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A Brief History of Hyderabad, India
A Brief History of Hyderabad, India
Hyderabad (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు, Urdu: حیدرآباد) is the sixth largest city in India and the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, located in central India.
Famous for its rich history and architecture, mosques, temples. It has a rich cultural heritage of arts, crafts and dance.
Hyderabad is a city in southern India, the capital of Telangana State, located in the middle of the Deccan Plateau, on both sides of the Musi River, a tributary of the Krishna River, at an altitude of 617 meters. The Chaha Minaret built in 1591 in the urban area is the symbol of the city. Hyderabad covers an area of 220.36 square kilometers and has a population of 2.528 million in suburban areas (1981).
Most of the residents are Hindus, followed by Muslims and Christians. Urdu and Tamil are mainly spoken. It is one of the centers of ancient Islamic culture.
In the urban area, there are still important buildings such as the Asul Hana Palace, Charmina Arch, Mecca Masjid Mosque, and Osmania University founded in 1918. Pearls, bracelets, silks, computer software, handicrafts and mouth-watering delicacies add to the charm of this beautiful city of Hyderabad.
With a history of more than 400 years, Hyderabad is famous for its beautiful natural scenery, temples, mosques, minarets, shopping malls and bridges. It is located on the edge of the Deccan Plateau with a total area of about 260 square kilometers. Hyderabad is influenced by a variety of cultures, with palaces, buildings, houses, apartments, parks and streets all unique.
In 1591, it was established by the Muslim Goconda Kingdom on the east bank of the Musi River. It developed rapidly in the 16th century, absorbing many inhabitants of the nearby Golconda.
Charminar was built in 1591 and is an iconic building in Hyderabad. This is a magnificent square granite building with four tall arches below, facing east, west, north and south. These arches support the two-story buildings and arcades. A 24-meter-tall spire was built at each corner of the boxy building, bringing the building’s height to about 54 meters.
It is these four minarets (Charminar) that give the building the name Charminar – Four Towers. The base of each tower is in the shape of a lotus leaf, a basic pattern unique to the architecture of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Thousands of devotees are here to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Hyderabad, which blesses Muslims, blesses as many Hindus.
Like the Hindu gods, the soul of the fifth largest city in India is reflected in a different face: Charminar district is an old Muslim district. Here rickshaws, bicycles, cows, carts, scooters, cars and pedestrians come together in a relentless traffic battle. Except for this clutter of traffic, it seems like nothing has changed here since 1591.
The medieval ruins of Golconda, about 8 kilometers from Hyderabad city, are the capital of the 16th century rulers of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. It is rich in historical sites, including the famous Golconda Castle. Golconda Castle is one of the most prestigious castles in India.
The name is derived from the Telugu word “Golaconda”, which means “shepherd’s mountain”. The construction of the castle dates back to the Kakatiya dynasty. Golconda was originally an earthen fort, which passed through the Bahmani dynasty (Bahman dynasty) and then to the rulers of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (1518-1687 AD). Golconda was rebuilt by the first three kings of the Qutb Shahi dynasty during their 62-year reign.
In 1685 Hyderabad was occupied by the Mughal kingdom. In 1763, it became the capital of Hyderabad and changed its current name.
The rulers of Hyderabad paid attention to education and built many buildings. They made a great contribution to the Indo-Islamic culture of Hyderabad. At the same time Hyderabad and Galconda became the world’s premier markets for diamonds, pearls, steel and weapons.
Shortly after taking control of Golconda in 1687, the Mughals named Hyderabad the capital of the Deccan. Later, the Assaf Jahi family, the “supreme person” of Hyderabad during the Mughal rule, declared independence and established the Nizam Dynasty in 1724. As an independent country, Hyderabad has only seven generations in Nicham Dynasty ruled until 1948.
During their reign, the British coveted Golconda’s rich diamond mines as much as other nations, and they settled here, establishing another city, Sikunderabad, within the city. It gave Hyderabad an old nickname “Twin Cities”.
The Hussain Lake (Hussein Sagar) connects Hyderabad with its sister city, Sikandrabad, and the giant Buddha statue in the Hussein Lake (Hussein Sagar) serves as the natural boundary of the twin cities.
Sikunderabad clearly demonstrates the influence of the Victorian style on its architecture. Those grand buildings like universities, railway stations and palaces…the wealthy rulers seem to be trying to replicate European capitals. It had strong ties to the British Empire and the country kept its currency, flags, post, radio…until the last Nicham dynasty was forced into the new Indian Republic.
After the British occupation, the city developed northward, with the British settlement and the huge Secunderabad barracks built on the north bank of the river.
During this time, Hyderabad has grown tremendously economically and culturally. It was the largest kingdom in India at the time, and at some point it was larger than England and Scotland combined. It has its own currency, mint, railway and post office. And there is no national income tax.
Hyderabad joined the Federation of India shortly after independence.
On November 1, 1956, Hyderabad became the capital of Andhra Pradesh after the administrative divisions of the Indian Federation re-divided. With the development of industry, the urban area expanded to the northeast and northwest.
