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Polo in Nizam's Hyderabad

By Seven Oaks -
Polo in Hyderabad has a surprisingly deep history, and for a period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hyderabad was one of the important polo centres of princely India. How polo came to Hyderabad Polo itself originated in ancient Central Asia and Persia, though the modern game played today was standardized in British India after British officers encountered polo in Manipur during the 19th century. ( Wikipedia ) In Hyderabad, polo arrived through two channels: The Hyderabad State cavalry and aristocracy , who already had a strong horse-riding tradition. British military officers stationed in Secunderabad Cantonment , where equestrian sports were popular. ( Wikipedia ) Because Hyderabad was one of the richest princely states in India and maintained its own army, cavalry, horse-breeding facilities, and noble estates, polo found fertile ground. The primary patrons The Nizams The biggest patrons were the Asaf Jahi rulers themselves. Particularly: Mahbub Ali Khan (6th Nizam) Mir Osm...
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Nizam's Patronage of Sports - Tennis, Cricket, Polo, Horse-riding & Horse Racing

By Seven Oaks -
The Nizams were among the most important royal patrons of sport in princely India. While they are often remembered for architecture, education, railways, and public works, they also helped create a sporting culture that produced national-level athletes in cricket, football, hockey, polo, horse racing, and tennis. ( Wikipedia ) Sports under the Nizams During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Nizams and the Hyderabad nobility (especially the Paigahs, Salar Jungs, and Moin-ud-Dowlah family) funded clubs, grounds, tournaments, and sporting institutions. Sport was seen as both a gentlemanly pursuit and a mark of a modern state. ( Wikipedia ) Some examples: Horse racing was a particular passion of the 6th Nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan, who helped establish the foundations of organized racing in Hyderabad. ( Wikipedia ) Polo was widely played by the aristocracy and cavalry officers. Cricket received extensive patronage from nobles such as Nawab Moin-ud-Dowla and Maharaja Kishen Pershad. ( ...
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Vihar Lake built by Britishers in 1853-1860

By Seven Oaks -
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Vihar Lake & Bombay Water Supply  Vihar Lake Vihar Lake is an artificial reservoir (man-made lake) located on Salsette Island, about 15 miles (24 km) from Bombay (Mumbai) . It was created to provide Bombay with a reliable supply of clean drinking water . Before this, Bombay depended mainly on wells on the island for water. How was it built? In 1853 , the Bombay authorities approved a proposal by: Lt. Col. Crawford, R.E. Lt. (later Col.) De Lisle, R.E. The plan was to dam the Gopur River valley near its source in the hills of Salsette. The project was carried out by Mr. Conybeare, C.E. The dams were completed and water began reaching Bombay in 1860 . Size and Construction The lake covered about 1,400 acres . Its catchment (water-gathering) area covered about 2,550 acres , excluding the lake surface. It was formed by three dams . Two additional dams were needed to stop water escaping over lower ridges around the basin. Water Supply The reservoir supplie...
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The Horse Shoe Arch - Visigothic versus Islamic

By Seven Oaks -
  Islamic architecture improved the Visigothic horseshoe arch in scale, geometry, structural use, decoration, repetition, and international spread . The arch became more rounded and more visually refined Visigothic horseshoe arches were often simple, thick, and relatively plain . In al-Andalus, the arch became more mathematically controlled and visually elegant.  The “Moorish” horseshoe arch developed into a more circular and sophisticated form than the Visigothic version, often turning inward more strongly before reaching the imposts. (Wikipedia) In simple terms:  Visigothic was  functional, heavy, local church form. Whereas the Islamic Andalusi arch was  more circular, more rhythmic, more decorative, and more monumental. It was monumentalized at Córdoba  The Great Mosque of Córdoba transformed the horseshoe arch from a local architectural feature into a grand imperial-religious system.  Its prayer hall used repeated bays of double arches : lowe...
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Nizam's Hyderabad State Archaeology Department & Museum

By Seven Oaks -
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Hyderabad  Museum, now known as the "Telangana State Archaeology Museum" – Brief History Origins (Before the Museum) Archaeological interest in the Hyderabad State grew in the late 19th century through the work of British archaeologist Henry Cousens, who surveyed many monuments and sites in the Deccan. ( Wikipedia ) Recognizing the importance of preserving the state's antiquities, the far sighted 7th Nizam - Mir Osman Ali Khan Nizam's established the Hyderabad State Department of Archaeology in 1914 , making it one of the oldest archaeology departments in India. ( Telangana Government ) Establishment of the Museum (1927–1931) A museum was first organized in 1927 , initially housed in the old Town Hall building (today's Legislative Assembly area). ( Wikipedia ) The Seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, funded the construction of a dedicated museum building in the Public Gardens (Bagh-e-Aam). ( Wikipedia ) The present Indo-Saracenic style building was completed around ...
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Freemason Hall, originally Gosha Mahal Baradari - a Quli Qutub Shahi Summer palace for Royal womenfolk

By Seven Oaks -
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From the evidence available, Goshamahal Baradari was originally a Qutb Shahi royal palace complex , not a public building. It was built in the late 17th century as part of the royal residences of Hyderabad. ( Scribd ) Who built it? There are two traditions: Most commonly cited: It was built by Abul Hasan Tana Shah , the last ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, around 1682–1684. ( Wikipedia ) A more detailed account: Construction was begun during the reign of Abdullah Qutb Shah and completed by Abul Hasan Tana Shah . ( Facebook ) What was it used for? The name itself gives the clue: "Gosha" refers to women living in seclusion or purdah. "Mahal" means palace. "Baradari" is a pavilion or palace hall with multiple openings. ( The New Indian Express ) It was constructed as a summer palace and retreat for the royal women of the Qutb Shahi court , including the harem and female members of the royal household. The idea was to provide a cooler and more pleasant ...
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How is history before medieval period constructed - what were the sources

By Seven Oaks -
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Much of what we today call “ancient Hindu / pre-Islamic Indian history or pre-medieval history” was not preserved as continuous royal history books .  It was reconstructed later from inscriptions, coins, temples, grants, literary texts, travellers’ accounts, archaeology, coins, inscriptions, and colonial/postcolonial scholarly interpretation . 1) Brief history of archaeology in India: who started it and when? What existed before formal archaeology began:  Antiquarian curiosity, texts, & monuments Before archaeology became a formal discipline, India’s past was known through: Sanskrit texts: Vedas, epics, Puranas, Dharmashastras, kavya, regional literature. Buddhist and Jain texts. Local temple legends, genealogies, matha records. Persian and Arabic histories for later periods. Visible monuments: temples, stupas, caves, forts, pillars, mosques, tombs. Coins found by collectors. Inscriptions seen on rocks, pillars, copper plates and temples — but many could not yet be read. T...
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