Revisiting the Chapter of Osmanistan


Osmanistan Map
Most people who are familiar with the history of Pakistan and Muslims in the Indian Subcontinent must have read or heard about Osmanistan. A little revisit to history’s earlier chapters would remind us that the Princely State of Hyderabad was to be Osmanistan had it succeeded in joining Pakistan or gained a separate statehood. It was a name of the place purposed by none rather than Chaudhary Rahmat Ali, the name-giver of Pakistan. He proposed the idea of dividing the Muslim states into Pakistan, Bangalistan and Osmanistan.

Regardless of who proposed the idea, the British plan of division was adopted and the history was to unfold in a manner where Osmanistan remained only a proposed name and nothing more than this. Surrounded by India on all sides, on September 13, 1948, under Operation Polo – so named because at the time Hyderabad was the place having 17 polo grounds – this Princely state became what it is today with its territories distributed amongst the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The Hyderabad in India that we know today is the capital of Andhra Pradesh and the country’s 4th largest city. It is sometimes known as the City of Pearls as it was once a global center for trade in diamond and pearls. Now, it is recognized more for its information technology industry and the new identity has taken over its appellation as Genome Valley of India. The city is however imprinted with historic and cultural marks of Muslims all over that allude to its real origin.

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