Hyderabad‘s KBR National Park in Jubilee Hills is now a busy traffic spot, except during early mornings or late at night. However, this area used to be a quiet retreat for the Nizams of Hyderabad. For Prince Azmet Jah, known as the ‘ninth’ Nizam, it was once just a “private garden.”
Azmet Jah is the eldest son of Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the eighth Nizam of Hyderabad, who held the position for four years before the titles were abolished. Mukarram Jah was the grandson of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, who was once the richest man in the world.
At the Hyderabad Lit Fest on January 25, Azmet Jah spoke publicly in Hyderabad for the first time. He shared memories of his father, Mukarram Jah. Mukarram Jah was known for losing most of his grandfather’s wealth over the years after Osman Ali Khan passed away in 1967.
Azmet Jah mentioned that after his parents’ divorce, they reunited in 1996 to restore the Falaknuma Palaces. Today, the Chowmahalla Palace is a popular tourist site, and the Taj Group operates the Falaknuma as a hotel.
Reflecting on KBR Park, Azmet Jah recalled riding horses and even an elephant from the park to Golconda Fort. He noted that his father’s vintage cars are now displayed at Chowmahalla Palace.
This event was significant because the Nizams rarely addressed the public or shared their family history.
Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam until Hyderabad joined India in 1948, refused to join the Indian Union and tried to remain independent. He left no memoirs, and most information about him comes from third-party accounts. In 1937, he was the world’s wealthiest man and appeared on the Time magazine cover.
In 2023, Mukarram Jah, the last titular Nizam of Hyderabad, died at 89. He is remembered for squandering his grandfather’s wealth. His ex-wife, Esra Yegane (Princess Esra), has been instrumental in restoring the family’s legacy, bringing order to places like Chowmahalla and Falaknuma Palaces.
Esra is now respected in Hyderabad, though Prince Azam Jah, Mukarram Jah’s younger son, is challenging her for a share of the family properties. After Mukarram Jah’s death in 2023, Azmet Jah was declared the “ninth” Nizam.
