Founded in 1768 byMian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of theKalhora Dynasty, Hyderabad served as a provincial capital until the British transferred the capital toBombay Presidency in 1840. It is about 150 kilometres (93 mi) inland ofKarachi, the largest city of Pakistan, to which it is connected by a direct railway andM-9 motorway.
The city was named in honour ofAli,[6] thefourth caliph and cousin ofMuhammad. Hyderabad's name translates literally as "Lion City"—fromhaydar, meaning "lion", andābād, which is a suffix indicating a settlement. "Lion" references Ali's valour in battle.[7] The city was historically known as Neroonkot, meaning the "place where Neroon came from", named after a local ruler called Neroon.[8]
Pacco Qillo was built on a limestone outcropping known asGanjo Takkar.
TheRiver Indus was changing course around 1757, resulting in periodic floods of the then capital of theKalhora dynasty,Khudabad.Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro decided to shift the capital away from Khudabad, and founded Hyderabad in 1768 over a limestone ridge on the eastern bank of theIndus River known asGanjo Takkar, or "Bald Hill." The small hill is traditionally believed to have been the location of the ancient settlement ofNeroon Kot, a town which had fallen to the armies ofMuhammad Bin Qasim in 711 CE.[9][10] When the foundations were laid, the city came to be known by the nicknameHeart of theMehran.
Devotees of ImamAli advisedMian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro to name the city in honour of their Imam.[10] TheShah of Iran later gifted the city a stone which purportedly bears the imprint of Ali's feet.[10] The stone was placed in theQadamgah Maula Ali, which then became a place of pilgrimage.[10]
In 1768,Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro ordered a fort to be built on one of the three hills of Hyderabad to house and defend his people. The fort was built using baked clay bricks, earning it the namePacco Qillo, meaningStrong Fort in Sindhi.[11] The fort was completed in 1769, and is spread over 36 acres.[10] Mian Ghulam Shah also built the "Shah Makki Fort", commonly known asKacha Qila, to fortify the tomb of theSufi saint Shah Makki.[12]
Hyderabad remained the Kalhora capital during the period in which Sindh was united under their rule. Attracted by the security of the city, Hyderabad began to attract artisans and traders from throughout Sindh, thereby resulting in the decline of other rival trading centres such as Khudabad.[10] A portion of the population of Khudabad migrated to the new capital, includingSonaras,Amils andBhaibands. Those groups retained the term "Khudabadi" in the names of their communities as a marker of origin.
Mian Ghulam Shah died in 1772, and was succeeded by his son,Sarfraz Khan Kalhoro. In 1774, Sarfraz Khan built a "New" Khudabad north ofHala in memory of the old Kalhoro capital, and attempted to shift his capital there.[10] The attempt failed, and Hyderabad continued to prosper while New Khudabad was abandoned by 1814.[10] A formal plan for the city was laid out by Sarfraz Khan in 1782.[9]
Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur captured the city ofKhudabad from the Kalhoros in 1773, and made the city his capital. He then captured Hyderabad in 1775,[10] and shifted his capital there in 1789 after Khudabad once again flooded. Renovation and reconstruction of the city's fort began in 1789, and lasted for 3 years.[10] Celebrations were held in 1792 to mark his formal entry in the Pacco Qillo fort,[10] which he made his residence and held court.
