Hyderabad, Sindh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hyderabad حيدر آباد |
|
| General Information | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Sindh |
| Altitude | 13 metres AMSL |
| Calling code | 022 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| No. of Towns | 4 |
| Estimate | 1,348,288 [1] 2006 |
| Government | |
| City Mayor (Nazim) | Kanwar Naveed Jamil |
| No. of Union Councils | 20 |
| No. of NGOs Working | |
| Emblem | |
 |
|
| Website | |
| The city government does not yet support e-Governance, although improvements have been suggested | |
Hyderabad pronunciation or Haidarābād (Urdu/Sindhi: حيدر آباد) is located in the Sindh province of Pakistan (formerly known as Neroon Kot نيرُون ڪوٽ). Formerly the capital of Sindh and known as the city of perfumes, it is now a regional headquarter of the district of Hyderabad. Before the creation of Pakistan, it was known as the Paris of India, for its roads used to be washed with perfume every day. The regional and political boundaries stage the city as a district.
Hyderabad is a hot and humid city in the south of the nation and has been a staging point for literary campaign and a birthplace of many poets. Rich with culture and tradition, the city is the largest bangle producer in the world and serves as a transit between the rural and the urban Sindh.
Contents |
[edit] History
- To learn more about History of Sindh, see History of Sindh
Hyderabad is a city of Hillocks. Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of the Kalhora Dynasty founded the city in 1768. The Hyderabad city was then named Neroon Kot نيرون ڪوٽ it was a small fishing village on the banks of River Indus and was called the heart of the Mehran. Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhora loved the city so much that in 1768, he ordered a fort to be built on one of the three hills of Hyderabad to house and defend his people. The fort since then is called the Pacco Qillo پڪو قلعو or the Strong fort.
After the death of the great Kalhoro, started the Talpur Rule. Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur left his capital Khudabad, the Land of God and made Hyderabad his capital in 1789. He made the Pacco Qillo his residence and also held his courts there. Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur along with his three other brothers were responsible for the affairs that persisted in the city of Hyderabad in the years of their kingdom. The four were called Char Yar, Sindhi for Four friends.
The Talpur rule lasted almost over 50 years and in 1843, Talpurs faced a greater threat. The British came face-to-face with the Talpurs at the Battle of Miani on 17th February, 1843. It is said that even in rigor mortis the Ameers (Mirs - leaders) held their swords high fighting the British. The battle ended on 24th March where the Mirs lost and the city came into the hands of the British.
The British demolished most of the buildings around to accommodate their troops and their military stores. Hyderabad lost its glory. No longer were the roads covered with perfume. In 1857, when the First War of Indian Independence raged across the sub-continent, the British held most of their regiments and ammunition in this city.
Prior to 1947, Hyderabad had a large community of Sindhi Hindus who were largely pre-occupied with trade and commerce. They were responsible for export of products made in Sindh and contributed significantly to the economy of Sindh. Prior to the Partition, 25 per cent of Sindh’s population was Hindu. When Partition of India occurred Sindhi Hindus expected to remain in Sindh. Generally, there was good relation between Hindu Sindhis and Muslims Sindhis. When large waves of Mohajirs started to pour into Hyderabad, violence erupted on the streets. The Hindu Sindhis were forced to flee leaving everything behind. Popati Hirandani who was a Hyderabad resident tells in her autobiography that the Police were merely onlookers when violence erupted and they did not protect the Hindus community. Popati Hiranandani was a writer born 1924 in Hyderabad, Sind [1]. Many Hindu Sindhis wanted to return to their native Sindh when the violence settled down, but this was not possible.
The Mohajirs were given land mostly in the town of Hirabad. While the population of the people grew with the migration in progress, the Government proposed the creation of two more towns, namely Latifabad and Qasimabad.
The 1980s saw a black period in the history of Hyderabad as riots erupted in the city between the two ethnic diversities in majority, the Sindhis and the Mohajirs. Bloodshed and murder reached extremes. The Sindhis retreated to settlements in Qasimabad and the Mohajirs settled down in Latifabad but the city has never been the same again, forever divided by ethnicity.
- For an in-depth view of the history of the city, see History of Hyderabad, Pakistan.
