Vice President M Hamid Ansari has said Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah, the founder of Hyderabad city made a deliberate attempt to synthesize cultures in the Deccan region by imbibing in the people of Hyderabad a spirit of tolerance. <br/><br/>The Vice President delivered the first Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah Memorial lecture at Moulana Azad National Urdu university in Hyderabad today. <br/><br/>The Vice- President said Qutub Shah who ruled Hyderabad for 31 years provided equal opportunity to the Hindus and the Muslims and a spirit of camaraderie existed between them during his regime. <br/> <br/>Mr. Ansari said Hyderabad inherited tolerance, co-existence and rich culture from its rulers and stands as a unique example for the country in the 21st century. On the occasion, the Vice President recalled the rich contribution of Qutub Shah in the promotion of "Deccani Urdu". <br/><br/>Recalling that Qutub Shah was the first person to translate "hafeej", he said Shah had set the tone for poetry in Persian style. Describing him as a connoisseur of arts, Mr Ansari said art, music, literature, culture, architecture, and trade and commerce blossomed during his period. <br/><br/>Governor of Telugu states Mr ESL Narasimhan, Telangana deputy chief minister Mohammod Mohammed Ali and Vice-chancellor of Moulana Azad National Urdu university, Prof Aslam Parvaiz and others took part in the programme. The vice-president left for Delhi after delivering the lecture.