The capital and largest urban sprawl in the Indian state of Telangana is Hyderabad, which is phonemically pronounced as HY-dər-ə-bad. Situated along the banks of the Musi River in the northern precinct of Southern India, it covers a huge area of 650 km2 (250 sq mi) across the Deccan Plateau. With an average elevation of 542 meters (1,778 feet), a sizable section of Hyderabad is spread across rolling hillsides encircling man-made reservoirs, such as the storied Hussain Sagar Lake, which existed in the northern reaches of the city center before the city was even founded.

With 6.9 million people living within its borders, Hyderabad is the fourth most populated city in India, according to the 2011 Census. Furthermore, its metropolitan area is home to an additional 9.7 million people, making it the sixth most populated metropolitan area in the nation. Hyderabad has the impressive distinction of having the fifth-largest urban economy in India, with an economic output of an astounding US$74 billion.

Hyderabad’s origins date back to 1591, when Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a prominent member of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, had the idea to expand the capital outside the fortified Golconda. However, the city did not become part of the Mughal empire until 1687. Then, in 1724, Asaf Jah I, the viceroy of the Mughals, proclaimed himself king and established the Asaf Jahi dynasty, or Nizams.

From 1769 to 1948, Hyderabad served as the imperial capital of the Asaf Jahis, marking a significant chapter in the city’s history. Before Indian independence in 1947, the city served as the capital of the princely state of Hyderabad and was home to the British Residency and cantonment. Hyderabad continued to serve as the capital of Hyderabad State from 1948 to 1956 after being annexed by the Indian Union in 1948. Hyderabad was designated as the capital of the newly created Andhra Pradesh following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

An important turning point came in 2014 when Andhra Pradesh split, creating the state of Telangana. After that, Hyderabad took over as the two states’ joint capital, subject to a temporary agreement that would end in 2024. The Rashtrapati Nilayam, the winter residence of the Indian President, has been housed in the city since 1956.

Hyderabad still has remnants of the Qutb Shahi and Nizam periods, with the city’s character embodied by the famous Charminar. Men of letters from all over the world were drawn to the Nizam’s patronage as the Mughal Empire in the Deccan was coming to an end in the early modern era. A unique blend of painting, handicraft, jewelry, literature, vernacular, and clothing resulted from this cultural blending, which was founded on the cooperation of native and immigrant craftspeople. This blending still has a lasting impact today. Hyderabad is praised by UNESCO as a creative city of food for its culinary prowess. As of 2021, the city’s Telugu film industry, which has its headquarters there, is pleased to have earned the title of highest-grossing Indian film industry.