By Raza
Hyderabad was located in the south-central region of the Indian subcontinent, and was ruled, from 1724 until 1948, by a hereditary Nizam. The capital city was Hyderabad.
The region became part of the Mughal Empire in the 1680s. When the empire began to weaken in the 18th century, a Mughal official, Asif Jah, defeated a rival Mughal governor to seize control of the empire's southern provinces, declaring himself Nizam-al-Mulk of Hyderabad in 1724. The Mughal emperor, under renewed attack from the Marathas, was unable to prevent it.
From 1798 Hyderabad was one of the princely states of British India, but it retained control of its internal affairs. The Berar region of the state was merged with the Central Provinces of British India in 1903, to form the Central Provinces and Berar.
In 1947, at the time of the partition of India and the formation of the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan, the then Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, decided not to join either new nation. However, the following year, the Government of India incorporated Hyderabad into the Indian Union, using military force, in what was known as Operation Polo, led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The Nizams patronized Islamic art, culture and literature which became central to Hyderabadi Muslim identity and developed railway network in Hyderabad. Islamic Sharia law was the guiding principle of the Nizams' official machinery.
During the British Raj
The seniormost (21-gun) salute state during the period of British India, Hyderabad was an 82,000 square mile (212,000 km²) region in the Deccan ruled by the Asif Jahi dynasty, who had the title of Nizam and was bestowed the title of His Exalted Highness by the British. The Nizam set up numerous institutions in the name of the dynasty. He set up schools, colleges, madrasas and a university that imparted education in Urdu. Inspired by the elite and prestigious Indian Civil Service he founded the Hyderabad Civil Service. The pace with which he amassed wealth made him to be one of the world's richest men in the 1930s, (Time cover story Feb. 22, 1937). Carrying a gift, called Nazrana, in accordance with one's net worth while meeting Nizam was a de facto necessity.
After the British Raj (1947–48)
When India gained independence in the year 1947, the British left the choice of independence or unification up to the local rulers of the princely states. Razakars (some Muslim nobles under the Nizam), wished to remain independent or consider joining Pakistan. In the case of Hyderabad however, this could not be applied as it was right in the middle of the new state of India. Being a Muslim-governed state, the Nizam wanted to join Pakistan but he was overruled by the viceroy Lord Mountbatten. As a result, the Indian Government carried out the so called “Hyderabad Police Action” against the Nizam. Code-named “Operation Polo” by the Indian military, this action by the Indian armed forces ended the rule of the Nizams of Hyderabad by the incorporation of the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union.
After Integration in the Indian Union
After the incorporation of Hyderabad State in India, M. K. Vellodi was appointed as Chief Minister of the state on 26 January 1950. He was a Senior Civil servant in the Government of India. After the first State Assembly elections in India, 1952, Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao became Chief Minister of Hyderabad State.
Hyderabad today
In 1956 during the Reorganisation of the Indian States based along linguistic lines, the state of Hyderabad was split up between Andhra Pradesh, Bombay state (later divided into states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960 with the original portions of Hyderabad becoming part of the state of Maharashtra) and Karnataka. The last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, died in 1967.
Administratively, Hyderabad State was made up of sixteen districts, grouped into four divisions. Aurangabad division included Aurangabad, Beed, Nanded, and Parbhani districts; Gulbarga (Gulbarga) division included Bidar District, Gulbarga, Osmanabad District, and Raichur District; Gulshanabad District or Medak division included Atraf-i-Baldah, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda (Nalgundah), and Nizamabad districts, and Warangal division included Adilabad, Karimnagar, and Warangal districts
Hyderabad state in 1909
Urdu (in particular, the unique Dakhani dialect), Telugu, Hindi ,English are among the largely spoken languages in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh today.
The political party All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, founded by Bahadur Yar Jung, enjoys prominent support amongst Muslims. Also, there is a strong hold of Other Parties like Congress, TDP (Telugu desam party) with both Hindu and Muslim support, and some other new party formed with intention of separation of the telangana state (the part of nizam state that was merged with andhra pradesh) Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) a party formed by Telugu film star chiranjeeevi, Lok Satta, BJP with only 2 seats among 294 seats during 2009 Elections for Andhra Pradesh.
The Hyderabadi Muslim cultural influence left over from the former princely state is very strong in Hyderabad and in the diaspora communities of Hyderabadi Muslims. Now Hyderabad is a multicultured city with people from every region of Country(North, South, East and West of India). Hyderabad is known for its famous historical monuments like Charminar, Makka Masjid, Golconda Fort, Falaknuma Palace, Qutub Shahi Tombs, and Birla Mandir. Hyderabad is famous for its "Hyderabadi Biryani", a delicious food item famous for its name. Presently, Hyderabad is condsidered second IT Sector in South India with having hundreds of IT Companies in its IT Zones HighTech City, Gachibowli and IT PARK.
