What do Ottoman Cairo, Istanbul, Edirne, Mughal Delhi and Qutub Shahi Hyderabad have in common? In the 1600s, they were all home to some of the best hospitals in the world. Remarkably, Hyderabad’s Dar-ul-Shifa still stands today, though in a fairly neglected state. On a bright Sunday morning earlier this year, I joined a heritage walk through the Dar-ul-Shifa locality, the area which takes its name from this very building.
Did you know that after the Indian Independence on 15 August 1947 there was a period of 13 months when the Princely State of Hyderabad existed as an independent nation? It only joined the rest of India in September 1948. Hyderabad these days is mostly known for its Biryani, its IT sector, the unique Hyderabadi language and of course the Charminar. Founded in 1591 to accommodate the growing population of the nearby Golconda, Hyderabad has seen over 400 years of history which can be split into 2 phases with a brief Mughal transitional period in the middle. The first one was under the Qutb Shahi Dynasty, during which much of the foundation of the city’s growth and development was laid and the second was Asaf Jah dynasty, which ruled Hyderabad till the Indian Independence in 1947. In this book, Rajendra Prasad traces the history of the Asaf Jahs, also known popularly as the Nizams, from their rise in 1724, through their decline and eventual end in 1947. Through objective analysis and subtle humor, Rajendra writes an engaging and comprehensive account of a dynasty that has come to define and influence Hyderabad till the present day.
What is it about? : ‘White Mughals’ is about the love story of a British officer posted in Hyderabad, India with a local Hyderabadi noblewoman during the late 18th century.
On a bright Sunday morning, during my visit to India early this year, I took an auto to the Women’s college in Koti whose complex …
As I walked through the arched doorway leading into a corridor basking in the morning sunlight, I was transported back to into a different era …
