Hyderabad, Pakistan

Hyderabad, also known as Neroonkot, is the capital and largest city of the Hyderabad Division in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the second-largest city in Sindh, after Karachi, and the 7th largest in Pakistan.

Founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of the Kalhora Dynasty, Hyderabad served as a provincial capital until the British transferred the capital to Bombay Presidency in 1840. It is about inland of Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, to which it is connected by a direct railway and M-9 motorway.

Toponymy

The city was named in honour of Ali, the fourth caliph and cousin of Muhammad. Hyderabad's name translates literally as "Lion City"—from haydar, meaning "lion", and ābād, which is a suffix indicating a settlement. "Lion" references Ali's valour in battle. The city was historically known as Neroonkot, meaning the "place where Neroon came from", named after a local ruler called Neroon.

History

Founding

thumb | 1934 map of Hyderabad

thumb|1880 map of Hyderabad city

thumb|left|[[Pacco Qillo was built on a limestone outcropping known as Ganjo Takkar.]]

The River Indus was changing course around 1757, resulting in periodic floods of the then capital of the Kalhora 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 the Indus River known as Ganjo Takkar, or "Bald Hill." The small hill is traditionally believed to have been the location of the ancient settlement of Neroon Kot, a town which had fallen to the armies of Muhammad Bin Qasim in 711 CE. When the foundations were laid, the city came to be known by the nickname Heart of the Mehran.

Devotees of Imam Ali advised Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro to name the city in honour of their Imam. The fort was completed in 1769, and is spread over 36 acres.

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.

British

thumb|Hyderabad's Badshahi Bungalow was built as the palace of Prince Mir Hassan Ali Khan Talpur in 1863.

thumb|Hyderabad in the late 1800s. The triangular structures on the rooftops are [[wind catchers, funneling cool breezes into homes below.]]

The British defeated the city's Talpur rulers at the Battle of Hyderabad on 24 March 1843. The provincial capital was then transferred to Bombay Presidency by the British general Sir Charles Napier. Being the last stronghold in Sindh, the conquered city was the final step in the British Conquest of Sindh.

Hyderabad's prosperity did not initially decline after the shifting of Sindh's capital to Bombay Presidency. Merchants there forged links with the commercial community in Hyderabad, and began exporting Hyderabadi wares to distant markets.

The city's jail was built in 1851, In 1857, when the Indian mutiny raged across the South 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. By 1907, the Gazetteer of Sindh claimed that 5,000 Hyderabadi merchants were to be found dispersed throughout the world. Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore remarked in the early 20th century that Hyderabad was the "most fashionable" city in all of India.

Modern

The City of Hyderabad served as the capital of Sindh province between 1947 and 1955. The Partition 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. In all, fewer than 500 Hindus were killed in Sindh between 1947 and 1948 as Sindhi Muslims largely resisted calls to turn against their Hindu neighbours. Hindus did not flee Hyderabad en masse until riots erupted in Karachi on 6 January 1948, which sowed fear in Sindhi Hindus despite the fact that the riots were local and regarded Sikh refugees from Punjab seeking refuge in Karachi. The vacuum left by the departure of much of the city's Hindu population was quickly filled by newly arrived refugees from India, known as Muhajirs. By 1951, 66% of the city was made up of Muhajirs. Though Hyderabad became a majority Urdu-speaking city in the 1940s, the arrival of Pashtuns and Punjabis from northern Pakistan further diversified the city's ethnic composition over the next few decades. Success of the project resulted in the programme being launched in Karachi as well.

The late 1980s saw turbulent ethnic rioting between Sindhis and Muhajirs. On 30 September 1988, militants from the Sindh Progressive Party drove into Muhajir dominated areas in the city, and opened indiscriminate fire in busy crossroads. 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 in Karachi. The city began to divide itself ethnically, and the Muhajir population migrated en masse from Qasimabad and the interior of Sindh into Latifabad. Similarly, Sindhis moved to Qasimabad from Hyderabad and Latifabad. Further ethnic disturbances occurred in May 1990, including a police-led siege of the Pacco Qillo fortress in the center of Hyderabad, 2 bombings on trains in Hyderabad killed 10 people in 2000.

Much of Hyderabad's public spaces have been encroached upon by illegally-constructed homes and businesses.

|1872 |43,088

|1881 |48,153

|1891 |58,048

|1901 |69,378

|1911 |75,952

|1921 |81,838

|1941 |135000

|1951 |242000

|1961 |435000

|1972 |629000

|1981 |752000

|1998 |1166894

|2017 |1733622

|2023 |1,921,275

Population

Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, including the cantonment area, is home to 1,733,622 people as per the 2017 Census of Pakistan. The city gained 565,799 residents since the 1998 Census, representing an increase of 48.5% - the lowest growth rate of the ten largest Pakistani cities. 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. 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.

