Qutb Shahi Tombs

Why in news?

• Six walls of Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex in Hyderabad have been restored recently and it will help make a strong case for UNESCO World Heritage City.

About Qutub Shahi Tombs

• The Qutub Shahi Tombs are located in the Ibrahim Bagh (garden precinct), close to the famous Golconda Fort in Hyderabad
• They contain the tombs and mosques built by the various kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty.

About Qu?b Shahi dynasty

• Qu?b Shahi dynasty, (1518–1687), rulers of the kingdom of Golconda in the southeastern Deccan of India, one of the five successor states of the Bahman? kingdom.
• They were also called as Golconda Sultanate
• After the collapse of Bahmani Sultanate, the Qutb Shahi dynasty was established in 1512 AD by Sultan-Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (better known as Quli Qutb Shah).
• In 1636, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan forced the Qutb Shahis to recognize Mughal suzerainty and pay periodic tributes.
• The dynasty came to an end in 1687 when the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb acceded Golconda into the Mughal empire.
• The kingdom extended from the parts of modern-day states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana

About Golconda Fort

• The Raja Krishna Dev of the Kakatiya dynasty with Warangal as capital constructed the Golkonda Fort on a granite hill in the year 1143.
• During 1495–1496 the fort was handed over to Sultan Kali Kutub Khan as a Jagir (land grant).
• He reconstructed and rechristened the mud fort into a granite fort and called the place Muhammed Nagar.
• Later, the Golkonda fort came into the possession of the Bahmani dynasty. Still later, the Qutub Shahi dynasty took over and made Golkonda its capital. Golkonda fort owes much of its present grandeur to Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth sultan of Qutb Shahi dynasty.
• The subsequent generations saw Golkonda being fortified further with several additions and the formation of a beautiful city within.
• Golconda consists of four distinct forts with a 10 km long outer wall, eight gateways, a number of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques etc.
• Because of the vicinity of diamond mines, especially Kollur Mine, Golconda flourished as a trade centre of large diamonds, known as the Golconda Diamonds. By the 17th century, Golkonda was famous as a diamond market.
• The region has produced some of the world's most famous diamonds, including the colourless Koh-i-Noor (now owned by the United Kingdom), the blue Hope (United States), the pink Daria-i-Noor (Iran), the white Regent (France), the Dresden Green (Germany), and the colourless Orlov (Russia), Nizam and Jacob (India), as well as the now lost diamonds Florentine Yellow, Akbar Shah and Great Mogul.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements:

1. Qutb Shahi dynasty came to end when Bahmani sultanates captured Golconda Fort

2. Raja Krishna Dev of the Kakatiya dynasty constructed the Golkonda Fort

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer