DOES HYDERABD   BELONG  ONLY TO MUSLIMS ?                                                     PART I                                             Dr K Prabhakar Rao  

                   Recently  Sri Mohan babu, a veteran cine actor and former MP from Telugu desam commented that Hyderabad belonged to Muslims. He said “So let us give this city to Muslims and leave”. There has been a hue and cry and court case has been thrown at his face by the citizens. The episode is part of present Telangana trouble in Andhra Pradesh in which Hyderabad has become the nerve center of the movement. Sri Mohan Babu who has many hit movies to his credit has his own style of dialogue delivery that is peculiar to him. Now he has a grown up daughter and sons who are also part of Film industry. At present Telangana movement is  in peak  and none is relenting. People from Andhra and Royalaseema areas too have taken up a counter movement to prevent breaking up of this large state of Andhra Pradesh. The tempers are high.  Every leader has now thrown his towel in the ring or else his existence would be soon questionable. For the people of Telangana it will have to be now or never. In this scenario Mohan Babu, his son and daughter were conducting film shooting in Hyderabad.  The shooting was prevented and  the premises were attacked by Telangana activities. Film shooting equipment was damaged and  there was some use of physical force. The artists had to flee and  take shelter in closed rooms. Irked by this activity Sri Mohan Babu lost temper and  burst out saying that Hyderabad is no ones  dad’s property and all have the right to stay  in the city and pursue  activities. He also said that the film industry came to Hyderbad from Madrasat the call of former CM Marri Chenna Reddy. This activity generated great amount of bad blood in the people and tempers rose high.Soon there was chaos and BJP leaders demanded apology from Mohan Babu for hurting sentiments of people of Telangana.

                  The movement for Telangana state is not new and has been a  continuous fire better known as Ravana kashtam ( Ravanas funeral pyre that continuously burns).It is good to know  about past too.  Hyderabad city is the nerve center of Andhra Pradesh even before  the state was formed based on linguistic principles. Earlier it was the capital of Asifjahis Kings who ruled  the State of Hyderabad and Berar  from       to 1948. Recalling the medieval times and the period of Bahmani sultans who ruled at Deccan in 16 th century certain facts are highly revealing.  The city of Hyderabad what stands today  was originally a tiny village comprising of shepherds and farmers and few artisans.   There was a place called Golconda ( Golla Konda meaning shepherd hill) few KM away from the said village.  There was a mud fort on the hill  constructed by Kakateeya kings who ruled Telangana  and major portions of Andhra Region.

                 Kakateeya dynasty with capital at Warangal ( orugallu formerly) is claimed to have survived for nearly thousand years although originally the rulers were the vassals of Chalukya Kings  ruling at Vegi ( Now Eluru in Andhra Region). At  later stage  after the decline of Vegi Chalukyan, they were vassals to Kalyani Chalukya kings ruling at Kalyani now in Karnataka state. Kalyani is part of present district Bidar which was part of  former Hyderabad state under Nizam . It is believed that Golla Konda was under the rule of Krishna Deva or Krishna Nayaka after the fall of Kakateeya Kingdom in 1323 at the hands of Mohammed Bin Tughlaq the ruler at Delhi.

                          Pratap Rudra deva of Kakateeya dynasty was a very valiant and accomplished king. However he was defeated at Warangal in 1326 at the capital by the Delhi sultan after repeated attacks and owing to internal bickering of Velama  and Reddy  chieftains who claimed superiority one over the other. Pratapa Rudra deva was captured and while being taken to Delhi he committed suicide by jumping in river Godavari or Narmada. There are  also ballads that Prataparudra deva was rescued by his Prime minister Yougandharayana and was brought back to Warangal. Some claim that the king lost all interest in governance and  soon renounced the kingdom handing over to Krishna deva. As per available records Warangal was placed under a Muslim governor  after its capture and it was renamed as Sultanpur. However the chieftains of Prataparudra Deva rose in revolt and were led by Prolaya Naika who conducted guerilla warfare from Rekapalli in the region of Telangana. Kapayya Naika his cousin took over the mantle after the death of Prolaya Naika and  the struggle continued for ten years. Finally Kapayya Naika defeated Malik Maqbool the governor at Warangal with combined forces of Vema Reddy, Singama Naika ( Velama Chieftain) and also  from Veera Ballala from Karnataka region in the year 1336. Muslims were driven out of Telangana and Andhra regions and Kapayya Naika ruled as the successor to Kakateeya kings for 36 years with firm grip. 

