Secunderabad’s light rail transportation system, known as the Multi-Modal Transport System, is used by over 150,000 passengers daily. Secunderabad Metro, a rapid transit system, is under construction and is scheduled to operate three lines by 2014.
In 1712, Farrukhsiyar, the sixth of Aurangzeb’s successors, appointed Asif Jah I to be Viceroy of the Deccan, with the title Nizam-ul-Mulk (Administrator of the Realm). In 1724, Asif Jah I defeated Mubariz Khan to establish autonomy over the Deccan Suba, starting what came to be known as the Asif Jahi dynasty, and named the region Secunderabad Deccan. Subsequent rulers retained the title Nizam ul-Mulk and were referred to as Asif Jahi Nizams, or Nizams of Secunderabad. The death of Asif Jah I in 1748 resulted in a period of political unrest as his sons, backed by opportunistic neighbouring states and colonial foreign forces, contended for the throne. The accession of Asif Jah II, who reigned from 1762 to 1803, to the throne ended the instability. In 1768 he signed the treaty of Masulipatnam, surrendering the coastal region to the East India Company in return for a fixed annual rent.
In 1769, Secunderabad city became the formal capital of the Nizams. In response to regular threats from Hyder Ali, Dalwai of Mysore, Baji Rao I, Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, and Basalath Jung (Asif Jah II’s elder brother, who was supported by the Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau), the Nizam signed a subsidiary alliance with the East India Company in 1798, allowing the British Indian Army to occupy Bolarum (modern Secunderabad) to protect the state’s borders, for which the Nizams paid an annual maintenance to the British. From the late 19th century on, Secunderabad was transformed into a modern city with the establishment of railways, transport services, underground drainage, running water, electricity, Begumpet Airport, telecommunications, universities and industries. The Nizams ruled the state from Secunderabad until 17 September 1948, a year after India’s independence from Britain.
In the 2005 National Family Health Survey, it was reported that the city’s total fertility rate is 1.8,:47 which is below the replacement rate. Only 61% of children had been provided with all basic vaccines (BCG, measles and full courses of polio and DPT), fewer than in all other surveyed cities except Meerut.:98 The infant mortality rate was 35 per 1,000 live births, and the mortality rate for children under five was 41 per 1,000 live births.:97 The survey also reported that a third of women and a quarter of men are overweight or obese, 49% of children below 5 years are anaemic, and up to 20% of children are underweight,:44, 55–56 while more than 2% of women and 3% of men suffer from diabetes in Secunderabad.:57
In the southern part of central Secunderabad are many historical and touristic sites, such as the Charminar, the Mecca Masjid, the Salar Jung Museum, the Nizam’s museum, the Falaknuma Palace, and the traditional retail corridor comprising Laad Bazaar, Pearls Market and Madina circle. North of the river are hospitals, colleges, major railway stations and business areas such as Begum Bazaar, Koti, Abids, Sultan Bazaar and Moazzam Jahi Market, along with administrative and recreational establishments such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, the Secunderabad Mint, the Andhra Pradesh Legislature, the Public Garden, the Nizam Club, the Ravindra Bharathi, the state museum, the Birla Temple and the Birla Planetarium.
Like the rest of India, Secunderabad has a large informal economy that employs 30% of the labour force.:71 According to a survey published in 2007, it had 40–50,000 street vendors, and their numbers were increasing.:9 Among the street vendors, 84% are male and 16% female,:12 and four fifths are “stationary vendors” operating from a fixed pitch, often with their own stall.:15–16 Most are financed through personal savings; only 8% borrow from moneylenders.:19 Vendor earnings vary from 50 (92¢ US) to 800 (US$15) per day. Other unorganised economic sectors include dairy, poultry farming, brick manufacturing, casual labour and domestic help. Those involved in the informal economy constitute a major portion of urban poor.:71
North of central Secunderabad lie Hussain Sagar, Tank Bund Road, Rani Gunj and the Secunderabad Railway Station. The majority of the city’s parks and recreation centres, such as Sanjeevaiah Park, Indira Park, Lumbini Park, NTR Gardens, the Buddha statue and Tankbund Park are located here. In the northwest part of the city there are upscale residential areas such as Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Begumpet and Khairatabad. The northern end contains industrial areas such as Sanathnagar, Moosapet, Balanagar, Pathan Cheru and Chanda Nagar. The northeast end is dotted with residential colonies. The “Cyberabad” area in the southwest and west parts of the city has grown rapidly since the 1990s. It is home to information technology and bio-pharmaceutical companies and to landmarks such as Secunderabad Airport, Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar and KBR National Park. In the eastern part of the city lie many defence research centres and Ramoji Film City.
