Rediscovering the charm of Abids with old maps

The Deccan Archive Foundation (TDAF) organised their fourth heritage walk as part of the 'Map walks' series, where participants tracked the changes from the 20th century to the present day. For this, they used 'Munn Maps' developed in 1912-15 under the leadership of British engineer Leonard Munn.

The group covered seven places that have undergone drastic changes in over a century, and some that no longer exist.

They commenced their walk from the State Bank of India building in Gunfoundry that was established as the State Bank of Hyderabad.

"This area was not called Abids when the map was made. This area was called Chaderghat. The Basheerbagh road on the map actually divided the Nizam's dominions and the British domains. This area was under British jurisdiction," said Md Sibghatullah Khan, founder of TDAF.

The group then moved to 170-year-old St George's Church along the same road. The church also houses a cemetery meant for British officers who worked in the Nizam government’s railway or the public works departments. One of the officials buried there is the ‘scandalous’ William Palmer, Khan said.

" The Palmer family came to Hyderabad on the orders of the British Viceroy as financial advisers of the Nizam. In the 1840s, the Nizam's treasury was in a very bad shape. As the Nizam was in a subsidiary alliance with the British, every year he had to give a significant amount for it to continue. The Nizam was unable to pay this amount and started giving districts as payments," Khan said.

He mentioned that many parts of coastal Andhra, which in the older maps are labelled as 'Northern Circars', are actually ceded districts.

"They were under the Nizam rule until the 1800 and then were sold because the Nizam could not keep up with the payments. That is when William Palmer, who looked at the book-keeping with the palace, decided to take advantage of the situation. He set up his own finance company and began to lend money to the Nizam. Gradually, the Nizam's financial condition worsened as he now became indebted to both the East India Company and Palmer. When the East India Company finally got wind of the situation, it forced Palmer into bankruptcy and stopped him from harassing the Nizam," Khan explained.

The walk was infused with not only snippets of history related to the places but also included exploring the trees and architectural styles of the buildings that housed campuses.

At a seemingly shabby place, now housing the Office of the Commissioner of Examination, the group found an old Baobab tree.

"The trees, of which only around 8-10 can be spotted in the city presently, first came to Hyderabad from Madagascar, along with African merchants and mercenaries. Some of them are centuries old, like the one in Golconda, which is about 400 years old. They are known for their distinct wide trunks," Khan said.

The campus where the tree was planted belonged to Syed Husain Bilgrami, a significant figure in the history of Hyderabad, known for establishing educational institutes like Madarasa-e-Aliya, Nizam College and the present-day State Library at Afzalgunj.

Another tree that the group traced on the walk was a mango tree planted by Mahatma Gandhi at The Golden Threshold, Sarojini Naidu's original home. Her father, Aghorenath Chattopadhyay, was the first principal of Nizam College.

Dheeraj Vanarasa, a newcomer to the walks, felt they were quite well-planned.

"With copies of maps handed over to every participant and well-marked points that would be covered during the walk, I think the planning was meticulous. The historical narratives were glimpses into fragments of heritage and were quite informative and engaging. It helped me in familiarising with the well-known streets of Abids in a more personal way than just a stretch to pass through."

"It is intriguing to see how the team has traced a modern trail on the 109-year-old Munn maps. What is most exciting is that, though the structures have changed, the roads have stayed the same! The walks are full of hidden gems and exciting anecdotes of the city’s illustrious but near-forgotten history," said Malini Siruguri, another member of the group.