Reposted from the web

Summary: Hyderabad — Asaf Jahi Dynasty, Mosques and Deccan History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Hyderabad sits on the Deccan Plateau in South India. Its name means the city (abad) of the lion (Hyder). The account keeps its focus on Asaf Jahi Dynasty, Hyderabad, Deccan History while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

Hyderabad sits on the Deccan Plateau in South India. Its name means the city (abad) of the lion (Hyder). In 1591, the Qutb Shahi dynasty, founded by Deccan Muslims, built the city of Hyderabad and made it their capital. In 1687, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb captured Hyderabad after an eight-month siege and added it to the Mughal Empire.

In 1724, a high-ranking Mughal official named Mir Qamar-ud-Din Siddiqi set up his own government in Hyderabad. Because he used the highest honorific title of the Mughal Empire, Asaf Jahi, his line became known as the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The rulers of the Asaf Jahi dynasty also kept using the title Nizam ul-Mulk granted by the Mughal Empire, so the state was also called the Kingdom of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

The Asaf Jahi family came from the Transoxiana region of Central Asia. The grandfather of Asaf Jah I moved from Samarkand to the Deccan in 1654. Asaf Jah I followed the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb on military campaigns from a young age and earned many honors in battle. After Aurangzeb died, Asaf Jah I gradually took control of the Deccan region.

In fact, the Asaf Jahi dynasty was never truly independent from the Mughal Empire, and they still used the Mughal flag. Until 1948, the Friday khutbah (sermon) during Jumu'ah prayers was still delivered in the name of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Chowmahalla Palace

After Asaf Jah I died in 1748, his sons fought a civil war to take power. Eventually, Asaf Jah I's third son, Salabat Jung, ruled Hyderabad with help from the French and started building the Chowmahalla Palace in 1750.

The name Chowmahalla comes from the Dakhini Urdu words char mahallat, which mean four palaces. The palace is still the property of Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, the grandson of the last Nizam, and the Nizam family holds their weddings here. Mukarram Jah was the richest person in India until the 1980s, with an estimated net worth of 1 billion dollars.

Chowmahalla Palace originally covered 180,000 square meters, but only 49,000 square meters remain today. The existing palace is divided into a south section and a north section.

The clock tower (Khilwat Clock) above the palace gate has been running for over 200 years, and a family of clockmakers who have passed the skill down through generations winds the mechanical clock every week.

On the east side of the north section is the Bara Imam, which was used for administrative offices and is decorated with Deccan-style domes and arches, along with many Persian elements. The Shishe-Alat, built as a mirror image on the west side, served as guest rooms for visiting dignitaries.













Khilwat Mubarak is the most important building in Chowmahalla Palace, used for various official events and religious ceremonies, including the coronation of the eighth Nizam in 1967. Inside the hall is a marble platform that holds the Takht-e-Nishan throne. Nineteen luxury Belgian crystal chandeliers were recently installed in the main hall.



















Portraits and photos of the Nizam of Hyderabad, along with the tableware he used.

A photo of the seventh Nizam and his wife taken in 1916.



A photo of the seventh Nizam and his two sons taken in 1908.



The Nizam drinking tea.















Uniforms of the Maisram Regiment, the palace guards of the Nizam of Hyderabad.





Photos of the Maisram Regiment attending the Nizam's birthday celebrations in 1935 and 1956.





Walls covered in weapons.



The royal gilded copper fish-shaped flag of the Nizam of Hyderabad from the 18th to 19th century, known as Mahi wau Maratib. The fish has been a symbol of power since the Timurid era. The fish-shaped flag of the Asaf Jahi dynasty was an honor bestowed upon the Nizam of Hyderabad by the Mughal imperial court. The flag consists of one fish head (Mahi) and two scepters (Maratib), which were held high at the front of the procession during royal ceremonies.



A painting of the Mahi wau Maratib from 1880.



Enter the south section from the north section of Chowmahalla Palace. The south section contains four palaces: Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal, and Aftab Mahal, which is where the palace gets its name. The southern palaces were destroyed in a gunpowder explosion at the end of the 18th century and rebuilt in the 19th century in a neoclassical style, incorporating many European elements.

