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The Charminar of Hyderabad was built in 1591 by:
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Answer: Option A — Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
Detailed Solution
The Charminar ("four minarets") of Hyderabad was built in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda.
About the Charminar:
- It stands in the heart of the old city of Hyderabad, in present-day Telangana.
- It is a square structure with four grand arches, one on each side, facing the four directions.
- At each corner stands a tall, slender minaret about 56 metres high, with a double balcony.
- It is built of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble.
- A small mosque is located on the top floor, on the western side.
- It combines Indo-Islamic architecture with Persian elements.
Why it was built:
- According to a popular account, it was built to celebrate the end of a deadly plague in the city.
- It also marked the founding of the new city of Hyderabad, which Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah established in 1591 near the old capital of Golconda.
About Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah:
- He ruled from 1580 to 1612.
- He was a great builder and a poet in Urdu (Dakhni), Persian and Telugu.
- He is regarded as one of the first poets to compose a diwan (collection of poems) in Urdu (Dakhni).
- According to legend, he named the city "Bhagyanagar" after his beloved Bhagmati, and later renamed it Hyderabad.
About the Qutb Shahi dynasty:
- It was founded by Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk in 1518, after the break-up of the Bahmani kingdom.
- Its capital was Golconda, famous for its fort and its diamond trade.
- It was annexed by the Mughals in the late 17th century.
Other Qutb Shahi monuments:
- Golconda Fort.
- The Qutb Shahi Tombs (in Hyderabad).
- The Mecca Masjid (begun by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, completed by Aurangzeb).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Sultan Quli Qutb Shah was the founder of the dynasty.
- ✗Ibrahim Qutb Shah was the father of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.
- ✗Nizam-ul-Mulk was the founder of the later Asaf Jahi dynasty.
Quick tip
Remember: Charminar (1591) = Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (founder of Hyderabad; poet in Dakhni Urdu); Qutb Shahi founder = Sultan Quli.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.