11/4/26

Akkanna and Madanna: The Brahmin Ministers of the Golconda Sultanate

Akkanna and Madanna were two Brahmin brothers who ran the government of the Golconda Sultanate under its last ruler, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, from the 1670s until they were assassinated in 1686. They reformed revenue collection, broke the hold of Persian nobles over the court and the diamond trade, strengthened the army, and allied Golconda with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, helping fund his 1677 southern campaign.

Their murder, and the killings of Brahmins that followed, left Golconda without leadership. Aurangzeb captured Golconda Fort and annexed the kingdom in 1687.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Who were Akkanna and Madanna?

  • 00:37 Golconda's Persian ruling class

  • 03:34 The reforms of Akkanna and Madanna

  • 07:04 The alliance with Shivaji Maharaj

  • 08:16 Military reforms

  • 09:06 Temples

  • 10:04 The Mughal threat

  • 11:40 The assassination and the fall of Golconda

Read the full essay

Akkanna and Madanna: The Brahmins Who Defended Golconda, with full sources.

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