Timing – 9.30 AM – 5.30 PM, Open all days
Entry fee – R.20 Camera – Rs.50 Videography – Rs. 200
Time needed – At least three hours
Location – Hyderabad, Telangana state of India
When I first saw such a vast green field, I saw a large tomb standing in front of me, as if it were trying to tell its own story. Nearby stood Golconda Fort, these sleeping tombs, and the seven kings.
All of them are so close to one another. How many battles must they have fought? Yet in the end, they were all confined to just this little piece of land.
How must that eight-month-long war against Aurangzeb have been fought? When did the traitor open the gates of the fort? When was the last king captured and taken away to Daulatabad?
What must the scene inside the fort have been like? Beside it, the tombs built by those very kings must have been waiting for them.
How must the gatherings and grand celebrations have taken place inside the fort? How must the ghungroos of Premamati and Taramati have echoed through the halls, even amid the clouds of war? And when did they become more than just dancers—when did they become the king’s wives, his beloved companions?
This is the story of Golconda.
The Qutb Shahi tombs necropolis is one of the most significant historic medieval necropolises anywhere in the world. This heritage is listed on the tentative World Heritage list, and the landscape restoration works have been undertaken here since 2013 to ensure long-term preservation to enhance the visitors’ experience.
The Qutb Shahi tombs necropolis stretches across 106 acres. This is the final resting place of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, who ruled for a reign of 169 years in the 16th and 17th centuries. It consists of 40 mausoleums, 19 funerary mosques, 6 baolis (step wells), a hammam, an Idgah, grave platforms, and so many great and beautiful gardens to sit and relax in the shadow of the history of these kingdoms, imagining the grandeur of their lives.
The Bahmani Sultanate emerged in the Deccan as the Tughlaq dynasty weakened. In 1347, Hasan Gangu (Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah) led a successful rebellion against the Delhi Sultanate and declared the independence of the Bahmani Sultanate. It ruled the Deccan for nearly two centuries, from 1347 to 1527 CE.
Over time, the Sultanate weakened because of internal factional rivalries, ineffective rulers, and political instability. The execution of the powerful statesman Mahmud Gawan in 1481, following a factional conspiracy involving the Deccani and Afaqi groups, further weakened the kingdom. Eventually, the Bahmani Sultanate fragmented into five independent Deccan Sultanates—Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Golconda, Bidar, and Berar.
To understand the tombs of the Qutb Shahi Necropolis, it is helpful to first understand the origins of the dynasty, its roots, and the succession of its rulers.
Name of the empire: Qutb Shahi dynasty (Golconda)
Period – 1518–1687 CE
Founder—Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk was born in Iran. His family lived in Persia (Iran), but their ethnic origin was Turkmen.
Origin – Turkmen (present-day Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Afghanistan). The Qutb Shahi rulers were Turkmen nobles from Persia (Iran) who came to the Deccan, served the Bahmani Sultanate, became governors of Golconda, and established an independent kingdom in 1518 after the Bahmani state’s decline
Prominent kings – Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (founder), Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (founder of Hyderabad), Abdullah Qutb Shah, and Abul Hasan Tana Shah (last ruler)
Religion – Shia Islam
Cause of fall—Mughal expansion under Aurangzeb, internal weaknesses, prolonged warfare, and the capture of Golconda Fort through betrayal.
Regions under control—Most of present-day Telangana, much of Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Karnataka and Odisha, with Golconda and, later, Hyderabad as its capital.
Achievements and impact on the world—Transformed Golconda into a global diamond-trading hub, founded Hyderabad, and created iconic monuments.
Monuments created – Charminar, Golconda Fort, and the Qutb Shahi Tombs all in Hyderabad
I had no idea that such magnificent, world-class monuments existed so close to the grand and famous Golconda Fort. As soon as we came out of the fort, we hired an auto-rickshaw and asked the driver to take us to the Qutb Shahi Tombs complex. Hyderabad’s auto-rickshaw drivers were quite helpful, and he agreed to take us to the entrance of the tomb complex for just ₹50. The complex is barely 2 km from Golconda Fort.
After purchasing the entry tickets, we entered the complex and, to our surprise, were greeted by a vast, beautifully landscaped expanse with magnificent monuments rising across the grounds. The scale and grandeur were completely unexpected.
There are, as I said, 19 tombs, and it is not possible to see all in three hours. I enumerate a few of the tombs here.
The first tomb we encountered was that of Abdullah Qutb Shah, the sixth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Its impressive architecture immediately gave us a glimpse of the remarkable heritage preserved within this sprawling necropolis. His tomb is particularly important because it represents the mature phase of Qutb Shahi architecture. UNESCO describes Abdullah’s mausoleum as displaying the fully developed characteristics of the Qutb Shahi style
For a powerful ruler or nobleman, a tomb was often more than just a burial structure. The combination of a mausoleum, a mosque, a courtyard, sometimes a gateway, or ablution facilities created a formal commemorative complex.
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580–1612), the fifth ruler and the founder of Hyderabad city, sleeps here. He commissioned the Charminar and was also a poet of considerable importance in Dakhni/Urdu literature. His mausoleum is generally regarded as the grandest of the Qutb Shahi tombs. It stands on an enormous raised platform and has imposing proportions. The large square structure, monumental arches, tall dome, and surrounding terrace give it an almost palace-like appearance. Kulsoom Begum’s tomb, which we see here, was a granddaughter of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah and daughter of Muhammad Qutb Shah.