Notable business and management schools in Secunderabad include the Indian School of Business, National Institute of Rural Development, and the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India. Institutes of national importance include the Institute of Public Enterprise, the Administrative Staff College of India, and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. Secunderabad has five major medical schools—Osmania Medical College, Gandhi Medical College, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Deccan College of Medical Sciences and Shadan Institute Of Medical Sciences—and many affiliated teaching hospitals. The Government Nizamia Tibbi College is a college of unani medicine.
On 1 November 1956, the states of India were reorganised by language group. Secunderabad State was split into three parts, the modern states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The nine Telugu- and Urdu-speaking districts of Secunderabad State that make up the Telangana region were merged with the Telugu-speaking Andhra State to create Andhra Pradesh, with Secunderabad as its capital. Several protests, known collectively as the Telangana movement, attempted to invalidate the merger and demanded the creation of a new Telangana state. Major actions took place in 1969 and 1972, with a third beginning in 2010. In 2002, a blast in Dilsukhnagar claimed two lives, while in May and August 2007, terrorist groups detonated a series of bombs in the city, causing communal tension and riots. A series of blasts that occurred at Dilsukhnagar in February 2013 are the latest terrorist attacks in Secunderabad.
One of the earliest newspapers to be published in Secunderabad was The Deccan Times, which was established in the 1780s. The major Telugu dailies published in Secunderabad are Eenadu, Sakshi and Andhra Jyothy, the major English papers are The Times of India, The Hindu and The Deccan Chronicle, and the major Urdu papers include The Siasat Daily, The Munsif Daily and Etemaad. Many coffee table magazines, professional magazines and research journals are regularly published there. The Secunderabad Cantonment Board established the first radio station in Secunderabad State around 1919. Deccan Radio was the first radio station in the city to broadcast to the public. It went on air on 3 February 1935. In 2000, radio stations were permitted to broadcast in FM; the available channels included All India Radio, Radio Mirchi, Radio City and Big FM.
Public modes of transport such as buses, auto rickshaws and light railways are most commonly used in Secunderabad. Half of the vehicles in 2001 were two-wheelers, 16% cars, 16% auto rickshaws, 9% bicycles and 3% buses.:61 As of 2012, there are about 77,000 auto rickshaws and 3,800 APSRTC buses. The bus service provided by the APSRTC was estimated to carry 13 million passengers a day in 2005. Setwin (Society for Employment Promotion & Training in Twin Cities) operates minibuses in the city. In some parts of the city cycle rickshaws are hired to travel smaller distances.
Qutb Shahi architecture of the 16th and early 17th centuries followed classical Persian architecture featuring domes and colossal arches, The oldest surviving Qutb Shahi structure in Secunderabad is the ruins of Golconda fort built in 16th century. The Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Charkaman and Qutb Shahi Tombs are other existing structures of this period; among these the Charminar has become an icon of the city. Located in the centre of old Secunderabad, it is a square structure with sides 20 metres (66 ft) long and four grand arches each facing a road. At each corner stands a 56 metres (184 ft) minaret. Most of the historical Bazaars that still exist were constructed on the street north of Charminar towards Golconda fort. The Charminar, Qutb Shahi tombs and Golconda fort are considered to bemonuments of national importance in India; in 2010 the Indian government proposed that the sites be listed for UNESCO World Heritage status.:11-18
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGAI) (IATA: HYD, ICAO: VOHS) was opened in 2008, replacing Begumpet Airport. In 2011, Airports Council International, an autonomous body representing the world’s airports, judged RGAI the world’s best airport in the 5–15 million passenger category and the world’s fifth best airport for Airport service quality.
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, completed in 2008, was the second public–private partnership among Indian airports.
Schools in Secunderabad are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, the Secondary School Certificate or the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, and they are run by government or by private entities such as local governing bodies, individuals, missionaries or other agencies. Around two-thirds of pupils go to private schools. Languages of instruction include English, Hindi, Urdu and Telugu. Schools follow the “10+2+3” plan. After completing secondary education, students have to enroll in schools or junior colleges with a higher secondary facility. Admission to professional graduation colleges in Hyderbad is through Engineering Agricultural and Medical Common Entrance Test (EAM-CET). Most colleges are affiliated with either Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University or Osmania University.
