Historical background to Devdis of Hyderabad: Madhu Vottery

Sar Sheher logon se mammor kar

Rakhiya jo Dariya mei too meen ya saami

This couplet was read by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah as he founded the new Qutb Shahi
capital.

‘O lord fill my city with people the way you have filled fish in the ocean.’

Hyderabad history starts from the time when the Bahmani Governor Sultan Quli came from
Bidar (via Patancheruvu) to a small fortress (Golconda), built by Kakatiya rulers at a
commanding location. He was said to have shown this site by a shepherd boy hence it was
called Gollakonda. ‘Golla’ means a shepherd and Konda refers to hillock.

Sultan Quli, founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty after the fall of Bahmani kingdom. All the
Bahmani governors became independent. Located on Goa- Masulipatnam (later called
Machlipatnam) trade route, Golconda the Qutb Shahi capital, got to be known as a major
business centre. As Golconda became over populated the Qutb Shahi sultans planned a new
city with Charminar at its centre. It was later named as Hyderabad; various quarters were
planned by Qutb Shahi Prime Minister Mir Momin with different purposes. The four gateways
around an octagonal fountain named Gulzar Houz were built. The Shia mourning place
Badshahi Ashurkhana and famous hospital Dar-ush-Shifa were built too.

Deccan region, rich in mineral wealth and other natural resources, already had trade links from
other continents. It became more famous during this period. The traders mainly chose to stay
on Caravan route, in the area which is till date called Karvan. The Hindu traders’ houses that
came up on this route are worth a mention here. They also built temples and mosques in this
locality.

The Qutb Shahi kingdom, attracted the Mughal ruler, who after multiple trials, finally attacked
the city in 1687. Golconda, the most impregnable fort of India and the newly built capital city
were left in partial ruins. Many Qutb Shahi palacesi were destroyed. The Mughal army left the
plundered city with loads of valuables. Aurangazeb appointed his governor Mir Qamaruddin
Asaf Jah I, who founded the Asaf Jahi dynasty and started building the City Wall to protect it
from Maratha attacks.
The city of Hyderabad slowly got more buildings and recovered the business links. The trader
families of Bohra Muslims lived in Sarai Bohra Kalan or Bohron ki Sarai. The Hindu jeweller Commented [s1]:

families lived near Sehr-e-Batil ki Kaman. Near Chatta Bazar was the palace of Diwan Commented [s2R1]:

Salarjung which later on became the Salarjung Museum. Chowmahalla became the well-known
location of the city, the house of Nizam, close to which lived the Paigah nobles in a street called
Amir-e-Kabir Galli. The area was also called Shahgunj.

Paigah means the high rank, and pomp. As per some scholars ‘Pai’ refers to foot and ‘Gah’
means the place to rest on. Hence Paigah were the army chieftains and the nobles closest to
Nizam. They also had marital alliance with the Asaf Jahi family. Paigah boys married with the
girls from Nizam’s family. Paigah palaces were built in a street close to Chowmahalla.

The Subsidiary Alliance in 1798, changed the map of Hyderabad. A new cantonment came up
in the north part of the city; Nizam paid for the maintenance of the British Army. This incident
got a major shift in city’s architectural style. The nobility of Hyderabad moved towards north
part of Musi River and received a lot of influence from the British. House of the famous
businessman Dewan Bahadur Seth Ramgopaldas was built along with a clock tower in James
Street.

British Residency was built in early 1800’s. Other than the impressive European style of the
Residency Complex it also housed a small Rangmahal which was built by the British Resident
for his Hyderabadi wife Kahirunnisa, in local style with multi cusped arches and Jharoka
windows.

Secunderabad Club was also built during the same period (originally called United Service
Club); it became a hub of cross culture activities. Now the Devdis of Paigahs and other nobles
came up with the British Architectural façade, yet retaining the Deccani planning (courtyard
type). House of Parsi Banker Pestonji (now ENT Hospital) is worth a mention here. The houses
of these nobles were built on a monumental scale with huge doorways, windows with fanlight
operated with tower bolts and brass hinges. The window glass panels were etched with
monograms of the initials of their names. The seventh Nizam also occupied palace King Kothi
in this part of the town. King Kothi has a mix of architectural styles starting from European to
Indian. It is the last palace of the Seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan.

Some vernacular residential vocabulary was still there but the street façade (European style)
was given more importance. Since Secunderabad was associated with Europeans, Paigah
nobles also moved towards this part of the town in 19th century and built these palaces in
Begumpetii along with a school.

Another major event was floods in Musi river in early 20th century. To work on the water
systems of Hyderabad Sir Vishveshwaraiah was called from Mysore. The work of city
improvement board resulted into expansion of Walled City and entry of a new architectural
style for the public buildings of Hyderabad came up. Vincent Esch designed Unani Hospital,
City College and High Court etc.

Hyderabad has a wonderful mix of art, architecture and culture with respect to people, place
and time. Its about the people, who built the spaces, and the period the built in and the
architectural impression of the place where they migrated from.

‘Dakkan hai nagina angoothi hai jag

Angoothi ko humrat Nagine hi lag.’

To explain the uniqueness of Hyderabad (deccan) this couplet is sufficient.

i
Most of these palaces are mentioned to be of three to four storeyed high.
ii
The area came to be known as Begumpet as Basher-un-Nisa, wife of a Paigah Noble got this land in her
marriage. The village after the ‘begum’, was called Begumpet. The school was built for the children of
Jagirdars now known as Hyderabad Public School.