Azmet Jah

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Mir Muhammad Azmet Ali Khan

| title = Nizam of Hyderabad

| image =

| succession = Head of House of Asaf Jah

| reign = 14 January 2023 – present

| reign-type = Tenure

| predecessor = Mukarram Jah

| successor =

| suc-type =

| coronation = 20 January 2023

| full name = Walashan Nawab Azmet Jah, Sahibzada Mir Muhammad Azmet Ali Khan Bahadur, The Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, with the style of His Exalted Highness

| regnal name = Asaf Jah IX

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|07|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = Zeynap Naz Güvendiren

| issue =

| house = House of Asaf Jah

| father = Mukarram Jah

| mother = Esra Birgen

| religion = Sunni Islam {{cn|date=January 2023}}

| native_lang1 = Alma mater

| native_lang1_name1 = {{plainlist|

| occupation =

}}

Nizam Mir Muhammad Azmet Ali Khan, Asaf Jah IX, known as Azmet Jah (also spelt as Azmat Jah, born 23 July 1960), is the current head of the House of Asaf Jah and the titular 9th Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar since 20 January 2023, though Indian law has not recognized such titles since the passage of the 26th Amendment to the Indian Constitution in 1971.{{Cite news |date=2023-01-21 |title=Azmat Jah is Nizam IX |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/azmat-jah-is-nizam-ix/article66418117.ece |access-date=2023-01-24 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite web |last=Alamgir |first=Mir |date=2023-01-21 |title=Hyderabad: Azmet Jah named as 9th Nizam at a formal ceremony at Chowmahalla Palace |url=https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-azmet-jah-named-as-9th-nizam-at-a-formal-ceremony-at-chowmahalla-palace-2507901/ |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=The Siasat Daily |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-01-15 |title=Mukarram Jah, titular eighth Nizam of Hyderabad, dies at 89 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/nizam-of-hyderabad-mukarram-jah-dies-8382668/ |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Sameer |date=2023-01-15 |title=Mukarram Jah, grandson of Hyderabad's last Nizam Osman Ali Khan, passes away |url=https://www.siasat.com/mukarram-jah-grandson-of-hyderabads-last-nizam-osman-ali-khan-passes-away-2503038/ |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=The Siasat Daily |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=pavan |date=2020-07-19 |title=I Have Always Had a Love and Connection to Hyderabad: Prince Azmet Jah |url=https://www.youandi.com/i-have-always-had-love-and-connection-hyderabad-prince-azmet-jah/ |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=You and I |language=en-US}}

Early life, family and education

Azmet Jah was born on 23 July 1960 in Paddington, London, to Mukarram Jah and Esra Jah,{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Sanjay Samuel |date=2023-01-20 |title=Azmet Jah set to take charge of Nizam Trusts |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/200123/mukarram-jah-family-to-attend-ziyarat-ritual-on-friday-plan-successio.html |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Today |first=Telangana |date=2023-01-21 |title=Asaf Jahi family declares Azmat Ali Khan as successor of eight titular Nizam |url=https://telanganatoday.com/asaf-jahi-family-declares-azmat-ali-khan-as-successor-of-eight-titular-nizam |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=Telangana Today |language=en-US}} during the reign of his great-grandfather, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. He did his early schooling in London. He attended the University of Southern California, from where he graduated in 1984.{{Cite book |last=Zubrzycki |first=John |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/156785529 |title=The last Nizam : an Indian prince in the Australian outback |date=2006 |publisher=Pan Macmillan |isbn=978-1-4050-3722-8 |location=Sydney |oclc=156785529}} In 1996, he married Zeynap Naz Güvendiren in London. They have two children, a daughter and a son.{{Cite web |last=Tomar |first=Ajay |date=2023-01-22 |title=Hollywood cinematographer Azmet Jah, '9th Nizam' of Hyderabad, will handle education trust |url=https://thesouthfirst.com/telangana/hollywood-cinematographer-azmet-jah-9th-nizam-of-hyderabad-will-handle-education-trust/ |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=The South First |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2007-12-08 |title=William Dalrymple on the rulers of Hyderabad |url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/dec/08/weekend.williamdalrymple |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

Career

He is a professional photographer and cinematographer and has worked with Steven Spielberg and Lord Richard Attenborough.{{Cite web |title=Glimpses of the history |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/081219/glimpses-of-the-history.html |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=Deccan Chronicle}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.mahbubia.com/Prince%20Mukarram%20Jah%27s%20Interview.htm |title=The Hindu: `I belong to a lot of countries' – H.E.H. Prince Mukarram Jah and Princes Azam Jah and Azmet Jah in an exclusive tete-e-tete with Syeda Farida |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=6 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806120645/http://www.mahbubia.com/Prince%20Mukarram%20Jah%27s%20Interview.htm |url-status=dead }}