Talpur rule maintained Hyderabad's security, and the city continued to attract migrants from throughout Sindh, turning the city into a major regional center. Lohana Hindus from Afghanistan migrated to the city and set up ship as metalworkers.[10] The city'sgoldsmiths, silversmiths, and leather tanners began to export their Hyderabadi wares abroad.[10] The city's textile industry boomed with the arrival ofSusi andKhes cotton cloth and handicrafts from towns in rural Sindh.[10] The city's became renowned for its calligraphers and bookbinders, while its carpet dealers traded carpets from nearbyThatta.[10]
Henry Pottinger traveled up the Indus River in the early 1830s on behalf of the British.[13] He claimed to have seen 341 ships over the course of 19 days at Hyderabad, indicating its importance as a major trading center by this time.[10] Hyderabad's goods were mostly exported to markets inKhorasan, India,Turkestan, and Kashmir - though some Hyderabadi wares were displayed atThe Great Exhibition of 1851 inLondon.[10]
In order to use the Indus River for commercial navigation toPunjab, the British signed a treaty with the rulers of Hyderabad andKhairpur that guaranteed the British free passage along the Indus and through Sindh.[13] Mir Murad Ali was pressured into accepting an 1838 treaty which resulted in the stationing of a British Resident in the city.[13] The British also signed a treaty of "eternal friendship" with the Talpur rulers of Hyderabad in the early 19th century, who promised not to allow the French to set up residency in Sindh.[13] In 1839, they were pressured into forcing another treaty that guaranteed the British trade and security privileges.[13]
Hyderabad'sBadshahi Bungalow was built as the palace of Prince Mir Hassan Ali Khan Talpur in 1863.Hyderabad in the late 1800s. The triangular structures on the rooftops arewind catchers, funneling cool breezes into homes below.
The British defeated the city's Talpur rulers at theBattle of Hyderabad on 24 March 1843. The provincial capital was then transferred toBombay Presidency by the British generalSir Charles Napier. Being the last stronghold in Sindh, the conquered city was the final step in the British Conquest of Sindh.[14] Following the success of the British, several of the city's Talpur Mirs rulers were exiled and died inCalcutta. Their bodies were eventually brought back to Hyderabad, and were buried in the Tombs of the Talpur Mirs located at the northern edge of the Ganjo Hill.[9]
Hyderabad's prosperity did not initially decline after the shifting of Sindh's capital toBombay Presidency. Merchants there forged links with the commercial community in Hyderabad, and began exporting Hyderabadi wares to distant markets.[10] Following Sindhi's assimilation into theBombay Presidency in 1847, the city emerged as hub for a style of handicrafts known asSindwork that was peddled inBombay, and prized by its European residents for its perceived authenticity of style.[15] The work was then shipped from Bombay toEgypt in order to be sold as souvenirs to tourists there.[15] Hyderabadi traders also spread east towards Singapore and Japan as well.[15] Unable to fulfill demand for its products, Hyderabad's traders began to import crafts fromKashmir,Varanasi,China, andJapan to ease demand.[15]Sindwork handicrafts thus placed Hyderabad at the center of a new trading network that was almost entirely dominated by Hindus from the city's mercantileBhaiband segment of the Lohana caste,[15] although the artisans themselves were primarily Muslim.[16]
The city's jail was built in 1851,[10] and the Municipality of Hyderabad was established in 1853.[14] In the Pacco Qillo the British kept the arsenal of the province, transferred from Karachi in 1861, and the palaces of the ex-Amirs of Sind that they had taken over.[17] In 1857, when theIndian mutiny raged across theSouth Asia, the British held most of their regiments and ammunition in this city. Though the city did not witness major fighting, the British demolished the large round tower that once stood outside of Pacco Qillo, deeming it a potential risk to their rule were it to fall into the hands of rebels.[10]
Hyderabad'sRani Bagh ("Queen's Garden") was established asDas Gardens in 1861, and was re-christened in honour ofQueen Victoria.[10] British-style schools were introduced in Hyderabad by the 1860s, while the St Joseph Missionary School was established in 1868.[10] Further European schools were opened, while Hyderabad's Hindu and Muslim elite established schools for their respective communities throughout the British colonial period.[10] A hospital, psychiatric institution, and quarters for officials were built in 1871.[10] By 1872, 43,088 people lived in the city.[14] The city by 1873 had 20 kilometres of metalled roads that were lit at night by kerosene lamps.[10] The newly built urban quarters of Saddar and Soldier Bazaar further expanded the city.
