BRIEF HISTORY OF DECCAN SULTANATES - QUTUB SHAHI DYNASTY - GOLCONDA SULTANATE AND THEIR COINAGE

Brief History of Qutub Shahi Dynasty- Golconda Sultanate And Their Coinage


Introduction

        The Qutb Shahi dynasty (Persian: سلطنت قطب شاهی‎) was a Shia Muslim Turkoman  dynasty, purportedly related to the Kara Koyunlu dynasty of Azerbaijan 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 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.

Brief History of Golconda 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.^[6] 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.

The Rulers of Qutub Shahi Dynasty

The seven sultans in the dynasty were:

1. Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (1518–1543)
2. Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah (1543–1550)
3. Subhan Quli Qutb Shah (1550)
4. Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah (1550–1580)
5. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580–1612)
6. Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (1612–1626)
7. Abdullah Qutb Shah (1626–1672)
8. Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (1672–1689)

The Coinage of Golconda Sultanate

Sultan Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah (AD 1543 - 1550) was the first Sultan to Issue coins of Golconda Sultanate. They generally followed the pattern of Bahmani Sultanate Coins (Their predecessors). After 1636, when Emperor Shahjahan forced the Qutub Shahis to recognise the Mughal Suzerainty, Golconda Sultanate started minting Mughal coins also, till the capture of Golconda Fort by Aurangzeb in the year 1687, thus ending the Rule of Golconda Sultanate

Some Examples of Golconda Coins

Note:- The information about the subject has been Extracted from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia and various sites on the subject.