Hyderabad
City of Pearls
—  metropolitan city  —
Clockwise from top : Charminar, Birla Mandir, Hussain Sagar and Chowmahalla Palace
Hyderabad Location of Hyderabad in India
Coordinates	17°21′58″N 78°28′34″E / 17.366°N 78.476°E / 17.366; 78.476Coordinates: 17°21′58″N 78°28′34″E / 17.366°N 78.476°E / 17.366; 78.476
Country	India
Region	Deccan
State	Andhra Pradesh
District(s)	Hyderabad Rangareddy Medak Mahbubnagar Nalgonda
Founded	1591 AD
Mayor	Mohammad Majid Hussain
City Police Commissioner	Abdul Khayum Khan
Members of Parliament	Asaduddin Owaisi, Anjan Kumar Yadav, Sarve Satyanarayana
Planning Agency	GHMC, HMDA
Population • Metro	6,809,970 (4th) (2011[update]) • 7,749,334 (6th) (2011[update])
Official languages	Telugu and Urdu
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation • Coastline	• 536 metres (1,759 ft) • 0 kilometres (0 mi)
Climate • Precipitation Temperature • Summer • Winter	Aw (Köppen) •      603 mm (23.7 in) •      26.0 °C (78.8 °F) •      35.9 °C (96.6 °F) •      2 °C (36 °F)
Distance(s) • From Delhi • 1,499 kilometres (931 mi) S (land) • From Mumbai • 711 kilometres (442 mi) SE (land) • From Chennai • 688 kilometres (428 mi) N (land) • From Kolkata • 1,516 kilometres (942 mi) SW (land)
Codes • Pincode • 500 xxx, 501 xxx, 502 xxx, 508 xxx, 509 xxx • Telephone • +91–40, 8413, 8414, 8415, 8417, 8418, 8453, 8455 • UN/LOCODE • IN HYD • Vehicle • AP 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, 24, 28 & 29
Website	www.ghmc.gov.in

Hyderabad (ⁱ/ˈhaɪdərəbæd/) is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Located on the banks of the Musi River in the Deccan Plateau, the city is one of the largest in India with an area of 650 square kilometres (250 sq mi) and a population of 6.8 million, while the metropolitan area contains 7.7 million residents, making it the fourth most populous city and the sixth most populous urban agglomeration in the country. In 2008, the nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of Hyderabad was US$ 60 billion—ranking fourth in India and ninety third in the world.

Hyderabad city was established in 1591 CE by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, whose dynasty lasted until 1658 when Mughal emperor Aurangzeb occupied Golconda Sultanate and the city became part of the Mughal empire's Deccan province. In 1724 Asif Jah I, a Mughal viceroy, declared his sovereignty and formed the Asif Jahi Dynasty, also known as the Nizams of Hyderabad. The Nizams ruled the princely state of Hyderabad for more than two centuries, under subsidiary alliance with the British Raj. The city remained the dynasty's capital from 1769 until 1948—when the Nizam signed an Instrument of Accession with the Indian Union following Operation polo. In 1956, the city was merged with Andhra State. Since 1969 Hyderabad is a major center of the Telangana movement, which demands a separate state for the Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh.

Situated on the crossroads of North and South India, the city has been noted for its unique culture. As the capital of the largest and richest Princely state of India, and with the patronage from Nizams, the city established local traditions in drama, art, theater, literature, architecture and cuisine. The city is a regular tourist destination and home to many places of interest, including the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage site of Chowmahalla Palace, and other notable landmarks such as the Charminar and Golconda fort. Hyderabad is home to numerous museums, Bazaars, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the Salarjung museum, Laad Bazaar, Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) and Shilpakala Vedika.

Hyderabad was once a global center of the diamond and pearls trade, for which it is known by the sobriquet City of Pearls. The municipal boundaries of the city was expanded in 2007 and the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad came under the ambit of a single municipal unit, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The city has emerged as a hub for the information technology, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries, alongside traditional service industries. Hyderabad International Airport, serving 5–15 million passengers annually, was adjudged the world's fifth best airport. Hyderabad's 13 universities and business schools form a major location for higher education and research in India. The city is home to the Telugu film industry known as Tollywood. As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Hyderabad confronts substantial urban pollution, traffic congestion, poverty, overpopulation, and other logistic and socioeconomic problems.

