Walking Tour of Hyderabad, India
Listen to this walking tour here! Read an animated version of this walking tour here!
You’re in Hyderabad’s Chowmahalla Palace. Past these looming doors, you’ll see sprawling courtyards and ornate halls. Look up. Do you see the intricate stucco work on the windows here that flank the facade?
This palace was the seat of power of the Asaf Jahi dynasty from 1720 until 1948 and was the official residence of the Nizams, or monarchs of Hyderabad during their reign. “Chow” means four and “Mahalla” means a group of palaces. After the East India Company came to India in 1700, they let the Nizams continue to rule their princely states as client kings. Here, the Nizams would entertain the British Governor Generals (Vottery 2020, 507). Now the palace has been converted into a museum.
Come into this room. Do you see the towering portraits of the Nizams on the walls? The Chowmahalla Museum takes special care to portray the Nizams in a positive light, showcasing their charitable deeds. Although many considered the Nizams to be benevolent rulers, they often abused their power. Look at this portrait of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam from 1911 until 1948. What a strong mustache! This plaque calls him the ‘Architect of Modern Hyderabad,’ because he built many public institutions across his reign, including Osmania University.
Although he is considered to be one of the wealthiest people of all time, Osman was so greedy that he often attended the wedding receptions of rich nobles in the hopes of receiving gifts from the guests. During the 1930s, Osman exclusively owned 15% of the state for his private benefit, and another 27% was for a handful of aristocrats and titled officials. In contrast, in 1937, Osman spent less than 16% of the budget on education, health and development in Hyderabad (Copland 1988, 786).
Come into the grand pillared Durbar Hall. On that marble platform, the Nizam would hold religious ceremonies. The Nizams, who were Muslim, often discriminated against other religions in Hyderabad, especially the Hindus, who made up 84% of the population. Between 1937 and 1940, a series of bloody riots culminated in a campaign of civil disobedience by 8,000 Hindus against the government (Copland 1988, 784). You asked about democracy? Well, the Nizams certainly pretended to have democracy. (laugh) They had a sham council comprised of hand-selected officials that couldn’t even initiate or reject legislation.
Additionally, being a faithful ally of the British, the Nizams were against allowing criticism that might displease the British rulers. They tried to keep Hyderabad citizens from knowing what was happening in the rest of India during the independence movement (Hugar 2015, 198). The Nizams heavily censored books and newspapers. To assemble freely, organizers of public meetings needed to seek prior permission from the police, which was rarely granted. We’re going to discuss this a little later in the tour, when we get to the library (Copland 1988, 787).
So what do you think about the Nizams? Do you think they used some of their power correctly, such as in building hospitals? Or do you think they abused most of it? Why might censorship help the Nizams, and the British, stay in power? In what ways can you see Chowmahallah Palace honoring the legacy of the Nizams? Can you see what parts of history they’ve left out?
Think on those questions as we walk towards Charminar. It’s only 10 minutes, but be careful — these busy streets, filled with tuk-tuk drivers and rowdy motorcyclists, are going to be very different from the serenity of the palace.
Charminar (10 minute walk)
Look up! You’re at Charminar in the bustling heart of Hyderabad, possibly the most recognizable monument in the city. Pretty much all walking tours will feature Charminar. Look at those wide-open central arches, and the four tall minarets piercing the blue sky. Streets lead away from the structure in the four cardinal directions. Oh, be careful! Don’t get hit by that car.
During the reign of Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah from 1580-1611, the first ruler of Hyderabad, the city suffered a massive plague. The Sultan begged Allah to spare the city, and in return constructed Charminar, sixty years before the building of the Taj Mahal. Look where I’m pointing, at the top storey with its five double arches. These represent the five great personalities of Shia Islam. This monument leaves no doubt to the city’s Shia Muslim origins (Imam 2008, 70).
