Telangana

Hyderabad

Hyderabad was founded in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, reportedly to ease overcrowding in the older fort city of Golconda nearby. Its name is often linked to Bhagmati, a woman the founding sultan is said to have loved, though the more common account ties it to "Haidar," a title of Ali. Later ruled by the Nizams, among the wealthiest royal families in the world, Hyderabad grew into the Deccan's great Indo-Islamic capital, still visible in the Charminar and Golconda Fort. Today it is equally known as Cyberabad, India's second-biggest technology hub after Bengaluru.