First, let's look at the gate between the north and south sections.













Enter the south section from the north section of Chowmahalla Palace. The south section contains four palaces: Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal, and Aftab Mahal, which is where the palace gets its name. The southern palaces were destroyed in a gunpowder explosion at the end of the 18th century and rebuilt in the 19th century in a neoclassical style, incorporating many European elements.

The two buildings on the east and west sides are named after the moon (Mahtab) and the sun (Aftab). The two buildings have slightly different decorations to reflect the characteristics of the moon and the sun, and they display court costumes from the Nizam of Hyderabad.











The Afzal Mahal on the south side is the largest, and it displays French furniture and Turkish chandeliers used by the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad.













Tombs of the Nizams

South of the main hall of the Mecca Mosque (Mecca Masjid) in Hyderabad are the tombs of the second through sixth Nizams of Hyderabad. The building housing the tombs was built in 1914 by the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. I was at the mosque in Mecca for Friday namaz when I happened to hear everyone inside the tomb building praising Allah and the Prophet. It sounded beautiful.











Paigah Tombs

The Paigah family was the most powerful family in the Asaf Jahi dynasty after the Nizam. They were the only family in Hyderabad besides the Nizam to own palaces. The 18th and 19th-century tombs of the Paigah family are famous for their beautiful plasterwork and marble carvings.

When you enter the Paigah Tombs, the first thing you see is the tomb of Ghansimiyan. Sardar-ul-mulk Ghansi Miyan was a general during the reign of Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad (who ruled from 1762 to 1803) and was a close relative of the Paigah family. The tombs are currently being restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in partnership with the Telangana Heritage Department, but progress is slow due to the pandemic.







To the right is Khavas Pura, where many children of the Paigah family who died young are buried.







North of Khavas Pura is the tomb of Lateef Unnisa, who was said to be a very beautiful lady. The tombstone is very simple, but the room is covered in intricate carvings, including stucco panels shaped like flowers and decorative bands shaped like pineapples. Pineapples were rare, so they became a symbol of wealth in Hyderabad.



















At the far northwest end of the tomb area is the mosque used for prayer, and across from it are the connected tombs of the main figures of the Paigah family. The tomb uses complex perforated screen (jaali) techniques to carve the wooden doors and window screens.



















This is the tomb of Fakhruddin Khan, the second leader of the Paigah family. He became the leader after his father died in 1791 and received the title Amir-e-Kabir, which means head of the nobles. He married the daughter of Asaf Jah II in 1797, starting the tradition of the Nizam of Hyderabad marrying his daughters to young nobles from the Paigah family.







Behind is the tomb of Asman Jah (1839-1898), with beautiful marble carvings around the tombstone. Asman Jah was the grandson of Fakhruddin Khan, the second leader of the Paigah family. He served as the Prime Minister of the Asaf Jahi dynasty in Hyderabad from 1887 to 1894 and represented Hyderabad at the 50th anniversary celebration of Queen Victoria's reign.

None of the Paigah family tombs have roofs, which follows the style of the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.













Salar Jung Museum

The Salar Jung family was the most prominent family in the Asaf Jahi dynasty of Hyderabad after the Nizam family and the Paigah family. Five of its members served as Prime Ministers of the Asaf Jahi dynasty during the 19th century. Salar Jung III (1889–1949) was a passionate collector. Over 35 years, he spent a great deal of energy and money collecting artifacts from all over the world. After Salar Jung III passed away in 1949, these collections were kept in their family's Diwan Devdi palace. They opened to the public as the Salar Jung Museum in 1951 and moved to the current location after 1968.

A portrait of Salar Jung III as a child



The hat worn by Salar Jung III.





19th-century Canton famille rose porcelain (guangcai) with Persian script made for export.

Canton famille rose porcelain (guangcai) is short for Guangzhou gold-woven colored porcelain, a famous export porcelain from the mid-to-late Qing dynasty. During the Kangxi reign, the Thirteen Factories (shisanhang) were established in Guangzhou for foreign trade, and porcelain was a major export item. At first, export porcelain was ordered directly from Jingdezhen. By the Yongzheng reign, Guangzhou porcelain merchants began shipping plain white porcelain blanks from Jingdezhen to Guangzhou. They hired Jingdezhen craftsmen to paint them in Guangzhou using low-temperature overglaze colors, which is how Canton famille rose porcelain (guangcai) began.

