The Deccan was dominated by the Bahmani Kingdom. It was a Sunni Muslim state rooted on Persian. It was the Deccan’s first sovereign Muslim republic, and it was known for its never-ending wars with Vijayanagara, which outlasted the Sultanate. The Sultanate of Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah was established in 1347.
Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (1347-58):
His another name was Hasan Gangu. He was born in the year 1347, in Gulbarga. Gulbarga was established as the capital of the Bahmani Kingdom by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah. Gulbarga was the Bahmani Kingdom’s initial capital. Gulbarga was relocated to Bidar as Ahmad Wali Shah’s capital. During his time, 14 Sultans ruling over the nation, and Firuz shah, Alauddin Bahman Shah, and Muhammad Shah I were some of them. The empire’s strength grew to unprecedented heights under Muhammad Shah III’s reign, thanks to the advice and assistance of his minister Mahmud Gawan.
Tajuddin Firuz Shah (1397-1422):
He was by far the most powerful. He was passionate about Deccan India becoming India’s cultural capital. His government employed a large number of Hindus throughout his reign. During his times, Chaul and Dabhol were the regions where ships were drawn from the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea so, he has a keen interest in these ports.
Ahmad Shah Wali (1422-35):
- His time is famous for shifting the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar. Five sovereign kingdoms made up the Bahmani Empire:
|
Kingdom |
Founder |
Dynasty |
Year |
Included in Mughal Era |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berar | Fathullah Imad Shah | Imad Shahi | 1484 | 1595 AD by Akbar |
| Bijapur | Yusuf Adil Shah | Adil Shahi | 1489 | 1686 AD by Aurangzeb |
| Ahmad Nagar | Malik Ahmad | Nizam Shahi | 1490 | 1633 AD by Shahjahan |
| Golconda | Quli Qutb Shah | Qutb Shahi | 1518 | 1687 by Aurangzeb |
| Bidar | Amir Ali Barid | Barid Shahi | 1526-27 | 1610 Bijapur |
- Dakhini became a court language in Persian lace thanks to Ibrahim Adil Shah, the most powerful emperor of the Adil Shahi dynasty.
- The Gol Gumbaz was built by Muhammad Adil Shah. The ‘Whispering Gallery’ is a popular attraction.
- Golconda Fort, a fortified castle built by Quli Qutb of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, is the capital of the Golconda Sultanate. Hyderabad, Telangana, India is home to this fort.
- Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah was the greatest of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty and was responsible for the founding of Hyderabad, which was initially called Bhagyanagar after the Sultan’s favourite, Bhagyamati, and for the construction of the famed Charminar.
Mahmud Gawan or Muhammad Gawan:
- He was a Persian merchant, wise scholar and a military genius apart from being a learned & magnanimous man.
- He allocated the fund for building a college in Bidar in Persian style.
- The Sultans of the Bahmani Kingdom practised feudal governance. The monarchy was divided into provinces using tariffs. Tarafdar or Amir, the Governor of the Taraf, was in command.
The decline of the Kingdom:
- Deccani nobles organised a plan against Gawan and invoke Sultan to punish him with the death sentence. The Bahmani Kingdom started to decline after the death of Gawan, and the governors who ruled the provinces declared themselves independent.
- The successor of this dynasty became weak by 1526, the Bahmani kingdom had disintegrated into the five Deccan Sultanates: Bidar, Golkonda, Bijapur, Berar, and Ahmednagar.
Rulers of the Bahmani Kingdom:
| 1. Muhammad Shah I | – 1358-77 AD |
| 2. Muhammad Shah II | – 1378-97 AD |
| 3. Firuz Shah Bahmani | 1397-1422 AD |
| 4. Ahmad Shah | – 1422-35 AD |
| 5. Muhammad Shah III | – 1463-82 AD |
| 6. Muhammad Gawan |
Central Government of the Bahmani Empire:
| Wakil-e-Saltanat | Prime Minister PM |
| Amir-e-Jumla | Finance minister |
| Wajir-e-Ashraf | Foreign minister |
| Nazir | He was linked to the economic department |
| Kotwal | He was the chairperson or main head of the police department |
| Sadr-e-Zahar | He was the Chief of the Justice Department in the state |