and Toli Mosque. Mughal conquest and rule Mughal prince Aurangzeb spent most of his time in the Deccan, fighting local Hindu and Muslim kingdoms alike to establish Mughal sovereignty. The Golconda Sultanate faced various attacks by the Mughal prince Aurangzeb, who was appointed Viceroy of the Deccan by his father and Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It was forced to pay an annual tribute to the Mughal Empire. In 1656, Aurangzeb attacked Golconda Fort by surprise but was forced to call off the siege on orders of Shah Jahan. Therefore, a treaty was signed between Abdullah Qutb Shah and Aurangzeb, when the former accepted Mughal sovereignty, paid an annual tribute and married his daughter to Aurangzeb's eldest son. After becoming Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb returned to the Deccan. He captured Hyderabad and besieged Golconda in 1687, and the refused any negotiations. On 22 September 1687, after a nine month long siege, Golconda was captured. Abul Hasan Qutb Shah was taken prisoner, and Hyderabad's diamond trade was all but destroyed. Nizams of Hyderabad The Nizams of Hyderabad, also known as the Asaf Jahi dynasty, ruled Hyderabad State, which comprised Telangana, Marathwada and Kalyana-Karnataka from 1724 to 1948. Under this period, Hyderabad State was the largest princely state in British India, and had its own mint, currency, railway and postal system. The Nizam acquired massive amounts of wealth due to the diamond trade. Asaf Jah I With the emaciation of the Mughal Empire after Aurangzeb's death in 1707, the Mughal-appointed governors of the Deccan Suba (Deccan province) gained more autonomy from Delhi. In 1714, the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar appointed Mir Qamar-ud-din Siddiqi as the viceroy to the Deccan and gave him the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk (governor of the country). He was well suited for the position as he had fought alongside his father and grandfather who were commanders during the siege of Hyderabad. In 1724, he defeated Mubariz Khan to establish control over Hyderabad. He received the title of Asaf Jah from Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah in the following year. Thus began the Asaf Jahi dynasty that would rule Hyderabad State until a year after India's independence from Britain. Successors of Asaf Jah I When Asaf Jah I died in 1748, there was political unrest due to contention for the throne among his sons, who were aided by opportunistic neighbouring states and colonial foreign forces. The death of Asaf Jah I in 1748 resulted