Charminar was, and still is, a symbol of power. It was first a school, then a monument from which proclamations were made. In the mid-1700s, French Commander de Bussy made it his headquarters. The monument is featured on stamps and currency of the Hyderabad State (Imam 2008, 71). Today, Charminar still looks very impressive, and its imposing architecture is surrounded by bustling bazaars. Let’s take a short walk to the Laad Bazaar, located right next to Charminar.
Laad Bazaar (5 minute walk)
You’re in Laad Bazaar, a vibrant hub of vendors, patrons, and bangle hawkers, showcasing a dazzling array of beautifully crafted bangles, worn on the wrists and ankles. Listen to the vendors shouting out their prices! These bangles are made of lac, a natural material produced by insects on tree branches. It undergoes a curing process to create a hard finish, making it a primary raw material for eco-friendly products (Sharma 2017, 25).
Laad Bazaar is famous for being a bridal bazar. The term “Laad” in Hindi translates to “love” or “pamper,” indicating that visitors can buy exquisite bangles to adorn themselves, their wives, or their daughters. (Sharma 2017, 24)
This bazar traces its origins back to the days of the Mughal era under the Nizams. It exudes a lively atmosphere on the surface with its vivid colors and bustling market activity, while concealing a less apparent narrative of struggling small factories and exploited labor market lurking beneath the surface (Sharma 2017, 24). Due to most family members being engaged in lac bangle production, children are often forced to start learning the craft at a young age. Factors such as lack of resources, absence of recreational activities, and the belief that more family members working will increase daily wages contribute to population growth among these communities. Additionally, patriarchal tendencies and limited income exacerbate economic and social challenges, with children and women often being deprived of education and proper nutrition (Sharma 2017, 25). This means severely limited upward mobility.
All this goes to show the stark economic contrast in Hyderabad’s history—a kind of Tale of Two Cities—where great disparities can be seen just within a few city blocks. And, as you can see, power often goes hand-in-hand with literacy and access to education. I encourage you to peruse these shops, maybe buy a bangle or two, and leave a good tip. If you want, you can try to have a conversation with the vendor, if they speak some English. When you’re done, meet me here at this intersection, and we can take a few tuktuks to the Hyderabad State Central Library.
Hyderabad Central Library (10 minute tuktuk)
You are at the Hyderabad State Central Library. Look up! What an impressive façade. A flight of stairs leads up to a huge external arch, looming over a circular window and doorway. This library used to be called the Asafiyya Library because it was established in 1891 during the reign of Asaf Shah. After the collapse of the Nizam dynasty, it was renamed the State Central Library. This goes to show the power in a name! (Imam 2008, 79)
Before 1891, Hyderabad had no modern public library; instead, books and manuscripts were scattered in private collections. The man who founded this building, the first public library in Hyderabad, was named Syed Hussain Bilgrami. Syed Hussain was a patron of arts, literature, and education, and played a key role in the establishment of several educational institutions in Hyderabad, including libraries (Imam 2008, 80; Krenkow 1926, 431).
The State Central Library initially started with a modest collection of books, but it grew over time and became one of the oldest and largest libraries in the state of Telangana, with a wide range of books, manuscripts, and other valuable resources from all over the world (Imam 2008, 80). This library promoted literacy in Hyderabad under Nizam rule, especially to women and commoners, who typically wouldn’t receive formal education. Congregations were held in libraries, in which the daily newspaper would be read aloud so that illiterate people could understand current events (Srinivasulu and Yadagiri 2022, 206). As a result, the library was a site of struggle against the power of the Nizams and the British Empire. Let’s step inside the library to learn a little bit more.
Here you’re in the main reading room. You can sit at one of these tables and look around you. Unfortunately, this library isn’t well maintained. There are many bookcases, but the dim lighting and small arched windows aren’t great for reading. Still, there are lots of people here studying or perusing the collections. We’ll have to keep our voices down so we don’t disturb them.
I previously talked about how Osman, the Nizam, prevented people from gathering in public places without permission. This was the decree of Gasti Nishan 53 in 1929. Because of this decree, it was difficult for the Hyderabad Library to conduct its political and literary activities. At the time of the decree, the literacy rate for Telangana was only 5% (Srinivasulu and Yadagiri 2022, 207).
