From the annexation of the princely state of Hyderabad in September 1948 to the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and the eventual creation of Telangana in 2014—these broad brushstrokes of Hyderabad’s history are well-documented. What has long been missing, however, is the perspective of the people, the different communities who lived through these upheavals—the communal violence of Independence and Partition, the push for a linguistic re-imagination of the state and its bifurcation, the long-drawn-out struggle for statehood—and those who were forced to adapt to a rapidly changing India.
For the first time, Daneesh Majid brings their stories to light. Drawing from generational interviews, oral histories, literature in Urdu and English and his own personal experiences, he drafts a modern history of Hyderabad. A work of this scale and size has never been attempted before and The Hyderabadis promises to open new doors to the former kingdom’s past and future.
Daneesh Majid, says, ‘While chronicling Hyderabad through the lenses of different individuals and their families, I found that they were bound together by an amorphous, quintessential Hyderabadi ethos. These denizens of the Deccan may have come from diverse backgrounds, harboured different ideologies and undertaken their own unique journeys from 1947–48 to more recent times, but that binding ethos transcends religion as well as race—it is a shared memory of food, language and geography. Some of those denizens ventured to Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or even as far as the US/Canada. But all roads lead back to Hyderabad in one way or another.’
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daneesh Majid is a Hyderabad-based writer who concentrates on South Asian culture, security and Urdu literature. He has worked for Siasat.com, the online English edition of the prominent Urdu daily. His writing has been featured in numerous South Asian media outlets, such as Mint Lounge, The Hindu Business Line, Express Tribune, The New Indian Express, The Wire, The News Minute, The Print, Madras Courier, DailyO, The Nation (Pakistan) and Dhaka Tribune. He is an alumnus of Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
PRAISE FOR THE HYDERABADIS
‘Daneesh Majid’s passion for Hyderabad and its core values … is an exemplary feature that blends an intense love with amazing scholarship.’ — Afsar Mohammad
‘Passionately written and engaging work.’ — Dinesh C. Sharma
‘By going beyond religion and race, Majid brilliantly unearths the cultural essence of this cosmopolitan city and the people who have shaped its unique identity.’ — John Zubrzycki
‘… fascinating montage of Hyderabad and its ethos …’ — Raza Rumi
‘A nuanced understanding of Hyderabad’s history, culture and socio-political landscape from the time of India’s independence to the present day.’ — Saaz Aggarwal
‘A fascinating piece of oral history as well as an insightful account of contemporary lives in Hyderabad.’ — Veena Venugopal
Published by HarperCollins
Paperback | Non-fiction | History | 256 pp | INR 499
Releasing on 16 April 2025
