British Residency

James Achilles Kirkpatrick, the British East India Company Resident, built this Palladian palace while pursuing a passionate affair with Khair un-Nissa, a Hyderabadi noblewoman of Sayyid descent. He converted to Islam, underwent circumcision, and married her, a scandal that would have ended most careers, but Hyderabad's political importance protected him. Their two children were sent to England and grew up estranged from their Indian heritage. William Dalrymple's White Mughals (2002) recovered this story for a global audience. The outbuildings remain fragile despite partial restoration.