After the Qianlong reign, Canton famille rose porcelain (guangcai) matured and developed its own colorful, ornate style. The main colors were locally made Western red, crane-spring color, eggplant color, deep ochre, and powder green. After the Daoguang reign, the number of colors grew to over a dozen. In the late Qing dynasty, Canton famille rose porcelain (guangcai) was mass-produced with uniform patterns. Bowls, plates, and dishes often featured a gold-rimmed circle in the center, with the surrounding area filled in a 'full-coverage' style with flowers, fruits, birds, fish, insects, figures, and landscapes, along with logos specified by foreign merchants.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, as the British East India Company imported large amounts of Chinese export porcelain, wealthy Muslim families began ordering custom pieces with Arabic and Persian inscriptions. The most famous of these were the Asaf Jahi dynasty of Hyderabad and the Qajar dynasty of Persia. However, most of these Muslim families placed their orders through the British East India Company in London rather than directly in Guangzhou.













The porcelain plates and bowls are inscribed with the name 'Siraj ud-Daulah Bahadur'. Siraj ud-Daulah (1733-1757) was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. The end of his rule marked the beginning of British rule in India.





Porcelain inscribed with Arabic and Persian.





Telangana State Archaeology Museum.

The Telangana State Archaeology Museum is commonly known as the Hyderabad Museum. It was founded in 1930 by the last ruler of the Asaf Jahi dynasty of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (reigned 1911-1948).

Mir Osman Ali Khan owned the world's only diamond mines and was considered the richest man in the world at the time. He appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1937. He is also known as the 'Architect of Modern Hyderabad.' He brought electricity, roads, railways, and airports to Hyderabad and founded many public institutions such as universities, hospitals, and banks. The Hyderabad Museum is one of them.

















The Quran, copied in 1647 by Dara Shikoh using Naskh script, includes a Persian translation.



Miniature paintings from the museum collection.

An 18th-century painting of Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah II (1762-1803), the second ruler of the Asaf Jahi dynasty in Hyderabad.



A 17th-century painting of a Sultan from the Qutb Shahi dynasty (1518-1687) in Hyderabad.



An 18th-century painting of a teacher.



A 16th-century painting of nobles at a dinner party.



A 17th-century painting of Jahangir (reigned 1605-1627), the fourth emperor of the Mughal Empire.



A miniature painting from the time of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605), the third emperor of the 16th-century Mughal Empire.



A miniature painting from the 16th-century Persian epic, the Shahnameh. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: Golconda Fort — Deccan Muslim City and History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited the ancient city of Hyderabad in southern India during the 2019 October holiday and explored the historic Golconda Fort. The account keeps its focus on Golconda Fort, Deccan History, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

I visited the ancient city of Hyderabad in southern India during the 2019 October holiday and explored the historic Golconda Fort.

1. Golconda Fort

Golconda Fort (Golconda Fort) is located west of Hyderabad on the Deccan Plateau in southern India and served as the early capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Because it held the world's only diamond mines at the time, Golconda was a major diamond trading hub. Many world-famous diamonds came from here, including the Koh-i-Noor in the British crown and the Hope Diamond, the largest blue diamond in existence. From the Renaissance to the early modern period, Golconda had a shining reputation in the West and became a synonym for immense wealth.

Golconda Fort was first built by the Kakatiya dynasty, established by the Telugu people between the 12th and 14th centuries. It was incorporated into the territory of the Bahmani Sultanate, the first Muslim state in southern India, in 1364, after which its status gradually rose. In 1501, Quli Qutb Mulk, a minister under the Bahmani Sultan, became the governor of Golconda. When the Bahmani Sultanate split into five parts in 1518, Quli Qutb Mulk made Golconda his capital. Over the next 60 years, the first three sultans expanded Golconda Fort into a massive complex, which is why the Qutb Shahi dynasty is also known as the Golconda Sultanate.

