GUNFOUNDRY
Gunfoundry is located in a lane
opposite to the Jamia Masjid
Aliya, and can be approached by
the side lane of Lepakshi
Government Handicrafts Emporium.
In fact, the whole locality is
known as Gunfoundry, where the
Head Office Building of State
Bank of Hyderabad ( a landmark
inaugurated by the President of
India in 1955 ) and the
Department of Archaeology &
Museums are located on the main
road in the same line.
Gunfoundry is one of the several
cannon and cannon-ball factories
set up in 1786 by French
General, Monsieur Raymond who
was in the service of Nawab Mir
Nizam Ali Khan, the 2nd
Nizam of Hyderabad.��
Incidentally, this is the only
structure of surviving foundry
established in the 18th
century in the whole of
Hyderabad city.
In 19th century,
Roman Catholic Cathedral on the
main Secunderabad Road was also
constructed in Gunfoundry
locality.�� Even before 100
years the ruins of a number of
other foundaries were seen on
the road to Mir Alam Tank and on
the Bangalore road. Malcolm, a
renowned historian, in his
well-known book History of
India, referred to these
foundaries in 1798 as places in
which � they cast excellent
cannon and made serviceable
muskets
As seen in a photograph published in Glimpses of Nizams Dominion in 1895,
the height of the brick walls of Gunfoundry is approximately 50
feet with a tapered portion
commencing above 25 feet height.
It can be said that due to
negligence and poor maintenance,
the original height of the
tapered walls have come down to
25 to 30 feet. The lower portion
was plastered with lime.�� The
shape of the bricks used in the
construction of Gunfoundry is
square with less thickness. The
binding material used is lime
mortar. The wall surfaces have
been pointed with lime mortar on
the exterior and interior sides
of the foundary.
We find here and there that the
walls have been given joints of
square iron rods. In the lower
portions, brick arches are made
in semi circular shape, where
the furnaces, melting of iron
casting of cannons, muskets
etc.� were carried out in most
scientific manner under the
supervision of General Monsieur
Raymond.
Present Condition of
Gunfoundry monument:
Gunfoundry
is a protected monument of
Department of Archaeology &
Museums with a built up area of
220 sq. yds. and� an open area
of 605 sq. yds.�� Thus, the
total area comes to 825 sq. yds.
Except northern side of
Gunfoundry, on all the three
sides, residential houses have
been constructed abutting the
enclosure wall.�� On the
northern side, a small road
leads to Lepakshi Government
Handicrafts Emporium and main
Secunderabad Road
The unplastered brick walls are
found to have age old fungus,
fissures, crevices and cracks.
The semi circular arched
portions are full of fallen and
accumulated debris by which
entry in the lower portions has
become unsafe and difficult.
The vaulted roof of the lower
portions of Gunfoundry has
become black due to smoke.��
Rain water is percolating from
the roof portion walls, causing
damage to the walls and even the
growth of wild plants and their
roots are causing damage to the
brick walls.�� However the entry
of rain water in lower chamber
of the foundry is prevented by
laying a concrete pathway long
back by the Department.
To improve the present condition
and to bring the Gunfoundry
monument in a tourist-friendly
atmosphere, an estimate for an
amount of Rs. 6.00 lakhs (
Rupees six lakhs only ) is
prepared for its conservation,
restoration and illumination
etc.
These works are being sponsored
by the State Bank of Hyderabad,
Gunfoundry Hyderabad.
Debris Clearance work at
Gunfoundry Monument
Interim Report
Gunfoundry, a
protected monument of the
Department of Archaeology and
Museums, Hyderabad, is situated
in the locality known with the
same name i.e. Gunfoundry,
opposite to the Directorate
office in a lane by the side of
Lepakshi Govt. Handicrafts
Emporium. The French General
Michel Joachim Marie Raymond set
it up in 1786. Mons Raymond had
entered the service of the Nizam
in 1786. In 1796, Raymond was
appointed Amin Jinsi or
Comptroller of Ordnance, the
whole of which Department was to
be under his expert guidance.�
He made his own guns and
ammunition, and in the Top ka Sancha, near the Fath Maidan,
we have the remains of the best
known of his foundries.
The present
structure of the Gunfoundry
consists of three furnaces each
one towards North, East and
South with high walls as three
separate units but joined
together with dividing walls.�
The existing highest wall from
the present ground level is
about 30 ft. high.� All the
three furnaces of the foundry
were filled with earth and
debris accumulated during the
past several years besides the
debris thrown inside by the
neighbours.
The Department
proposed to take up the debris
clearance work and
conservation/preservation� of
the monument, for which the
State Bank of Hyderabad
(Gunfoundry H.O.) has come
forward to finance the above
works.