Etymology[link]

The etymology of Hyderabad is marred by myths. One popular myth postulates that Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad,^[1] named the city Bhaganagar after Bhagmathi, a local nautch girl who he fell in love with. He married Bhagmathi who converted to Islam and adopted the title Hyder Begum. The city was rechristened after Hyder Begum to Hyderabad.^[2] Another theory says Hyderabad was named to honour the Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Talib, who was also known as Hyder.^[3]

History[link]

Early history[link]

Although Hyderabad was established in 1591, archaeologists have unearthed Iron Age sites near the city that could date back to 500 BCE.^[4] The region comprising modern Hyderabad and its surrounding was known as Golkonda (English: The Shepherd's Hill),^[5] which was ruled by the Chalukya dynasty from 731 CE to 966 CE.^[6] Following the dissolution of Chalukyas into four empires in the 11th century, Golkonda came under the control of the Kakatiya dynasty (1000–1310).^[7] The Kakatiya dynasty's headquarters was at Warangal, located 148 kilometres (92 mi) northeast of modern Hyderabad.^[8]

Medieval history[link]

The Golkonda fort is the oldest existing structure in Hyderabad.^[9]

When Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi took over Warangal, the Hyderabad region came under the Khilji dynasty (1310–1321). Alauddin Khilji carried with him to Delhi the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which was mined from the Kollur Mines in Golkonda.^[10] Afterwards Muhammad bin Tughluq annexed Delhi, which brought Warangal under the direct rule of the Tughlaq dynasty until 1347. Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah a governor of Muhammad bin Tughluq revolted against the Sultanate and established the Bahmani Sultanate in the Deccan with Gulbarga (200 kilometres (124 mi) west of Hyderabad) as its capital. The Bahmani kings ruled the region until 1518, becoming the first independent Muslim rulers of the Deccan.^[8]

In 1518, Sultan Quli, a governor of Golkonda, revolted against the Bahmani Sultanate and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty.^[8] Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, established Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591;^[11] the city was established to avoid water shortage experienced at Golkonda, the capital of the Sultanate.^[12] He constructed the Charminar, Purana pul and Mecca Masjid in the city.^[13]

On 21 September 1687,^[14] the Golkonda Sultanate came under the rule of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after a year-long siege of the Golkonda fort.^[15] The area under the Sultanate was renamed as Deccan Suba (Deccan Provence) and, during this period of Mughal rule, the capital was shifted from Golkonda to Aurangabad (about 550 kilometres (342 mi) northwest of Hyderabad).^[15][16]

Nizam period[link]

Falaknuma Palace. Photo : 1900

In 1712, the sixth of Aurangzeb's successor, Farrukhsiyar appointed Asaf Jah I as the Viceroy of the Deccan with the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk (Regulator of the Realm) Fateh Jung. In 1724, Asaf Jah I gained autonomy by defeating a rival official to establish control over the Deccan Suba and named it Hyderabad Deccan, thus starting the dynasty which came to be known as the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The rulers retained the title Nizam ul-Mulk, and were referred to as Asif Jahi Nizams, or Nizams of Hyderabad.^[15][16] In 1748, Asaf Jah I died, and until 1761 there was internal political unrest in the state, due to ascension of throne among the son's of Asaf Jah I, who were alliance with either British, French or neighboring rulers. The region of Asif Jah II brought the end to the internal political disturbance. In 1768 and 1798, Asif Jah II signed a treaty of the Masulipatnam and the Subsidiary alliance with the East India Company, when the regular threats from neighboring rulers of Mysore, Maratha and Basalath Jung (Asaf Jah II's elder brother supported by de Bussy of French) grew. Through this treaty the Nizam gave the control of the coastal region (including the cities of Masulipatnam and the Kondapalli Fort) to the India Company and permitted to station British troops in and around the Bolaram (modern Secunderabad) suburb of Hyderabad. In return the East India Company would have to pay a fixed annual rent to the Nizam and protect the borders of the Hyderabad State.^[17][18][19] In 1769, Hyderabad city became the formal capital of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The Nizams ruled the city until 17 September 1948, a year after India's independence from the British Raj.^[15][16]

During the period of Nizam rule, Hyderabad State became the richest,^[20] and the senior-most salute state among the Indian princely States.^[21] It was spread over 223,000 km² (86,000 sq mi) in the Deccan, ruled by the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The Nizam's were conferred with the title of His Exalted Highness,^[21] and "Faithful Ally of the British Government" by the United Kingdom,^[22] becoming the only Indian prince to be given these both statuses.^[23] The rule of the Nizams brought cultural and economic growth for Hyderabad city. One example of the wealth of Nizam rule is the Jewels of the Nizams, which is an international tourist attraction occasionally displayed in Salar Jung Museum. In 1948 Hyderabad had an estimated population of 1.7 crore, and it generated an estimated annual revenue of £90,029,000.^[22] The state had its own currency known as the Hyderabadi rupee, until 1951.^[24] The pace at which the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan amassed wealth made him one of the world's richest men in 1937.^[23] As per the Forbes All-Time Wealthiest List of 2008, Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan is the fifth richest man ever, with an estimated worth of US$210.8 billion (adjusted with the present value of the US dollar).^[24]

The Nizams set up numerous institutions in the name of the dynasty including hospitals and schools, colleges, universities that imparted education in Urdu.^[24] Inspired by the Indian Civil Service, the Nizams established the Hyderabad Civil Service and built large reservoirs. Survey work on the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam was initiated during this time, though the actual work was completed by the Government of India in 1969.^[25][26]

Post-independence[link]

The Rashtrapati Nilayam (President House), Photo: 1892, by Lala Deen Dayal.