After the Qutb Shahi dynasty moved its capital to Hyderabad in 1591, Golconda Fort remained important. It only began to fall into ruins after the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb captured it following an eight-month siege in 1687. Today, many palace, mosque, and garden ruins are still preserved here and are well worth seeing.

City Walls

Golconda Fort is actually made up of four castles. Its outer wall is 10 kilometers long and features 87 semicircular bastions, 8 gates, and 4 drawbridges.

The inner city is built on a 120-meter-high granite hill. Currently, only the east gate, Bala Hissar Darwaza, is open for visitors. Bala Hissar Darwaza is a massive archway featuring carvings of lions and peacocks, which are common in Hindu architecture. The gate also has iron spikes specifically designed to stop Mughal war elephants.

Between January and September 1687, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb led a massive army in an eight-month siege of Golconda Fort. Defending it was the last sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. As one of the most secure fortresses on the Deccan Plateau and in all of India at the time, this siege pushed the Mughal army to its limits.

During the siege, the Mughal army used nearly 100 cannons to bombard the walls. This included two powerful cannons favored by Aurangzeb, Rahban and Fateh Rahber, as well as a special bronze cannon called Azhdaha-Paikar that could fire 35-kilogram cannonballs. At the same time, the defenders of Golconda Fort set up many cannons on the bastions to fire back, even killing the experienced Mughal commander Kilich Khan Khwaja Abid Siddiqi.

At night, the Mughal army would assemble complex scaffolding to climb the walls, and soldiers would throw huqqa grenades into the city once they climbed up. Although most of the attacks were ineffective, the morale of the defenders kept dropping.

Even though the last sultan did his best to defend the city, his generals could no longer endure the situation. Eventually, Sarandaz Khan opened the back gate of Golconda Fort. The Mughal army immediately charged into the castle, and the Qutb Shahi dynasty fell. Aurangzeb took all the diamonds from the castle, instantly becoming the wealthiest monarch in the world.



















Akkanna Madanna Offices

After entering the fort from the main gate, the ruins directly in front are called the Akkanna Madanna Offices. The brothers Akkanna and Madanna held great prestige in the Qutb Shahi dynasty between 1674 and 1685. Madanna started as a simple clerk, but later used his talent and various methods to rise through the ranks, eventually gaining control over the treasury and nearly ruling the entire dynasty by 1685. As Madanna rose to power, he promoted his brother Akkanna to the rank of general.

Madanna is most famous for blocking the invasion of the Mughal Empire and carrying out tax reforms. He cut out middlemen to collect taxes directly from farmers, merchants, and craftsmen as much as possible, using the funds to appease the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. One night in 1685, the two brothers were beheaded by a mob at their residence in Golconda Fort, and just two years later, the Qutb Shahi dynasty was destroyed by the Mughal Empire.

As early as the 18th century, locals called the brothers' rule a golden age, and residents of Hyderabad and the surrounding areas still remember them fondly today. The brothers' office inside Golconda Fort has become the best memorial site for them. This area was also where various officials of the Qutb Shahi dynasty worked.















Aslah Khana

The tall, three-story building on the south side of the main gate is called the Aslah Khana armory, which was used to store guns and ammunition during the Mughal era. However, historians have verified that during the Qutb Shahi dynasty, this was actually a place for various officials to work.



Nakkar Khana

Nakkar Khana is a palace complex where archaeologists have now excavated a series of water channels.





Taramati Mosque

Located next to the palace area, Taramati Mosque was built in 1518 for the Sultan's court and nobles. This mosque features the typical Muslim architectural style of the Deccan region, with small lotus-topped onion domes on the balcony.







Bhagamati Palace

Further inside is the Bhagamati Palace. According to legend, Bhagamati was the wife of the fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (reigned 1580–1611). Legend says she was originally a Hindu dancer (nautch) whom the Sultan saw while riding his horse and immediately fell in love with, and they eventually married. Later, Bhagamati converted to Islam and took the title Hyder Mahal, and the Sultan even named the city of Hyderabad after her.

Bhagmati has no surviving tomb, and no documents or coins from her time mention her name. Records about her only appeared long after she died, so the truth of this story remains unproven.