The British built a rail network throughout the western part of South Asia in the 1880s, and purchased the privateScinde Railway to connect the province toKabul trade routes. The rail network would later be called theNorth-Western State Railway. TheKotri Bridge was completed in 1900 to traverse the Indus, and link Hyderabad to Karachi.[10] Hyderabad's economy grew as a result of improved transportation. The city increasingly developed into a consumer market under British rule, and the city's exports began to decline, though increased transit trade allowed the city's economy to continue growing.[10]
In 1901, 69,378 people lived in the city. Hinduism was the most dominant religion with 43,499 followers, while 24,831 Muslims made up the largest religious minority. The city ranked seventh in theBombay Presidency in terms of population.[14] By 1907, the Gazetteer of Sindh claimed that 5,000 Hyderabadi merchants were to be found dispersed throughout the world.[15] The city's Navalrai Clock Tower was built in 1914.[18] Bengali poetRabindranath Tagore remarked in the early 20th century that Hyderabad was the "most fashionable" city inall of India.[19]
The City of Hyderabad served as the capital of Sindh province between 1947 and 1955. ThePartition of India resulted in the large-scale exodus of much of the city's Hindu population, though like much of Sindh, Hyderabad did not experience the widespread rioting that occurred in Punjab and Bengal.[20] In all, less than 500 Hindu were killed in Sindh between 1947 and 1948 as Sindhi Muslims largely resisted calls to turn against their Hindu neighbours.[21] Hindus did not flee Hyderabaden masse until riots erupted in Karachi on 6 January 1948, which sowed fear inSindhi Hindus despite the fact that the riots were local and regarded Sikh refugees from Punjab seeking refuge in Karachi.[20]
The Hindus who departed had played a major role in the city's economy, and formed the majority of the Hyderabad's population.[15] The vacuum left by the departure of much of the city's Hindu population was quickly filled by newly arrived refugees from India, known asMuhajirs.[22] By 1951, 66% of the city was made up of Muhajirs.[23] Though Hyderabad became a majorityUrdu-speaking city in the 1940s, the arrival ofPashtuns andPunjabis from northern Pakistan further diversified the city's ethnic composition over the next few decades.[22]
Animosity between Urdu and Sindhi speakers first arose in 1967,[10] it intensified under thePakistan People's Party government in the 1970s, which were widely perceived by Muhajirs to be a pro-Sindhi administration.[24] Violence erupted between Urdu and Sindhi speakers during riots in 1971 when the provincial government wished to impose Sindhi-language requirements on Urdu speakers, andagain in 1972 in reaction to the1972 Sindhi Language Bill.[24]
TheKhuda-ki-Basti Incremental Development Scheme was launched in Hyderabad 1981 as a way to provide housing to low-income residents by forming local cooperatives pool funds to gradually provide increased services that would in turn be managed by community members.[25] Success of the project resulted in the programmebeing launched in Karachi as well.
The late 1980s saw turbulent ethnic rioting betweenSindhis andMuhajirs.[26] On 30 September 1988, militants from theSindh Progressive Party drove into Muhajir dominated areas in the city, and opened indiscriminate fire in busy crossroads.[24] The so-called "Hyderabad Massacre" resulted in the deaths of over 60 people in a single day, and more than 250 deaths in total. In a backlash, more than 60 Sindhi speaking people were gunned down inKarachi.[26][27] The city began to divide itself ethnically, and the Muhajir population migrated en masse fromQasimabad and the interior of Sindh intoLatifabad. Similarly, Sindhis moved toQasimabad from Hyderabad andLatifabad.[26][28][29] Further ethnic disturbances occurred in May 1990, including a police-led siege of the Pacco Qillo fortress in the center of Hyderabad,[24] in which Muhajir activists claim 150 were killed.[30] 2 bombings on trains in Hyderabad killed 10 people in 2000.[31]
Much of Hyderabad's public spaces have been encroached upon by illegally-constructed homes and businesses.[10] Much of the city's historic structures are badly neglected,[10] with little preservation being undertaken by the provincial administration.
Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, including the cantonment area, is home to 1,733,622 people as per the2017 Census of Pakistan.[34] The city gained 565,799 residents since the1998 Census, representing an increase of 48.5% - the lowest growth rate of the ten largest Pakistani cities.[35] The city has 903,327 males, 830,038 females and 257 Transgender people. Hyderabad has a literacy rate of 71.72% for people over 10 years of age: 74.51% for males and 68.66% for females.[34]
ASindhi woman on the banks of theRiver Indus in the outskirts of Hyderabad
Hyderabad was a majoritySindhi Hindu city prior to 1948,[15] when many migrated to India and elsewhere[36] after the independence of Pakistan 1947. Hindus who departed had played a major role in the city's economy, and formed the majority of the Hyderabad's population.[15] The vacuum left by the departure of much of the city's Hindu population was quickly filled by the newly arrived Urdu speaking Muslims fromBritish India, known asMuhajirs, who then made up 66% of the city's population.[22]
At the time of the 2023 census, 45.91% of the population spokeUrdu, 43.11%Sindhi, 3.12% Punjabi, 2.83%Pashto, and 0.78%Saraiki and 4% other languages as their first language.[34]
The majority religion is Islam, with 90.67% of the population. Hinduism (including those from Scheduled Castes) is practiced by 8.32%, while Christianity is practiced by 0.95% of the population.[41]
Located at 25.367 °N latitude and 68.367 °E longitude with an elevation of 13 metres (43 ft), Hyderabad is located on the east bank of the Indus River and is roughly 150 kilometres (93 mi) away from Karachi, the provincial capital. Two of Pakistan's largest highways, theIndus Highway and the National Highway join at Hyderabad. Several towns surrounding the city include Kotri at 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi), Jamshoro at 8.1 kilometres (5.0 mi), Hattri at 5.0 kilometres (3.1 mi) andHusri at 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi).
Hyderabad has a hotsemi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh), with warm conditions[42] year-round. The city is famous for its winds which moderate the otherwise hot climate.[43] As a result, Hyderabadi homes traditionally feature "wind-catching" towers that funnel breezes down into living quarters in order to alleviate heat.[10]
The period from mid-April to late June (before the onset of themonsoon) is the hottest of the year, with highs peaking in May at41.4 °C (106.5 °F). During this time, winds that blow usually bring along clouds of dust, and people prefer staying indoors in the daytime, while the breeze that flows at night is more pleasant. Winters are warm, with highs around 25 °C (77 °F), though lows can often drop below 10 °C (50 °F) at night. The highest temperature of 50 °C (122 °F) was recorded on 25 May 2018, while the lowest temperature of 1 °C (34 °F) was recorded on 8 February 2012.
In recent years, Hyderabad has seen great downpours. In February 2003, Hyderabad received 105 millimetres (4.13 in) of rain in 12 hours, leaving many dead.[44][45] The years of 2006 and 2007 saw close contenders to this record rain with death tolls estimated in the hundreds. The highest single-day rain total of 259.7 millimetres (10.22 in) was recorded on 12 September 1962, while the wettest month was September 1962, at 346 millimetres (13.62 in).
The city was initially founded on a limestone ridge on the eastern bank of the Indus River known asGanjo Takkar, or "Bald Hill." The limestone outcropping provided several scenic vistas in the city, as well as inclined routes.[10] The most famous incline, theTilak Chārhi Incline, is named after the early 20th century independence activistLokmanya Tilak.[10]
The industrial sector contributes 25% to the GDP of Pakistan, with a major concentration of industry in an arc stretching from Karachi to Hyderabad.[47] 75% of Sindh's industry is located in the Karachi-Hyderabad region.[48] TheSindh Industrial Trading Estate, home to 439 industrial units, was established on the outskirts of Hyderabad in 1950 which prospered with until the urban violence of the 1980s. Much of the city's industrial base was weakened by ethnic violence in urban Sindh in the 1980s, although poor infrastructure and supply of electricity has also hampered growth.[49]
Hyderabad is an important commercial centre where industries includes: textiles, sugar, cement, manufacturing of mirror, soap, ice, paper, pottery, plastics, tanneries, hosiery mills and film. There are hide tanneries and sawmills. Handicraft industries, including silver and gold work, lacquer ware, ornamented silks, and embroidered leather saddles, are also well established.
