The Qutb Shahi dynasty came to an end when Aurangzeb’s army seized,defeated and devastated the city and fort of Golkonda in 1687. The kingdom was acceded to the Mughal domains and Deccan and Golkonda together became Mughal Suba. A person by the name Mubarriz Khan was made Subedar and he served as nominee of the Mughal Emperor. With the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire came under inefficient rulers who were dominated by the powerful Nawabs in the Court. Vexed with the conspiracies in the Court, Mir Qamruddin, a Mughal sardar left Delhi court and proceeded to south with his army contingent. He fought and defeated the Subedar of Deccan, Mubarriz Khan, at the battle of Shekhar Kheda in 1723 in Berar and declared himself the Nizam-ul-Mulk in 1723. Thus, the Asaf Jah rule was founded in Hyderabad comprising the entire Deccan Suba.
Asaf Jah-I had set the character of the Nizam Government, which was autocratic, despotic and feudalistic. The First Nizam who ruled from 1724 to 1748, was known for his rude and cruel demeanour. He violently reacted to his opponents. He dealt with the chiefs, rajas and nawabs very harshly. Most of the zamindars and rajahs who were subsidiaries of Qutbshahs were either killed or displaced or converted. His deputy in Andhra region, by name Rustum Khan created terror among the nobles with his violent ways. He was infamous for his ‘Qullaminars’ which were erected with the severed heads of nobles and masses.
Such reign of terror, though common in the North under Muslim rule, was unknown in the Southern region, except during Tughlaq’s invasions. Forced religious conversions were also rampant during his rule. It is interesting that the reign of the Nizam began with horrendous acts of violence perpetrated by the rulers and ended as such similar ghastly acts of the ruling class faced stiff resistance owing to a massive upsurge by the people and the intervention of the Government of India.