HongGrasby5256 at 22:37, 18 August 2025

2025-08-18T22:37:31Z

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{{short description|Royal consort of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox royalty
|name=Hayat Bakshi Begum
|death_date=26 February 1667
|burial_place=[[Qutb Shahi tombs]]
|spouse=[[Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah]]
|issue=3, including [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]]
|father=[[Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah]]
}}

'''Hayat Bakshi Begum''' (died 26 February, 1667) was the royal [[Queen consort|consort]] of [[Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah]], the sixth ruler of the [[Qutb Shahi dynasty|Qutb Shai Dynasty]] in [[south India]] and daughter of [[Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah]], fifth Sultan of the dynasty.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Nanisetti |first=Serish |title=Golconda/Bagnagar/Hyderbad |publisher=Serish Nanisetti |year=2019 |isbn=9789353518813 |edition=1st |location=Hyderabad |pages=71 |language=English}}</ref> When her son [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]] was made sultan at the age of fourteen in 1626, she acted as [[regent]] for the first few years of his reign, and continued to wield considerable influence in the state until her death.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Haig|first=Thomas Wolseley|url=https://archive.org/details/historiclandmark00haigrich|title=Historic Landmarks of the Deccan|year=1907|pages=62–63|publisher=Allahabad, Printed at the Pioneer Press|author-link=Wolseley Haig}}</ref>

== Biography ==
[[File:Golconda,_tombe_qutb_shahi,_moschea_grande_02.jpg|thumb|The [[Hayat Bakshi Mosque]] is named after her]]
[[File:Golconda, tomba di Hayat Bakshi Begum, 05.jpg|thumb|Tomb of Hayath Bakshi Begum within the [[Qutb Shahi tombs]]]]
[[File:Hayat_Bakshi_Begum's_Sarcophagus.jpg|thumb|Hayat Bakshi Begum's sarcophagus]]

=== Early life ===
Hayat Bakshi, whose name meant Life, was born in 1591.<ref name=":1" /> She was the only daughter of [[Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah]], who did not have any male heirs. Muhammad Quli is alleged to have brought her up as he would have a son, beginning with the celebration that were initiated on her birth <ref>{{Cite thesis |title=Children's story book illustration on Hayat Bakshi Begum |url=https://raiith.iith.ac.in/4139/ |publisher=Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad |date=2018 |degree=masters |language=en |first=Pragyan Kumari |last=Bigyani}}</ref> As she grew older, the sultan let her be educated with the skills needed to be a ruler.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Imam |first=Syeda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ww3GYpMrwysC&q=hayatnagar&pg=PT7 |title=The Untold Charminar |date=2008-05-14 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-971-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Khan|first=Md. Abdul Wali|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-sfkAAAAMAAJ&q=hayat+bakshi+begum+1607|title=Qutub Shahi Coins in the Andhra Pradesh Government Museum|date=1961|publisher=Government of Andhra Pradesh|editor-last=Ramesan|editor-first=N.|pages=8|language=en}}</ref>

=== Marriage of Hayat Bakshi Begum and Muhammad Qutb Shah ===
Hayat Bakshi began receiving marriage proposals from the age of 11, among the most notable being one from the Safavid King, [[Shah Abbas I|Shah Abbas]], for one of his three sons. However, Muhammad Quli had other plans and she was married to her cousin Muhammad Qutb Shah in 1607.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

There is no contemporary account of their wedding, although a later account described the revelries that took place. The city was decorated with earthen lamps and all the citizens were well fed amidst great festivities.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Imam |first=Syeda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ww3GYpMrwysC&q=hayatnagar&pg=PT7 |title=The Untold Charminar |date=2008-05-14 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-971-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Muhamad Qutb Shah, being a great patronage of arts, organised various events of dance and music for the citizens. Once the festivities were over, the couple moved into Khudabad Mahal. The palace was considered to was extraordinarily opulent and luxurious.<ref name=":3" />