[edit] Geography and Climate
Located at 25.367°N latitude and 68.367°E longitude with an elevation of 13m about sea-level, Hyderabad is located on the east bank of the Indus River and is roughly 150km away from Karachi, the capital of the province. Hyderabad is the second largest city in Sindh, eighth largest in Pakistan and 209th largest city of the world with respect to population. Its population estimates to 1,348,288 (as of 2000). Two of Pakistan's largest highways, the Indus Highway and the National Highway join at Hyderabad.
Several towns surrounding the city include Kotri 6.7km, Jamshoro 8.1km, Hattri 5km and Husri 7.5km.
Hyderabad has an extreme climate. The days are hot and dry usually going up to 40°C, whilst the nights are cool and breezy. Winds that blow usually bring along clouds of dust, and people prefer staying indoors in the daytime, but the breeze that flows at night is pleasant and clean.
[edit] Education
The city being a gateway between the rural Sindh and the Greater Sindh, attracts students from the lesser developed regions of Sindh. Hyderabad has a huge number of schools, colleges and Universities.
[edit] Universities
The University of Sindh[2] is the dominant player in educational reforms since its inception in 1947. It was founded in Karachi and relocated to Hyderabad in 1951, only because the city was reinacted as the capital of the province of Sindh. It has 32 colleges affiliated with it. Mehran Univerisity of Engineering and Technology[3] Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences [4] Whilst people prefer to go to this technological and medical universities in the city, universities like the [Sindh Agricultural University][5] in Tando Jam are highly preferred as well. Other universities in the private Sector include, University of EAST [6]’ and Isra University[7],
[edit] School and Colleges
The most prestigious and oldest college in Hyderabad is the “Government Degree College” while “Public School Hyderabad” is famous for its facilities. Other Colleges and Schools are the Preston Boys College, Preston Girls College, Preston Boys School, Preston Girls School, [8], Excellence Boys College, Excellence Girls College, Excellence Boys School, Excellence Girls School, [9] ,Muslim Science College established in 1963 and Superior College of Sciences. government degree college qasimabad boys government nazrath girls college hayats girls higher secondary school hayats girls college
[edit] Museums and libraries
Hyderabad is home to a few museums that store the cultural heritage of this land of religious and ethnic diversity. The Institute of Sindhology Museum and the Sindh Museum are a haven for Sindhi enthusiasts in ethnological contexts. Whilst there a few libraries in the city, most of them are in a sad state.
[edit] Economy
Industries include textiles, cement, glass, soap, pottery, tanneries, and film. Handicraft industries, including silver and gold work, lacquerware, ornamented silks, and embroidered leather saddles, are also well established. Hyderabad produces almost all of the ornamental glass bangles in Pakistan. Hyderabad is a major commercial centre for the agricultural produce of the surrounding area, including millet, rice, wheat, cotton, and fruit.
[edit] Towns and sub-divisions
The city of Hyderabad is divided into five sub-divided regions based on the ethnic diversity of people dwelling in it. The sub-divisions are mostly based upon areas of Sindhi and Mohajir majority.
[edit] Government
The current Mayor of the city also called the City Nazim is Kanwar Naveed, housed at Latifabad, whilst the City Naib Nazim is Zafar Ali Rajput, housed at Central City.
[edit] Transportation
Serving as a socio-economic crossroad to the lesser developed cities and towns in Sindh and linking and networking them with the bigger towns and cities in the nation, Hyderabad holds importance as a vital transportation link via every service. It can be reached by every mean of transportation, be it air, land, water or rail.
[edit] Airways
The city has a modestly good airport, now almost defunct. The Pakistan International Airlines used to frequent it three flights a week. However, chartered flights can still land at the airport. The airport is located in the southern region of Latifabad. The airport in the days of its operation administered domestic flights to Karachi, Lahore, Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar.
[edit] Road network
Although Hyderabad has a decent road network, but most of the roads are undergoing construction at the time of writing. Hyderabad is deemed the most important milestone on the National Highway which passes through the city. The highway divides into Route N5 going southwest and M9 going north while it forks into the KLP (Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar) Road and the Hala Road. Over the years, the M9 has had massive construction work to include six lanes across its 136km span being the most used highway in Pakistan while the N5 has two lanes to cater its lesser traffic needs.
