A powerful pro-Mughal minister’s drunken son was the spark that ended the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Near the end of the year 1655 A.D., Mohammed Amin, the son of Mir Jumla, staggered into the Golconda court – extremely drunk. His father was a favourite of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and as his son, he felt powerful – even though it was not his kingdom to feel powerful in.
In plain sight of the ruler, Abul Hasan Tana Shah, Mohammed Amin fell onto a royal couch and vomited – very loudly. He couldn’t have insulted the Golconda Sultanate more if he tried. He was thrown into jail, and both his and his father’s assets were seized.
It was the moment that Shah Jahan’s son, Aurangzeb, had been waiting for. Mir Jumla was his protege; an affront to his son was an affront to Aurangzeb. But there were larger factors at play.
The independent kingdom of Golconda had lagged in their tax contributions to the Mughals. And Aurangzeb disliked them for many reasons; one being their closeness to the Persians and Persian culture. Most importantly, the Mughal Empire was low on funds. Aurangzeb’s father, Shah Jahan, had exhausted the treasury by constructing the Taj Mahal – which served no purpose but as a future mausoleum. Aurangzeb, a pragmatic ruler, needed funds – and the legendary mines of Golconda were alluring enough to warrant a war.
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