Sultanate of Golconda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Qtub Shahi Dynasty of Golconda
1518–1687
Flag of the Qutb Shahis
Golconda map published in 1733 Germany
Capital	Golconda (1519–1591) Hyderabad (1591–1687)
Common languages	Persian (official) Telugu (official after 1600) Deccani Urdu
Religion	Shia Islam
Government	Monarchy
Qutb Shah
• 1512–1543	Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk
• 1543–1550	Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah
• 1550–1550	Subhan Quli Qutb Shah
History
• Established	1518
• Disestablished	1687
Currency	Mohur, Tanka
Preceded by Succeeded by Bahmani Sultanate Gajapati Empire Vijayanagara Empire Hyderabad Subah
Today part of	India

The Sultanate of Golconda was an important kingdom in southern India. It was ruled by the Qutb Shahi dynasty, a family of Turkoman origin who followed Shia Islam. This kingdom was one of five Deccan sultanates that formed after the Bahmani Sultanate broke apart.

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was founded in 1512 by Quli Qutb Shah. The kingdom covered parts of what are now the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana. Golconda often had conflicts with its neighbors, the Adil Shahis and Nizam Shahis.

In 1636, the powerful Mughal emperor Shah Jahan made the Qutb Shahis agree to be under Mughal rule and pay regular tributes. The dynasty ended in 1687 when the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb captured the last sultan, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. Golconda then became part of the Mughal Empire.

The Qutb Shahis were known for supporting Persianate Shia culture. For about 90 years, Persian was the main language used in their court and for official documents. However, in the early 17th century, the Telugu language also became very important. By the end of the dynasty, Telugu was the main court language, with Persian used less often. Some historians say that as the Qutb Shahis adopted Telugu, they started to see themselves as rulers of a Telugu-speaking state.

History of the Golconda Kingdom

The founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty was Sultan Quli Khawas Khan Hamdani. He was born in Iran and belonged to a Muslim tribe called the Qara Qoyunlu. In the 16th century, he traveled to Delhi and later moved south to the Deccan Plateau. There, he served the Bahmani sultan.

When the Bahmani Kingdom broke into five smaller states, Sultan Quli declared Golconda's independence. He took the title Qutub Shah and started the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Sadly, in 1543, his son, Jamsheed, had him killed and took over as sultan. Jamsheed died from cancer in 1550. His young son ruled for a short time, but then the nobles brought back another son of Sultan Quli, Ibrahim Quli, to be the new sultan.

Early Qutb Shahi rulers were very strict about religious practices. However, during the rule of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580–1611), things changed. He was more tolerant and allowed people to celebrate their religious festivals like Diwali and Holi openly. Later sultans, like Tana Shah, even appointed Hindu ministers to important roles, such as managing taxes. This led to some disagreements among the different groups in the kingdom. Eventually, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb attacked Golconda, and the last Sultan was imprisoned. This brought an end to the Qutb Shahi dynasty.

The cities of Golconda and later Hyderabad served as the capitals of the sultanate. The Qutb Shahi sultans made these cities beautiful, building famous structures like the Charminar. The dynasty ruled Golconda for 171 years until the Mughal Empire conquered the region in 1687. Golconda then became a Mughal province called Hyderabad Subah.

Economy of Golconda

The tomb of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah in Hyderabad.

The Golconda Sultanate was known for being very rich. Its main income came from a tax on land. But the kingdom also made a lot of money from its control over diamond mines in the southern parts of its territory.

The sultanate also controlled the areas around the Krishna and Godavari rivers. This gave them access to villages where skilled workers made goods like textiles (cloth). The town of Masulipatnam was Golconda's main port for shipping out diamonds and textiles. The kingdom was at its wealthiest in the 1620s and 1630s.

Famous Golconda Diamonds

The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond was first found in the Golconda Sultanate.

The Golconda Sultanate was famous for its diamonds, often called Golconda diamonds. These diamonds were highly desired even before the Qutb Shahi dynasty began. The sultanate continued to supply these precious stones to traders from Europe.

Diamonds from mines, especially the Kollur Mine, were taken to the city of Hyderabad. There, they were cut, polished, valued, and sold. Golconda became a major center for diamond trading. Until the late 1800s, the Golconda market was the main place to find the world's finest and largest diamonds.

