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Hyderabad is a heady mixture of history,heritage, hospitality
and a thriving hitech revolution.
Sultan Quli Qutb Shah laid the foundation of the new city and named it
"haiderabad"( city of haider) after the titile of the fourth caliph of
islam hazrat ali.
The new city was also called bagh-nagar(city of gardens) as it was replete
with gardens and groves.
The State had its own currency, mint, railways,
flag and postal system. Soon after India gained independence, Hyderabad
State merged with the Union of India. On November 1, 1956 the map of India
was redrawn into linguistic states, and Hyderabad became the capital of
Andhra Pradesh.
The History
The history of Hyderabad begins with the establishment of the Qutub Shahi
dynasty. Quli Qutub Shah seized the reins of power from the Bahamani kingdom
in 1512 and established the fortress city of Golconda. Inadequacy of water,
and frequent epidemics of plaque and cholera persuaded Mohammad, the fifth
Quli Qutub Shahi ruler to venture outward to establish the new city with
the Charminar as its center and with four great roads fanning out in the
four cardinal directions. Hyderabad's fame, strategic location and Golconda's
legendary wealth attracted Aurangazeb who captured Golconda after a long
siege in 1687. After this defeat the importance of Hyderabad declined
and the city fell into partial ruin. As the Mughal Empire decayed and
began to disintegrate, the viceroy, Asaf Jah I proclaimed himself the
Nizam and established independent rule of the Deccan. Hyderabad once again
became a major capital city, ruled by successive Nizams of the Asaf Jah
dynasty until the state was merged into the Indian Union in 1948.
HISTORICAL FACTS
Hyderabad was modeled after Isfaan in Iran and built under the supervision
of the prime minister Mir Momin, a poet, architect and an aesthete-like
his master. He tried to create a replica of Paradise itself to suit Muhammad
Quli’s status as the greatest of the Qutb Shahi rulers. The city was completed
in 1592. It has a grid plan of two broad intersecting streets with the
Charminar as a kind of triumphal arch at the center. The French traveler,
Tavernier in 1652, compared Hyderabad to Orleans ‘well built and opened
out’ and in 1672, Abbe Carr was much impressed by the city as the center
of all trade in the East.
Making Of The Twin City - Secunderabad
In 1798, a subsidiary alliance for military and political cooperation was signed between the Nizam and the British East India Company. Thereafter an area north of what is now the Hussain Sagar Lake was established as a cantonment. The area was named Secunderabad after the then Nizam, Sikander Jah. Both Hyderabad and Secunderabad grew together and have now merged. An imaginary line drawn across the Tank bund is still used to distinguish the two cities.
THE NIZAMS OF HYDERABAD
Aurangzeb died in 1707, seven years after the death of the last Qutb Shahi
ruler, Abul Hasan Tana Shah in prison in 1700. The Mughal governor of
Hyderabad, Mir Kamruddin Khan, titled Nizam-ul-Mulk, declared independence
and started the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The waning Mughal power found itself
helpless against forces of disintegration. But the Nizams were fabulously
rich and stories of their hordes of gold, diamonds and pearls spread far
and wide. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam before Hyderabad merged into
the Union of India, was among the world’s wealthiest individuals. Prior
to their treaty with the British, the Nizams had good relations with the
French. Monsieur Raymond, a French adventurer and commander of the Nizam’s
troops, earned great respect of the people. A 23-feet-high granite obelisk
inscribed JR stands on a hill in Saururnagar in memory of this trusted
lieutenant of the Nizams, who couldn’t stand the growth British influence.
Pre Nizam Era
After the fall of the Mauryan Empire, the history of the Andhras, as a
continuous account of political and cultural events, commences with the
rise of the Satavahanas as a political power They ruled over the Andhradesa
including Deccan for about 400 years from the 2nd century B.C. to beyond
the 2nd century A.D. Satavahanas were also called Salivahanas and Satakarnis.
The Deccan, during this period, was an emporium of inland and maritime
trade. The region between the rivers of Godavari and Krishna was full
of ports and throbbing with activity. There was plentiful currency to
facilitate trade and the Telugus entered upon a period of great industrial,
commercial and maritime activity. Buddhism flourished throughout the period
and at the same time the rulers were devoted to Vedic ritualism. They
constructed several Buddhist Stupas, Chaityas and Viharas. The Stupa at
Amaravati is known for its architecture par excellence. Satavahanas were
not only the able rulers but were also lovers of literacy and architecture.
The decline and fall of the Satavahana empire left the Andhra country
in a political chaos. Local rulers as well as invaders tried to carve
out small kingdoms for themselves and to establish dynasties. During the
period from A.D.180 to A.D.624, Ikshvakus, Brihatphalayanas, Salankayanas,
Vishnukundins, Vakatakas, Pallavas, Anandagotras, Kalingas and others
ruled over the Andhra area with their small kingdoms. Such instability
continued to prevail until the rise of the Eastern Chalukyas
Brief History
The Qutb Shahi dynasty founded the Kingdom of Golconda, one of the five
kingdoms that emerged after the break up of the Bahamani Kingdom. The
Qutb Shahis ruled the Deccan for almost 171 years.All the seven rulers
were patrons of learning and were great builders. They contributed to
the growth and development of Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature
and culture in Hyderabad. During the Qutb Shahi reign Golconda became
one of the leading markets in the world of diamonds, pearls, steel for
arms, and also printed fabric. The glory of the Golconda kingdom ended
in 1687, after a valiant struggle. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler,
captured Golconda after a siege that lasted eight months. Abul Hasan Tana
Shah, the last king of Golconda, was imprisoned at Daulatabad, where he
died after twelve years in captivity. With the conquest of the Deccan
and the South, Aurangzeb succeeded in expanding the Mughal Empire to cover
the entire sub-continent. However, after his death in 1707, the Empire
rapidly declined. At that time , the Deccan was administered by a Subedar
or viceroy of the Mughal Emperor. Mir Quamaruddin, the Governor of the
Deccan, who bore the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk Feroze Jung Asif Jah, declared
his independence from Mughal rule in 1724. He thus became the first Nizam
and the founder of the Asif Jahi dynasty. Asif Jah I continued to maintain
Aruangabad, which had been founded by the Mughal rulers as the capital
of his new state. In 1769, Nizam Ali Khan Asif Jah II, shifted the capital
to Hyderabad. The seven Nizam's of the Asif Jahi dynasty ruled the Deccan
for nearly 224 years, right up to 1948. During the Asif Jahi period, Persian,
Urdu, Telgu and Marathi developed simultaneously. The highest official
positions were given to deserving persons irrespective of their religion.
Persian was the official language up to 1893 and then Urdu up to 1948.
When the British and the French spread their hold over the country, the
Nizam soon won their friendship without bequeathing his power. The title
"Faithful. Ally of the British Government" was bestowed on Nizam VII.
The British stationed a Resident at Hyderabad, but the state continued
to be ruled by the Nizam. The rule of the seven Nizam's saw the growth
of Hyderabad both culturally and economically. Huge reservoirs, like the
Nizam Sagar, Tungabadra, Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar, and others were
built. Survey work on Nagarjuna Sagar had also begun during this time.
Hyderabad, under the Nizam's, was the largest princely state in India.
Area wise it was as big as England and Scotland put together.
Hitech (IT Influence)
The e-world is already here. New economy is everywhere around and city
is buzzing the mantra of information technology. A revolution that has
already attracted Microsoft to set up its only overseas base here. Hyderabad
is called as the second Silicon Valley in India after Bangalore. Hyderabad
has a Software Technology Park with leading industries like Intergraph,
UUNET, TCS, Wipro, Baan, Satyam, Park International, etc. Despite the
prevailing slowdown in the IT sectors, construction activity is going
on at full swing in the exclusive high-tech district of Cyberabad. Builders
constructing technology parks are counting on the emergence of demand
for space within a year. The real estate market in Hyderabad is inseparably
linked to the fortunes of information technology -land prices and rentals
rise fall and rise in tune with the boom and slump in the IT sector. But
in Cyberabad, the exclusive IT district on the city outskirts, the real
estate market has shaken off the prevailing IT slowdown, much ahead of
the IT companies themselves. Even casual visitors will not miss the busy
construction activity going on in the area: three more technology parks
are coming up in the area which already boasts of HiTec City and multi-storeyed
buildings of Wipro and other IT giants.Besides, HSBC has inaugurated its
second global centre here. Construction is completed at Cyber Gateway
(i.e. phase two of HiTec City) by L&T and the Techno park and E-park by
SDE engineers. Both E-park and Techno Park have space of 2.25 lakh sft
(12 floors) and 2.10 lakh sft (nine floors), respectively.
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