Hyderabad: Mir Barkat Ali Khan popularly known as Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, formerly the eighth Nizam of the Princely State of Hyderabad celebrated his 88th birth in Turkey today.
According to sources that are close to the former Royal Family of the Hyderabad State, the Prince is not in good health though there is “nothing worrisome.”
Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Seventh and the last Nizam of the Hyderabad State, proclaimed Prince Mukarram Jah as the successor designate on 14th of June 1954. Since then he has been identified as the eighth and the last Nizam of Hyderabad. His succession was recognized in principle by the Government of India. He was officially called the Prince of Hyderabad until 1971 when the titles and the privy purses were abolished by the Indian Union.
The Nizam made his grandson the successor to the gaddi instead of his first son Mir Himayat Ali Khan alias Prince Azam Jah Bahadur. Therefore, Mukarram Jah succeeded as the Eighth Nizam on the passing away of the last former reigning ruler of Hyderabad on 24th February, 1967.
Prince Mukarram Jah first married Princess Esra of Turkey with whom he has two children—Prince Azmat Ali Khan and Princess Shehkyar. He later married Ms Helen Simmons of Australia with whom he has one son Prince Alexander Azam Khan. He too is said to be living in London. Still later he married Manolya Onur with whom he has a daughter Niloufer. His fourth wife is Jamila Boularous. Their daughter is Zairin Unnisa Begum.
Mukarram Jah Bahadur owns property in Hyderabad such as the Falaknuma Palace, Khilwat Palace, King Koti and Chiran Palace which is located in the middle of KBR National Park in Jubilee Hills. The properties are looked after by his first former wife Princess Esra who occasionally visits and stays in Hyderabad at Falaknuma Palace, which has been turned into the Taj Falaknuma Palace.
According to sources, there are no chances of Prince Mukarram Jah visiting Hyderabad in the near future.
Shahed Hussain who has been his confidante and secretary for 20 years and is still associated many of his trusts wished him well. “He was a good master. I am still his faithful servant,” he said.
The Prince was born in 1933 in Hilafet Palace in Nice (France). His mother Princess Durru Shewar was the daughter of the last Sultan of Turkey (Ottoman Empire) Sultan Abdul Mejid II. She died in the beginning of the 2000s.
Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur was proclaimed successor designate on 14th of June 1954 by the seventh Nizam VII. Since then, he has been identified as the eighth and the last Nizam of Hyderabad. His succession was recognized in principle by the Government of Independent India as well.