The Golconda Granary Inscription.

By Seven Oaks -

The Golconda Fort Granary Inscription

The stone slab you photographed is a historic royal decree found inside the fortification walls of Golconda. It is physically positioned outside a massive two-story arched building that served a critical role during military sieges.

The Calligraphy and Original Text

The tablet is beautifully engraved in the Persian Nastaliq script, which served as the official court language of the Deccan sultanates. The exact wording chiseled into the stone is:

«در عهد دولت پادشاه جم جاه ملائک سپاه سلطان عبدالله قطب شاه بسعی بنده درگاه خیراتخان این انبار خانه به اتمام رسید بتاریخ شهر رجب المرجب سنه ۱۰۵۲ ق»

English Translation

"During the reign of the majestic King, whose army is like angels, Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah, and through the efforts of the servant of the court, Khairat Khan, this granary (Anbaar Khana) reached completion in the revered month of Rajab, in the year 1052 AH."

Historical Context & Key Figures

  • The Royal Granary: While modern tourism signs and plaques outside the site alternate spellings between "Amber Khana" and "Ambar Khana", the original stone inscription settles any linguistic debate. It explicitly uses the Persian term Anbaar Khana (انبار خانه), which directly translates to a storehouse or granary used for stockpiling food rations. [1], [2]

  • The Sultan: Abdullah Qutb Shah was the seventh ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, governing the wealthy kingdom of Golconda during a golden era of architecture and international trade. [3]

  • The Supervisor: Khairat Khan was an immensely influential nobleman, diplomat, and philanthropist originally from the Khorasan region. He supervised several major civil engineering projects across the kingdom, including royal gardens, stepwells, and mosques. [4], [5]

  • The Timeline: The date carved at the bottom reads 1052 AH (Islamic Hijri calendar). In the Gregorian calendar, this dates the completion of the granary precisely to the year 1642 AD. [2]

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/Z9Habib/posts/inscription-carved-on-a-stone-in-nastaliq-script-outside-the-anbaar-khanadar-ahd/894792111329124/

[2] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D8%A2%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%B1_%D9%8ف%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C_%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF_(68).jpg

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=golconda-fort-hyderabad-history-qutb-shahi

[4] https://mabedirad.blogfa.com/post/231

[5] https://navinsworks.com/2016/09/17/fateh-darwaza-a-picture-story/

Historical Overview Summary

Attribute / Entity

Historic Value Recorded on Tablet

Modern Reference Context

Monarch Mentioned

Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah

7th King of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty

Project Director

Khairat Khan

Nobleman / Diplomat from Khorasan region

Original Building Title

Anbaar Khana (انبار خانه)

Misspelled as "Amber/Ambar Khana" on modern signs

Chronological Date

Month of Rajab, 1052 AH

Corresponds to ~1642 AD in the Gregorian Calendar

Functional Purpose

Military Food Supply Storehouse

Garrison granary for the Golconda Citadel


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