Hyderabad is the capital of the state Andhra Pradesh, India and is located on the banks of the Musi River and on the Deccan Plateau. As of 2010 it is the sixth most populous city and sixth-most populous urban agglomeration in India. It was founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 on the banks of Musi. The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad near Hussain Sagar Lake (also known as Tank Bund in local parlance), both cities have grown so much that now they have become the ambit of a single municipal unit, The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
A city rich with history and tradition, Hyderabad now competes with Bangalore, Chennai for the crown of India's IT capital; Microsoft and Google have their India headquarters here. Hyderabad was historically known as a pearl and diamond trading centre, and it continues to be known as the City of Pearls. Many of the city's traditional bazaars, including Laad Bazaar, Begum Bazaar and Sultan Bazaar, have remained open for centuries.