Meanwhile, a crisis was recipitated by Mir Muhammad Sayyid, popularly known as Mir Jumla who had risen to the position of the Chief Minister in Golkonda. Mir Jumla, a native of Ardistan, had come to India as the servent of a jewel merchant.

He inherited the vast fortunes of his master after the latter’s death. He attracted the attention of Abdullah Qutb Shah who took him into service.

By dint of administrative abilities, industriousness and military acumen, he rose from one position to another and ultimately became the Prime Minister of Golkonda. Mir Jumla was an extremely ambitious politician. He amassed huge wealth by plundering Hindu temples, by working the diamond mines, several of which he possessed.

He captured Karnataka after defeating the Raja of Chandragiri. He also conquered Cuddapah and Gandikota. Thus he came to possess a dominion 300 miles in length and 50 miles in breadth.

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It yielded annual revenue of forty lakhs. Besides the royal army under his command, he kept a private army and had no scruples in defying the orders of the Sultan.

His son, Muhammad Amin, had the audacity to enter the royal palace heavily drunk. The Sultan ordered Mir Jumla to present himself in the court. The plan was to capture and blind this insolent noble. Instead of obeying the summons, Mir Jumla carried on negotiations: with the Mughals.

Aurangzeb, who was nursing the ambition of conquering Golkonda, seized this opportunity the opened secret correspondence with Mir Jumla. The crisis was precipitated when Abdullah Qutb Shah imprisoned the family of Mir Jumla including his son Muhammad Amin. Aurangzeb reported this incident to the emperor and asked for his permission to attack Golkonda.

Shahjahan wrote a letter to Qutb Shah directing him to release Mir Jumla’s family. The emperor “rather reluctanly sanctioned the invasion of Golkonda in case Muhammad Amin was still detained.” Aurangzeb did not wait for the reply of Qutb Shah and at once despatched a large army under his son Muhammad Shah in January 1656.

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Although Amin was released, Prince Muhammad continued his march and reached Hyderabad, which was plundered. Aurangzeb himself followed with a large army and laid siege to the fort (7 February, 1656). He was determined to annex the whole kingdom. The siege lasted till 30 March, 1656 when Aurangzeb had to raise it in obedience to the orders of Shahjahan who was influenced by the tolerant and liberal Dara Shikoh and Jahanara.

A treaty was concluded by which the Sultan agreed to clear the arrears of tribute and pay an indemnity of rupees fifteen lakhs. The Sultan swore on the Quran to obey the Emperor and also restored the property of Mir Jumla who was taken into Mughal Imperial service and appointed Prime Minister in place of Sadullah Khan, who had died recently.

A few days later prince Muhammad was married to Qutb Shah’s daughter who secretly agreed that on his death, he would be succeeded by his son-in-law. After the treaty, there was some breathing time for Abdullah Qutb Shah due to the war of succession between Aurangzeb and his brothers which ended in coronation of Aurangzeb as emperor.

The affairs in Qutb Shahi kingdom, however, went from bad to worse. There was an attempt on the life of Abdullah Qutb Shah in 1656 but he escaped. After this incident, he never appeared in public till his death in 1672.