- For a list of highways and motorways across Pakistan, see National Highways of Pakistan & Pakistan Motorways
[edit] Railways
Hyderabad is considered a major junction of Pakistan Railways, where railway lines pronoceed in at least three directions: northwards (up-country), southwards (down-country) and eastwards. The railway station is called the Hyderabad Junction and is located in the southern end of the Central City and the brink of the old.
- For a list of railways in Pakistan, see Pakistan Railways
[edit] Waterways
With the city at the banks of the Indus River, the fishermen tend to use riverboats to fish and travel across the waters. Riverboats are not accessible to general public but local fishermen, in attempts of making money for their daily ration, sail people aboard their fishing ferries at Al-manzar, a restaurant at the banks of the Indus.
[edit] Demographics
[edit] People and culture
Hyderabad is noteworthy in Sindh and Pakistan generally for its relative tolerance; members of religious minorities such as Hindus and Christians are not in as much danger there as elsewhere in the country. However, there has been a history of conflict in Hyderabad between native Sindhis and the Mohajirs, the non-Sindhi Muslim refugees who entered Sindh from post-Partition India in 1947 and who were awarded the abandoned property left by the departing Sindhi Hindus; nowadays Sindhis and Mohajirs live in relative separation, in discrete sectors of Hyderabad.
Native Sindhis live in majority in Qasimabad, while it is developing still. Having a lot of problems with drainage system. It has some famous areas like Naseem Nagar and Abdullah Blessing. On the other hand Mohajirs live in Latifabad one of there majorities. A large number of Memons having two sects namely Diplai from Thar Parker (Sindh) and Kathiawari from Gujrat (India) live isolated from other citizens. Many Shia Ismaili colonies exist; Ahmenabad and Mubarakh Colony, are one of the most prominent.
While Christians constitute 2% of the total population, Hyderabad is the seat of a Diocese of the Church of Pakistan and has five churches and a cathedral.
[edit] Media
[edit] Radio
- Radio Pakistan FM 101
- Sachal FM 105
[edit] Television
- Dhoom TV
- Sindh TV
- KTN
- Kashish TV
[edit] Newspapers
[edit] Internet
[edit] Attractions
- Amri – an archeological site dating back to 3600 BC, 110 kms from the city, is the remains of a pre-Harrapan fortified town.
- Al-manzar – a restaurant at the banks of the Indus river.
- Rani Bagh – formely a zoo named after the majestic elephant Rani, now serves as a theme park.
- Mir Tombs in Heerabad are of the former rulers of Sindh who were defeated by the British in the famous battle of Miani.
- Sabzazar is a famous restaurant of Hyderabad butopen only in the evenings. It now has a sister resturant called Al Aliyo open during the day time owned by the same managment.
- Pacco Qilo and the Kachha Qila – forts, where kachha means weak.
- Sindh Museum.
- Institute of Sindhology Museum.
[edit] Sports
Hyderabad has a cricket stadium called the Niaz Stadium, with a seating capacity of 25,000 known for the first ever hatrick taken by a bowler in a one-day match in 1982. Hyderabad also has a hockey stadium.
[edit] Trivia
- Jalal-ud-din of Pakistan became the first bowler to take a hatrick against Australia on 20th September, 1982 at the Niaz Stadium.
- The streets of Hyderabad were washed by perfume under the rule of the Mughals.
- The lowest Hyderabad ever achieved in temperature is 2°C.
[edit] List of famous city dwellers
- Names in this list need to be verified for accuracy.
- Professor Inayat Ali Khan (Poet)
- Dr. Ishrat Hussain (Former Governor of the State Bank)
- Syed Qamar-uz-Zaman Shah (Politician)
- Air Commander (Ret.) Shabbir A. Khan (Philanthropist)
- Mohammad Ali (Actor)
- Hazrat Ghulam-e-Mustafa (Saint)
- Hazrat Moinuddin Khamis
- Syed Dabeer Hussain Kazmi (Banker)
- Professor Ali Ahmed
- Justice Ahtishaam-Uddin Kazmi
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Hyderabad City Website
- Hyderabad Website about Hyderabad City
- Hyderabad City on The Internet.
- Pacco Qillo[10]
- People killed at the fort
- The 1990s riots
- Mass Exodus of Hindu Sindhis from Sindh
