Old Cities, New Predicaments: A Study of Hyderabad

by Ratna Naidu

"An excellent and highly significant study of the old walled city. . . .Naidu masterfully shows the ways in which urban decay, demography, and politics have become intertwined. Methodologically, the research is both meticulous and exhaustive. [The author provides] detailed documentation of current socioeconomic attributes of the residents and of historical patterns of caste and religious communities and institutions. . . .This is a must-read book for South Asianists and comparativists from many disciplines." --Pacific Affairs "60 tables...clearly illuminate both the extent of the survey which forms the backbone of the text, while at the same time illustrate the magnitude and intractable nature of the problem facing planners....It contains a fascinating analysis of the politicisation of the slum polulation and the growth of communalism." --Third World Planning Review "This is an excellent piece of research, and the author deserves all praise." --Contributions to Indian Sociology The intrusion of a large number of Hindus into urban enclaves, which bear the indelible stamp of Islam, has succeeded in creating inflammatory situations wherein a defensive minority clings firmly to age-old symbolic ties. This volume examines the extent to which conflict occurs over identity symbols or is the outcome of the psychological scars left by earlier inter-communal enmities. The author also assesses to what extent these conflicts are reinforced by urban decay and the multiple deprivations experienced by the inhabitants of the area. Old Cities, New Predicaments advocates a two-pronged revitalization program which will uplift the lives of the inhabitants of the walled cities and also conserve the cultural heritage of these areas. An interesting study of urban decay and communal conflict, this volume will interest academics and researchers in sociology, urban studies, ethnic studies, political science, and development studies.

178 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991