To start with, all
the accumulated debris and
filled up earth around the
structures and inside all the
openings of the furnaces was
cleared and the inner portions
of the furnaces were brought to
view.� All the three furnaces
have four arched openings on
four cardinal directions, with a
circular kiln portion in the
middle connected to the four
arched openings.
The furnace on the
southern side contained compact
brown soil mixed with
brickbats.� The deposit was
covered up to 1.30 Mts., at the
outer arched openings on north
and west and gradually
decreasing to 0.60 Mts.,
inside. After removal of this
debris, a thin layer of about 5
CMS., of red soil mixed with
fine morrum was exposed.�
Probably those who might have
used it as a shelter for living
might have used this in the
flooring.� To know the complete
structure of the furnace, the
clearance was continued and at a
depth of 1.60 mts.,from the
ceiling of furnace, a brick
alignment is noticed.� From the
disturbed portion were noticed
six courses of brick alignment
in the circular kiln and it were
further continuing.� The
circular kiln has three arched
openings inside apart from the
main one.� These four openings
are on the four cardinal
directions.� The main arched
opening is damaged due to
falling of bricks of the
side-walls.� The arched opening
measures 0.90 x 0.90 mts.� In
addition to these, two more
small holes like openings
towards West-south and
South-east measuring 0.45 mts.,
dia, were noticed which were
probably used as ventilators.
The inner arched
opening of the kiln towards east
runs to a length of 2.25 mts.
It is 0.90 mts., in width at the
beginning and gradually widens
to 1.32 mts., at the eastern
end. Up to a length of 1.15 mts., it was paved with solid
bricks at the floor. After that
the debris was removed upto a
depth of 0.88 mts., where a
brick wall was noticed. At a
distance of 1.10 mts., the
eastern side arch top starts and
goes down.In the centre of the
ceiling of this portion a
chimney is made. There are two
shelves one small in the
northern wall of 20 x 20 cms.,
and the other one larger in the
southern wall of 55 x 50 cms.,
size. Thus the eastern side
arched small passage is
connected to a small cell and an
arched opening towards east at a
lower level.� Similarly, the
inner arched passage running
towards south is connected to a
cell at a lower level and the
arched opening towards south. The
third opening presently is on
outer side towards west as the
connecting structures might have
fallen down long back.
The other two
furnaces on the northern and
eastern sides also are made on
the similar plan.� All the three
furnaces were completely cleared
by removing the debris and
dumped earth and were completely
brought to view.The above three
furnaces of the Foundry might
have been used only for the
melting of metals for
manufacturing guns.� But no
structure was there which can be
assumed as a moulding place.� To
know the remaining structures,
if any, further clearance of
debris and dumped/fallen earth
and brick-bats was necessary.�
Hence the open area towards west
of these furnaces which had
these three furnaces on its
three sides (North, East and
South) was taken up and the
fallen walls debris and dumped
earth etc. was cleared.� This
brought to view a typical
structure in rectangular shape
with 13 courses of bricks in
tact with a wide opening towards
further west.� There are two
small holes on North, east and
south sides in the walls of the
square block and one each on the
beginning of the wide opening
towards west.� Further area on
the west could not be cleared to
know the complete plan of this
structure, as the supporting
structure of the Foundry and a
neighbour�s house were coming in
the way.
As it was risky for
the high walls of the Foundry to
keep this structure open which
may damage the existing walls
due to seepage of rain waters
etc., the underground structure
was filled back with earth so
that the exposed structure and
the existing high walls can be
safe from further damage.� Any
further clearance is not
possible due to the condition of
the presently existing walls of
the structures.� Hence the
further debris clearance work
has been stopped.This completes
the one item of work of the
total work estimate.� The
remaining works like chemical
cleaning, conservation etc., to
the structures as per the
estimate can be taken up.
Report on
Debris Clearance work at
Gunfoundry Monument
Gunfoundry, a
protected monument of the
Department of Archaeology and
Museums, Hyderabad, is situated
in the locality known with the
same name i.e. Gunfoundry,
opposite to the Directorate
office in a lane by the side of
Lepakshi Govt. Handicrafts
Emporium. The French General
Michel Joachim Marie Raymond set
it up in 1786. Mons Raymond had
entered the service of the Nizam
in 1786.� In 1796, Raymond was
appointed Amin Jinsi or
Comptroller of Ordnance, the
whole of which Department was to
be under his expert guidance.�
He made his own guns and
ammunition, and in the Top ka Sancha, near the Fath Maidan,
we have the remains of the best
known of his foundries.
The present
structure of the Gunfoundry
consists of three furnaces each
one towards North, East and
South with high walls as three
separate units but joined
together with dividing walls.The existing highest wall from
the present ground level is
about 30 ft. high.All the
three furnaces of the foundry
were filled with earth and
debris accumulated during the
past several years besides the
debris thrown inside by the neighbours.
