“At three coss from the town there is a
Very fine mosque where there are the
Tombs of the Kings of Golconda…and
Every day bread and pulao are given to
All the poor who present themselves
When you have wished to see something
Really beautiful you should go to see
These tombs on the day of a festival for
Then, from morning to evening, they
Are carved with rich carpets”.
The tombs and other structures of the Qutub Shahi period show the evolution of a new architectural form in the Deccan during the 16th and 17th centuries. The monuments of Deccan especially the tombs show the influence of various architectural styles followed in India, Persia and Deccan at the time when the Qutub Shahi monuments in the city of Hyderabad were built. Once these tombs were adorned with expensive carpets, chandeliers, lamps and velvet canopies on silver poles. The Qurans or the holy book of the Muslim, were placed on supports and verses were recited by readers from the sacred book at regular intervals. During the Qutub Shahi period this place was called as ‘Bagh Safa/‘Langar-e-Faiz Athar’, a beautiful fruit garden and a place for the plentiful entertainment, where the poor were amused every afternoon.
The tomb of each sultan developed around the resting place of first sultan in the royal necropolis. The tombs of kings had golden spires fixed over them to differentiate their tombs from those of the royal family and aristocracy among other important people related to the Qutub Shahi dynasty. Beautiful minarets surrounding the tombs rise from the corners. Among the most significant and splendid tombs of rulers of Qutub Shahi dynasty are the tombs of fourth ruler Ibrahim Qutub Shah (1550-1580), fifth king Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah (1580-1612) and the seventh king Abdullah Qutub Shah (1626-1672).
In the language of architecture and it's important terms, a tomb comprises of the following elements:
finial,bulbous dome, decorative parapet, minarets, raised plinth and cenotaph chamber. The main grave lies underground, below the mausoleum.
The tomb of the fourth sultan, Ibrahim Qutub Shah is larger than any of the mausoleums of his predecessors and is a domed structure of considerable dimension, lies some 250 yards to the south west of the Sultan Quli Qutub-Ul-Mulk’s,his father's tomb. The style of Ibrahim’s tomb resembles the late Bahmani type. It is erected on an extensive square terrace, it is square in plan and its walls are divided into two horizontal rows of five arched recesses placed one above the other and set within rectangular borders, all same in three dimensional views. It has a parapet of trefoil design with small domical finials at corners. The bulbous dome is little pointed and is surrounded by lotus petals. It has a square plan in interior and squinch arches, which help in the phase of transition. It was once decorated with encaustic tiles of various colors- blue, yellow, red, vermillion, etc., traces of which still remain on the southern wall showing a fairly developed artistic taste. The dome of Sultan Ibrahim was decorated with Persian enameled tiles, fragments of which still exist. The façade of fourth king’s tomb is decorated with false arches. Each side shows two rows of five arches, one above the other which measures 35 feet in height. Even today two upper arches show these tiles in a good state of preservation.
Facade of tomb of fourth ruler Ibrahim Qutub Shah. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Detail of shades of blue, green and yellow tile work,floral and geometric on the southern wall of tomb of Ibrahim Qutub Shah. Image Courtesy:
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/shah.html?page=10
One can see this unique and marvelous tile work in a fading and deteriorating condition, due to various factors like unsuitable climate of India and lack of proper conservation measures. Such an utter negligence and callous attitude of concerned authorities of these monuments over the years leads to their damage both in interior as well as exterior. The inscription on the cenotaph shows a highly developed style of calligraphy. All the cenotaphs of Qutub Shahi dynasty are made up of black-greyish basalt carved with Koranic verses and inscriptions.
There are two graves inside and sixteen graves of dependents outside and probably a mosque , two of them being under a canopy.
Black basalt inscription the cenotaph of the tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah, c.1580 A.D.
Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
The inscription in thulth shows a high style and quality of calligraphy. The tomb is built on a square platform measuring 117 ft. on all sides. The upper wall decoration of the interior of the tomb and a running gallery on top are remarkable for the series of arch netted pendentives. The chamber of the tomb has a square plan at the floor level (30 ft), placing four arches at the corners on the first floor it turned into an octagonal shape and a little it becomes two sided over which dome is built. The cenotaph of tomb of his son Prince Mirza Muhammad Amin is equally impressive made up of black-grey basalt carved with Koranic verses.
