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Hyderabad is an administrative
headquarters lying on the
most northern hill of the
Ganjo Takkar ridge just
east of the River Indus.
Being the third largest
city of Pakistan,
and second largest city
in province of Sindh.
Hyderabad is a communication
center, connected by rail
with Peshawar
and Karachi.
Founded in 1768 on the site of the ancient
town of Nirun-Kot by Ghulam
Shah Kalhora, the saintly
ruler of Sindh, it was named
after the prophet Mohammed's
son-in-law, Ali, also known
as Haidar. It remained the
capital of sindh under the
Talpur rulers who succeeded
the Kalhoras till 1843 when,
after the nearby battles
of Miani and Dabo, it surrendered
to the British, the capital
was then transferred to
Karachi.
Incorporated as a municipality in 1853,
it is an important commercial
and industrial center. Its
economic activities include
textile, sugar, cement,
and hosiery mills, manufacturing
of glass, soap, ice, paper,
and plastics. There are
hide tanneries and sawmills.
Ornamented silks, silver-work,
gold-work and lacquer ware
are also some of its exclusive
products. Noteworthy antiquities
include the tombs of the
Kalhora and Talpur ruler,
palaces of the former amirs
of Sindh. Newly developed
settlements and industrial
estates surround the congested
old city area. An noteworthy
characteristic of this city
is, badgirs (wind-catchers)
fixed to housetops to catch
sea breezes during the hot
summer season. A hospital,
municipal gardens, zoo,
sports stadium, and several
literary societies are in
the city. The University
of Sindh with 32 affiliated
colleges was founded in
1947 in Karachi and moved
to Hyderabad in 1951, where
it lies across the Indus.
Other education needs are
served by numerous government
colleges, the Liaquat Medical
College and specialized
vocational institutions.
Hyderabad remained the capital of the
emirate of Sindh until the
British general Sir Charles
James Napier conquered Sindh
in 1843. From 1947 to 1955
Hyderabad was the capital
of Sindh Province, the new
capital was shifted to Hyderabad.
In 1766 the Kalhora ruler
constructed a fort half
a square km in area and
still stands today. In 1843
the British arrived and
defeated the Talpurs, Completing
their Conquest of Sindh.
It's also a second largest city of Sindh
Province. It has over 6
Millions population. The
city has one of the most
interesting bazaar of the
country, which is known
to be the longest bazaar
in Asia. There are two very
well arranged ethnological
museums in the city One
The Sindh Museum and the
other the Institute of Sindhology
Museum. Both museums present
an excellent portrait of
cultural and tribal life
of Sindh. The city is transit
point for the tours from
Karachi to the Interior
of Sindh A visit to Kalhora
Monuments close to the city
gate is worth a visit, Mausoleums
are beautifully decorated
with glazed tiles and frescos.
There are also two forts
from 18th & 19th Century
to see here.
Famous for its cool breeze and balmy
nights, and known for its
Bombay Bakery Cakes, Its
delicate bangles and the
paagalkhana called Giddu
Bandar, Hyderabad is Sindh's
Second largest city, a city
its inhabitants claim is
the most beautiful in the
world, Its spacious houses
are known for their manghan,
roshandans or ventilators
and it is also known as
"mangham jo shahar."
'The heart of Sindh' as many call Hyderabad,
was the former capital of
Sindh, ruled by the Kalhoras
and Talpurs from the Pacca
Qila until the British conquest.
A nerve center of Sindh nationalist and
literary movements, the
city is now divided along
on Sindhi-Mohajir lines
to the extent that the warning
ethnic groups even have
different hospitals and
in many cases, even their
places of worship and graveyards
are divided. The original
old city, now dominated
by the mohajirs, seems besieged
by the surrounding Sindhi
suburbs. At one time a hub
of economic, educational
and cultural activities,
a breeding ground of academicians,
philanthropists, writers,
lawyers, politicians, journalists,
actors and actresses, Hyderabad
also had its industrialists,
trade unionists, political
activists, bureaucrats,
bankers and diplomats who
made a significant contribution
to sub continental society.
But this gracious city now
seems to be slowly dying,
although it still produces
over a couple of dozen major
and minor newspapers in
both Sindhi and Urdu.
Hyderabad, once the capital of Sindh
and now the eighth largest
city of Pakistan, is one
of the oldest cities of
the sub-continent. Its history
dates back to pre-Islamic
times, when Ganjo Taken
(barren hill), a nearby
hilly tract, was used as
a place of worship. The
city traces its early history
to Neroon, a Hindu ruler
of the area from whom the
city derived its previous
name, "Neroon Kot".
Page last updated:
Thursday, April 03, 2008 12:25:16 PM -0400 |
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