People now may be sharply divided on religious lines but the Hyderabad of yesteryears presented a successful example of a pluralistic society. Regardless of their religious affiliations everyone participated in the dominant public culture, especially those living in the neighbourhoods of the walled City.

American Historian Prof. Karen Leonard (University of California, Los Angeles) presenting her paper at MANUU. / The Hindu

“The Indo-Muslim practices are not evidence of a cultural synthesis, syncretism or hybridity. Rather they are evidence of a successful plural society,” remarked Karen Leonard, professor of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine.

She was delivering a lecture on ‘Indo-Muslim culture in Hyderabad – Old City neighbourhoods in the 19 century’ at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University. Prof. Leonard focused on the history of Hyderabad state in Deccan as part of the fifth biennial convention of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies.

3 NEIGHBOURWOODS

She talked about three contrasting neighbourhoods of the old city – Shahalibanda, Chowk Maidan Khan and Hussainialam – and highlighted their differences and distinct cultural practices.

Hindus and Muslims as also Telugu, Marathi, Kanada, Hindi and Urdu speakers took part in the public culture of their place and time. The Kayasth caste, Ms. Leonard said, were characterised as ‘half Muslim’ since many of its members became prominent administrators for Muslim rulers in India and also emerged as scholars and poets in Arabic, Persian and Urdu.

Shahalibanda was essentially a site of military establishments. It was home to the leading military noble family of Paigahs and Gaur Kayasth ‘serrishtahdars’ (managers) of military and household units.

Residents here came from many cultural backgrounds and economic levels. Imposing residences of Hindu and Muslim nobles and military commanders shared space with small communities of tanners, salt makers, grain carriers and goat sellers.

ENTHUSIASTIC CELEBRATIONS

Muharram was enthusiastically observed and the Kayasths kept ‘alams’ in their homes and built Ashoorkhanas. Some Kayasth families even fasted like Shias. Hindu festivals such as Ramlila celebrations were privately sponsored in Shahalibanda.

The Malwala family was the wealthiest family in Chowk Maidan Khan locality. The family supported the neighbourhood mosques and donated money in Ramzan. During Muharram, the Malwala family displayed ‘alams’, set up ‘abdarkhanas’ to serve ‘sherbet’ to people.

Hussainialam, according to Prof. Leonard, was more crowded and its population heterogeneous. The Kayasths here were Saksenas, Bhatnagars and Srivastavas. Some Brahmin families and Bohra Muslims also lived here.

Referring to the literary front, Prof. Leonard recalled how these localities produced famous Hindi poets of Hyderabad. The literary activity revolved around Persian till the late 19 century when Urdu became a popular medium of expression. Many Kayasth poets were deeply influenced by Sufi thoughts. Prof. Leonard recited the lines of Bansi Raja of Hussainialam:

I do not put tilak,

It’s just another headache

Nor do I perform sejdah,

It makes a black spot on my face

source: http://www.thehindu.com / News> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. S. Ifthekhar / January 06th, 2012