He has wielded the camera in the films Navy Seals and Life of Charlie Chaplin.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/return-of-the-royals/cid/1669455|title=Return of the Royals|website=Telegraph India|date=22 February 2014|accessdate=7 October 2020}}

In 2011, he stated that he was working on two films, one on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (the first President of Turkey) and another one on his great grandfather, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, the Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad Deccan.{{better source|date=January 2023}}

Accession

Azmet Jah "acceded" to the defunct throne of the former Hyderabad State on 14 January 2023, following the death of his father, Mukarram Jah.{{Cite web |title=Azmat Jah Declared As Hyderabad's Titular Nizam IX After Father's Death |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/azmat-jah-declared-as-hyderabads-titular-nizam-ix-after-fathers-death-3712845 |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=NDTV.com}}{{Cite web |date=2023-01-15 |title=Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, Eighth Nizam of Hyderabad, passes away in Turkey |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/prince-mukarram-jah-bahadur-eighth-nizam-of-hyderabad-passes-away-in-turkey-101673764902955.html |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Nizamuddin |first=Md |date=2023-01-18 |title=Photographer and filmmaker son Azmet will succeed Mukarram Jah |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/170123/photographer-and-filmmaker-son-azmet-will-succeed-mukarram-jah.html |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Mukarram Jah, last Nizam of Hyderabad, dies in Istanbul at 89 |url=https://www.trtworld.com/asia/mukarram-jah-last-nizam-of-hyderabad-dies-in-istanbul-at-89-64528 |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=Mukarram Jah, last Nizam of Hyderabad, dies in Istanbul at 89 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Titular 8th Nizam of Hyderabad Mukarram Jah Dies In Turkey |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/titular-eighth-nizam-of-hyderabad-mukarram-jah-passes-away-in-turkey-3694495 |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=NDTV.com}}{{Cite web |author=Syed Akbar |date=Jan 19, 2023 |title=Who will succeed Hyderabad Nizam Mukarram Jah|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/royal-affair-55-yrs-apart-one-joyous-one-solemn/articleshow/97110962.cms |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}

Azmet Jah's ceremonial coronation took place on 20 January 2023.{{Cite web |last=Mukhopadhyay |first=Sounak |date=2023-01-21 |title=Meet Azmat Jah: Hyderabad's new Nizam who worked with Steven Spielberg |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/meet-azmat-jah-hyderabad-s-new-nizam-who-worked-with-steven-spielberg-richard-attenborough-11674277914353.html |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=mint |language=en}}{{Cite web |author=Syed Akbar|date=Jan 22, 2023 |title=In Hyderabad, Azmet Jah coronated as the successor of Mukarram {{!}} Hyderabad News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/azmet-jah-coronated-as-successor-of-mukarram-in-hyderabad/articleshow/97214523.cms |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} The coronation ceremony of Azmet Jah followed a pattern similar to the coronations of the Nizams before him, but it was a simple ceremony only attended by a few close friends. It was not recognized by the state government.{{Cite web |agency=TNN|date=Jan 22, 2023 |title=Azmet secret coronation draws big flak in Hyderabad {{!}} Hyderabad News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/azmet-secret-coronation-draws-big-flak-in-hyderabad/articleshow/97216899.cms |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} It was held at Khilwat Mubarak at Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad.{{Cite web |last=Alamgir |first=Mir |date=2023-01-21 |title=Hyderabad: Azmet Jah named as 9th Nizam at a formal ceremony at Chowmahalla Palace |url=https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-azmet-jah-named-as-9th-nizam-at-a-formal-ceremony-at-chowmahalla-palace-2507901/ |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=The Siasat Daily |language=en-US}}

Succession dispute

In the aftermath of Azmet Jah's coronation, the Majlis E Shabzadegan Society, consisting of over 4,500 extended family members (sahibzada and sahibzadi) of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, issued a press release alleging that Azmet Jah has neglected to take up the responsibilities of the family yet chose to take up the title of the ninth Nizam of Hyderabad.{{cite news |last1=The Hindu Bureau |title=Another claimant to Nizam IX title |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/another-claimant-to-nizam-ix-title/article66493349.ece |access-date=30 May 2023 |work=The Hindu |date=10 February 2023}}