Hyderabad: The tomb of Khairat Khan Sar Naubat, a Qutb Shahi ambassador to the Persian emperor, sits in ruins after years of neglect without maintenance. It is a fine monument with intricate artwork.
A 'qasida', which means an encomium, first originated in Arabic literature and then became popular in the Persianate literary cosmos to which Bijapur and Golconda belonged.
Fall of the Pineapple: From Deccan symbol of prestige to deathly fruit
By News Desk| Updated: 22nd February 2021 3:24 pm IST The pineaple motifs on the tomb of Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah in the Qutb Shahi tombs complex. Abdullah was the sixth ruler of the Golconda dynasty. (Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania)
By Pallavi Laxmikanth
Hyderabad: Pineapples are originally native to the lowlands of South America and were claimed to be ‘discovered’ by Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1493. They were brought to India by the Portuguese when Goa was colonised in 1510, and it eventually reached other places here.
For the Deccan Sultans, like the Qutb Shahis of the Golconda dynasty (1518-1687), the pineapple was an important symbol of wealth, hospitality and abundance. One can find pineapple motifs on the Charminar, and its design elements on almost every Qutb Shahi or Golconda era tomb.