Secunderabad Essay

The cantonment was named Secunderabad after the then Nizam, Secundar Jah. It was situated five miles north of Charminar, near the Hussain Sagar lake. In the same year permission was granted by the Nizam to the British resident, to build his Residency on the north bank.

The establishment of the British cantonment north of Hussain Sagar lake created a lot of trading opportunities and a thriving native market called the General Bazaar, came into existence to cater to the needs of the military population. A native settlement also grew around the cantonment.

In the year 1836, the barracks were shifted further north to the outlying suburbs of Trimalgherry, Bolarum and Bowenpally, yet, Secunderabad whose mainstay was commercial activity continued to flourish

Some state offices were also shifted to the northern parts of the city after floods. But the mass of the population residing within the walled city, however, continued to stay in it. The river front areas previously populated were “converted into playgrounds and parks and in their background prominent public buildings such as the High court, the Central Hospital, the State Library etc., were constructed.” Permanent measures to control the floods in the River Musi and its Tributory Esi were taken with the construction of two reservoirs in 1917 and 1927 respectively on the two rivers.

Thus we find that with the floods of 1908, a great deal of internal re-organization of the city had taken place. Many important functions were shifted from the southern parts of the city to the northern banks. The south lost its political clout also, when the Nizam shifted his residence to the northern bank. We have already noted that Secunderabad had become the commercial centre of the city with the development of the Railway network with Bombay. Hence, we find that an all round decline in the importance of Hyderabad South had set