Queen's Palace (Rani Mahal)

Passing through the Bhagamati Palace leads to the Queen's Palace (Rani Mahal) area in the southern part of the fort, where a sound and light show takes place at night. In the middle of the spacious courtyard stands a complex metal fountain. During the Qutb Shahi era, the fountain could spray water on its own thanks to hydraulic engineering. When there was no rain, the fort's water system ran using Persian water wheels. Today, a set of clay drainage pipes that have survived for hundreds of years can still be found behind the Queen's Palace (Rani Mahal).

Historians believe the building now called the Queen's Palace (Rani Mahal) should actually be called the Father's Palace (Dad Mahal). This was where the Sultan handled state affairs and listened to the opinions of his subjects and the people.













Private Chamber (Kilwat)

Behind the Queen's Palace (Rani Mahal) is the Private Chamber (Kilwat), the Sultan's private bedroom. Although small, it is decorated beautifully. The hollow latticework was once inlaid with Golconda's most famous diamonds and other gemstones.







Women's Mosque (Zanana Mosque)

Continuing west from the Queen's Palace (Rani Mahal) area, you leave the palace grounds and can see the multiple tall walls inside the fort. Behind one of these walls stands a mosque called the Women's Mosque (Zanana Mosque), which still has its mihrab and courtyard.



















Twelve-Door Hall (Baradari) (Darbar Hall)

After passing the Women's Mosque (Zanana Mosque), you leave the palace area. A stone staircase leads to the fortress at the top of the hill. Some of the fortress walls are built directly onto giant rocks, and from the stairs, you can look down over the entire palace area. After climbing to the top, you reach a building called the Twelve-Door Hall (Baradari) (Darbar Hall), where you can overlook the vast area behind the fort.



















Ibrahim Mosque

The Ibrahim Mosque is on the north side of the hilltop. It was built by Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah (reigned 1550-1580). The mosque is small. The double-layered balconies on the two minarets and the onion domes sitting on lotus-shaped bases are typical of Muslim architecture in the Deccan region.









Granary (Ambar Khana)

Heading east from the Ibrahim Mosque, you start the path down the hill, first passing the city's granary, the Granary (Ambar Khana). A Persian inscription in front of the granary says it was built by Khairat Khan in 1642.











Ramdas Prison

Continuing down the hill, you pass the Ramdas Prison. Bhakt Ramdas was a court tax official for the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He was imprisoned in a dark cell for 12 years by the last Sultan, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, for using money from the national treasury to build a temple.











Boli reservoir

You can see a series of water facilities in the northern part of the fort. The first thing you see is the Boli reservoir, a type of water storage structure often found in Indian forts.





Nagina Bagh garden

In the fort's Nagina Bagh garden, there is a pool that diverted hot and cold water, along with the original water tanks.









Bathhouse

Next to the fort gate is a Turkish bath building with pipes at different heights inside, which allowed for mixing scented cold and hot water, though it was not open when I visited. Historians still disagree on whether this bath was for women or for washing the bodies of the deceased.





Pavilions

Two large pavilions outside the fort gate.







2. Qutb Shahi Tombs

The Qutb Shahi Tombs are located north of Golconda Fort and contain the tombs of the sultans of the Qutb Shahi dynasty and their attached mosques. These tombs feature the typical style of Deccan Plateau Muslim architecture, with a layered structure of a square base and round top emphasized by decorative small towers, and onion domes sitting on lotus-petal bases, representing an organic blend of Persian and Indian architectural styles.

Tomb of the first sultan: 1543

The tomb of Quli Qutb Mulk (reigned 1512–1543), the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, is the earliest one built in the cemetery, and the designs of later tombs were developed based on this one.

Quli was a Turkmen from Hamadan, Iran, and a descendant of Qara Yusuf (reigned 1380–1420), the ruler of the Kara Koyunlu dynasty. In the early 16th century, Quli came to India from Iran with some relatives and friends. They were first in Delhi, then moved south to the Deccan to serve in the court of the Bahmani Sultanate. In 1518, the Bahmani Sultanate broke into five Deccan sultanates, and Quli conquered Golconda Fort to establish the Golconda Sultanate, also known as the Qutb Shahi dynasty.











