The Qutb Shahi dynasty was the ruling family of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India. The dynasty's founder, Sultan Quli Qutbl Mulk took control of Golconda during the waning years of the Bahmani Sultanate, and established himself as sultan of Golconda in 1518, after the disintegration of the Bahmani Kingdom into the five Deccan sultanates. The dynasty ruled Golconda for 171 years, until the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's armies conquered the Deccan in 1687.

The Qutub Shahi rulers were great builders and patrons of learning. They not only patronized the Persian culture but also the regional culture of the Deccan, symbolized by the Telugu language and the newly developed Deccani idiom of Urdu. Golconda and later Hyderabad served as capitals of the sultanate, and both cities were embellished by the Qutb Shahi sultans. The seven kings in the dynasty were:

1. Sultan Quli Qutbl Mulk (1518-1543)
2. Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah (1543-1550)
3. Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah (1550-1580)
4. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580-1612)
5. Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (1612-1626)
6. Abdullah Qutb Shah (1626-1672)
7. Abul Hasan Tana Shah (1672-1699)