Source #1: India Meteorological Department (1951–1980), NOAA (extremes, mean, humidity, 1971–1990)
South Indian music and dances such as the Kuchipudi and Kathakali styles are popular in the Deccan region. North Indian music and dance gained popularity during the Mughals and Nizam rule, it was a tradition among the nobility to associat them self with Tawaif—(courtesans) to be known as polished person, the courtesans were treated as the epitome of etiquette and culture, and were appointed to teach singing, poetry and classical dance to many elite children. This gave rise to certain styles of court music, dance and poetry. Besides western and Indian popular music genres such as filmi music, the residents of Secunderabad play city-based marfa music, especially at weddings, festivals and other celebratory events. The state government organises the Golconda Music and Dance Festival, the Taramati Music Festival and the Premavathi Dance Festival. Though the city is not particularly noted for theatre and drama, the state government promotes theatre with multiple programmes and festivals. The Ravindra Bharati, Shilpakala Vedika and Lalithakala Thoranam are auditoria for theatre and performing arts in the city. Numaish is a popular annual exhibition of local and national consumer products. The city is home to the Telugu film industry, popularly known as Tollywood. As of 2012, Tollywood is second only to Bollywood in number of films produced in India. Since 2005, films in local Secunderabadi dialect have gained in popularity. The city hosts the annual International Children’s Film Festival and the Secunderabad International Film Festival. In 2005, Guinness World Records declared Ramoji Film City to be the world’s largest film studio.
Sultan Quli, a governor of Golkonda, revolted against the Bahmani Sultanate and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty in 1518. The fifth sultan, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, established Secunderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591 to avoid the water shortages experienced at Golkonda. During his rule, he had the Charminar and Mecca Masjid built in the city. On 21 September 1687, the Golkonda Sultanate came under the rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after a year-long siege of the Golkonda fort. The annexed area was renamed Deccan Suba (Deccan province) and the capital was moved from Golkonda to Aurangabad, about 550 km (342 mi) northwest of Secunderabad.
Television broadcasting in Secunderabad began in 1974 with the launch of Doordarshan, the Government of India’s public service broadcaster, which transmits two free-to-air terrestrial television channels and one satellite channel. Private satellite channels started in July 1992 with the launch of Star TV. Satellite TV channels are accessible via cable subscription, direct-broadcast satellite services or internet-based television. Secunderabad’s first dial-up Internet access became available in the early 1990s and was limited to software development companies. The first public internet access service began in 1995, and the first private sector Internet service provider (ISP) started operating in 1998.
Telugu is the official language of Secunderabad and Urdu is its second language. The Telugu dialect spoken in Secunderabad is called Telangana, and the Urdu spoken is called Dakhani.:1869–70 English is also used, particularly among white-collar workers. A significant minority speaks other languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali and Kannada.
The Andhra Pradesh Vaidya Vidhana Parishad is the state government department responsible for administering healthcare in Secunderabad. As of 2010–11, the city had 50 government hospitals, 300 private and charity hospitals and 194 nursing homes providing approximately 12,000 hospital beds, less than half of the required 25,000; for every 10,000 people in the city, there are 17.6 hospital beds, 9 specialist doctors, 14 nurses and 6 physicians. The city also has about 4,000 individual clinics and 500 medical diagnostic centres, which are preferred by many residents; an estimated 28% of the population use government facilities, because of their distance, poor quality of care and long waiting times,:60–61 despite the high proportion of the city’s residents being covered by government health insurance, 24% according to a National Family Health Survey in 2005.:4 As of 2012, many new private hospitals of various sizes have opened or are being built. Secunderabad also has outpatient and inpatient facilities that use Unani, homeopathic and Ayurvedic treatments.
The establishment of the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL), a public sector undertaking, in 1961 was followed over the decades by many national and global companies opening manufacturing and research facilities in the city, contributing to its reputation as “India’s pharmaceutical capital” and the “Genome Valley of India”. It is a global centre of information technology, for which it is known as Cyberabad (Cyber City). During 2008–09, Secunderabad’s IT exports reached US$ 4.7 billion, and 22% of the NASSCOM’s total membership is from the city. The development of HITEC City, a township with extensive technological infrastructure, prompted multinational companies to establish facilities in Secunderabad. The city is home to more than 1300 IT and ITES firms, including global conglomerates such as Microsoft (operating its largest R&D campus outside the US), Google, IBM, Yahoo!, Dell, Facebook,:3 and major Indian firms including Mahindra Satyam, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Genpact and Wipro.:3 In 2009 the World Bank Group ranked the city as the second best Indian city for doing business. The city and its suburbs contain the highest number of special economic zones of any Indian city.
