India Guide
Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad/Secunderabad
A melting pot of Muslim and Hindu cultures, the capital of Andhra Pradesh comprises the twin cities of HYDERABAD and SECUNDERABAD, with a combined population of nearly seven million. Secunderabad, of little interest to visitors, is the modern administrative city founded by the British, whereas Hyderabad, the old city, has plenty to offer, with teeming bazaars, Muslim monuments and the Salar Jung Museum. Hyderabad declined after Independence, but now the conurbation as a whole is booming. Having overtaken Bengaluru as the south's hi-tech capital, Hyderabad (or "Cyberabad") is now India's foremost computer and information technology centre.
Hyderabad was founded in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Shah (1562–1612), beside the River Musi, 8km east of Golconda, the fortress capital of the Golconda empire which was by this time suffering from overcrowding and a serious lack of water. Unusually, the new city was laid out on a grid system, with huge arches and stone buildings that included Hyderabad's most famous monument, Charminar. At first it was a city without walls; these were only added in 1740 as defence against the Marathas. Legend has it that a secret tunnel linked the spectacular Golconda Fort with the city, dotted with dome-shaped structures at suitable intervals to provide the unfortunate messengers who had to use it with the opportunity to come up for fresh air.
For the three hundred years of Muslim reign, there was harmony between the predominantly Hindu population and the minority Muslims. Hyderabad was the most important focus of Muslim power in south India at this time; the princes' fabulous wealth derived primarily from the fine gems, particularly diamonds, mined in the Kistna Valley at Golconda. The famous Koh-i-Noor diamond was found here – the only time it was ever captured was by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, when his son seized the Golconda Fort in 1687. It ended up, cut, in the British royal crown.
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