Quli Qutb Mulk
gigatos | May 24, 2022
Summary
Quli Qutb Shah (Quli Qutb Mulk) (1470 – September 2, 1543) was the first sultan of Golconda and founder of the Qutb Shah dynasty (1512-1543).
He was descended from the Turkoman tribe Kara-Koyunlu. He was the son of Uvays Kuli-beg and Maryam-khanum. Uvays Kuli-beg was the son of Pir Kuli-beg and great-grandson of Kara Iskandar, the son of Kara-Yusuf, the founder of the Kara-Koyunlu state. His mother Maryam-khanum was the daughter of Malik Saleh of Hamadan and a descendant of Jahanshah. Quli Qutb Shah emigrated to Delhi with some of his relatives and friends, including his uncle Allah Quli bey in the early 16th century. Later, Quli Qutb Shah moved to Deccan where he entered the service of the Sultan of Bahmani.
After the dissolution of the Bahmani Sultanate into five Deccan Sultanates, the Quli Qutb Shah declared independence and took the title Qutb Shah and established the Qutb Shah dynasty in Golconda.
Kuli Qutb-shah was a contemporary of Krishnadevaraya Tuluva and his younger brother Achyutadevaraya Tuluva of the Vijayanagar Empire. Kuli captured forts in Warangal, Kondapalli, Eluru and Rajamundri, while Krishnadevaraya was busy fighting the ruler of Orissa. He defeated Sitapati Raja (known as Shitab Khan), the ruler of Khammam, and captured that fortress. Quli Qutb Shah forced the ruler of Orissa to give him the territories between the mouths of the rivers Krishna and Godavari. He was able to capture Eluru, Rajamundri and Machilipatnam, extending his power to coastal Andhra. Quli Qutb Shah”s military campaign against Krishnaderwaya continued until First Minister Timmarasu defeated Golconda”s army.
The Sultan of Golconda Quli Qutb Shah died on September 2, 1543. His youngest son, Jamshid Quli Qutb Shah, killed him as he offered his prayers. Jamshid also blinded his eldest son and heir to the throne, Qutbuddin, and seized his father”s throne. His other brother, Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali, fled from Golconda to the Vijayanagar Empire.
Quli Qutb Shah had six sons and four daughters.
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