Quli Qutb Mulk

Sultan Quli Qutb Shah (also transliterated in different ways), a Turkmen from Hamadan in Iran, was the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, which ruled the Sultanate of Golconda in southern India from 1518 to 1687. He died in 1543.

Sultan Quli Qutb Shah was a descendant of Qara Yusuf via his paternal grandfather (Pir Quli Beg who was grandson of Qara Iskander) and paternal grandmother (Khadija Begum who was granddaughter of Jahanshah). His father was Uways Quli Beg and mother was Maryam Khanum (daughter of Malik Saleh of Hamadan). He migrated to Delhi with some of his relatives and friends, including his uncle Allah Quli Beg in the beginning of the 16th century. Later he migrated south to Deccan and served the Bahmani sultan.

After the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate into the five Deccan sultanates, he declared independence and took the title ofQutb Shah, and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda.

Quli Qutb Shah was a contemporary of Krishana Deva Raya and his younger brother Achyuta Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara empire. Quli extended his rule by capturing forts at Warangal, Kondapalli, Eluru, and Rajamundry, while Krishnadevaraya was fighting the ruler of Odisha. He defeated Sitapati Raju (known as Shitab Khan), the ruler of Khammam, and captured the fort. He forced Odisha's ruler to surrender all the territories between the mouths of Krishna and Godavari rivers. He was able to occupy Eluru, Rajamundry and Machilipatnam extending his rule to Coastal Andhra. Quli's campaign against Krishnadevaraya continued until Timmarusu, the Prime Minister of Krishnadevaraya, defeated the Golconda army.

Sultan Quli Qutb Shah died in 1543. His younger son, Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah, assassinated him while he was offering his prayers. Jamsheed also blinded Quli's elder son and heir, Kutbuddeen and assumed the throne. His other son Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah fled to Vijayanagara.