Qutub Shahis Tombs

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was a Shia Muslim Turkman dynasty of Kara Koyunlu origin that initially patronized Persianate

culture. Its members were collectively called the Qutub Shahis and were the ruling family of the kingdom of Golkonda in

modern-day Telangana, India. The Golconda sultanate was constantly in conflict with the Adil Shahis and Nizam Shahis.

In 1636, Shah Jahan forced the Qutb Shahis to recognize Mughal suzerainty, which lasted until 1687 when the Mughal

emperor Aurangzeb conquered the Golcondan sultanate

The dynasty's founder, Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, migrated to Delhi with his uncle, Allah-Quli, some of his relatives and

friends in the beginning of the 16th century. Later he migrated south, to the Deccan and served the Bahmani sultan,

Mohammad Shah. He conquered Golconda, after the disintegration of the Bahmani Kingdom into the five Deccan

sultanates. Soon after, he declared independence from the Bahmani Sultanate, took the title Qutub Shah, and

established the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda. He was later assassinated in 1543 by his son, Jamsheed, who

assumed the sultanate. He later died in 1550 from cancer. Jamsheed's young son reigned for a year, at which time the

nobility brought back and installed Ibrahim Quli as sultan. During the reign of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, relations

between Hindus and Muslims were strengthened, even to the point of Hindus resuming their religious festivals like

Diwali and Holi. Some Hindus rose to prominence in the Qutb Shahi state, the most important example being the

ministers Madanna and Akkanna.

Golconda, and with the construction of the Char Minar, later Hyderabad served as capitals of the sultanate, and both

cities were embellished by the Qutb Shahi sultans. The dynasty ruled Golconda for 171 years, until the Mughal emperor

Aurangzeb conquered the Deccan in 1687.