Why did Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah establish Hyderabad near Golconda?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah established Hyderabad as his new capital around 1591 because the old fortress town of Golconda had become inadequate for the kingdom's needs.1

While the move was driven by the necessity for a more suitable capital, local legend also suggests that the region was suffering from a devastating plague at the time. According to this tradition, the sultan commemorated the end of the plague by building the Charminar, which served as the centerpiece for the planning of the new city.2