(RAHNUMA) Nawab Mir Mohammed Azmat Ali Khan known as Azmat Jah, the eldest son of the eighth Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawab Mukarram Jah, as per the will of his noble father was anointed the ninth Nizam of the House of Asaf Jahi Dynasty on Friday.
Born in London on July 23, 1960, Azmat Jah completed his early education in England and continued his further studies at the University of Southern California. Azmat Jah is a famed filmmaker and cinematographer who has worked with leading Hollywood directors, he has also collaborated with a number of high-profile personalities, like Steven Spielberg and Richard Attenborough.
Nawab Azmat Jah, who arrived in Hyderabad with the mortal remains of his father, is the son of the departed Prince Mukarram Jah, and his first wife Princess Esra, was named heir apparent after his birth by the seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan was still alive and he was acknowledged as the heir apparent of Mukarram Jah, who had by then declared as Nizam’s successor. Nawab Azmat Jah is in proceeding to assume charge of various Nizam Trusts, committees, and societies established by the Royal family in past.
A declaration was issued by the office of Nawab Azmat Jah Bahadur. It stated, “In terms of the desire and the decree made by Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur H.E.H the VIII Nizam of Hyderabad during his lifetime anointing his eldest son Mir Mohammed Azmat Ali Khan Azmat Jah as his successor in title and to accede his father as the IX th head of Asaf Jahi Dynasty for all symbolic, ceremonial, titular and ancillary purposes.”
It is been known that two days before the coronation ceremony, Nawab Syed Ahmed Khan, Representative Editor-in-Cheif and Publisher of Hyderabad’s oldest Newspaper The Rahnuma-E-Deccan Daily, from the House of Nawab Secunder Yar Jung III had presented a letter to Nawab Azmat Jah condoling the loss to his family and the region. The letter addressed to him was as “His Exalted Highness Asaf Jah IX, Muzaffar-ul-Mulk wal Mamalik, Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Nizam-ud-Daula, Mir Muhammad Azmat Ali Khan, Sipah Salar, Fateh Jung, Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar” recognizing and accepting him.
The Eight Nizam Nawab Mir Barakat Ali Khan who was popularly known as Mukarram Jah Bahadur passed away in Istanbul, Turkey at 89 on January 14. His body was shifted to Hyderabad in a chartered aircraft the next day evening. A few selected groups of people were allowed to pay him their last respects that night.
The next day the general public was facilitated to enter the Chowmahalla Palace to see him for the last time between 8-00 am and 1-00 pm. The body was later shifted to Makkah Masjid where he was interned in a grave alongside the other Asaf Jahi rulers followed by the highest state honors and ceremonial procession. This Friday also marked the completion of the three-day mourning period by observed Muslims of Hyderabad and a Fatiha e Saum was held at Mecca Masjid post-Namaz e Asar, which ended up with prayers at the Late Nizam’s grave before the private coronation ceremony held at Chowmahalla Palace.
The legacy of the Nizam of Hyderabad continued after the coronation of Nawab Azmat Jah after the passing of the late Nizam Mir Mukkaram Jah who also held the title of India’s richest person up until the 1980s. Unlike his father Prince Mukarram Jah’s coronation ceremony, the succession of Nawab Azmat Jah was a private and simple affair. As per the statutes of the Asif Jahi family, he formally acceded to the throne in 1967 at the same Chowmahalla Palace.
