Beyond Biryani: The Making of a Globalised Hyderabad

A BOOK THAT BREAKS THE STEREOTYPES ABOUT THE CITY OF HYDERABAD AND REVEALS A CITY THAT IS AS MUCH ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AS IT IS ABOUT NAWABS AND BIRYANI.

Beyond Biryani captures the story of the remarkable transformation of Hyderabad from what at best was a proto-colonial city under a quasi-Mughal princely state till the 1940s to a modern and vibrant metropolis. Dinesh C. Sharma tells the story of how, in the princely state of Hyderabad under the rule of the British, the foundation was laid for inculcating a scientific temper and how, among other things, the period saw the setting up of India’s first vernacular university. This was followed by the encouraging of a culture of science in newly independent India, a period that saw the coming up of industrial laboratories as well as nuclear fuel and missiles. The book concludes with looking at the last thirty years where Hyderabad has taken a giant leap towards becoming a modern city that is now the preferred location of scientific and technological institutions and companies.

An alternative history of the city of Hyderabad—beyond the usual stereotypes of Nawabs and biryani, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in knowing how a modern city is made without losing its cultural heritage.