Muhammad Azam Shah

Who was Muhammad Azam Shah?

Abu'l Faaiz Qutb-ud-Din Muhammad Azam commonly known as Azam Shah, was Emperor of the Mughal Empire and the eldest son of Emperor Aurangzeb and his Empress consort Dilras Banu Begum. He was also the grandson of the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

Azam was anointed as the heir-apparent to his father, Emperor Aurangzeb, on 12 August 1681. He served as the Viceroy of Berar Subah, Malwa, Bengal and Gujarat. He ascended to the Mughal throne at Ahmednagar upon the death of his father on 14 March 1707 as the rightful heir to his father.

Azam Shah and his two sons, Sultan Muhammad Bidar Bakht and Shahzada Wala Jah Bahadur, were later defeated and executed by Azam Shah's elder step-brother, Prince Shah Alam, during the Battle of Jajau on 8 June 1707.