The Golconda and Secunderabad styles are branches of Deccani painting. Developed during the 16th century, the Golconda style is a native style blending foreign techniques, bearing some similarity to the Vijayanagara paintings of neighbouring Mysore. A significant use of luminous gold and white colours is generally found in the Golconda style. The Secunderabad style originated in the early 17th century under the Nizams. Highly influenced by Mughal painting, this style makes use of bright colours and mostly depicts regional landscape, culture, costumes and jewellery.
The Greater Secunderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of the city’s 18 “circles”, which together encompass 150 municipal wards. Each ward is represented by a corporator, elected by popular vote. The corporators elect the Mayor, who is the titular head of GHMC; executive powers rest with the Municipal Commissioner, appointed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The GHMC carries out the city’s infrastructural work such as building and maintenance of roads and drains, town planning including construction regulation, maintenance of municipal markets and parks, solid waste management, the issuing of birth and death certificates, the issuing of trade licences, collection of property tax, and community welfare services such as mother and child healthcare service, pre-school education, and non-formal education. The GHMC was formed in April 2007 by merging the Municipal Corporation of Secunderabad (MCH) with 12 municipalities of the Secunderabad, Ranga Reddy and Medak districts covering a total area of 650 km2 (250 sq mi).:3 In the 2009 municipal election, an alliance of the Indian National Congress and Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen formed the majority. The Secunderabad Cantonment Board is a civic administration agency overseeing an area of 40.1 km2 (15.5 sq mi),:93 where there are several military camps.:2 The Osmania University campus is administered independently by the university authority.:93
The historic city established by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah on the southern side of the Musi River forms the “Old City”, while the “New City” encompasses the urbanised area on the northern banks. The two are connected by many bridges across the river, the oldest of which is Purana Pul (old bridge). Secunderabad is twinned with neighbouring Secunderabad, from which it is separated by Hussain Sagar.
The HMWSSB regulates rainwater harvesting, sewerage services and water supply, which is sourced from several dams located in the suburbs. In 2005, the HMWSSB started operating a 150-kilometre-long (93 mi) water supply pipeline from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam to meet increasing demands. The Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company manages electricity supply. Firefighting services operate from the 13 fire stations, as of March 2012, of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services department. The state-owned Indian Postal Service has five head post offices and many sub-post offices in Secunderabad. The state postal service is complemented by private courier services.
The jurisdiction of the Secunderabad Police Commissionerate is divided into five police zones, each headed by a deputy commissioner. The Secunderabad Traffic Police is headed by a deputy commissioner who reports to the commissioner. In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh Government announced its intention to merge the Secunderabad and Cyberabad Police Commissionerates into a single Greater Secunderabad Police Commissionerate.
The Kakatiya dynasty was later reduced to a vassal of the Khilji dynasty (1310–1321) after their defeat by Sultan Alauddin Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate. This lasted until 1321 when the Kakatiya dynasty was annexed by Allaudin Khilji general Malik Kafur. During this period, Alauddin Khilji took the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is said to have been mined from the Kollur Mines in Golkonda, to Delhi. Muhammad bin Tughluq succeeded to the Delhi sultanate in 1325, bringing Warangal under the rule of the Tughlaq dynasty until 1347 when Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah, a governor under bin Tughluq, rebelled against the sultanate and established the Bahmani Sultanate in the Deccan Plateau, with Gulbarga, 200 km (124 mi) west of Secunderabad, as its capital. The Bahmani kings ruled the region until 1518 and were the first independent Muslim rulers of the Deccan.
The Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium and the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium host cricket matches; the latter serves as the home ground of Secunderabad Cricket Association. Secunderabad has been the venue of many international cricket matches, including matches in the 1987 and the 1996 Cricket World Cups. The Secunderabad cricket team represents the city in the Ranji Trophy—a first-class cricket tournament among India’s states and cities. Secunderabad is home to the Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Secunderabad formerly known as Deccan Chargers which won the 2009 Indian Premier League held in South Africa.
