A geospatial study of the layout and extent of the eighteenth-century walled city of Hyderabad

Abstract

Hyderabad and Golconda are prominent medieval cities in Deccan India, claiming significant roles in shaping the transformation of the region in the 20th and 21st centuries. This study focuses on defining the contours of Hyderabad’s walled settlement, a fortified structure built around Hyderabad city, the capital of Hyderabad State after the fall of Golconda in 1687. The capital shift to Hyderabad occurred gradually even with the construction of Char Minar in 1591. The city became an important factor to understand the growth of Hyderabad in the Nizam and British eras. The core of the study is based on how different maps of the walled city dating from the 18thc. to 20th c. describe a picture of change in the settlement arena of Hyderabad. These maps signify the areas of development, which can be conjectured in presentday Google Earth. It also compares different maps to bring about the information on built features in the city and georeference them in today’s setting so as to understand the spatial change in the arrangement of the city. The findings of the current work are used to conduct a detailed field survey to check and document remains that still exist and also the condition they are in at present. The study focuses on the sustainable development of a burgeoning urban sprawl of Hyderabad considering the cultural heritage of the area