Fusion of traditions

QUTUBSHAHI'S GOLCONDA - The Cradle of Cultures: Prabhu Kumari Vanama; Prabhu Publishers, D-57, Syndicate Residency, 3, Dr. Thomas Road, T.Nagar, Chennai-600017. Rs. 120.

THIS CONCISE book attempts to assemble all the available materials, the cultural achievements of the Qutubshahis of Golconda, who ruled over a considerable portion of the Andhra region for nearly two centuries. The fields which drew their encouragement and patronage were architecture, literature, music and paintings for each of which a chapter is devoted. Their architectural contributions are to be seen in monuments like the Golconda Fort, royal tombs, mosques and palaces.

The author describes the architecture as a unique blend of Persian, Bijapuri and Bahmini styles. The monuments like the Charminar, Jamay Masjid, Mecca Masjid, Darush Shifa, State Guest House, Hussain Sagar lake-bund, the city of Hyderabad are some of the best examples. The court attracted many scholars in Arabic, Persian and Telugu. Ibrahim Quli and his sons were themselves scholars in Arabic and they provided for the preservation of many works. Scholars and poets from Mecca and Madina were invited to the court.

According to the author, the mother-tongue of the Qutubshahis was Persian which was also the official language of the kingdom. Sultan Quli's son, Haidar Quli, wrote a work on the history of the dynasty (Nasab Nama-i-Qutub Shah). Distinguished scholars like Mirza Muhammad Amin Shahristani, Mulla Muin Mirak Sabzwari of Ahmadnagar and their contributions are discussed. Telugu and Urdu literature also flourished. The impact of the Urdu language is still evident in several parts of Telengana.

They encouraged music and dance like the Kuchipudi dance system and also patronised the art of painting. Their contributions to the Deccan school of painting are quite distinctive. Twenty thousand dancers lived in the court of Abdullah Qutubshah, of whom Tharmati and Premamati received great honours for the excellence they displayed. The contributions of the Golconda also enriched the Deccani school of painting to make them very distinctive - a fusion of foreign and indigenous Hindu traditions.

K.V. RAMAN

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