The name Secunderabad means “Hyder’s abode” or “lion city”, derived from the Persian/Urdu words “haydar” or “hyder” (lion) and “abad” (city or abode). According to John Everett-Heath, Secunderabad was named to honour the Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Talib, who was also known as Hyder because of his lion-like valour in battles. One popular theory suggests that Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of the city, named it “Bhaganagar” or “Bhagnagar” after Bhagmathi, a local nautch (dancing) girl with whom he had fallen in love. She converted to Islam and adopted the title Hyder Mahal. The city was renamed Secunderabad in her honour. According to another source, the city was named after Haidar, the son of Quli Qutb Shah. Andrew Petersen, a scholar of Islamic architecture, says the city was originally called Baghnagar (city of gardens). However, no sources define when or by whom the city was named.
The residents of Secunderabad, referred to as “Secunderabadi”, are Urdu-speaking, followed by Telugu people people and a minority of Tamil, Marathi, Kannada (including Nawayathi), Marwari, Bengali, Malayali, Gujarati, Punjabi and Uttar Pradeshi communities. Among the communities of foreign origin, Yemeni Arabs form the majority, although African Arabs, Armenians, Abyssinians, Iranians, Pathans and Turkish people are also present. The foreign population declined after Secunderabad State became part of the Indian Union, as it lost the patronage of the Nizams.
The Secunderabad Railway Station is the headquarters of the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways, and the largest station in Secunderabad. Other major railway stations in Secunderabad are Secunderabad Deccan Station, Kachiguda Railway Station and Begumpet Railway Station.
There are 13 universities in Secunderabad: two private universities, two deemed universities, six state universities and three central universities. The central universities are the University of Secunderabad, Maulana Azad National Urdu University and the English and Foreign Languages University. Osmania University, established in 1918, was the first university in Secunderabad. As of 2012, it is India’s second most popular destination for international students. The Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University, established in 1982, is the first distance learning open university in India.
There are 3,500,802 male and 3,309,168 female citizens—a sex ratio of 945 females per 1000 males, higher than the national average of 926 per 1000. Among children aged 0–6 years, 373,794 are boys and 352,022 are girls—a ratio of 942 per 1000. Literacy stands at 82.96% (male 85.96%; female 79.79%), higher than the national average of 74.04%.
Three National Highways pass through the city: NH-7, NH-9 and NH-202. Five state highways, SH-1, SH-2, SH-4, SH-5 and SH-6, either begin at or pass through Secunderabad.:58 The Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in the city centre is the main bus station.
Throughout its history, the city was a centre for local traditions in art, literature, architecture and cuisine. As a result, it has become a tourist destination with many places of interest, including Chowmahalla Palace, Charminar and Golkonda fort. It has several museums such as Salar Jung Museum, Nizam Museum, and AP State Archaeology Museum as well as bazaars such as Laad Bazar, Madina Circle, Begum Bazaar and Sultan Bazaar, dating from the Qutb Shahi and Nizam era. Secunderabadi biriyani and Secunderabadi haleem are examples of distinctive culinary products of the city.
Traffic congestion is widespread in the city,:2–3 and roads occupy only 9.5% of the total city area.:79 The Inner Ring Road, the Outer Ring Road and various interchanges, overpasses and underpasses have been developed to ease the congestion, including the Secunderabad Elevated Expressway which, as of 2008, is the longest flyover in India. In 2001 it was reported that 40% of accidents are due to poor facilities for pedestrians.:63 Maximum speed limits within the city are 50 km/h (31 mph) for two-wheelers and cars, 35 km/h (22 mph) for auto rickshaws and 40 km/h (25 mph) for light commercial vehicles and buses.
Until 1874, there were no modern industries in Secunderabad, with the invention of railways in 1880’s four factories were built at the south and east region of the Hussain Sagar lake. A view of the mills and the canal is connected with the lake.
When the GHMC was created in 2007, the area occupied by the municipality increased from 175 km2 (68 sq mi) to 650 km2 (250 sq mi). Consequently, the population increased by 87%, from 3,637,483 in the 2001 census to 6,809,970 in the 2011 census, 24% of which are migrants from elsewhere in India,:2 making Secunderabad the fourth most populous city in India. As of 2011, the population density is 18,480 /km2 (47,900 /sq mi). The Secunderabad Urban Agglomeration has a population of 7,749,334, making it the sixth most populous urban agglomeration in the country.
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