Hyderabad History _ Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

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Hyderabad History : Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

http://www.hyd.co.in/history/

Thursday, August 13, 2015

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Hyderabad History
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Among the cities of India, Hyderabad, the capital of the new state of Andhra Pradesh, has one of
the richest and most colourful histories, accentuated by magnificent architecture and a rich culture.
Several influences for the past 400 years has molded it into the A-1 status city it is today.

Ancient History
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13/08/2015 1:03 AM

Hyderabad History : Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

http://www.hyd.co.in/history/

Before the city’s actual historical rise, the area where Hyderabad would ultimately be established
was under the rule of several kingdoms, including those of Buddhist and Hindu royalty. It came
under rule by the kings of the Chalukya kingdom, whose feudal chieftains, the Kakatiyas,
splintered off to create their new kingdom and established it around Warangal. In 1321 AD, the
Sultanate of Delhi under the command of Muhammad bin Tughluq brought Warangal to its knees,
resulting in anarchy in the whole region. The next few decades saw the battles for supremacy for
the region among the Bahmani Sultanate, the Masunuri Nayakas, and the Vijayanagara Rayas,
which finally ended with the Bahmani Sultanate exerting control by the middle of the 15th
century.

Modern History
The Qutub Shahi Dynasty
The history of Hyderabad as a city began in 1518 when Sultan Quli Qut-ul-Mulk declared
independence from the Bahmani Sultanate and established the fortress city of Golconda, calling
himself the Sultan Quli Qutub Shah. Decades before, Sultan Mohammed Shah Bahmani instructed
Quli Qut-ul-Mulk to quell insurgents and disturbance in the region, a job which the future ruler
carried only too well. By the time he established the Golconda Sultanate under the title of Sultan
Quli Qutub Shah and began the Qutub Shahi Dynasty, the Bahmani Sultanate had completely
disintegrated, splintering into five different kingdoms.
In 1589, the city of Hyderabad was finally built on the Musi River by the fifth sultan of the
dynasty, a mere five miles east of Golconda. Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah dedicated it to his wife,
Bhagyamathi, and also ordered the construction of the monument of the city, which eventually
became its icon, the Charminar on 1591, reportedly as a way to thank the almighty for quelling a
plague before it destroyed his newly-built city. During this time and well into the 17th century,
Hyderabad’s power and fame rose as it became the center of a highly successful diamond trade.
All the Qutub sultans, great thinkers and builders as they were, contributed hugely to the richness
of Hyderabad’s culture and affluence, attracting countless visitors from other countries who
compared it to Iran’s beautiful city, Isfahan.

The Mughal Empire
Hyderabad’s fame finally caught the attention of the Mughal prince Aurangzeb, who laid siege on
Golconda in 1686. Aurangzeb had been spending most of his time in the Deccan establishing and
enforcing the Mughal superiority and sovereignity. When Shah Jahan finally died in 1666,
Aurangzeb consolidated his power as Emperor and he spent most of it trying to expand his empire
beyond that of his predecessor, Akbar the Great. His target was Hyderabad, at that time one of the
richest cities in the area, and was reportedly impregnable because of the protection of Golconda
Fort.
Aurangzeb’s initial sieges were failures and he had to leave in frustration. However, he came back
and it wasn’t until a nine-month long intensive siege in 1687 when Golconda finally fell. Legend
has it that the fortress would’ve held on if it wasn’t for a saboteur who was bribed by Aurangzeb
to open the gates at night. Sultan Abul Hassan Tana Shah, the seventh and last king of the Qutub
Shahi dynasty, was imprisoned soon after Golconda fell. Hyderabad’s importance declined, its
flourishing diamond trade was destroyed, and the city fell into ruins. Aurangzeb’s attention, itself,
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Hyderabad History : Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

http://www.hyd.co.in/history/

was focused on the other parts of the Deccan shortly after, especially with the Marathas steadily
gaining ground, albeit slowly, against the reigning Mughals.

Rise of the Nizams
In 1724, Mir Qamar-ud-Din Siddiqi, was granted the title of Nizam-ul-Muk (meaning
Administrator of the Realm) by the Mughal emperor as viceroy tasked to oversee parts of the
Mughal empire in behalf of the emperor. He intermittently ruled under the title of Asaf Jah and
defeated a rival official in order to establish control over Hyderabad. During this time, viceroys
and governors of Hyderabad have gained a considerable autonomy from the seat of power at Delhi
and, when the Mughal empire finally crumbled down in the mid 18th century, the young Asaf Jah
declared himself independent and the dynasty of the Nizams was established.
It would not take long before the Nizams quickly surpassed the Mughals in the domination of the
southern parts of India, with their dominion hitting as high as 125 million acres (roughly 510,000
square kilometers). In the two centuries that the Nizams ruled over Hyderabad, there were a total
of seven Nizams, excluding the 13 years where the three sons of Asaf Jah 1 ruled after him; the
three sons were not officially recognized as rulers (and thus, did not get the title of Nizam). During
these two centuries, Hyderabad saw immense growth again, both culturally and economically. It
finally became the capital with the old one, Golconda, becoming all but abandoned. Hyderabad’s
cultural glory was again established, especially since the Nizams themselves were great patrons of
literature, art, architecture, and food. The Nizams themselves were counted as among the
wealthiest people in the world; in fact, the last Nizam is ranked as the fifth wealthiest people in the
history of the world today, with his fortune at its highest pinned at US$225 billion, adjusted to
today’s value.

Integration into the Nation
When the British and French took hold over most of India, the Nizams played a delicate game of
balance and subterfuge. They allied themselves with each side at different times, playing an
important role in the wars involving Tipu Sultant, the French, and the British. The Nizams
eventually won the friendship of the Western invaders without giving up their powers. As a result,
Hyderabad was still ruled by a Nizam, and it became the largest princely state of India. As a
princely state, Hyderabad had its own currency, railways, mint, and postal system. The citizens
enjoyed no income tax.
When India finally gained its independence in 1947, the Nizam at that time made known his
intention to become independent, either by gaining dominion status by the British Empire or as a
sovereign ruler. The Nizam signed a Standstill Agreement with the Indian Union which, by this
time, had surrounded him on all sides. Breakdown in law and order soon followed, with fights
between the supporters of the Nizam and the supporters of Congress. As the violence spiraled out
of control, the newly established Indian government initiated a police action called Operation
Polo. On September 16, 1948, the Indian army moved in to the state of Hyderabad in five fronts.
Five days later, the Nizam’s army surrendered, and the Nizam signed the Instrument of Accession,
integrating Hyderabad into the Indian Union as a state.
Comments
One Response to “Hyderabad History”
3 of 6

13/08/2015 1:03 AM

Hyderabad History : Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

http://www.hyd.co.in/history/

1. T.P. VENKAT RAO on November 30th, 2010 11:12 pm
The history is very brief, I t would have been very nice if more detalied history
were to be releated in your web site, There are 5 Qutub Shahi Dynasty, thier
names and periods, and what contributions each king had done to Hyderabad,
and also like wise the detrails of 7 Dynasty of Asif Jahi were to be mentioned it
sould have been more detailed account with respectrive period of rule , names of ruler in
that particular time and their respective development or oterwise.
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Hyderabad History : Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

http://www.hyd.co.in/history/

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Hyderabad History : Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

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