The Department
proposed to take up the debris
clearance work and
conservation/preservation of the
monument, for which the State
Bank of Hyderabad (Gunfoundry
H.O.) has come forward to
finance the above works.
To start with, all
the accumulated debris and
filled up earth around the
structures and inside all the
openings of the furnaces was
cleared and the inner portions
of the furnaces were brought to
view.� All the three furnaces
have four arched openings on
four cardinal directions, with a
circular kiln portion in the
middle connected to the four
arched openings.
The furnace on the
southern side contained compact
brown soil mixed with
brickbats.� The deposit was
covered up to 1.30 Mts., at the
outer arched openings on north
and west and gradually
decreasing to 0.60 Mts.,
inside.� After removal of this
debris, a thin layer of about 5 Cms., of red soil mixed with
fine morrum was exposed.�
Probably those who might have
used it as a shelter for living
might have used this in the
flooring. To know the complete
structure of the furnace, the
clearance was continued and at a
depth of 1.60 mts.,from the
ceiling of furnace, a brick
alignment is noticed.� From the
disturbed portion were noticed
six courses of brick alignment
in the circular kiln and it were
further continuing.� The
circular kiln has three arched
openings inside apart from the
main one.� These four openings
are on the four cardinal
directions.� The main arched
opening is damaged due to
falling of bricks of the
side-walls.� The arched opening
measures 0.90 x 0.90 mts.� In
addition to these, two more
small holes like openings
towards West-south and
South-east measuring 0.45 mts.,
dia, were noticed which were
probably used as ventilators.
The inner arched
opening of the kiln towards east
runs to a length of 2.25 mts.�
It is 0.90 mts., in width at the
beginning and gradually widens
to 1.32 mts., at the eastern
end.� Up to a length of 1.15
mts., it was paved with solid
bricks at the floor. After that
the debris was removed upto a
depth of 0.88 mts., where a
brick wall was noticed. At a
distance of 1.10 mts., the
eastern side arch top starts and
goes down.� In the centre of the
ceiling of this portion a
chimney is made.� There are two
shelves one small in the
northern wall of 20 x 20 cms.,
and the other one larger in the
southern wall of 55 x 50 cms.,
size. Thus the eastern side
arched small passage is
connected to a small cell and an
arched opening towards east at a
lower level.� Similarly, the
inner arched passage running
towards south is connected to a
cell at a lower level and the
arched opening towards south.The
third opening presently is on
outer side towards west as the
connecting structures might have
fallen down long back.
The other two
furnaces on the northern and
eastern sides also are made on
the similar plan. All the three
furnaces were completely cleared
by removing the debris and
dumped earth and were completely
brought to view.The above three
furnaces of the Foundry might
have been used only for the
melting of metals for
manufacturing guns.� But no
structure was there which can be
assumed as a moulding place.� To
know the remaining structures,
if any, further clearance of
debris and dumped/fallen earth
and brick-bats was necessary. Hence the open area towards west
of these furnaces which had
these three furnaces on its
three sides (North, East and
South) was taken up and the
fallen walls debris and dumped
earth etc. was cleared upto a
depth of 7�-8�.� After removal
of earth upto a depth of 2�-9�
brick structure was noticed.�
The clearance was continued upto
a total depth of 7�-8� till the
natural soil was reached where
foundation granite stones of the
walls were noticed. This brought
to view a typical brick
structure in rectangular shape
with 13 courses of bricks in
tact with a wide opening towards
further west.� There are two
small holes on three sides
i.e.,North, east and south sides
in the walls of the square block
and one each on the beginning of
the wide opening towards west in
different sizes viz., 1�-9�x 9�
to 0.8� x 0.7�.��� Further area
on the west could not be cleared
to know the complete plan of
this structure, as the
supporting structure of the
Foundry and a neighbour�s house
were coming in the way.
In this structure no
iron slags or any fallen
material etc. were found to
consider it as a moulding place
for the guns etc. But it is
presumed that moulding might
have been done by putting some
iron beams etc. in these holes
in criss-cross fashion. But
strangely enough no evidence of
any activity in this structure
has come to light.� The open
area towards east of the
furnaces could not be cleared as
it was very near to the walls of
furnaces and the neighbours
houses.
As it was risky for
the high walls of the Foundry to
keep this structure open which
may damage the existing walls
due to seepage of rain waters
etc., the underground structure
was filled back with earth so
that the exposed structure and
the existing high walls can be
safe from further damage.� Any
further clearance is not
possible due to the condition of
the presently existing walls of
the structures.� Hence the
further debris clearance work
has been stopped.
This completes the
one item of work of the total
work estimate. The remaining
works like chemical cleaning,
conservation etc., to the
structures as per the estimate
can be taken up.
