Nizamabad is a city in the northern part of the Indian state of Telangana. It serves as the headquarters of Nizamabad district and is one of the largest urban centres in the state after Hyderabad and Warangal. The city is administered by the Nizamabad Municipal Corporation and lies on the Godavari river basin, in the agriculturally significant Deccan plateau region.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Telangana |
| District | Nizamabad |
| Region | Telangana (Deccan plateau) |
| Civic body | Nizamabad Municipal Corporation |
| Languages | Telugu, Urdu |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Nizamabad |
The city was historically known as Indur or Indrapuri, a name still preserved in local usage. Its present name is derived from Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah VI of the Hyderabad State, under whose dynasty the region was administered for much of the 18th to 20th centuries.
The area has a long history of habitation, with associations to the early medieval Rashtrakuta and Chalukya dynasties. It later came under the Kakatiyas, the Bahmani Sultanate, the Qutb Shahis, and the Mughals, before being incorporated into the Nizam's dominions. After the integration of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union in 1948, Nizamabad became part of Andhra Pradesh upon its formation in 1956. With the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, it became part of the newly formed state of Telangana on 2 June 2014.
Nizamabad is situated in north-western Telangana, broadly between the cities of Hyderabad to the south and Nanded (Maharashtra) to the north-west. The terrain is a gently undulating plateau drained by the Godavari and its tributaries. Two major irrigation projects in the wider district — the Nizam Sagar on the Manjira river and the Sriram Sagar Project on the Godavari — have shaped the agricultural economy of the region.
Telugu is the principal language, with a sizeable Urdu-speaking population reflecting the city's history under the Nizams. Marathi and Lambadi are also spoken in parts of the surrounding district. Hinduism is the majority religion, with Islam being the largest minority faith.
The economy of Nizamabad rests primarily on agriculture and agro-based trade. The district is a leading producer of turmeric and maize in India, and Nizamabad city hosts one of the country's major regulated markets for these commodities. Paddy, sugarcane, soybean and red sorghum are also significant crops. Sugar mills, rice mills, oil extraction units and turmeric processing form the bulk of the industrial activity. The Nizam Sugar Factory at nearby Bodhan was, for several decades, among the largest sugar factories in Asia.
Educational institutions in the city include Telangana University, established in 2006 with its main campus at Dichpally near Nizamabad, along with government and private degree colleges, polytechnic institutions and a government medical college affiliated to the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences.
Nizamabad is the seat of the district collectorate and houses divisional offices for revenue, police and judicial administration. The city forms part of the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency and is divided among multiple Telangana Legislative Assembly constituencies, including Nizamabad Urban and Nizamabad Rural.
Nizamabad's importance derives from its role as a regional commercial hub for northern Telangana, particularly in the trade of turmeric and grains, and as a transit node on north–south rail and road corridors. The city has periodically attracted national attention through farmer movements seeking the establishment of a National Turmeric Board and statutory price support for the spice.