The ongoing feud in the erstwhile Asaf Jahi family of the Nizams between prince Azam Jah and princess Esra is now spilling out in the open. In the latest development, Azam Jah has been reportedly issued a removal notice from the The Mukarram Jah Trust of Education and Learning (MJTEL) that his father and the eight Nizam prince Mukarram Jah had instituted.
Azam, whose full name is Alexander Azam Jah, is the second son of Mukarram Jah, who passed away at the age of 89 on January 14 of 2023. Mir Barkat Ali Khan Siddiqi Mukarram Jah, popularly known as Mukarram Jah, was the grandson and heir of Hyderabad’s last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan (1911-48) who was once the world’s richest man in the 1930s.
Mukarram was made the titular eight Nizam in 1967 after Osman Ali Khan’s death (1967 to 1971) as the titles of former rulers were recognised by the Indian government till 1971. Upon his death, his older son from Esra, Azmet Jah, was coronated as the ‘ninth Nizam’ in a formal ceremony. It is after this that Azam Jah then took the legal recourse last year demanding his fair share in properties owned by the family, questioning how his brother was made the head when the official title was abolished in 1971.
Attempt to silence transparency’
A statement from Azam Jah’s office on him receiving the removal notice said, “In another attempt to silence the attempts of transparency & inclusivity on all Trust related matters the Trustees in fiduciary capacity of The Mukarram Jah Trust of Education and Learning (MJTEL) have issued a notice to Prince Azam Jah in a bid to oust him from the Trust.”
According to Azam Jah, he was placed on MJTEL in Hyderabad by his late father. The statement from his office also said that the notice was deliberately sent late to him so that he does not have the option to respond. “The notice issued to Prince asked him to respond within 15 days. However, the notice dated Dec 6, 2025 was served to him on Dec 23, 2025 purposely so that he is deprived of the opportunity to even respond. We will continue to watch this space carefully & report judiciously,” the statement added.
Azam Jah is from the second wife of Mukarram Jah, Helen Ayesha Jah. He now lives in Australia but has been visiting Hyderabad since childhood. Mukarram was initially married to Esra Birgen (referred to as princess Esra by the public). He later migrated from Hyderabad to Australia where later married Helen Ayesha Simmons, followed by Manolya Onur, Jameela Boularous and Ayesha Orchedi.
Claim on family properties
Muharram Jah’s two children out of four – Azmet and Shehkyar Begum – are with Esra. Azam Jah is his son with Helen Ayesha, and another daughter Niloufer was his child with Manolya. Mukarram Jah’s mother was also Princess Durru Shevar, the daughter of the last heir apparent to the Ottoman Sultanate Abdulmejid II.
Moreover, Azam Jah is not the only one who is shooting at Azmet Jah and his family. Raunaq Yar Khan, a descendant of Hyderabad’s sixth Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan from his maternal side, also declared himself as the ‘ninth Nizam’ stating that he has the support and documents to back up his claim from other extended family members of the Nizam.
Azam Jah’s ongoing feud for the properties is however a result of Mukarram Jah not leaving behind a will. Esra in fact ran his finances from the last few decades as the titular eight Nizam lost a good chunk of his his wealth. Mukarram Jah spent most of his life away from Hyderabad, with his ex-wife Esra running the palaces and his properties after becoming his general power of attorney years after divorce. His last days were spent in a two-bedroom house in Turkey, which was anything but fancy.
In a conversation with this reporter earlier, Azam Jah said that his father never stayed in Hyderabad as it was difficult for him to find trustworthy people here. Stating that Mukarram Jah in fact wanted to build a life in India, he added that the city “forced him out”. Azam added that he currently is also not able to access any of the palaces that his father owned as Esra is not allowing him entry. It is to be seen how Esra responds to Azam Jah’s statements.
