Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah Sani was the son of Ibrahim Qutb Shah. After Ibrahim Shah, he ascended the throne in June 1581, in the month of Rabi-ul-Sani 989 AH. He ruled with great determination. His first act of consequence was laying the foundation of Hyderabad. It is known that the Sultan initially named the city 'Bhag Nagar', after his beloved "Bhag Mati", and built it on the pattern of the holy city of Mash'had. Later he changed the name to Hyderabad. In the court of Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb, scholars and men of letters were highly valued. This knowledge-loving Sultan had a special interest in science and literature. "Kulliyat-e-Qutb" is a reminder of his literary prowess in the Asifia Library, Hyderabad, which has poems in Hindi, Persian and Deccan. He ruled with great success for 31 years and died on 11 January 1612, 17 Ziqa'da 1020 AH.