Following India's independence from the British Empire in 1947, the Asaf Jahi Nizam declared his intention to remain independent.^[27] In 1948, the Hyderabad State Congress began agitating against the Nizam, with the support of Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India. On 17 September 1948, the Indian Army took control of Hyderabad state through Operation Polo and the Nizam joined India by signing the Instrument of Accession, which made him the Rajpramukh ("Princely Governor") of Hyderabad State.^[16][28] A peasant uprising or Telangana uprising was a communist-led peasant rebellion against the feudal lords of the Telangana region and later against the princely state of Hyderabad between 1946 and 1951.^[29] The Constitution of India, which became effective on 26 January 1950, made Hyderabad State one of the part B states of India and Hyderabad city continued to be its capital. In 1955, B. R. Ambedkar, the then chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, expressed in his report that the city should be designated as the second capital of India after Delhi. He expressed:

"Hyderabad has all the amenities which Delhi has and it is a far better city than Delhi. It has all the grandeur which Delhi has. Buildings are going cheap and they are really beautiful buildings, far superior to those in Delhi. The only thing that is wanting is a Parliament House which the Government of India can easily build."^[30]

Since 1956, The Rashtrapati Nilayam located in Hyderabad is the second official residence and business office of the President of India, The Indian President visits and stay here almost two months every year.^[31] On 1 November 1956, the states of India were reorganised on linguistic grounds. Hyderabad State was split on linguistic lines to become the parts of three newly carved states. Nine Telugu and Urdu speaking districts of Hyderabad State, also known as Telangana, were merged with the Telugu speaking Andhra State to create the state of Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad city as its capital.^[32] There are several movements to invalidate the merger of Telangana and Andhra; major being in 1969, 1972 and now. The Telangana movement gained momentum over decades becoming a widespread political demand of creating a new state from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.^[33] As of 2011, the movement continues with Hyderabad being major center of strikes and agitations.^[34]

Geography[link]

Hussain Sagar lake

Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is located in the north-western part of the state.^[35][36] Geographically it is located in the northern part of Deccan plateau, a large plateau that forms most of the southern part of the country. The historic locality established by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, on the southern banks of Musi river exists as the Old City, while the New City encompasses the urban sprawl largely on the northern bank of Musi River. The Old and New Cities are connected by multiple bridges over the river, with the bridge Purana pul being the oldest.^[37] Hyderabad is twined with neighbouring Secunderabad which is separated through Hussain Sagar lake. Both the twins come under the ambit of a single municipal unit of Greater Hyderabad.^[38][36]

Topography[link]

Greater Hyderabad is spread over an area of 650 km² (250 sq mi), making it one of the largest metros in India.^[35] The predominant topography of the city is sloping rocky terrain of grey and pink granites. Some locations with higher altitude are scattered throughout, giving rise to the appearance of several small hillocks. Hyderebad has an average altitude of about 1,778 feet (542 m) above mean sea Level (MSL), while the highest point in the city is Banjara Hills at 2,206 feet (672 m).^[36][39] The city houses multiple lakes and large water tanks. The lakes are often referred to as sagar which means sea. The Hussain Sagar lake, built in 1562, is located at the heart of the city. The Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar are two artificial lakes created as a result of dams on Musi River.^[36][40]

Climate[link]

Average temperature and precipitation in Hyderabad

Hyderabad has a combination of a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen Aw) that borders on a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh).^[41] The city has a moderate climate during September to February, with a small amount of variation. The monsoon is spread over a period of three months from June to August,^[42] and the normal rainfall is 786.8 milliliter.^[36]

The mean maximum temperature ranges between 34 °C (93 °F) and 40 °C (104 °F) in May. After the withdrawal of the monsoon, the maximum temperature rises slightly due to increased insulation. The mean minimum temperature is 9 °C (48 °F) to 18 °C (64 °F) in December and January, but it rises to 22 °C (72 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F) in May. The minimum temperature falls rapidly after October, and less than 10 °C (50 °F) has been recorded on individual days. The climate is mild from November to February. The summer months of April and May are hot, and the city frequently records temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). The period from July to September is warm and humid. Temperatures in the evenings and mornings are generally cooler because of the city's moderate elevation. Hyderabad receives around 1,019 millimetres (40.1 in) of rain every year, most of it concentrated in the monsoon months. The heaviest rainfall recorded in a 24-hour period is 241.5 millimetres on 24 August 2000 . The maximum (day) temperature ever recorded was 45.5 °C (114 °F) on 2 June 1966, while the minimum recorded temperature was 8 °C (46 °F) on 8 January 1946.^[43][42]