Near by this tomb we see two mysterious tombs, which are identical tombs with Hindu names—these really arouse my curiosity. These are the tombs of Taramati and Premamati.
Taramati and Premamati are traditionally described as accomplished singers and dancers at the court of Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah. The Qutb Shahi Heritage Park’s conservation research says that credible historical sources identify them as Hindu women who converted to Shi’a Islam and were married to Abdullah Qutb Shah. So the popular description of them simply as “courtesans” or “dancers” is probably incomplete. Their presence in the royal necropolis, with substantial mausoleums, indicates that they held a much higher status than ordinary court entertainers. Their two mausoleums stand together in the Qutb Shahi Necropolis, near the tomb of Muhammad Qutb Shah.
To the right of these tombs, I can see a few more typical tombs, which belong not to the kings of this dynasty but to their close relatives who were non-rulers. These are the tomb of Fatima Sultan and the tomb of Hayat Bakshi Begum.
Fatima Sultan was a sister of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, and Hayat Bakshi Begum was the daughter of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah and the wife of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah. She was an exceptionally influential woman in Qutb Shahi history and the mother of Abdullah Qutb Shah.
Nearby I see a very old banyan tree, and I am sure this tree is the gawah of the construction of all these tombs here. This banyan tree is adding to the sanctity of these tombs and is saying, You are all my part—I am not your part—I saw you being brought up.
Just near this is an unfinished tomb of Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmad.
There is interesting documentation by the Telangana Heritage Department about this unfinished tomb. Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmad was a member of the Qutb Shahi royal family by marriage. According to the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park’s conservation report, he was the son-in-law of Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah.
The official Heritage Park documentation says that the structure is believed to have originally been constructed for Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (Tana Shah), Abdullah’s son-in-law and the last Qutb Shahi ruler. When Aurangzeb captured Tana Shah in 1687, the planned royal mausoleum was left incomplete. Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmad was subsequently buried there.
As we clearly notice, all important tombs have a combination of a mausoleum, a mosque, and a courtyard. I was astonished by the presence of mosques in tombs. But I found the answer in a small museum inside this complex.
These mosques are called funerary mosques. Their main purpose was to provide a place for prayers and religious rites associated with the deceased. People visiting the tomb could perform their daily prayers there. This was especially useful when the tomb was part of a large necropolis away from a populated area.
Visitors could recite the Qur’an and pray for the soul of the deceased. A mosque therefore reinforced the religious character of the mausoleum.
Not only mosques, but we can also find a magnificent piece of architecture inside the complex, and that is the hammam and baolis.
About Badi Baoli, the official conservation record says the Qutb Shahi rulers built the large reservoirs specifically to store water for irrigating the orchards planted around the tombs. Today, after restoration, Badi Baoli collects more than 3.5 million liters of water annually.
Hammam, a bathing facility, is one of the finest surviving Persian-type hammams in India. Interestingly, conservation research suggests that it may have been a functional public/complex bath rather than specifically a mortuary bath, which corrects the common assumption that it was only for washing bodies before burial.
Sarai was used as accommodation for visitors and travelers. People coming to the necropolis—relatives of the deceased, pilgrims, visitors, attendants, and travelers—needed somewhere to rest. The sarai provided accommodation and supporting facilities.
An Idgah, a large open-air prayer ground, unlike a normal mosque, which is generally used for regular daily prayers, accommodates a large congregation, particularly for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Epilogue
After visiting Golconda Fort, many visitors tend to skip the nearby Qutb Shahi Tomb Complex. They may be tired after exploring the vast fort, or the grandeur and historical significance of Golconda simply overshadow this magnificent collection of Qutb Shahi architecture.
However, in my view, a visit to Golconda is not truly complete without visiting the Qutb Shahi Tombs. Located just a short distance from the fort, the necropolis offers an entirely different perspective on the dynasty—its architectural brilliance, royal traditions, and the people who shaped its history.
UNESCO recognizes the necropolis as an outstanding example of an Indo-Muslim dynastic necropolis, with its monuments providing a remarkable record of the evolution of Qutb Shahi architecture. But the complex is not only about architecture or royal tombs. It also tells the story of the people who surrounded the throne—queens, princes, princesses, nobles, military commanders, physicians, and other members of the royal court. Walking through the complex is almost like walking through a genealogical map of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, where every tomb has a story to tell. For me, the Qutb Shahi Tomb Complex was not just a place of tombs—it was a journey through the rise, glory, and fall of an entire dynasty.
The story of its final ruler, Abul Hasan Tana Shah, and the Mughal conquest under Aurangzeb adds a poignant chapter to the silent monuments standing here.
The seventh and last ruler was Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (Tana Shah), who is not buried in the necropolis because he died in captivity at Daulatabad. He was not a direct descendant of Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, the founder of the dynasty, but he was a member of a distinguished Muslim family of the Deccan. He spent approximately 12 years in captivity and died there around 1699 and was buried near that fort. Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, popularly known as Tana Shah, was the last ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda. He ruled from 1672 to 1687. His capture was the direct result of the Mughal conquest of Golconda under Emperor Aurangzeb. By the end of 1680, there were only two independent sultanates—one in Bijapur and the other in Golconda. Aurangzeb first conquered Bijapur in 1686 and then turned his full attention to Golconda. Tana Shah resisted this capture for 8 months, and the reason for resistance was that Golconda was a wealthy state, and the king had strong ties with Bijapur’s Maratha successors.
Eventually, however, treachery from inside the fort helped the Mughals break through. A gate was opened, allowing Mughal troops to enter. Golconda fell in September 1687.
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