Exploring Hyderabad’s Rich History and Culture

In his first book, The Hyderabadis: From 1947 to the Present Day, Daneesh Majid shares the stories of ten remarkable people. These individuals faced the harsh realities of the 1948 police action. Some saw and experienced violence and displacement in regions now part of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Telugu-speaking areas of the Nizam state also saw much bloodshed before and after Hyderabad joined India. Majid tells their stories with respect. He shows how their identities evolved through these tough times.

Authentic Hyderabad Experiences

The people in the book are not randomly chosen. They represent the true spirit of Hyderabad. Their stories challenge the usual stereotypes about Deccani Muslims. The book also looks at different migration patterns. Some went to the Gulf for work. Others moved to Karachi or Canada. Many found refuge within Hyderabad itself. They came from places like Latur and Gulbarga.

Filling the Gap

People who have left Hyderabad often become its biggest supporters. Like Majid, who returned from the Middle East and North America, many find that distance makes their love for the city grow. Those who migrated often feel more Hyderabadi than those who never left. They work hard to explore and preserve what they miss.

The book talks about displacement, much like other stories from the partition era. It covers broken geographies, rebuilt lives, and changing identities. However, while many have written about Punjab, Bengal, and Sindh, Hyderabad’s story has been less explored.

Afsar Mohammad, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote Remaking History. He looked at how Hyderabadi writers dealt with the 1948 violence through literature. Majid, on the other hand, asks how ordinary people rebuilt their lives after such disruption. He doesn’t try to define what makes a Hyderabadi. Instead, he shows different versions of Hyderabadi identity.

The Heart of Hyderabad

The book’s cover doesn’t show the famous Charminar. Instead, it features the Idara-e-Adabiyat-e-Urdu, a literary institution near Irrum Manzil station. This building represents the author’s emotional connection to the city. Majid tells the story of Professor Zor, who dreamed of turning this library into a top Urdu university. Zor’s love for Urdu drove him to make his dream a reality. Majid’s love for Hyderabad drove him to write this book.

This story mirrors Hyderabad’s own journey. Once the leading city in the modern Islamic world, it faced many challenges. But it kept its spirit alive through the dedication of its people. The book shows how love for the city and its language keeps its dreams alive.

The narrative also covers lesser-known places within the former Hyderabad state, like:

• Latur
• Kohir
• Basavakalyan

It includes areas within the city itself, such as:

• Falaknuma
• Doodhbowli
• Mughalpura

These names evoke curiosity. They make you want to learn more about the city’s rich history.

“Hyderabadis still kept their heads down no matter the exploitation in the Gulf […] The economic power that came about because of Gulf money has also made it possible for us to take the othering happening in present-day India somewhat in our stride.”

— Chapter 3 of the book.

The Survival Lens

The book focuses on survival and making a living. This perspective has some blind spots. All chapter titles are about men, reflecting the historical patriarchal structures. Women appear as supporting characters, but their stories are not central. To fill this gap, readers might also enjoy Professor Nazia Akhtar’s Bibi’s Room. It focuses on three women from 20th-century Hyderabad.

The survival focus also misses some of the cultural aspects that make Hyderabad unique. While Majid calls Hyderabad the “humour capital,” he doesn’t provide examples of this wit. He also doesn’t examine the sometimes misogynistic humor programs. The book also doesn’t cover:

• Entrepreneurial innovations
• Popular cinematic expressions
• Matrimonial traditions

These omissions make Hyderabad seem less grand than it is.

However, there is much to appreciate in Majid’s research. He shares anecdotes about discovering sources through fellow Hyderabad enthusiasts. These stories show the academic passion behind the work.

The book also navigates the Andhra–Telangana tensions of the 1960s and 70s. It examines:

• Caste associations
• Favoritism
• Water politics
• Land disputes

Particularly interesting is how committed Marxists like Chukka Ramaiah and Raj Bahadur Gour dealt with Mulki versus Andhra Telugu identities.

One notable absence is the Muslim voice during this period. Did survival struggles suppress their assertiveness? Why did MIM maintain dominance over democratic challengers like MBT? What wisdom might figures like Bahadur Yar Jung offer for today’s politics?

Given Majid’s calls for greater integration, these missing perspectives are significant. With fewer migration options to the Gulf and North America, Hyderabad’s Muslims must anchor themselves more firmly in their homeland. The resilience shown in these ten lives offers a foundation for more confident Muslim politics today.

Surya Teja is a Researcher and Software Engineer at Avanti Fellows, a non-profit developing open-source tech for public schools.

The Hyderabadis: From 1947 to the Present Day, Daneesh Majid, HarperCollins India.