Prince Azmet Jah at the Hyderabad Lit Fest
Hyderabad: Today, the long stretch around KBR National Park in Jubilee Hills is infamous for traffic congestion, with smooth rides limited to early mornings or late nights after peak hours. Not too long ago, however, the area was a very different world altogether. The park once served as a private retreat for the Nizams of Hyderabad. For Prince Azmet Jah, often referred to as the ‘ninth’ Nizam, KBR Park is remembered simply as a “private garden.”
Azmet Jah is the oldest son of Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the eight Nizam of Hyderabad (1967-71), who held the title for four years until the titles were abolished by the Indian government. Mukarram Jah was the oldest grandson of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh (and technically last) Nizam of the erstwhile Hyderabad state (1911-48), who was once the world’s richest man.
Speaking at the Hyderabad Lit Fest on Sunday, January 25, Azmet Jah in his firs public appearance in Hyderabad recalled the times he spent with his father Mukarram Jah and gave a glimpse of it to the public. It may be noted that until now, Mukarram Jah had never met or addressed people in general, or mingled with the public freely. He was more infamous for losing a chunk of his wealth his grandfather had left him over decades (after Osman Ali Khan died in 1967).
Azmet Jah said that even though his parents had been divorced, it was after his marriage in 1996 that they decided to reunite and hence worked together to restore the Falaknuma palaces. The Chowmahalla, in fact, is one of the most popular tourist sites in Hyderabad, while the Taj Group now runs the Falaknuma as a hotel.
Recalling how KBR Park was like their “private garden”, Azmet Jah said that once upon a time, they would ride horses from the park to the Golconda Fort, and even an elephant. “The vintage cars my father owned in Hyderabad are now on display at Chowmahalla Palace,” he added.
The event was significant as Nizams in popular memory have never addressed the public at events, or have generally made appearances where they spoke about their family history.
It may be noted that Mir Osman Ali Khan (1911-48) was the 7th and last Nizam of Hyderabad, until the state was annexed to India on September 17, 1948, by the Indian Army. Osman Ali Khan had refused to join the Indian Union and tried to stay independent. Except for one radio speech, there is no known interview of him, any direct written material, or any other speech.
Essentially, there is no memoir of his, leaving most of what we know about him to third-person accounts or to whispers of him. Osman Ali Khan was the world’s richest man in 1937, and appeared on the cover of Times magazine.
Three years ago, in 2023, the last and eighth titular Nizam of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah, passed away at the age of 89, closing the final chapter of a dynasty and leaving behind a legacy that in some ways will always remind the city of his rather unceremonious life. Mukarram Jah is now remembered more as the man who squandered away the wealth of his grandfather.
However, one of his ex-wives, Esra Yegane (also known as Princess Esra), over the last few decades, emerged as the figure who began slowly fixing things, or the legacy of Mukarram Jah. From the Chowmahalla Palace to the Falaknuma Palace, a semblance of order had come about.
Esra, in fact, is now a well-respected figure in Hyderabad, and criticism about her efforts is rather unheard of. Until now, that is. Prince Azam Jah, the younger son of Mukarram Jah, is gunning against Esra and seeking a portion of the properties left by his deceased father. His elder brother, Prince Azmet Jah, had been declared the “ninth” Nizam after their father died in 2023
This post was last modified on January 25, 2026 4:54 pm