Cotton-Weaving Industry

In the early 17th century, the Deccan region had a strong industry for weaving cotton. Large amounts of cotton cloth were made for use within the kingdom and for selling to other countries. They produced high-quality plain and patterned cloth, including muslin and calico.

Plain cloth was available in white or brown, either bleached or dyed. This cloth was sent to Persia and European countries. Patterned cloth had designs made with natural dyes like indigo for blue, chay-root for red, and vegetable yellow. This patterned cloth was mainly exported to places like Java, Sumatra, and other eastern countries. Golconda also had strong trade ties with Ayutthaya Siam.

Culture and Arts

A painting from Golconda, 1650-1670, showing opaque watercolor and gold on paper.

The Qutb Shahis were big supporters of Persianate Shia culture. For the first 90 years of their rule, they promoted Persian culture. Official orders and court discussions were only in Persian. The court of Quli Qutb Mulk became a place where Persian culture and literature thrived.

However, a change began in the early 17th century with Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580–1612). He started to support the Telugu language and culture too. Official orders began to be written in both Persian and Telugu. Towards the end of the dynasty, most documents were primarily in Telugu, with a short summary in Persian. As they embraced Telugu, the rulers and their officials started to see their land as a Telugu-speaking region, and they were even called "Telugu Sultans."

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah was also a poet. He wrote poems in Dakhini Urdu, Persian, and Telugu. Later poets and writers mainly wrote in Urdu, but they used words from Persian, Hindi, and Telugu languages.

Architecture and Buildings

The buildings of the Qutb Shahis mixed Indian and Persian styles, creating what is known as Indo-Islamic architecture. Their building style was very similar to that of the other Deccan sultanates. The Qutb Shahi rulers built the famous Charminar.

Some examples of their impressive buildings include the Golconda Fort, the tombs of the Qutb Shahis, the Charminar and the Char Kaman, Mecca Masjid, Khairtabad Mosque, Hayat Bakshi Mosque, Taramati Baradari, and the Toli Mosque.

Royal Tombs

The tombs of the Qutb Shahi sultans are located about one kilometer north of Golconda's outer wall. These structures are made of beautifully carved stone and are surrounded by lovely gardens. They are open to the public and many people visit them.

How the Kingdom Was Run

The Bahmani Kingdom, Kandesh, and the Five Sultanates.

The Qutb Shahi Kingdom was a very organized state. The sultan had complete power over the government, laws, and military. When he was away, a regent would manage things for him. The Peshwa (Prime Minister) was the highest official, helped by other ministers like the Mir Jumla (finance minister) and Kotwal (police chief).

For most of their rule, the Qutb Shahi sultanate used a system where certain people, called jagirs, would provide soldiers and collect taxes. They could keep a part of the taxes and give the rest to the sultan. Tax collection jobs were often given to the highest bidder, who then became a governor. These governors lived well but faced harsh punishments if they failed, so they were often strict with the people.

The last Sultan, Tana Shah, with advice from his Hindu ministers, changed this system. He made sure that trained civil professionals collected all taxes. Soldiers, government workers, and court officials were paid directly from the Sultan's treasury. These changes greatly increased the kingdom's income.

The Sultanate had 66 forts, and each was managed by a Nayak. In the later 17th century, many Hindu Nayaks were hired by the Qutb Shahi Sultan. These officials often came from warrior castes and served as civil revenue officers. After the Mughals took over in 1687, these Hindu Nayaks were replaced by Muslim military commanders.

Administrative Divisions

By 1670, the sultanate was divided into 21 sarkars (provinces). These sarkars were further divided into 355 parganas (districts).

Religion in Golconda

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was a Shia Muslim dynasty with origins in Persia (modern Iran). At first, they were very strict and did not allow Hindus, who made up most of the population, to openly practice their religious festivals.

However, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah was the first ruler to change this policy. He allowed Hindus to practice their festivals and religion openly. In the final years of their rule, the Qutb Shahi rulers supported Shia, Sufi, and Sunni Islamic traditions, as well as Hindu traditions. Before their end, Tana Shah, advised by his Hindu ministers Madanna and Akkanna, started the tradition of sending pearls to the Bhadrachalam Temple of Rama on Rama Navami.

List of Qutb Shahi Rulers

Here are the eight sultans who ruled the Qutb Shahi dynasty:

Family Tree of the Qutb Shahi Rulers

See also

• Hyderabad Deccan
• Battle of Talikota