History of Hyderabad: Encyclopedia II - History of Hyderabad - The Qutb Shahis

History of Hyderabad - The Qutb Shahis

History of Hyderabad - The Golconda Sultanate

In 1463, Sultan Mohammad Shah Bahmani dispatched Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk to the Telangana region to quell disturbances. Sultan Quli quelled the disturbance and was rewarded as the administrator of the region. He established a base at Kakatiya hill fortress of Golconda which he strengthened and expanded considerably. By the end of the century, Quli ruled from Golconda as the Subedar of Telangana.

The early years of the 16th century brought the internal squabbles within the Bahmani Sultanate to the fore. Quli enjoyed virtual independence from Bidar, where the Bahmani sultanate was then based. In 1518, he declared independece from the Bahmani Sultanate and established the Golconda Sultanate under the title Sultan Quli Qutub Shah. This was the start of Qutb Shahi Dynasty. Bahmani Sultanate disintegrated into five different kingdoms, with the others based in Ahmednagar, Berar, Bidar and Bijapur.

History of Hyderabad - The Founding of a New City

Golconda flourished under the Qutb Shahis, with steady growth in population, trade and prosperity. By the late 16th century, population within the walled fort at Golconda had expanded considerably, to the point where epidemics were harder to prevent. In order to expand the main urban center of his kingdom, Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fourth king in the Qutb Shahi dynasty, founded the city of Hyderabad on the Musi River, five miles (8km) east of Golconda in 1589. He also ordered the construction of the Char Minar, the iconic monument of the city, in 1591, reportedly in gratitude to the almighty for arresting the plague epidemic before it did irreversible damage to his new city. The Purana Pul ("old bridge") spanning the Musi was built a few years earlier, enabling quick travel between Golconda and Hyderabad.

Legend has it that the bridge was built by Mohammad Quli's father Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah so his son's life would not be endangered when he went to visit his future wife during the monsoon months.

History of Hyderabad - The New City Flourishes

The early history of Hyderabad is inextricably intertwined with the history of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. As Qutb Shahi power and fortune rose during the 16th and early 17th centuries, Hyderabad became a center of a vibrant diamond trade. All seven Qutb Shahi sultans were patrons of learning and were great builders. They contributed to the growth and development of Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature and culture in Hyderabad. Some of the sultans were known as patrons of local Telugu culture as well. During the Qutb Shahi reign Golconda became one of the leading markets in the world for diamonds, pearls, steel, arms, and also printed fabric. In the 16th century the city grew to accommodate the surplus population of Golconda and eventually became the capital of the Qutb Shahi rulers. Hyderabad became known for its gardens (called baghs) and its comfortable climate. Visitors from other lands compared the city most to the beautiful city of Isfahan in Iran.

Image:CharminarStreet.jpg

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Qutb Shahis", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki