Portrait of Abdullah Qutb Shah

Abdullah Qutb Shah (1626-1672) inherited a kingdom that was increasingly coming under the sway of the Mughals. The kingdom of Ahmadnagar in northern Deccan had just been conquered by the Mughals, who then turned their attention to Golconda.

Golconda had to agree to the difficult terms of the Inquiyad-nama — the deed of submission — which almost transformed Golconda into a Mughal protectorate. This increased Mughal spheres of influence over Golconda. In painting too Mughal styles began to permeate, replacing Iranian idioms.

Abdullah Qutb Shah is seen here seated stiffly on a garden terrace, with a halo around his head. One hand rests on his sword, while the other holds a scarf, associated with royalty in the Deccan. The inscription on top identifies the subject as ‘Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah’
This portrait may be based on a similar painting in the Ashmolean Museum.