Abdullah Qutb Shah

Who was Abdullah Qutb Shah?

Abdullah Qutb Shah was the seventh ruler of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India under the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He ruled from 1626 to 1672.

Abdullah, son of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah, was a polyglot, and a lover of poetry and music. He invited to his court and respected Kshetrayya, a famous lyric writer. Kshetrayya is known for his romantic poetry.

His reign was full of sorrow and trouble. His only success was demolishing decayed Vijayanagara Empire by capturing Vellore, last capital of it in 1652. Aurangzeb under the command from Shah Jahan took over Hyderabad by surprise and restricted Abdullah within the Golconda fort. Abdullah worked hard to negotiate reasonable terms of surrender but the Mughals forced him into accepting severe conditions. This unhappy monarch died in 1672 and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah.

*Tomb of Abdullah Qutb Shah.