X/PakHistoryPics)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jordan this week has renewed attention on the long-standing ties between India and the Hashemite Kingdom. During his trip, PM Modi held delegation-level talks with King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein at the Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman, with discussions focusing on bilateral cooperation, regional stability and counter-terrorism.

Beyond diplomacy, Jordan’s royal family has a lesser-known but striking connection to the Indian subcontinent through Princess Sarvath El Hassan, who was born Sarvath Ikramullah in Calcutta in 1947, just weeks before Partition.

Born into the prominent Suhrawardy family, Sarvath Ikramullah grew up amid politics and diplomacy. Her father, Mohammed Ikramullah, was an Indian Civil Service officer who later became Pakistan’s first Foreign Secretary, while her mother, Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, was among Pakistan’s first women parliamentarians and later served as ambassador to Morocco.

Educated in Britain and raised across Europe and South Asia due to her father’s diplomatic assignments, Sarvath moved comfortably in international circles. It was in London that she first met Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, a member of the Hashemite dynasty, through shared diplomatic networks.

Born in India, married in Pakistan

Sarvath Ikramullah married Prince Hassan bin Talal on August 28, 1968, in Karachi. The wedding reflected a blend of Pakistani, Jordanian and Western traditions. The couple later settled in Amman, where they raised four children: Princesses Rahma, Sumaya and Badiya, and Prince Rashid.

She went on to serve as Crown Princess of Jordan from 1968 to 1999, during which she emerged as a prominent advocate for education, social development and women’s empowerment.

A life shaped by education and service

Princess Sarvath played a central role in expanding access to education in Jordan. She co-founded the Amman Baccalaureate School in 1981, the country’s first bilingual International Baccalaureate institution. Earlier, she had established the Centre for Special Education in 1974 and the Princess Sarvath Community College in 1980, both aimed at supporting vocational training, women and persons with disabilities.

Her public life also extended into sports and humanitarian work. She became Jordan’s first woman to earn a black belt in taekwondo, served as Honorary President of the Jordanian Badminton Federation, and led relief initiatives during the 1991 Gulf War that raised more than $1 million worth of medical supplies for Jordan and Iraq.

In 1999, King Hussein named his son Prince Abdullah as heir apparent, bringing Prince Hassan’s tenure as Crown Prince to an end. Princess Sarvath has since continued her social and educational work, earning international recognition for her contributions.

Her honours include the Woman of Peace Award in 1995, the Grand Cordon of the Renaissance in 1994, Pakistan’s Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2002, and honorary degrees from the University of Bath and the University of New Brunswick.