India
Spain
U.K.
The Tombs Of Qutub Shahi Kings
About the Qutub Shahi dynasty
One of the five kingdoms to have emerged following the disintegration of the Bahmani Kingdom was the kingdom of Golkonda. Founded by Quli Qutbul Mulk, a far sighted noble and the Governor of Telangana region under the Bahmani sultan Mohammad Shah, Quli Qutbul Mulk made good use of the situation following the break up of the Bahmani Kingdom. He declared his independence from Bahmani sultanate took title Qutub Shah and established Qutub Shahi dynasty of Golconda. One of the first Muslim dynasties to rule the Telengana region, the Qutb Shahis ruled the Deccan for almost 171 years. A total of seven rulers ruled the kingdom until its capture in 1687 by the armies of the Great Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. All the Qutb Shahis rulers were great patrons of learning as well as great builders. They contributed to the growth and development of Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature and culture in Hyderabad. They not only patronized the Persian culture but also the regional culture of the Deccan, symbolized by the Telugu language and the newly developed Deccani idiom of Urdu.
The Tombs of Qutb Shahi Kings
Located two kms from the Golconda Fort amidst picturesque landscaped gardens, known as Ibrahim Bagh, is the royal cemetery of the Qutub Shahi kings. Characterized by an ostentation display of arches, domes, minarets and columns, most of the tombs are a marvel of Indo-Persian and Deccan architectural style. A living testimony of the glory and grandeur of Golconda and its kings, the tombs still retain their original glory despite the combined assault of time, weather and man. Built on square bases surrounded by pointed arches , most of the tombs form a large cluster. While the larger tombs are double storied the smaller ones have single storeys. From the plinth to the peak, the mausoleums are marked by symmetry in arches and arcades. Each tomb stand on a wide quadrangular terrace approached on all sides by flights of steps. Rising from 9 to 15 meters above the terrace, each tomb has a sarcophagus in the center which lies over the actual burial vault. S urrounded by balustrades with beautiful minarets at the corners, and overlaid with blue and green tiles, of which only a few pieces now remain, most of the Qutub Shahi tombs are graceful structures with intricately carved stonework. The tombs were once furnished with carpets, chandeliers and velvet canopies on silver poles. Golden spires fitted over the tombs of the Sultans distinguished their tombs from those of other members of the royal family and Qurans were kept on supports which it made easy for readers who recited verses from the holy book at regular intervals.
During the Qutb Shahi period, these tombs were held in such great veneration that criminals who took refuge there were granted pardon. But after their reign, the tombs were neglected, till Sir Salar Jung III ordered their restoration in the early 19th century. A pretty garden was laid out, and a protective wall was built to ward off vandals.
The Qutb Shahi Tomb complex houses about 30 tombs of both the rulers as well as those who were not related to royalty. The tombs are in two large quadrangular enclosures, the first of which houses the mausoleums of Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah, Ibrahim Quli, Jamsheed Quli, Sultan Quli and Kulsoom begum, daughter of Muhammed Qutub Shah. In another quadrangle are the tombs of Muhammed Qutub Shah, Hayath Bakshi Begum, Taramathi and Premamathi, the last two being the favourite courtesans of Abdullah Qutub Shah whose tomb is outside of the quadrangles.
The tomb of Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk :
The tomb of the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty is marked by simplicity and symmetry in design and stands on a platform of 30 metres on each side. Crowned by a circular dome, the tomb has an octagonal chamber, with each side measuring around 10 m. There are three graves in this tomb chamber and 21 on the terrace outside, all un-inscribed, except for the main tomb. The inscription on Sultan Quli's tomb is in three bands, in the Naskh and Tauq scripts-referring to Sultan as Bada Malik (The Great Master) - the endearing term by which all people of the Deccan used to refer to him. The tomb was built in 1543 A.D. by the Sultan, during his lifetime itself, as was the prevalent custom.
The tomb of Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah :
Built in 1550 A.D., the tomb of Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah is the only one which is not made of black basalt. Located near to the tomb of his father,Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk, the tomb of Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah is octagonal, well proportioned and imposing, standing as it does on a high quadrangular platform. Also the only tomb (apart from Subhan Quli's) not to have any inscriptions, the tomb of Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah rises gracefully in two stories, unlike the squat tombs of the other kings. Adjacent to this tomb is the tomb of Jamshed's son, Subhan Quli which stands mid-way between the tombs of his father and grandfather.
The tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah :
The tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah built in 1580 soon after his death is one of the largest of all Qutub Shahi tombs. Quadrangular in shape with two rows of five arches on each side, the tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah gives the appearance of a double storied building. A fairly magnificent tomb, traces of enameled tiles, which once adorned this mausoleum, can still be seen on the arches of the southern wall. The tomb has two graves in the main chamber and 16 graves on the terrace. These graves are believed to be those of his six sons and three daughters. An interesting feature of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah's tomb is that it has got inscriptions in the Thulth script on all faces of the sarcophagus. Most of these inscriptions were done by the famous calligraphists - Isphalan, Ismail and Taqiuddiii Muhammad Salih - who left a store house of Naskh, Tulth and Nastaliq inscriptions on many Qutub Shahi edifices in the city.
The mausoleum of Sultan Muhammad Quli :
Built in 1602 A.D, the tomb of the founding ftaher of Hyderabad Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah is one of the grandest of all the Qutb Shahi tombs. Rising to a height of 42.5 meters with a large dome and 28 open arches on each side, the mausoleum is built on a two-tiered terrace designed to look like a captivating gallery with false openings and with two central pillars. There are entrances on the southern and eastern sides. The tomb itself is situated in a vault below the terrace with a number of steps leading to it.The tomb is further decorated with inscriptions in the Persian and Naskh scripts.
The mausoleum of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah :
One of the most impressive mausoleums of the Qutb Shahi tombs that of Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah is the grandest. Built in 1626, the entire facade of the mausoleum was once decorated with enameled tiles. There are six graves altogether in this tomb with inscriptions in Tulth and Naskh scripts.
Along with the tombs of the Qutb Shahi kings there are a few more tombs of their relatives and nobles existing side by side. The tomb of Fatima Sultan, sister of Muhammed Qutub Shah with its bulbous dome, is located near the entrance to the tomb-garden. Next to it is the tomb of Kulsoom Begum, Mohammed Qutub’s grand daughter along with her husband and daughter.
Another pair of tombs are those of Premamati and Taramati ; there is also the tomb of Muhammed Neknam Khan, who served as the commander-in-chief of Abdullah’s army in the Carnatic as also the twin-tombs of Nizamuddin Ahamasd Gilani and Abdul Jabbar Gilani - the two favouritc physicians ot'Sultan Abdullah.These were among the few Qutub Shahi tombs that were not of royalty.
Also located within the precincts of the Qutb Shahi tomb complex is the tomb of the great Sufi saint Husain Wali, the man who built Husain Sagar (1562), bridging Hyderabad and Secunderabad. In addition to the tombs, there are also a number of mosques and ritual bathing palces within the complex. The Mortuary Bath, locatedon the opposite side of the tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah is one of the finest existing specimens of ancient Persian or Turkish baths that was built by Sultan Quli Qutb Shah to facilitate the ritual washing of the bodies of the dead kings and others of the Royal Family before they were carried to their final resting place.
A unique feature of Qutb Shahi architecture is the fact that almost every tomb has a mosque attached adjacent to it. One such mosque is the one that is attached to the mausoleum of Hayat Bakshi Begum-the daughter of Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. Located at Hayatnagar it was built during the reign of Abdullah Qutb Shah between 1672-1672. A.D. Known as the great mosque, it has a eautiful façade of five arches. Fifteen cupolas decorate the roof while the prayer-hall is flanked by two lofty minarets. The inscriptions in the mosque are master-pieces of calligraphic art.
Hayat Bakshi’s beautiful tomb is heralded by a stone tank with a fountain in the middle. The mausoleum befits the status she had enjoyed in statecraft. The mausoleum stands on a terrace, two metres above the ground and is reached by a flight of steps. On its four sides are corridors made up of arcades of seven pointed arches each. Between the dome and the first terrace is a smaller structure with five closed arches on each of the four sides. The parapets on the entabulature of this mausoleum resemble those of the Toli Masjid.
The Toli Masjid built by Musa Khan, a chamberlain of Abdullah Quli Qutub Shah in 1671 is yet another marvel of Qutb Shahi architecture with its arches, columns and domes. The mosque is also one of the finest examples of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. The interior of the mosque is reached through a great foyer with five impressive arches resting on squat columns. In the middle of the ceiling of the inner central hall is a huge stucco lotus with eight petals. Two minarets, each 20 feet tall, stand like faithful sentinels of the mosque. Like most of the Muslim architectural wonders of Hyderabad, the Toli Masjid too has some beautiful calligraphic inscriptions.