Hotels, Resorts, & Travel Reservations
Up to 75% Discount

HYDERABAD INFORMATION

Hyderabad is the capital city and most populous city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The city of Hyderabad has an estimated population of around 4.8 million. Greater Hyderabad metropolitan area has an estimated metropolitan population of 8.6 million, making it an A-1 status city.

Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India, and also its multilingual culture, both geographically and culturally.Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls, Hyderabad is today one of the fast developing cities in the country and a modern hub of Information technology, ITES, and biotechnology.

Hyderabad has become a preferred conference venue in India as well as in Asia, with many conferences and meetings taking place in the city. The city is home to the world's largest film studio, the Ramoji Film City as well as the second largest film industry in the country, the Telugu Film Industry known popularly as Tollywood. The city is also known to be a sporting destination with many national and international games conducted here. The city is regarded as a blend of traditionality with modernity.

After founding the city, Quli Qutb Shah fell in love with and married a local Banjara girl, who converted to Islam and changed her name to Hyder Mahal. Hence the new city was named Hyderabad (literally, "the city of Hyder").

Hyderabad's history dates back to 500 BC, as proved by the discovery of numerous Iron Age sites belonging to that era. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty the ruling family of the Golconda, previously a feudatory of Bahmani sultanate that declared independence in 1512, founded the city of Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591; to relieve a water shortage the dynasty had experienced at their old headquarters at Golconda. He also ordered the construction of the Charminar, the iconic monument of the city.

In 1591, reportedly in gratitude to the Almighty for arresting the plague epidemic before it did irreversible damage to his new city.

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb captured Hyderabad in 1687 and during this short Mughal rule. But the Mughal-appointed governors of the city soon gained autonomy. In 1724, Asaf Jah I, who was granted the title Nizam-ul-Mulk ("Governor of the country") by the Mughal emperor, defeated a rival official to establish control over Hyderabad. Thus began the Asaf Jahi dynasty that ruled Hyderabad until a year after India's independence from Britain. Asaf Jah's successors ruled as the Nizams of Hyderabad. The rule of the seven Nizams saw the growth of Hyderabad both culturally and economically.

Hyderabad became the formal capital of the kingdom and Golconda was almost abandoned. Huge reservoirs, like the Nizam Sagar, Tungabhadra, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, and others were built. Survey work on Nagarjuna Sagar had also begun during this time; the actual work was completed by the Government of India in 1969. The wealth and grandeur of the Nizams is demonstrated by the fabled Jewels of The Nizams which is a tourist attraction.The state was richest and the largest among the princely states of India.The land area of the state was 90,543 mi² its population in 1901 was 5,00,73,759. It enjoyed an estimated revenue of £9,00,29,000.

The princely state of Hyderabad, which occupied the greater part of the Deccan, was by far the largest of India's princely states. In 1956 the state of Hyderabad was divided between Maharashtra, Mysore, and Andhra Pradesh. City is well known for its crowded bazaars, surrounded by huge and impressive Islamic monuments. The extensive ruins of Qutab Shahi tombs and its nearby tombs are a major attraction. Charminar, the huge triumphal arc, is one of the most famous landmark of the city. Next to Charminar lies the Mecca Masjid, one of the world's largest mosque.

Hyderabad is the fifth largest cosmopolitan city in India, rich in culture, enduring history and industrial growth. It is unique in being one of the few cities where tradition and technology co-exist. With a dynamic leadership, the state is steering the nation to new dimensions in the fields of Information Technology,

After the Indian independence in 1947, under the terms of independence from the British, the Nizam wanted to either remain independent or accede to Pakistan. India, then, implemented an economic blockade and forced Hyderabad state to sign a Standstill Agreement with the Indian Union. On September 17, 1948, more than a year after India had gained independence, the Nizam signed the Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union in the aftermath of Operation Polo.

On November 1, 1956, the states of India were reorganized on linguistic grounds. The territories of the State of Hyderabad were divided between newly created Andhra Pradesh, Bombay state (later Maharashtra), and Karnataka.