The multi-tiered, yet simplistic in nature, tomb of Jamshed Quli in the vicinity of Seven Tombs keep mysterious multiple interesting, yet horrible tales of what a person can do to get power.
Jamesh Quli ascended the throne soon subsequent to the martyrdom of his father Sultan Quli in 1543 AD. He was the second son of Sultan Quli. His elder brother Hyder Quli and third brother Abdul Karim had predeceased Sultan Quli. Historians say that Jamshed came to the throne in succession to getting his 99-year-old father assassinated by instigating the Qiladar, Mir Mahmud Hamdani. Then he had the killer attacked with stones and then tied to the leg of an elephant for three days. The assassin was not buried like a Muslim but his body was burnt.
His fourth brother Qutubuddin who was made heir-apparent was blinded by Jamesh soon after he ascended the throne. The fifth brother, Daulat Khan, known as Diwani Malik, was a maniac and he was imprisoned in the Bhongir Fort. His sixth and the last brother Ibrahim Quli managed to escape from Jamshed's wrath and took refuge in Vijayanagara empire.
Jamshed ruled the kingdom for seven years and died of cancer in 1550 AD. A few references by the historians say that Jamshed Quli lived a painful life. A few months after becoming the king, his face got badly damaged in a battle or some accident. In order to hide his ugly face, he used to wear a mask and never took it out while with others till his death.
Nevertheless, Jamesh Quli was described as a brave and diplomatic king, whose soundness of diplomacy was repeatedly manifested in the wars between Ali Barid, Ibrahim Adilshah and Burhan Nizam Shah. At the outset, he fought against these kings and broke up this triple alliance and ultimately assuming the confinement of Adil Shah and re-established him in the kingdom of Bidar, as a result of which Ali Barid remained his staunch friend and supporter to the end of his life.
Unlike other domes of Qutub Shahi kings, the dome of Jameshed is not of black basalt. "Its external form being a little dissimilar to that of his family, there is a difference of opinion as regards the identity of Jamshed's tomb, but according to authorities of 'Tarikhe-e-Farkhunda' and 'Muhammad Qutbshahi' which, distinctly lays down that 'Jameshed was buried in the neighbourhood of the dome of his father," says Syed Ali Asgar Bilgrami in his book "Landmarks Of The Deccan" published in 1927. Jamshed Quli's tomb is octagonal multi-tiered structure with a balcony resting on a square base. The authorities have recently started giving a facelift to Jamesh Quli's tomb.
(AW:SB)
