In Frames | Booming no more

The cannons of Hyderabad, sentinels of an era when their mere presence spoke of might and power, now lie in neglect

Some cities in India straddle centuries in how they showcase themselves. One such urban hub is Hyderabad, which still has many of its architecture and traditional bazaars of yore intact.

But among the elements fading in significance are the cannons in the city. These heavy guns underscore a strong military past by just being around. They are just about everywhere: in museums, atop historic monuments, and even by the roadside, all of them sentinels of an era when their mere presence meant power and might. Today, some of them lie next to mounds of garbage, like the one at Aliabad.

Many of the cannons are linked to the who’s who of Indian history.

A cannon named “Fateh Rahbar”, weighing 16.5 tonnes and measuring 4.8 metres in length, was used by Aurangazeb during the siege of Golconda in 1687. It now languishes in neglect in the ruins of the Golconda Fort. Gen. Michel Joachim Marie Raymond, a French man and a General in the Nizam of Hyderabad’s military, started the Gunfoundry (in the heart of Hyderabad) in 1786 to manufacture cannons and cannonballs made of wootz, a special steel alloy known to Indians, to make the kingdom powerful. Today, scores of cannons lie vandalised and uncared-for in and around Hyderabad, due to lack of funds.

The names of some of the cannons were supposed to instil fear: the “Azdaha Paikar” (dragon shape), “Atish Baar” (flame thrower), “Dushman Khob” (enemy destroyer) and Quila Kusha (fort opener).

The mightiest of them all, the “Fateh Rahbar” (guide to victory), was used by Aurangazeb’s Army to capture the defiant and brave Qutab Shahi ruler Abul Hasan Tana Shah.

That was then. Today, as another year passes by, the clock is ticking for many of the cannons lying at the mercy of the elements.