Hyderabad produces almost all of the ornamental glassbangles in Pakistan, as well as layered glass inlay for jewelry.[50] The glass industry employs an estimated 300,000-350,000 people in manufacturing units centered on theChuri Parah neighbourhood.[49][51] The industry frequently uses recycled glass as material for its bangles.[51]
Hyderabad is surrounded by fertile alluvial plains, and is a major commercial centre for the agricultural produce of the surrounding area, including millet, rice, wheat, cotton, and fruit.[52]
Hyderabad's local architectural patterns reflect the region's harsh climate and local customs. Walls of most traditional-style buildings were made of mud bricks, which helped keep the structure cool in summer and warm in winter.[25] Hyderabad is famed for its heat-relieving winds,[43] and so homes also featured wind-catchers that directed cool breezes into each homes' living quarters.[10]
Residential structures inHyderabad's Old City, and inHirabad typically have a small inward facing courtyard that afforded privacy from the city's streets. Walls facing the street are typically plain, though the home may display an elaborate entryway.[25] Inner courtyards and doorways of more elaborate homes would be decorated withjharoka balconies, floral motifs, ornamented ceilings, and decorative arches.[43] Most residential homes, however, were utilitarian in design.[43]
Homes built during the British colonial period contain introduced architectural elements like balconies and decorative columns as part of an elaborate outward-facing façade.[25] Such examples can be found in theSaddar neighbourhood of Hyderabad. Large decorated windows were featured as part of Hyderabad's colonial style in order to ventilate the building.[43] Tall and multi-sectional windows with stained glass windows became a hallmark of Hyderabad's colonial-era architecture.[43] Homes of wealthy residents, especially among the city'sBhaiband community, the presence of windows was a marker of status, and allowed wealthy Hindus to practice the custom ofpurdah.[43] Balconies were sometimes affixed to the front of a building, and were typically made of wood or cast-iron.[43] Such homes would also sometimes have painted facades.[43]
Before the government of Abubaker Nizamani, the District Hyderabad included the present-day District ofBadin. The current mayor of Hyderabad is Kashif Shoro,[1][53] The longest-serving mayor of Hyderabad wasJamil Ahmed, who served from 1962 to 1971.
In 2005/2006, General Pervaiz Musharraf again divided it into four more districts Matiyari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan and Hyderabad. Hyderabad district was subdivided into fivetalukas[54]
Peoples Bus Service, formally known as the Sindh Intra-District Peoples Bus Service Project is a public bus service by the Government of Sindh operating in Karachi, Hyderabad and Larkana.[1]
Hyderabad Airport is situated at the east of the city Hyderabad near Gulistan e Sarmast which is an area of Latifabad but it is no longer served by commercial air traffic. The last services were suspended in 2013. Passengers must now instead rely entirely on Karachi'sJinnah International Airport.
75% of males and 65% of females over the age of 10 were literate inHyderabad District in 2010,[55] a region which includes rural areas around the city. In 2010–2011, 2.96 Billion Rupees were spent on public education in Hyderabad District,[55] and number which increased to 3.99 Billion Rupees in 2011–2012.[55] 26% of children in Hyderabad District were enrolled in paid private schools in 2010.[55]
The Public School Hyderabad was founded in 1961, one of the oldest schools in Hyderabad which is located at the autobahn road. The first boarding school in Hyderabad started by Mr. Niaz Hussain Tunio. After his death the local government has managed all the Administration of the school. After that since 2018 IBA Sukkur management is assigned to manage all the Administration.
