Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (1512-1543), the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, was a scion of the royal family of Hamdan and a survivor of the Qara Quyulu tribe (Black Sheep) of Turkistan. His tribe was subjugated by the rival group of Aq Quyunlu (White Sheep). Factional fights between the two led to the occupation of the kingdom of Qara Quyunlu and the murder of almost all the male members of the tribe. Under such perilous circumstances, Sultan Quli fled to India. He came to seek his fortune in the Deccan towards the close of Muhammad Shah Bahmani’s reign and settled down at Bidar, the capital of the Kingdom. He was well received by Muhammad Shah, and in course of time was enlisted in the royal bodyguard. One of his enterprising acts in a hunting expedition resulted in the presentation of the district of Warangal as a Jagir and 150 Arab horses in harness to Sultan Quli. He was awarded the title of Khawas Khan in 1487, when he saved the life of the Sultan from the rebellious Deccanis in the fort. A rebellion in Konkan, led by Bahadur Gilani, was suppressed by him. This won him the title Qutb-ul-Mulk (Pillar of the State). On his return to Bidar, he was granted the title Amir-ul-Umra and appointed as tarafdar (governor) of Telangana, along with the fort of Golconda.
After the death of Muhammad Gawan, the Bahamani Kingdom slowly declined and the provinces such as Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, and Bidar declared their independence as early as 1489 AD. But, Sultan Quli Qutb Shah declared independence in 1512 A.D.
Sultan Quli waited till Vijayanagar was weakened by internal dissensions. He strengthened the rampart of Golconda fort, reorganised his army, and suppressed the revolts of local chiefs. He marched against Sitapati, seized some of his strongholds, including Bellamkonda, and defeated him in the battle of Khammamet. The Hindu chiefs headed by Sitapati fought a sanguinary battle at Penganchiprolu. Sultan Quli met them with a small army. The immense numbers of the Hindus served only to increase the disorder, resulting in their utter defeat. The joint forces of Vijayanagar and Devarakonda, numbering several thousands, suffered a similar disaster at Pangal; as a few thousand Muhammadan soldiers won a decisive victory over the joint force.
Then followed the capitulation of Ghanpur, Koilkonda, and other forts. One of the Bahamani nobles, Qiwam-ul-Mulk, who began to lay waste large parts of Telangana, was defeated in a pitched battle. Kondavidu, Kondapalli, and Bellamkonda were under the possession of Achyuta Raya. Sultan Quli attacked these forts and seized them one after another. Achyuta Raya had to sue for peace. He agreed to pay an annual tribute of three lakhs of hons to the Sultan. Later, Sultan suppressed the revolt of Harichand, who held the fort of Nalgonda. The ruler of Bidar surrendered Medak to Sultan Quli.
Sultan Quli was a military leader of exceptional qualities, a remarkable strategist, and a powerful monarch. Starting his career as a bodyguard, he became the ruler of an extensive kingdom which included large tracts of coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, and Telangana. He ruled for 24 years as governor and 26 years as sovereign.
A civil war broke out between his sons in the last days of his life, as a result of which he fell prey to the machinations of his third son, Jamsheed. The latter hatched a powerful conspiracy from inside the prison, got his father killed while engaged in his afternoon prayer, and crowned himself as king.
