Hyderabad - Its History & Heritage

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 ...

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 ...

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...