Archive · 23 Nov 2025
Hyderabad's Annexation: A Novel's Deep Dive into India's Forgotten History
Zeenath Khan's new book is a love story set during a big change in Hyderabad.
It's based on real events and people, and tells us about a time when Hyderabad became part of India.
Khan worked hard to make the story true to history, using lots of books and other sources.
She wants us to understand how Hyderabad changed by learning about its past.
Zeenath Khan's debut novel, 'The Sirens of September', explores Hyderabad's annexation in 1948
The novel combines meticulous historical research with an intimate understanding of Hyderabad's culture
It tells a tragic love story set against the political, emotional, and social upheavals of the late 1940s
The story intertwines real and fictional characters, painting a rich portrait of a city on the brink of transformation
Khan spent nearly eight years researching and writing the book, drawing on various historical sources and personal anecdotes
- Who
- Zeenath Khan, Jawaharlal Nehru, Nizam of Hyderabad, Farishteh Ali Khan, Saleem El Edroos
- What
- Wrote and published 'The Sirens of September', annexed Hyderabad, lived in Hyderabad during the annexation
- When
- 1946-1948
- Where
- Hyderabad
- Why
- To understand Hyderabad's past and its transformation into present-day Telangana
Pro-Independence
Pro-Nizam
Hyderabad's Future
Pro-Independence
Believed Hyderabad should join India for unity and progress
Pro-Nizam
Wanted Hyderabad to remain independent or join Pakistan
- Novel Title
- The Sirens of September
- Author
- Zeenath Khan
- Publication Year
- 2022
- Primary Characters
- Farishteh Ali Khan, Saleem El Edroos
- Historical Figures Appearing
- Sydney Cotton, General El Edroos, Nizam of Hyderabad, Jawaharlal Nehru