Tomb of the second sultan: 1550

The tomb of Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah (reigned 1543–1550), the second sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, is the only sultan's tomb in the cemetery that does not use black basalt, and its design, consisting of two levels, is also different from the others.

Jamsheed seized the throne in 1543 after assassinating his father. Few records remain of his reign, other than that it was very cruel. Jamsheed died of illness in 1550 and was buried next to his father's tomb.











Tomb of the third Sultan: 1550.

After the second Sultan, Jamshed, died of illness in 1550, his 7-year-old son, Subhan Quli Qutb Shah, took the throne. However, Subhan's uncle, Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, soon rushed back to Golconda Fort to seize the throne. Subhan was deposed and died shortly after.

Subhan's tomb sits on the same platform as his grandfather, the first Sultan Quli Qutb Mulk, and it is the smallest of all the Sultan tombs.





Tomb of the fourth Sultan: 1580.

The tomb of the fourth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah (reigned 1550–1580), was built in 1580 and is slightly larger than the first Sultan's tomb. The south wall of the tomb has some rare surviving tile patterns, offering a glimpse into the original style of the Qutb Shahi royal tombs. Inside the tomb are 2 grave stones, and the platform holds 16 grave stones, including those of Ibrahim's 6 sons and 3 daughters.

Ibrahim was the son of Quli Qutb Mulk, the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. In 1543, Quli was killed by his other son, Jamshed, who then began arresting and harming his other brothers. Ibrahim managed to escape Golconda and took refuge in the Vijayanagara Empire of South India. Ibrahim lived in the Vijayanagara Empire as a guest of honor for 7 years.

During his time in the Vijayanagara Empire, Ibrahim was deeply influenced by South Indian Telugu culture. He wore Telugu clothing, ate Telugu-style food, developed a strong interest in the Telugu language, and gave himself the Telugu name Malki BhaRama.

In 1550, the second Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Jamshed, died of illness, and his son Subhan took the throne. Ibrahim immediately returned to Golconda Fort to seize the throne and became the fourth Sultan. During his reign, Ibrahim appointed Hindus as ministers, hired many Telugu poets, and also sponsored many Arabic and Persian poets.

In 1565, Ibrahim betrayed the Vijayanagara Empire that had once sheltered him, joining four other Deccan Sultanates to launch an attack against it. On January 23, the two sides fought a decisive battle at Talikota, where the Vijayanagara king who had once helped Ibrahim was defeated and killed. The allied Sultanate forces then stormed the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, and the city where Ibrahim had lived happily and safely for 7 years was completely burned down.

After this, Ibrahim continued to expand the territory of the Qutb Shahi dynasty until he died of illness in 1580.

















Tomb of the fifth Sultan: 1602.

The tomb of the fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (reigned 1580–1611), is the largest in the Qutb Shahi tomb complex and is built on a platform 65 meters long and 4 meters high.

To solve the water shortage at Golconda Fort, Muhammad Quli founded the city of Hyderabad on the south bank of the Musi River, east of the fort, in 1591. Landmark buildings in the city commissioned by Muhammad Quli, including the Charminar gate and the Makkah Masjid mosque, still stand today.

Muhammad Quli was also an accomplished poet who wrote in Persian, Telugu, and Urdu, leaving behind a collection of poems called Kulliyat-e-Quli Qutub Shah. His Urdu poetry, written in the Persian Diwan style, made a major contribution to the development of Urdu literature.









Tomb of the Sixth Sultan: 1626

The tomb of the sixth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Muhammad Qutb Shah (reigned 1611-1626), was built in 1626 and is another large tomb in the cemetery. The outer walls of the tomb were once covered in tiles, but they are no longer there.

Muhammad was the nephew of the fifth sultan, Muhammad Quli. He married Muhammad Quli's only daughter, Hayat Baksh Begum, in 1607 and was later named his successor. During Muhammad's reign, as the Mughal Empire grew stronger in northern and central India, the Qutb Shahi dynasty formed alliances with Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid dynasty in Persia and their Muslim neighbor to the west, the Adil Shahi dynasty. The first history book of the Qutb Shahi dynasty was also compiled during his reign.