! colspan="2" |1891

! colspan="2" |1901

! colspan="2" |1911

! colspan="2" |1921

! colspan="2" |1931

! colspan="2" |1941

! colspan="2" |2017

! colspan="2" |2023

!Population (human biology)|

| Hinduism 15px

| 25,838

| 33,559

| 43,499

| 49,732

| 55,176

| 70,404

| 96,625

| 98,021

| 101,964

| Islam 15px

| 21,878

| 23,684

| 24,831

| 24,913

| 25,284

| 29,618

| 36,069

| 1,616,631

| 1,796,704

| Christianity 15px

| 386

| 734

| 710

| 1,001

| 1,036

| 705

| 422

| 17,969

| 21,523

| Judaism 15px

| 31

| 10

| 11

| 0

| 9

| 14

| Zoroastrianism 15px

| 20

| 38

| 88

| 80

| 53

| 25

| 29

| 0

| Jainism 15px

| 0

| 10

| 7

| 19

| 23

| 6

| Buddhism 15px

| 0

| Sikhism 15px

| 208

| 270

| 915

| 1,528

| 66

| Ahmadiyya 15px

| 739

| 490

| Others

| 0

| 2

| 230

| 0

| 262

| 528

! Total population

! 48,153

! 58,048

! 69,378

! 75,952

! 81,838

! 101,699

! 134,693

! 1,733,622

! 1,921,275

|- class="sortbottom"

| colspan="20" |

</div>

Geography

thumb|right|Sunset over the [[Indus at Hyderabad.]]

thumb|right|Giddu Chowk Hyderabad

Location

Located at 25.367 °N latitude and 68.367 °E longitude with an elevation of , Hyderabad is located on the east bank of the Indus River and is roughly away from Karachi, the provincial capital. Two of Pakistan's largest highways, the Indus Highway and the National Highway join at Hyderabad. Several towns surrounding the city include Kotri at , Jamshoro at , Hattri at and Husri at .

Climate

Hyderabad has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh), with warm conditions year-round. The city is famous for its winds which moderate the otherwise hot climate. 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 was recorded on 12 September 1962, while the wettest month was September 1962, at .

Topography

The city was initially founded on a limestone ridge on the eastern bank of the Indus River known as Ganjo Takkar, or "Bald Hill." The limestone outcropping provided several scenic vistas in the city, as well as inclined routes. 75% of Sindh's industry is located in the Karachi-Hyderabad region. The Sindh 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. The glass industry employs an estimated 300,000-350,000 people in manufacturing units centered on the Churi Parah neighbourhood. The industry frequently uses recycled glass as material for its bangles.

Cityscape

Local architecture

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. Most residential homes, however, were utilitarian in design. The longest-serving mayor of Hyderabad was Jamil 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 five talukas

Hyderabad City Taluka
Hyderabad Taluka (rural)
Tando Jam
Latifabad
Qasimabad

Judiciary

Court of District & Sessions Judge Hyderabad was established in 1899 under the subordination of Judicial Commissioner of Sindh.

Transportation

Hyderabad Metro Bus

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]

Road

The M-9 motorway is a six-lane motorway that connects Hyderabad to Karachi, 136 kilometers away. The city will also be connected to Sukkur by the M-6 motorway, being built as part of the wider China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. From Sukkur, motorways will continue onward to Multan, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Peshawar.

It is connected to the oldest and longest N5 Route from Karachi (Sea) to Torkham 1819 km long.

Rail

thumb|[[Hyderabad Junction railway station serves as the city's main rail station.]]

Hyderabad Junction railway station serves as the city's main rail station. Passenger services are provided exclusively by Pakistan Railways. The city's station is serviced by the Allama Iqbal Express to Sialkot, the Badin Express, and the Khyber Mail to Peshawar. Hyderabad has trains to Nawabshah, Badin, Tando Adam Junction, Karachi, and points in northern Pakistan.

Air

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's Jinnah International Airport.

Education

75% of males and 65% of females over the age of 10 were literate in Hyderabad District in 2010, a region which includes rural areas around the city. In 2010–2011, 2.96 Billion Rupees were spent on public education in Hyderabad District, 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.

Landmarks

Pacco Qillo
Tombs of Talpur Mirs
Rani Bagh Zoological & Botanical Garden
Sindh Museum
Hyderabad Cantonment
Niaz Cricket Stadium
Kacha Qilla
Hyderabad Junction railway station
Ganju Takar Mountain Range
Gulistan-e-Zeal Pak Colony

Media

Literature

thumb|[[Hasrat Mohani Library, a public library in Hyderabad]]

As tradition goes, Sindh had always been a hub for Sufi 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 of Sindhi literature across borders. Modern novelists, writers, columnists and researchers like Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Ghulam Mustafa Khan and Qabil 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 the Kawish,

Ibrat,

and Daily Sindh.

Radio and television

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 where Radio Pakistan had found success. This made available the FM 101 bandwidth transmissions to Hyderabad and other cities in Sindh.

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 the University of Sindh. 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 like Shafi Muhammad Shah and Mohammad Ali left the airwaves to hone their acting skills on the television. Television shows and content enriched with the inclusion of Hyderabadi names however PTV never opened a television station in Hyderabad.

While the year 2005 saw new FM regular stations set up at Gawadar, Mianwali, Sargodha, Kohat, Bannu and Mithi, 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 the Pakistan 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, and Daily Kawish,