Secunderabad
Secunderabad, formerly Ulwul, is a twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway zone. Named after the Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikander Jah, Asaf Jah III, Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was established in 1806 as a British cantonment. Although both the cities are together referred to as the twin cities, Hyderabad and Secunderabad have different histories and cultures, with Secunderabad having developed directly under British rule until 1948, and Hyderabad as the capital of the Nizams' princely state of Hyderabad. Since 1956, the city has housed the Rashtrapati Nilayam, the winter office of the president of India. It is also the headquarters of the 54th Infantry Division of the Indian Army. There are also many residential areas and apartments, particularly in the small neighbourhood of Yapral, with many Indian Armed Forces officials living here.
Geographically divided from Hyderabad by the Hussain Sagar lake, Secunderabad is no longer a separate municipal unit and has become part of Hyderabad's Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Both cities are collectively known as Hyderabad and together form the sixth-largest metropolis in India. Being one of the largest cantonments in India, Secunderabad has a large presence of army and air force personnel. Secunderabad also has a large number of lakes, with the northern part of the Hussain Sagar Lake being a part of the city and Fox Sagar Lake being the largest lake in Secunderabad. The city also houses the famous Ramoji Film City.
History
Following the dissolution of the Chalukya empire into four parts in the 11th century, the areas around the present-day Hyderabad and Secunderabad came under the control of the Kakatiya dynasty, whose seat of power was at Warangal, northeast of modern Hyderabad.In 1310, the area of present-day Hyderabad and Secunderabad came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate after the capture of Warangal, the Kakatiya capital. The modern city of Hyderabad was built and founded in 1592 by the Golconda Sultanate under Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. The modern Secunderabad is also the site where the then Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur was defeated in the year 1754 by the Maratha Empire; the emperor arrived after the death of Nawab Anwaruddin Khan nearby at the Battle of Ambur in 1749. Anwaruddin Khan was the Nawab of Arcot.
The area around Secunderabad changed hands among various rulers, and the area was part of Nizam's Hyderabad by the 18th century.
Modern Secunderabad was founded as a British cantonment after Nizam Asaf Jah II was defeated by the British East India Company. He was then forced to sign the 1798 Treaty of Subsidiary Alliance to get the favour of British troops camped in the village of Ulwul, north-east of Hussain Sagar, the lake that separates Secunderabad from its twin city Hyderabad. In 1803, Nizam Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of Hyderabad, changed Ulwul's name to Secunderabad after himself. The city was formed in 1806, after the order was signed by the Nizam allotting the land north of Hussain Sagar to set up the British Cantonment.
The drinking water needs of the British army in the cantonment and civilians in the cantonment area were taken from Picket Lake, and from a few other water bodies. Picket Lake was located at the entrance of the cantonment. Picket Lake was connected to Hussainsagar through a channel. Gradually over the years, the channel turned into a municipal drain. The lake was gradually encroached upon and later a bus station was built in its location.
The twin cities are separated by the man-made Hussain Sagar lake, which was built during the reign of the Qutb Shahi dynasty in the 16th century. Unlike Hyderabad, the official language of Secunderabad was English. Secunderabad was exempted from customs duty on imported goods, thus making trade very profitable. Various new markets such as Regimental Bazaar and General Bazaar were created. After the First War of Indian Independence of 1857, the construction of a wall was started at Trimulgherry and completed in 1867.
Secunderabad Junction railway station, one of the largest in India and the zonal headquarters of South Central Railway, was established in 1874. The King Edward Memorial Hospital, now known as Gandhi Hospital, was established in 1851. A civil jail was also established. Originally constructed in 1860 as the country house of the British Resident at Hyderabad, the Residency House is now known as the Rashtrapati Nilayam, the official retreat of the President of India.
Sir Winston Churchill, the prime minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, was posted in Secunderabad during the 1890s as a subaltern in the British Army. Sir Ronald Ross conducted his initial research on the cause of malaria in the city of Secunderabad. The original building is today called the Sir Ronald Ross Institute and is located on Minister Road.
Secunderabad Municipality was first formed in 1945. Later in 1950, along with Hyderabad Municipality, it was upgraded to Secunderabad Municipal Corporation under the Hyderabad Corporation Act, 1950. In 1960, by the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act of 1955, Secunderabad Municipal Corporation was merged with Hyderabad Corporation to form a single municipal corporation. Today Secunderabad is part of the Hyderabad district.
Post-Independence, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board came under the jurisdiction of the Indian Armed forces. Consequently, large military units were established. The popular neighbourhoods in Secunderabad are Tarnaka, Paradise Circle, Trimulgherry, Jawaharnagar colony, Marredpally, Jeera, General Bazar, Sitaphalmandi, Kharkhana, Ranigunj, Yapral, Kowkur and New Bhoiguda. Begumpet Airport is close to Secunderabad and served the twin city until early 2008.
Geography
Situated in the North of Hyderabad at, Secunderabad lies on the northern part of the Deccan Plateau. Secunderabad has an average elevation of 543 metres. Most of the area has a rocky terrain and some areas are hilly.Secunderabad is south of Delhi, southeast of Mumbai, and north of Bangalore by road. It is connected to Hyderabad by Rastrapathi Road and MG Road via Tank Bund. As a constituent of Greater Hyderabad, Secunderabad is one of the largest metropolitan areas in India. A lot of residential areas are located nearby like West Marredpally, East Marredpally, Kharkhana, and Bowenpally as it is calm and serene.
Climate
Secunderabad has a tropical savanna climate bordering on a hot semi-arid climate, with hot summers from late March to early May, the monsoon season from late June to early October, and a pleasant winter from late November to early February. In the evenings and mornings, the climate is relatively cool. Most of the rainfall is concentrated in the monsoon months from June to September.Winter lasts for only about months, during which the lowest temperature occasionally dips to in December and January. May is the hottest month, with average daily lows of and highs of. January is the coldest month with average lows of and highs of.
Administration
- Secunderabad City
- Secunderabad Cantonment Board
Demographics
Culture
The camp transformed into an English town, and then into a truly cosmopolitan city where the Anglo-Indians, who had a colony popularly called "Little England", rubbed shoulders with the Mudaliars of Tamil Nadu, the Rajasthani trading community, the Parsis, and the Sikhs, as the historian Narendra Luther book Laskar vividly captures the flavour in the chapter, "Colours of the rainbow".Due to the presence of communities such as Parsis and Anglo-Indians alongside British and native inhabitants, Secunderabad was historically a cosmopolitan city. Secunderabad used to be referred to by the locals as Lashkar, meaning the army and the city's culture reflected the same. Secunderabad was a liberal city compared to Hyderabad due to the presence of the British.
The popular Secunderabad Club was established in 1878, at a country house gifted by Salar Jung I. Secunderabad has a more laid-back atmosphere because it is mainly a residential area with fewer government offices and corporate establishments. On 16 January 2022, a massive fire engulfed most of the Secunderabad Club, destroying many iconic structures. The club is also one of the oldest clubs in India.
Many outdoor events such as the Republic Day parade and fairs are held in the Gymkhana or Parade grounds. Christmas is celebrated by the Christian residents. An annual festival known as the Bonalu is celebrated by the Hindus of the Telangana state. It is usually held during the Ashadha, which is at the start of the monsoon season. Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, is observed by the local Muslims. There are old temples like Laxminarayana Swami Temple and Mahakali Temple. Local churches like Wesely church and St. Mary's church add to the cosmopolitan culture of the city. Many mosques can be found in Secunderabad, serving the Muslim population of the city. The culture of Secunderabad is distinctly different from that of Hyderabad's Nawabi culture.