Anab-e-Shahi
Raised from rooted cuttings, not true seed. One of India's oldest grape varieties — large, amber, seeded berries for the Deccan's table market.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Grapes
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine)
- Expected yield
- 300–350 q/ha at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Susceptible to downy mildew
- Release
- Brought to Hyderabad from the Middle East by Abdul Baquer Khan around 1890. Named Anab-e-Shahi ("royal grape") by the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1943. Commercialised by the state horticulturist Late Shankar Pillay through the 1960s.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Anab-e-Shahi is one of India's oldest cultivated grapes. Abdul Baquer Khan brought it to Hyderabad from the Middle East around 1890, according to Dr D. Vijaya, Principal Scientist at the Grape Research Station, Rajendranagar. "Anab" is Arabic for grape and "Shahi" means royal, a name the Nizam of Hyderabad gave in 1943. The state horticulturist Late Shankar Pillay commercialised it through the 1960s, and Hyderabad set a world grape-production record with it in 1969: 42 tonnes per acre (about 105 tonnes per hectare). The berries are elongated, medium to large, amber when ripe, and seeded. The same source says it is now on the brink of extinction in Hyderabad, because farmers moved to Thompson Seedless and its clones for better prices. Its natural seeds are reported to carry more nutraceutical value than seedless grapes. A second farm-magazine roundup gives the same 1890s story and says the variety later spread from Andhra Pradesh into Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Anab-e-Shahi if you have a buyer who asks for the old Hyderabad seeded grape: large amber berries, a name given by the Nizam in 1943, and seeds reported to carry more nutraceutical value than seedless fruit. The risk is the market. Farmers in its home area have moved almost entirely to Thompson Seedless and its clones for better prices, and the vine survives mainly at the Grape Research Station, Rajendranagar. It is also susceptible to downy mildew. Choose Thompson Seedless for the mainstream market. Choose Flame Seedless for a coloured early table grape.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A seeded, amber table grape with seeds and skin reported to carry more nutraceutical value than seedless varieties.
- A historic yield record: in 1969 Hyderabad set a world grape-production record with Anab-e-Shahi, 42 tonnes per acre (about 105 t/ha).
Things to consider
- It is now close to extinction in its own Hyderabad home. Farmers have moved almost entirely to Thompson Seedless and its clones for better prices, and the vine survives mainly at the Grape Research Station, Rajendranagar. The state list (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana) shows the historic home area, not today's planting. Commercial planting has shrunk sharply.
- As a seeded Vitis vinifera grape it has no natural downy mildew resistance, the same as Thompson Seedless. Plan a spray programme for wet spells.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
A heritage seeded grape: find the buyer before the vines
Anab-e-Shahi has a great name and a proud record, but it is a seeded grape in a seedless market. Its story will not sell the fruit by itself.
Before you plant, visit three buyers: a local fruit shop, a juice or wine maker, and a gift or heritage-food seller. Show each a bunch and ask what they would pay per kilo, and for how many kilos.
If at least one of them gives a firm price, plant a small block and keep records of yield and sales. If none do, you have saved yourself three years of vines.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is raised from cuttings, not from seed, so you can take your own planting material. Take cuttings only from healthy, well-grown plants that are true to the variety, and never from one that showed disease — a cutting carries its mother plant with it. Where a nursery or a government farm sells clean planting material, that is the safer start.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Grapes variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anab-e-Shahithis page | A seeded, amber heritage table grape for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana buyers who still ask for it | Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine) | 300–350 q/ha at full bearing | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Bangalore Blue | A fox-grape (Vitis labrusca) for juice, jam, jelly and wine, grown only in the Nandi Valley zone of Karnataka | Mid | High | Karnataka |
| Flame Seedless | An early, red, firm seedless table grape for the coloured fresh market, grown around Nashik | Early | High | Maharashtra, Karnataka |
| Manik Chaman | A sweet, elongated-berry Thompson Seedless mutant grown mainly for raisins in Maharashtra | ~140 days | Very high | Maharashtra |
| Sharad Seedless | A black, thick-skinned seedless grape that ripens later than Thompson, for the October–February market | Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine) | 200–250 q/ha at full bearing | Maharashtra |
| Sonaka | A golden, large-berry Thompson Seedless mutant for the fresh and export market, also used for raisins | ~140 days | Very high | Maharashtra |
| Thompson Seedless | The base green seedless grape for table and raisins in Maharashtra and Karnataka, for farmers who run a monsoon spray programme | Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine) | 250–300 q/ha at full bearing | Maharashtra, Karnataka |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Grapes is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Grapes plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Grapes variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Grapes into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Grapes rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Grapes seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Anab-e-Shahi disappearing even though it's India's own heritage grape?
The reason is price. The Grape Research Station's own principal scientist says farmers have moved almost entirely to Thompson Seedless and its clones because they fetch better prices. Anab-e-Shahi now survives mainly at the research station, even though Hyderabad set a world grape-yield record with it (42 tonnes per acre, 1969).
What does the name 'Anab-e-Shahi' mean?
'Anab' is Arabic for grape and 'Shahi' means royal — the Nizam of Hyderabad conferred the name in 1943, decades after the variety was first introduced to the city from the Middle East around 1890 by Abdul Baquer Khan.
Is it worth planting Anab-e-Shahi today?
Only if you have a buyer. The market has moved decisively to seedless grapes and farmers around Hyderabad have shifted to Thompson Seedless for better prices. A seeded amber grape can still sell to heritage, local and health-minded buyers. Fix the buyer and the price first, then plant a small block.
The record was 42 tonnes per acre, but the card says 300–350 q/ha. Which should I plan on?
Plan on the card figure, 300–350 q/ha at full bearing. The 1969 record of 42 tonnes per acre (about 105 tonnes per hectare) was a one-time peak under exceptional conditions. It is a piece of history, not a budget number.
Can I grow Anab-e-Shahi outside Hyderabad?
It has been grown outside. A farm-magazine roundup says cultivation spread from Andhra Pradesh into Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu. No trial figures are published for those states here, so start with a few vines and keep records.
Does Anab-e-Shahi need a mildew spray programme?
Yes. It is a seeded Vitis vinifera grape with no natural resistance to downy mildew, like Thompson Seedless. Plan sprays for any wet spell, and follow your state horticulture department's schedule.
Where can I find Anab-e-Shahi planting material?
The vine survives mainly at the Grape Research Station, Rajendranagar, so that is the first place to ask. It is raised from rooted cuttings, not true seed. Get a bill that names the variety, and be careful with any seller who cannot say which vines the cuttings came from.
Sourced from: Hyderabad: Anab e Shahi losing out to seedless grapes — The Hans India, Top 5 Varieties of Grapes in India — Krishi Jagran, ICAR-IIHR released varieties. editorial policy.