The Asaf Jahi dynasty ruled the Hyderabad State for 224 years (1724 – 1948), at one point the largest princely state of British India and home to one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. Prince Mukarram Jah, designated Nizam VIII in 1967, retreated to the Australian outback for two decades — an extraordinary chapter of an extraordinary royal life. He passed away in January 2023.
The Family's Roots: The Asaf Jahi Dynasty
The dynasty was founded by Asaf Jah I in 1724. Hyderabad State at its 1947 height covered 213,000 km² and was home to 16 million people.
Mukarram Jah was born in Nice, France, on 6 October 1933.
His Father: Prince Azam Jah
Prince Azam Jah (21 February 1907 – 9 October 1970) was the elder son of the famous Nizam VII Osman Ali Khan. He was bypassed for succession in favour of his son.
His Mother: Princess Durrushehvar
Princess Durrushehvar of Berar (26 January 1914 – 7 February 2006) was the daughter of the last Ottoman Caliph Abdülmecid II — making Mukarram Jah a paternal Asaf Jah and a maternal Ottoman descendant.
His Wives: Five Marriages
Mukarram Jah was married five times:
- Princess Esra Birgin (Turkish, 1959–1974; divorced) — son Mir Muffakham Jah, daughter Princess Shekhyar
- Helen Simmons (Australian, 1979–1989; died)
- Manolya Onur (Turkish, 1990–1996; divorced) — daughter
- Jameela Boularous (Moroccan, 1996–2002; divorced)
- Ayesha Orchid (Turkish, 2002 onwards)
His Children
Notable: Prince Azmet Jah (b. 1960) — eldest son, designated heir; Princess Shekhyar (b. 1962); other children from later marriages.
The Asaf Jah Family Tree at a Glance
Dynasty: Asaf Jahi (Nizams of Hyderabad), 1724–1948.
Grandfather: Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan (1886–1967) — at one point the world's richest man.
Parents: Prince Azam Jah; Princess Durrushehvar (daughter of last Ottoman Caliph).
Mukarram Jah: Born 6 October 1933 (Nice); died 14 January 2023 (Istanbul); Doon School; Trinity College, Cambridge; Sandhurst; titular Nizam VIII from 6 April 1967; spent decades managing a sheep station in Western Australia; later lived in Turkey.
Wives: Esra Birgin (1959–74); Helen Simmons (1979–89); Manolya Onur (1990–96); Jameela Boularous (1996–02); Ayesha Orchid (2002–).
Designated Heir: Prince Azmet Jah (b. 1960) — Mukarram's eldest son.
What the Asaf Jah Family Story Teaches Us
A 224-year dynasty. A grandfather who was once the world's richest man. A mother from the Ottoman caliphate. A son who chose decades in the Australian outback over his ancestral palaces. Five marriages spanning Turkish, Australian, and Moroccan wives. An eldest son carrying the title forward in modern Hyderabad.
For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Asaf Jah story carries the same lesson. Family histories include unexpected geographies. Mukarram Jah's tree connects Hyderabad palaces with Western Australian sheep stations and Istanbul exile. Most family trees have similar geographic surprises — write them all down.
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