Hyderabad (; ; ) is a city and the capital of Hyderabad Division in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the second-largest city in Sindh, and the eighth 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 the Prophet 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, so he is often referred to as Ali Haydar, roughly meaning "Ali the Lionheart", by South Asian Muslims.
History
Founding
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 Shah of Iran later gifted the city a stone which purportedly bears the imprint of Ali's feet. The stone was placed in the Qadamgah Maula Ali, which then became a place of pilgrimage.
Kalhora
In 1768, Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro ordered a fort to be built on one of the three hills of Hyderabad to house and defend his people. The fort was built using baked clay bricks, earning it the name Pacco Qillo, meaning Strong Fort in Sindhi. The fort was completed in 1769, and is spread over 36 acres. Mian Ghulam Shah also built the "Shah Makki Fort," commonly known as Kacha Qila, to fortify the tomb of the Sufi saint Shah Makki.
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. A portion of the population of Khudabad migrated to the new capital, including Sonaras, Amils and Bhaibands. Those groups retained the term "Khudabadi" in the names of their communities as a marker of origin.
Mian Ghulam Shah died in 1772, and was succeeded by his son, Sarfraz Khan Kalhoro. In 1774, Sarfraz Khan built a "New" Khudabad north of Hala in memory of the old Kalhoro capital, and attempted to shift his capital there. The attempt failed, and Hyderabad continued to prosper while New Khudabad was abandoned by 1814. A formal plan for the city was laid out by Sarfraz Khan in 1782.
Talpur
Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur captured the city of Khudabad from the Kalhoros in 1773, and made the city his capital. He then captured Hyderabad in 1775, and shifted his capital there in 1789 after Khudabad once again flooded. Renovation and reconstruction of the city's fort began in 1789, and lasted for 3 years. Celebrations were held in 1792 to mark his formal entry in the Pacco Qillo fort, which he made his residence and held court.
Talpur rule maintained Hyderabad's security, and the city continued to attract migrants from throughout Sindh, turning the city into a major regional center. Lohana Hindus from Afghanistan migrated to the city and set up ship as metalworkers. The city's goldsmiths, silversmiths, and leather tanners began to export their Hyderabadi wares abroad. The city's textile industry boomed with the arrival of Susi and Khes cotton cloth and handicrafts from towns in rural Sindh. The city's became renowned for its calligraphers and bookbinders, while its carpet dealers traded carpets from nearby Thatta.
Henry Pottinger traveled up the Indus River in the early 1830s on behalf of the British. He claimed to have seen 341 ships over the course of 19 days at Hyderabad, indicating its importance as a major trading center by this time. Hyderabad's goods were mostly exported to markets in Khorasan, India, Turkestan, and Kashmir - though some Hyderabadi wares were displayed at The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.