Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali

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Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali bigraphy, stories - King of Golconda

Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali : biography

1518 – 1580

Ibrahim Qutb Shah Wali (1518-1580) (Urdu: ابراھیم قلی قطب شاہ) was the third ruler of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India under the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He ruled from 1550 to 1580.

Ibrahim’s brother, Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah, killed their own father and blinded their eldest brother, taking the throne in 1543. Ibrahim ran away and lived in exile as an honored guest of the powerful patriarch of Vijayanagara, Aliya Rama Raya. There, he developed a love for the Telugu language which he patronized and encouraged during his reign. When Jamsheed and a little later Jamsheed’s infant son Subhan throned, Ibrahim returned to Golconda and took the throne.

A patron of the arts, Ibrahim sponsored many court poets, such as Singanacharyudu, Addanki Gangadharudu, and Kandukuru Rudrakavi. There were Telugu poets, in a break from tradition, as well as Arabic and Persian poets in his court.He is also known as Malkibharama. He took keen interest in the welfare of his people. He also repaired and fortified Golconda Fort and developed the Hussain Sagar lake and Ibrahim Bagh. He is described in one of the inscriptions on the "Makki Darwaza" in the fort as "The Greatest of Sovereigns".

He had confederated with the other Deccan sultans in the Talikota war of 1565, and is credited with killing the very same Aliya Ramaraya who had sheltered him during his exile. After a short illness Ibrahim died in 1580.