History Of Hyderabad

The land of luminescent architecture and affluent literature - Hyderabad is truly like a bead of pearl in the beautiful string of the city’s legacy. The royal past and rich heritage of the territory has made Hyderabad the most intriguing city of the country. With nearly 400 years of glorious history to boast of, Hyderabad is imprinted with the influence of magnificent rulers and their royal dynasties, who have contributed a great deal in shaping the character and tradition of Hyderabad. The city of Hyderabad may have graduated to being the technical seatee of the country, but, at the same time, it has succeeded to preserve and popularize the spectacular culture of the Nizams. Despite of the political tensions in the kingdom, Hyderabad’s history is deemed as a glorious chapter in the chronicles of Deccan. The beautiful old edifices, forts, palaces and other monuments proudly speak about the ancestral past and its majestic implications. The fascinating history of Nizams City is here to allure you with its dazzling legacy. Go ahead and explore the royal past of Hyderabad.

Overview of Hyderabad History

Qutb Shahi, The Artificers Of Hyderabad
Although the ancient history of Hyderabad dates back to the 3rd century BC, it was during Qutb Shahi’s dynasty that the city flowered. Quli Qutb Shah, the magnificent ruler of Qutb dynasty, seized the power of Hyderabad from Bahamani Kingdom in 1512.The city, previously known as Golconda, was renamed as Hyderabad by the famous Shahi ruler Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah. As per the records, the king was in love with a gorgeous lady named ‘Bhagmati’ who changed her name to ‘Haider Mahal’ after marrying Mohammed Quli. It was after her that the city of Hyderabad got its name, which literally means the ‘city of Haider’. The splendid city witnessed all seven Qutb Shahi rulers who contributed greatly to the infrastructural and cultural development of Hyderabad.

The Reign Of Mughals And Nizams
Hyderabad’s eminence, planned construction and its legendary wealth attracted Aurangzeb, the noted Mughal who eventually seized the land in 1687. Aurangzeb ruled the city for many years under the assistance of his Prime Minister Asaf Jah. When the glory of the Mughals declined, Asaf Jah declared himself as the Nizam of the entire Deccan region. In this way, Hyderabad came under the popular Nizam or Asaf Jahi dynasty. The admired Nizams, who ruled from 1724 to 1948, became the most powerful dynasty in the history of India. In 1798, Nizam II, the son of Asaf Jahi, signed an agreement with British East India Company according to which they stayed near Hussain Sagar Lake and involved themselves in building the twin city Secunderabad. Hyderabad, which came under British crown, was never a part of British India.

Post Independence Era
After the Indian Independence in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad acknowledged his intention to maintain his Independent sovereign rule or acquire a separate territory under the British Empire. However, with the intervention of Sardar Patel, Hyderabad came under the governance of Indian Union in 1948 and served as the separate state until 1956. On November 1, 1956, Indian government divided the land based on its linguistic majority because of which provinces in Hyderabad were split into Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Hyderabad city, which came under the governance of Andra Pradesh, became the capital of the state.