The general idea that people have of Hyderabad's Nizams is that they were the wealthiest rulers in the world. Not only is that a misconception, many forget that the state of Hyderabad between its second and fourth Nizams was actually in debt thanks to an agreement signed with the British. The Treaty of Subsidiary Alliance not only cemented the British East India Company's presence in Hyderabad, it also led to the eventual creation of Secunderabad, the British cantonment for the Company's soldiers. At our Online Talk #BornOutOfDebt, journalist and Hyderabad chronicler Yunus Lasania tells us how Secunderabad, with its cosmopolitan culture and history, had a very different trajectory in comparison to Hyderabad, even though the two were known as the twin cities, which, even today, shows in the ethos of people living there.

About the speaker

Yunus Lasania is a Hyderabad-based journalist with over a decade’s experience in reporting. He is currently the Chief of Bureau (Andhra Pradesh & Telangana) for The News Minute. He has  a deep love for Hyderabad and its history, and also runs the Instagram page ‘The Hyderabad History Project,’ and hosts ‘Beyond Charminar,’ a podcast series focusing on the lesser-known aspects of his city.