Hyderabad: We all doom-scroll on Instagram, often mindlessly. And depending on your algorithm, the feed will be cultured accordingly. If you’re a history enthu cutlet and researcher like myself, and someone who also watches crass meme-worthy Hyderabadi videos (because why not?), then I am sure that Insta will also throw up one too many of those willy vidoes.
The first time I saw a video or reel by a ‘content creator’ (masquerading as a historian) was on the area of Abids. It wasn’t the worst exactly, but it was so loud that it missed the point. The area of Abids in Hyderabad is named after the Jewish valet of the sixth Nizam Mahbub Ali Pasha. It wasn’t the worst on, but then the problem with how history is treated by fame or follower seeking creators is the misrepresentation of history.
See, normally I would not care about what people post or speak about. We are all entitled to create what we want, but the issue with history is that when it is selective, or with a purpose, then you need to be very clear and make sure that you absolutely get your facts right. Even if you are subjective or have an opinion about it, there is a way to put it across where you actually make a case by your own work. And when it comes to the history of Hyderabad, it is our duty to be careful.
Are Hyderabad food bloggers going overboard with their reviews?
And I believe this is what people who consistently engage with history for a cause do. At least that has been the case with myself. Uncovering the layers of our past with some context is what I believe in (it also makes us more intelligent when we don’t do binaries of semantics because sometimes things are not black and white).
The latest reel I saw on Instagram was about the story behind Hyderabad’s name and the existence of Bhagmati, whose legend as the lover of our city’s founder Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah precedes everything else. Honestly, given the umpteen number of videos that already exist, my words might seem futile. But we still don’t know the origin of it, at least not entirely. In most cases, people try to either prove or disprove it.
I think it’s time that we leave the name, and maybe accept the fact that the debate may never end. So what if Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah had a lover? That changes nothing about Hyderabad. The Golconda kings were in sync with Telugu people here and built a syncretic culture with Hindus here. We need to celebrate that (no, I am not saying that Bhagmati existed, in case you missed the point.
Did the founder of Hyderabad really have a lover named Bhagmati?
I’d in fact encourage more youngsters to create good history content, meaningful videos which are at least carefully crafted to make sure that it doesn’t end up becoming dumpster material when it comes to history at least. If I sound harsh, it is because of the way content on our culture is positioned. Instead of relying on other people and random sources, this is perhaps a good chance for us or those who are interested in history to maybe read and find historical sources that are more accurate.
It is more work, but trust me, nobody will be able to question you, and it will also be satisfying. Hyderabad is a great city, with layers of history. Uncovering that and learning the foundations itself took me a few years, and I am still rediscovering my city. So I hope those who create such Insta content (or anywhere else) are a little more careful and respectful towards our history.