In 1611 [[Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah|Muhammad Quli]] died. Muhammad Qutb became the king of the dynasty and Hayat Bakshi became Queen Consort. Sources state that Muhammad Qutb was a pious, philanthropic and cultured ruler, and turned to the advice of Hayat Bakshi for several state matters. This gave her a good practice in managing the state affairs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sherwani |first=H. K. |url=http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.46692 |title=Muhammad-Quli Qutb Shah founder of Hydarabad |date=1967}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

Hayat Bakshi gave birth to a boy, [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]], in the year 1614. A prophecy foretold by several astrologers was that there would be a tragedy for Muhammad Qutb Shah if the son saw the face of his father before the age of 12.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Hayat Bakshi therefore developed a separate township for his son to keep them apart, the area is now known as Sultan Nager, located in the eastern part of Hyderabad.<ref name=":1" /> However, a couple of years after Muhammad Qutb saw his son, he died. Hayat Bakshi's practice in the governance of the state had prepared her for this calamity, he closed the palace door at the same time and declared [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]] as king of the dynasty.{{Unclear inline|date=April 2023}}<ref name=":3" />

=== Hayat Bakshi Begum as Ma Saheb (Queen Mother) ===

Source:<ref name=":3" />

In 1626, Sultan Muhammad died, and Hayat had her son [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]] crowned. The new sultan was fourteen years old, and Hayat ruled as [[regent]] for the first few years of his reign.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Siddiqi|first=Abdul Majeed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=omYgAAAAMAAJ&q=hayat+bakshi+begum|title=History of Golcunda|date=1956|publisher=Literary Publications|pages=135, 145, 390|language=en}}</ref> During the reign of [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]] the most significant challenge was to keep the Mughals at the bay. In 1656 when [[Aurangzeb]], then viceroy of Deccan, besieged Abdullah Qutb Shah in Golconda he asked for considerable tribute. Hayat Bakshi managed to soften the deal, agreeing with Aurangzeb that Abdullah's daughter would be married off to Mughal prince [[Muhammad Sultan (Mughal prince)|Muhammad Sultan]] and the Golconda Sultanate would be ceded to the Mughals after Abdullah's death. In return [[Aurangzeb]] significantly lowered the required financial tribute.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Nayeem|first=M. A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OT9uAAAAMAAJ&q=1656+aurangzeb+hayat+bakshi|title=Studies in History of the Deccan: Medieval and Modern : Professor A.R. Kulkarni Felicitation Volume|date=2002|publisher=Pragati Publications|isbn=978-81-7307-075-4|pages=333–335|language=en}}</ref>

Hayat Bakshi died on 26 February 1667.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bilgrami|first=Syed Ali Asgar|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.63136|title=Landmarks Of The Deccan|date=1927|pages=55, 169}}</ref> She was buried in a tomb within the [[Qutb Shahi tombs]]. Her tomb is the only woman's tomb which is equal in size to the tombs of the kings.<ref name=":2" />

== Legacy ==
In 2019, [[IIT Hyderabad]] released a [[Virtual reality|Virtual Reality]] film entitled ''Ma Saheba – The queen of Hyderabad'', about Hayat Bakshi Begum.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Somasekhar|first=M.|title=IIT-H brings out historical narrative of Begum Hayat Bakshi with virtual reality|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/iith-brings-out-historical-narrative-of-begum-hayat-bakshi-with-virtual-reality/article29625750.ece|access-date=3 July 2021|website=@businessline|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Lasania|first=Yunus Y.|date=9 October 2019|title=Now, learn about Hyderabad's Hayat Bakshi Begum through VR experience|url=https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/now-learn-about-hyderabad-s-hayat-bakshi-begum-through-vr-experience-11570622687596.html|access-date=3 July 2021|website=mint|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Qutb Shahi dynasty]]
[[Category:1667 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century women regents]]
[[Category:17th-century regents]]
[[Category:People from the Sultanate of Golconda]]

Hayat Bakshi Begum - Revision history

HongGrasby5256 at 22:37, 18 August 2025