Tomb of the Sixth Sultan's Queen: 1667

Hayat Baksh Begum was the only daughter of the fifth sultan, Muhammad Quli, the wife of the sixth sultan, Muhammad, and the mother of the seventh sultan, Abdullah. She was affectionately known as Ma Saheba (revered mother). Her tomb is the largest tomb for a woman in the cemetery and follows the same design as her husband Muhammad's tomb.

After Muhammad died in 1626, his 12-year-old son Abdullah succeeded him. Because Abdullah was not yet an adult, Hayat Bakshi ruled the country as regent until he turned 18. During her rule, Hayat Bakshi continued Muhammad's strategy of maintaining peace with neighboring countries and avoiding conflict with the Mughal Empire.



Tomb of the Sixth Sultan's Sister

The tomb of Fatima Sultan, sister of the sixth sultan Muhammad, is on the east side of the cemetery.





Tomb of the Sixth Sultan's Granddaughter

The tomb of Kulthoom, granddaughter of the sixth sultan Muhammad, is on the west side of the fifth sultan Muhammad Quli's tomb.







Tomb of the Seventh Sultan: 1672

The tomb of the seventh sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Abdullah Qutb Shah (reigned 1626-1672), is located on the outermost edge of the Qutb Shahi cemetery and is the last sultan's tomb built there.

Abdullah was fluent in many languages and loved poetry and music. He once invited Kshetrayya, the most famous Telugu poet and musician in South India at the time, to his court, but his reign was filled with sorrow.

Abdullah finally defeated the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire in South India in 1652, but he was soon defeated by the Mughal prince and Deccan governor, Aurangzeb. In 1656, Aurangzeb attacked Hyderabad and trapped Abdullah inside Golconda Fort, but he had to pull back after the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan stepped in. If Aurangzeb had stayed in the Deccan for one more year, he likely would have convinced his father to conquer the Qutb Shahi dynasty. However, Shah Jahan fell ill in 1657, and Aurangzeb got caught up in the war for the throne, which allowed the Qutb Shahi dynasty to survive for another 30 years.

When Aurangzeb besieged Golconda Fort in 1656, Abdullah married his daughter Padshah Bibi to Aurangzeb’s eldest son, Muhammad Sultan, and named Muhammad as the heir to the Qutb Shahi dynasty. But after the war of succession broke out in the Mughal Empire in 1657, Muhammad joined his uncle Shah Shuja’s army, and his father imprisoned him in 1660.

After Abdullah died in 1672, he was buried in the Qutb Shahi Tombs, and his successor was his other son-in-law, the final sultan, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. Because Abul Hasan was eventually captured by the Mughal dynasty and buried near Aurangabad, Abdullah’s tomb became the last sultan’s tomb in the Qutb Shahi Tombs.



















The unfinished tomb of the seventh sultan's family member.

Across from the tomb of the seventh sultan, Abdullah, was a tomb originally built by the final sultan, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (reigned 1672-1686), for himself, but it was later given to Abdullah’s grandson, Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmed, who died in 1674. The dome of the tomb was never finished. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: Golconda Fort — Deccan Muslim City and History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Next to it is the tomb of Abdullah's daughter, Fadma Khanum, who passed away in 1676. This is also the only tomb in the cemetery built without a dome. The account keeps its focus on Golconda Fort, Deccan History, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.



Next to it is the tomb of Abdullah's daughter, Fadma Khanum, who passed away in 1676. This is also the only tomb in the cemetery built without a dome.









Tomb of the Seventh Sultan's Court Physicians: mid-17th century.

Hakim Nizamuddin Gilani and Hakim Abdul Jabbar Gilani were two physicians for the seventh sultan, Abdullah. Being buried in the sultan's cemetery shows they held a very high status at the time. The stucco carvings on the tomb walls are even more intricate than those on the sultan's tomb, featuring various floral and animal patterns.















Bathhouse

The bathhouse (Hamam) in the Qutb Shahi Tombs is a typical Persian/Turkish bath. It was built by order of the fifth sultan, Muhammad Quli, and served as the place where later sultans and royal family members were bathed and prepared for their grand funerals.













Water Tank

The water tank (Baoli) is at the entrance of the cemetery and provides water for the entire site. view all