                   While Kapayya ruled at Warangal with all pomp and show, a Muslim governor titled Hasan Gangu Bahmani at Devagiri (Daulatabad now in Maharashtra state rose) in revolt against Mohd Bin Tughlaq of Delhi and established an independent kingdom and it was known as Bahmani  kingdom.This kingdom survived for     years from  to. Kapayya Naika helped Hassan gangu by sending 1000 cavalry in the fight against Delhi sultan. But Hassan consolidated himself  and attacked Kapayya. Kapayya had to make terms with the Bahmani sultan an handed over the  fort of Kaulas ( Now in Nizamabad district of Telangana region) that was near the border of Bahmani kingdom. Kapayya  soon had to  fight Singama Naika I his Velama  vassal many times who declared independence at Pillala Marri( Later shifted to Rachkonda). Kapayya was killed in a battle with Anapotha Naika  son of Singama Naika I the ruler of Rachakonda. Vinayaka Deva the son of Kapayya was earlier killed by Mohammed Shah Bahmani at Velamputta. Thus rule of kapyya naiak ended after his death in 1336 and Velama kings of Rachakonda became the rulers of Telangana.

                It is believed that Krishna Deva who was the scion in Telangana at a later date handed over the Golla konda Fort to Sultan Kuli who was the viceroy of Bahmani kings and made terms of peace. From then onwards Golconda was with Bahmani kings to the end. Bahmani  kingdom broke up into five regional kingdoms  such as Golconda ( Formerly Gollakond), Bijapur, Ahmed nagar, Berar and Bidar  . Sultan Kuli was appointed as Tarafdar (Governor) of Telangana ay Gollakonda by Sultan Shihabuddin Mahmood Mohammed.   Sultan kuli declared independence in the year 1518 after the death of his master Sultan  Shihabuddin mahmood  of Bahmani kingdim ( 1482-118) and assumed title Sultan kuli Kutubulmulk and was a successful ruler.

                   The Kutubshahi dynasty lasted for 169( from 1518 to 1687) years when it was attacked by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1686 and by treachery it was captured. The last sultan Abul Hassan Kutubshah (1672-1687) was  captured and sent to live at Daulatabad in confinement where he finally died in captivity in 1700. Golconda was annexed to Mughal provinces and was kept under a Subedar (governor).  Sultan Mohammed Kuli Kutub Shah (IV ruler) ( 1580-1612 ) who built Hyderabad was the grandson of Sultan Kuli and was the son of Ibrahim Kutubshah ( III ruler)   ruler at Golconda. He succeeded his elder brother Jamshed ( II ruler)(1543-1550) who died after 7 years rule having come to power after slaying his father sultan kuli at th eripe age of 93 years while praying in a mosque in Golcovda fort. Although Subhan Ali (1550 Jan -1550 July) a child was kept on throne after Jamsheds death he was deposed by Ibrahim. Subhan Ali is not counted as ruler. There is an interesting episode about history of Hyderabad.

Prince Kuli (son of Ibrahim Kutubshah ( 1550-1580)) fell in love with a village girl Baghmati who stayed  at a village across the river Musi. Once Kuli crossed the river Musi in spate without caring for his life to meet his lover at the village. The sultan saw this from the palace and perturbed at his safety soon got a stone bridge constructed over Musi river that exists even today and is under use. It is called Purana pul( Old bridge). Once prince Kuli became the ruler (1580-1612), he married the village girl and gave her title Hyder Mahal and constructed a city across the Musi river in 1591 and named it as Bhagyanagar. Later it was named as Hyderabad. The Kutubshahi ruler stayed in palaces in Hyderabad and when enemy attacked shifted to Golconda fort.

                            After the fall of Golconda to Mughals  Hyderabad lost its glory and Mughal subedar made Aurangabad as his capital  which is very near to Daultabad fort.

CONTINUED