Hyderabad Liberation Day 2026: History and Significance

Hyderabad Liberation Day is marked on September 17 to mark the amalgamation of the Hyderabad State in the Indian Union in 1948. Operation Polo commenced on September 13, 1948, while the surrender of the Hyderabad State Forces took place on September 17, 1948. In the aftermath, the Nizam declared ceasefire in order to bring an end to the military operation. The Hyderabad State comprised of an area larger than the current-day Telangana State and consisted of the Marathwada region of the state of Maharashtra, apart from the areas of current-day Karnataka.

Hyderabad before Operation Polo

At the time of independence in 1947, Hyderabad was the largest princely state in British India and was headed by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. With the abolition of paramountcy of the British, the Nizam wanted Hyderabad to remain as a separate entity rather than joining India at once.

On November 29th, 1947, a Standstill Agreement was concluded between India and Hyderabad that aimed to maintain the status quo till the further negotiations. Nevertheless, tensions also escalated with political unrest inside the state.

The Razakars were one of the most influential forces which were involved in escalating political turmoil in Hyderabad. Simultaneously, the struggle of peasants of Telangana region, which commenced in 1946, posed a challenge to the prevailing feudal order.

Operation Polo and Integration of Hyderabad

As negotiations fell flat, Operation Polo commenced on 13th September 1948. Major General J.N. Chaudhuri commanded the Indian troops.

Major General Syed Ahmed El Edroos, who was the commander of the Hyderabad State Forces, surrendered after five days of battle on 17th September. The Nizam declared a ceasefire.

Operation Polo resulted in Hyderabad being integrated into the Indian Union and was an important event in the political history of independent India.

Hyderabad Post 1948

Initially, Hyderabad remained as a separate state. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 brought about a rearrangement of the regions of Hyderabad according to language lines.

The Telugu-speaking Telangana region was combined with Andhra Pradesh whereas the Marathi-speaking and the Kannada-speaking areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad State were included within other neighboring states.

The Telangana region has since been engaged in a prolonged struggle for separate statehood due to a number of reasons including those relating to development, employment, education and implementation of safeguards. Telangana was made into a separate state on 2nd June 2014.