Legendotes of Hyderabad

The birth of Hyderabad is rooted in two legends. One is the early-teen love affair of Prince Mohammad Quli with Bhagmati, a beautiful singer and dancer. The other is the decree issued by him as the sultan of Golkonda that a new city which should be constructed which should be a replica of heaven. When the city was ready, he named it Bhagnagar after his beloved Bhagmati. Over the five centuries following its founding in 1591, numerous new legends have come to be associated with the city, its rulers, and people. Legends and anecdotes are generally considered as the ‘gossip’ of history. However, in some cases they are also the stuff of history. It is not easy always to separate chaff from the grain. It was not very long ago that ‘oral history’ was acknowledged as a source of history. The author has written extensively on the history and culture of Hyderabad. Here he presents a selection of some interesting legends and anecdotes relating to Hyderabad which, despite their traditional spice and flavour, are rooted in facts. The ‘legendotes’, as he calls them, form a chain of gripping ‘snippets’ from the history of Hyderabad. This liberally illustrated volume thus provides an absorbing glimpse of the history of a city much celebrated for its romantic origin and composite culture. It will be of interest both to lay readers and students of history.