Devdi or Deodi is a noble mansion where the

Nawab Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...

s of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...

lived. Dozens of them, with grand halls and serene

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

s, held the secrets of a distinct

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

. The word ''devdi'' used to originally mean a hut, but the nobility started referring to their mansions as ''devdis'' in a deprecating way. Thus it came to be the word for the mansions of the nobles. Devdi Iqbal ud-Dowla

Today, only a few are left standing, in various states of decay. Some important devdis are: * Khurshid Jah Devdi * Dewan Devdi * Devdi Iqbal ud Dowla * Fareed nawaz Jung devdi

References

Hyderabad State Khursheed Jah Devdi palace {{India-palace-stub