The Indian National Congress, called the INC, was founded in 1885, and sought Indian independence from Britain. You probably recognize this name, because Mahatma Gandhi was one of its members! (“Indian National Congress” 2023) With a rise of national consciousness, empowering the public through literacy took center stage. The national movement was closely tied to the Library Movement in the 1920s, which advocated to use print media to propagate ideas, establish public libraries, and promote the joy of reading and the importance of critical thinking (Hugar 2015, 198). As poet Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham’s said, “like air, water and sunlight, knowledge should be free and accessible to one and all” (Kodidala 2020).
In 1922, it was decided that libraries should be established to propagate the ideas of the Sangham—in other words, to promote Telugu language and culture, as opposed to English (Hugar 2015, 198). Newspapers were established with the sole aim to educate, inform, and awaken people to fight for their rights (Srinivasulu and Yadagiri 2022, 207). Publications such as “Hyderabad Record”, “Andhra Kesari,” and the Telugu “Golconda Patrikar” played a crucial role in raising public opinion in favor of the INC and spreading Telugu language and culture (Srinivasulu and Yadagiri 2022, 208). Therefore, despite the efforts of the Nizams, nationalist ideas began blowing across the subcontinent.
Unfortunately, a lot of these old newspapers were irreparably damaged by visitors to the library's store room (Srinivasulu and Yadagiri 2022, 207). But if you come to the table here, you’ll be able to read one of the original “Golconda Patrikar” newspapers. Look! This issue from 1930 has a photo of Gandhi! (“Golconda Patrika” 1930).
In general, the Library Movement was a success. Between 1920 and 1930, more than 300 hundred libraries were established in the country. Libraries became meeting points and centers of political and literary activities (Srinivasulu and Yadagiri 2022, 209). Print media informed people on what was going on inside and outside the Nizam state, and chronicled the tyranny of the rulers while also advocating for independence (Hugar 2015, 198). And in 1948, that independence was won.
To all those who have joined on this tour today, I wanted to ask you, how is language and print media used as tools for power in your own culture? I’ve provided you with some pencils and paper. If you would like, you can write your thoughts down. Once you’re done, carry these thoughts with you. We’ll continue our conversation at a local secondhand book market in Hyderabad. It’s only a few minutes away. Again, be careful of the traffic! This is going to be our last stop.
Koti Book Market (5 minute walk)
You’re in the Koti book market, one of the oldest second-hand book shops in Hyderabad. There are many stalls here selling textbooks, novels, magazines, and more, in many different languages. We’ve talked a lot about language and its relation to power in Hyderabad. During the rule of the Nizams, the city was primarily Urdu-speaking Muslim. After independence, Telugu rose to dominance since it was the native language of the Hindu people of Telangana. But there are hundreds of other languages in India that I haven’t talked about. For instance, the Deccani language, a dialect of Urdu that declined during the Mughal conquest, is making a recent resurgence (Matthews 1976). Meanwhile, English is still the main language of power as a result of colonization. It is associated with upward mobility and social status in India. English language skills have been viewed as an asset for employment opportunities, particularly in sectors such as IT and finance, which are important for Hyderabad’s tech hub. However, English has been perceived as a language that perpetuates social inequalities and creates a divide between the elite and the masses.
In general, language is power, and those who wield it can achieve great, or terrible, things. On this tour, you’ve learned about the ways that libraries and print media were used to enlighten the masses and critique abuses by the Nizams, while spreading nationalism to Hyderabad during the independence movement. More recently, these same tools, along with their online versions, have been used to spread awareness around modern-day labor exploitation (Tanvi 2020). Thank you for coming on this tour! You are welcome to peruse these bookshelves and buy a little piece of power for yourself.
This was written as part of Prof. Karl’s Public and Applied History class (AH162) at Minerva University in April of 2023.
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