Interior wall decoration of tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. Image Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibrahim_Quli_Qutb_Shah_Wali#/media/File:Qutub_Shahi_Tombs_61.JPG
Running gallery of the interior of tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah consisting of arch netted pendentives. There is also a beautiful painted floral medallion in its center. Image Courtesy: http://indiatourism.ws/hyderabad/qutb_shahi_tombs/50.php
A canopy housing the two graves of unknown dependents of
Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah on his tomb's platform. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
The tomb of fifth ruler Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah is
the tallest and the best of the group of Qutub Shahi tombs. In plan it stands on a double
terrace, the lower one 200 feet square, supported by a façade of 28
open arches on each side and the upper terrace 126 feet square each
way. The side wall of the
façade of the tomb has got beautiful carvings in stucco and lime plaster
showing elaborate design of entwining creeper motif having ‘kamrakh’ fruit in the center. This kind of motif of fruit or a bud along with
entwining creepers has always been used for the apex ornamentation of arch in
most of the tombs and other monuments. The total height of the tomb is 180 feet; one-third is
that of the dome.
Facade of tomb of fifth ruler Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Terrace garden of tomb of fifth king with a mortuary bath (right) and a site museum (left) visible in front. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Entwining creeper motif on the side wall of tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah
Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
The colonnades built along the
sides of the tomb with openings in pillar and lintel style by using
two octagonal stone pillars are (28 ft) in each gallery. Two doors facing north and south provide
access to the square (33 ft) chamber of the tomb. Along the inside walls of the tomb,
there are three projecting galleries arranged one above the other. The first is octagonal in plan, the second is
sixteen sided and the third circular, on which the dome rises.
The colonnades along the sides of the tomb with openings in pillar and lintel style. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Arches inside and on the top part of tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah
Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
The cenotaph is engraved with excellent verses in Arabic language both in the style of Tughra and Naskh. The name of the king is given in Persian language. The actual vault where the mortal remains of the king were buried can be reached from the terrace by narrow steps and also from all four directions at the ground level. This cenotaph is made up of polished black basalt on which the Shiite creed and the Throne verse and other verses are engraved in best Tauqi style. These delicate carvings appear deeply incised and elaborate in nature. It is a single storied building with recessed bays in the middle of the each side to accommodate deep porticoes with slender timber-like columns and brackets. The deeply cut and slightly pierced cornice with a frieze of medallions also runs around the part-octagonal corner buttresses. Corner finials or turrets (Pl.3.40) above have geometrical designs on their octagonal shafts and domical tops with double tiers of petals. The whole structure is crowned by a slightly bulbous dome this has a strongly developed petalled base.There are rich ornamental parapets of on the roof in ashlar masonry which have been added to make the monument proportionate and symmetrical. His mausoleum is the largest structure in the whole complex and is comparable in size and scale to his contemporary Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi (1565-72).
Detail of a decorative parapet of tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah composed of sheath of lotus petals below the base of dome. Below this is the series of diamond and merlon motifs further depicting rows of flowers and decorative arches.
Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Cenotaph of tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Detail of granite construction of brackets of fifth king's tomb. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Geometrical designs resembling stars on the shaft of a small turret of tomb of fifth ruler.
Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
The tomb of seventh ruler Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah is a large double-terraced and domed mausoleum located to the east and outside the enclosure of royal necropolis. In plan its lower terrace is 237 feet square and contains seven arches on each side of the corridor. The parapets and ornamental cornices around the upper and lower storey of the building are very rich and beautiful and the architectural effect of the whole monument is quite pleasant, giving a certain elegance combined with balance. Traces of blue, green and yellow enamel are still visible on some of the minarets, surviving on the surface of the dome, the turrets, and friezes as an example of the past glory of the monument. Its cenotaph is also made of black basalt inscribed with Koranic verses having series of five decreasing plinths.
Tomb of seventh ruler Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Detail of ornamental motifs and designs lining the cornice of tomb of Abdullah Qutub Shah. Image Courtesy: Personal Collection
Fragments of colored enamel surviving on a minaret of tomb of Abdullah Qutub. Image Courtesy: Nayeem, M.A. The Heritage of the Qutub Shahis of Golconda and Hyderabad Publishers, Hyderabad, 2006. Hyderabad.
Indeed these mausoleums of Qutub Shahi kings are very magnificent monuments which have faced the trial of time and braed the natural factors. Comprising of different building and decorative materials like stucco, black basalt, lime plaster, granite and glazed tiles they reflect the glory and grandeur of a Bygone era. During the times of Qutub Shahi kings, these tombs were regarded at such high esteem that criminals who took refuge there were pardoned and let off. Later, Sir Salar Jung III started their renovation and revamp in the early 19th century.
