Hyderabad. The main reason for calling Secunderabad the twin city of Hyderabad is that they developed together, but also have completely different governance, culture and character from each other. This relationship was that of a ruler’s capital and a military cantonment, which over time became part of today’s integrated metropolis, but retained its distinct identity.
Secunderabad: Birth of the British Cantonment
Secunderabad originated in 1806, when the then Nizam Mir Akbar Ali Khan alias Sikandar Jah signed a Subsidiary Alliance with the British East India Company, as a part of this treaty the Nizam gave some land in the north-eastern part of his kingdom to the British Army to build a permanent military cantonment. This new cantonment was named Secunderabad after the then Nizam Sikandar Jah. Thus Secunderabad was originally a British military base and administrative centre.
Feeling of division and twinness
He further said that it was from here that the clear division between the two cities started, which made them twins. On one side was Hyderabad – the city ruled by the Nizams, with buildings like the Charminar, Mecca Masjid and Laad Bazaar, which represented a rich Mughlai-Deccan culture. On the other side was Secunderabad – a well-organized cantonment, with military cantonments, churches, wide and straight roads and a different, more British atmosphere. Even though both cities were adjacent to each other, their identity, administration and culture were completely different. This contradiction and proximity gave them the status of twin cities.
Today one city, two identities
The administrative division ended with the merger of the princely state of Hyderabad with India in 1948 and Hyderabad being made the capital of Andhra Pradesh (today Telangana) in 1956. Today Hyderabad and Secunderabad are part of a single metropolitan area, administered under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. However, this division of identity still persists. Hyderabad is known for its historical heritage and old city character.
Secunderabad remains a major military and railway center and has a distinct, more industrial identity. The main reason why Secunderabad is called the twin city of Hyderabad is that they developed together, but also have completely different governance, culture and character from each other. This relationship was that of a ruler’s capital and a military cantonment, which over time became part of today’s integrated metropolis, but retained its distinct identity.
