Mukarram Jah

Barkat Ali Khan Mukkaram Jah
Pretender
Born	October 6, 1933 (1933-10-06) (age 78) Hilafet Palace at Nice, France
Title(s)	Nizam of Hyderabad, Imperial Prince of the Ottoman Empire
Throne(s) claimed	Hyderabad State
Pretend from	24 February 1967
Monarchy abolished	1948
Last monarch	Asaf Jah VII
Connection with	Grandson
Royal House	Paternal: House of Asaf Jah Maternal: Imperial House of Osman
Father	Azam Jah
Mother	Princess Durru Shehvar, Imperial Princess of the Ottoman Empire
Spouse	Esra Birgin, Helen Simmons, Manolya Onur, Jameela Boularous
Children	Azmet Jah, Shehkyar Begum, Alexander Azam, Mohammod Umar, Niloufer, Zairin
Predecessor	Asaf Jah VII

Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah Asaf Jah VIII, Beyefendi (b. 6 October 1933 at the Hilafet Palace, Nice, France), less formally known as Mukarram Jah, has been the titular Nizam of Hyderabad since the death of his grandfather in 1967.^[1] His full official regnal title is His Exalted and Imperial Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VIII, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Barakat ’Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fatah Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, Imperial Prince of the Ottoman Empire and Honorable Lieutenant-General.^[2]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Life 3 Personal life 4 Official Name 5 Ancestry 6 References 7 External links

Early life

Mukarram Jah was born to Azam Jah and Durru Shehvar and the grandson of Osman Ali Khan, the last reigning Nizam of Hyderabad state, and also the grandson of the last Ottoman Caliph, His Imperial Majesty Caliph ‘Abdu’l-Mijid II.^[3]

Jah was educated at The Doon School and then in England at Harrow School, Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.^[4][5]

Life

Mukarram Jah enjoyed a close relationship with India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who reportedly wanted him to become his personal envoy or the country's ambassador, particularly to the Muslim countries.^[6] His two main palaces in Hyderabad - Chowmahalla and Falaknuma - have recently been restored and are accessible to the public, the former as a museum highlighting the Nizam era and the latter as a luxury hotel opened in February 2010 after renovating and restoring for about ten years (under lease to the Taj Group).^[7]

Like his father, Mukarram was the richest man in India till the Eighties. However in the Nineties, most of his ancestral assets were stripped away by rival claimants in legal dispute.^[8][9]

Personal life

Mukarram Jah first marriage with Turkish Princess Esra Birgin (b. 1938) was solemnised in 1959.^[1][10] Jah left his Hyderabad palace for a sheep station in the Australian outback and divorced his wife, who did not want to move with him.^[11] In 1980 he married a former air hostess and employee of the BBC with a birth name of Helen Simmons;^[12] she converted to Islam, changed her name to Aysha. After her death, he married Manolya Onur, a former Miss Turkey in 1990 and divorced her in 1996.^[11][12][13]

His fourth marriage with, Jameela Boularous, a woman from Morocco, was solemnised in 1993,^[14] and he married again in 1995^[15] Princess Orchedi, who is Turkish.^[4][16]

By Esra Birgin he had:

• Walashan Nawab Sahibzada Mir Azmet Ali Khan (b. 1960), also known as Azmet Jah, married 1996, has worked as a cameraman.^[4][11][17]
• Sahibzadi Shehkyar Begum (b. 1964), unmarried and without issue^[18]

By Helen Simmons he had:

• Walashan Nawab Sahibzada Mir Alexander Azam Khan (b. 1979)^[18]
• Walashan Nawab Sahibzada Mir Mohammod Umar Khan (b. 1983)^[18]

By Manolya Onur he had:

• Nilufer (b. 1991)^[12]

By Jameela Boularous he had:

• Zairin (b. 1994)

Official Name

His full name is: His Exalted and Imperial Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VIII, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Barakat 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, Imperial Prince of the Ottoman Empire, Honorable Lieutenant-General.^[4]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Mukarram Jah

[19][20]                                     16. Afzal ad-Dawlah, Asaf Jah V (1827–1869)               8. Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI (1866–1911)                       17. Allah Rakhi Begum               4. Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (1886–1967)                             18. Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Shuja ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Sir Tawab ‘Ali Khan, Salar Jang Bahadur               9. Amat uz-Zahra un-nisa Begum Sahiba (d. 1929)                       19. Preetamji Sahiba               2. Azam Jah (1907–1970)                                   20. Haidar ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Khushru Ali Khan Bahadur, Haidar Jang               10. Nawab Mir Jahangir Ali Khan Bahadur, Jahangir Jang                       21. Sahibzadi Rahat un-nisa Begum Sahiba (granddaughter of Nasir-ud-dawlah, Asaf Jah IV)               5. Dulhan Pasha Begum Sahiba (1889–1955)                             1. Prince Mukarram Jah                                         24. Mahmud II, Ottoman Sultan (1785–1839)               12. Abdülaziz, Ottoman Sultan (1830–1876)                       25. Valide Sultan Pertevniyal (1812–1883)               6. Abdülmecid II, Caliph (1868–1944)                             13. Hayranıdil Kadınefendi (1846–1895)                       3. Princess Durru Shehvar (1914–2006)                                   7. Atiya Mihisti (1892–1964)

References

External links

• Some recent photographs of the Nizam and the princely family
• Hyderabad princely state
• Rare colour film of accession ceremony of the 8th Nizam of Hyderabad in 1967 (Youtube)

Mukarram Jah Asaf Jahi dynasty Born: 6th October 1933
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah VII	— TITULAR — Nizam of Hyderabad 1967–Present	Incumbent Heir: Azmet Jah

Persondata
Name	Jah, Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	6 October 1933
Place of birth	Hilafet Palace at Nice, France
Date of death
Place of death