TheNiaz Stadium of Hyderabad, with a seating capacity of 15,000 is home to theHyderabad cricket team since 1961. It is known for Pakistani bowlerJalal-ud-Din'shat-trick, which was the first ever hat-trick taken by a bowler in aone-day match in 1982.[56] Hyderabad also has a hockey stadium. Hyderabad has also Sport Club name "Sindh Sports Board Hyderabad Club" which is a platform to boost sports activity.
As tradition goes, Sindh had always been a hub forSufi poets. With a foothold on strong educational foundations, the city of Hyderabad was made into a refuge for thriving literary advocates. Of the few, Mirza Kalich Beg received education from the Government High School, Hyderabad and carried the banner ofSindhi literature across borders.[57] Modern novelists, writers, columnists and researchers likeMusharraf Ali Farooqi,Ghulam Mustafa Khan andQabil Ajmeri also hail from Hyderabad.
Hyderabad has served many Sindhi literary campaigns throughout the history of Pakistan as is evident from the daily newspapers and periodicals that are published in the city. A few worth mention dailies are theKawish,[58]Ibrat,[59]and Daily Sindh.[60]
With the inauguration of a new broadcasting house at Karachi in 1950, it was possible to lay the foundations for the Hyderabad radio station in 1951. The initial broadcast was made capable using 1 kW medium-wave transmitter. With the first successful transmissions on the FM 100 bandwidth in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in October 1998, the Government decided on opening transmissions to other cities whereRadio Pakistan had found success. This made available the FM 101 bandwidth transmissions to Hyderabad and other cities in Sindh.[61]
A relief from the regular broadcasts in other cities, entertainment content on the Hyderabad radio gave birth to many a star whose names became an attribute to Hyderabad's richer media content. Among them were actor Shafi Mohammad, a young man who had recently finished his postgraduate degree from theUniversity of Sindh.[62] Such fresh and young talent became a trademark to entertainment in Hyderabad.
Pakistan Television had only had half-a-decade broadcast success from 1963 to 1969 that people in the radio entertainment business felt destined to make a mark on the television circuits. Prominent radio personalities from the Hyderabad radio station likeShafi Muhammad Shah andMohammad Ali left the airwaves to hone their acting skills on the television.[63] Television shows and content enriched with the inclusion of Hyderabadi names howeverPTV never opened a television station in Hyderabad.
While the year 2005 saw new FM regular stations set up atGawadar,Mianwali,Sargodha,Kohat,Bannu andMithi, private radio channels began airing in and around Hyderabad. Of late, stations like Sachal FM 105 and some others have gained popularity. But the unavailability of an up-to-date news and current affairs platform renders the services of such stations of not much value to the masses but nonetheless appealing to youngsters.
As thePakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (abbreviated as PEMRA) gave licenses to private radio channels, so were television channels owned privately given a right to broadcast from the year 2002,[64] andDaily Kawish,[58] a prominent Sindhi newspaper published from Hyderabad opened a one-of-its-kind private Sindhi channelKawish Television Network. Many followed in its path namelySindh TV, Dhoom TV andKashish TV premiering Sindhi content.
Maulana Muhammad Saeed Jadoon (1964-2022) Religious, political, social personality, Principal Jamia Arabia QowwatulIslam Garebabad, Caliph Hazrat Maulana Pir Abdul Qudoos Naqshbandi, Former PresidentAhle Sunnat Wal Jamat District Hyderabad Sindh
Qabil Ajmeri (1931–1962), recognised as a "senior" poet of Urdu
Usman Ajmeri (1944–2019), recognised as a Most Senior Journalist in Hyderabad and was the Bureau Chief of Daily Nawaiwaqt newspaper until his death. He was the founder member of Hyderabad Press club. Held strong influence among politicians and industrialists. His last resting place is Tando Yousuf graveyard.
^"Hyderabad Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved17 September 2023.
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