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
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, 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.
--Syed Tayyab Ali
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