Previous blog~ Historical tour of Bijapur: the Adilshahi Sultanate
Both Gulbarga and Bidar are approx 5½ hrs from the city of Hyderabad along the Pune-Hyderabad road. A train journey is the preferred option. If you are following my itinerary, then Gulbarga is at a distance of 4 hrs from Bijapur, and Bidar another 2½ hrs ahead on the road leading towards Hyderabad.
Best time to visit is during the winter months Nov- Jan.
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| The main entrance of Bidar fort known as Mandu darwaza |
Similar to the rest of the Deccan, Gulbarga and Bidar's history goes way back to the 6th century when it was ruled by pretty much every prominent South Indian dynasty; the Rashtrakutas, the Chalukyas, Kalyani Kalachuris, Yadavas of Devagiri, the Hoysalas and the Kakatiyas of Warangal. Around the 12th century, the region was ravaged by muslim invasions thereby resulting in the destruction of Hindu civilization signs. As a result the monuments that exist today belong to the period of the Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmanis and the BIDAR Sultanate.
Gulbarga or Ahsansabad as it was called then was the 1st capital of the BAHMANI SULTANATE from 1347 to 1425 CE, whereas Muhammadabad or today's Bidar was their capital city from 1425 to 1527 CE. Therefore, understanding the historical significance of these places is imperative in order to make the most of your trip.
In 1463, when Muhammad Shah III Lashkari of the BAHMANI Sultanate ascended the throne; a Persian nobleman named Mahmud Gawan (r. 1411 to 1481 CE) and his wife governed the Sultanate on his behalf. Gawan faced severe hostilities from the local Deccani nobles and despite his best efforts in gaining their trust, he was resented as they considered themselves more entitled than the Pardesis (foreigners). So the Deccanis conspired and succeeded in poisoning the Sultan's ears who ordered the execution of Mahmud Gawan in 1481. And although the Sultan realised his blunder later, the BAHMANI SULTANATE had lost a truly capable statesman.
In 1482 Mahmood Shah Bahmani II (r.1482 to 1518 CE) became the next Sultan after his father Lashkari. Just like his predecessors, Mahmood Shah Bahmani II too never lost sight of the Hindu Vijayanagara empire. He set out on a wild frenzy and waged a jihad war against them that failed disastrously and weakened the Sultanate. This eventually led to Mahmood Shah Bahmani II being the last Sultan with actual powers.
The birth of BIDAR SULTANATE (r. 1492 to 1619 CE): Muslim invasions, PART 6
Taking advantage of the situation, the Sultanate's nobles seized the opportunity to grab a slice of the crumbling pie. In 1487, Qasim Barid I, a nobleman led the first open rebellion against the Bahmani Sultanate and came out victorious. He thereafter gained de facto control of Bidar. Following Barid's footsteps other nobles also formed their own Sultanate such as; the Adilshahis of Bijapur, Imad-ul-Mulk of Berar Sultanate, Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar and Quli Qutb Shah of Golconda.
List of Barid Shah dynasty rulers
Qasim Barid I (r.1489 to1504 CE)
The founder of Bidar Sultanate is Qasim Barid I, a Georgian slave who belonged to Turks at the time of joining the BAHMANI SULTANATE under Muhammad Shah III Lashkari. As Lashkari favoured Pardeshis over Deccanis, Qasim Barid rose to the rank of Vizier (Prime Minister) under his reign.
Amir Barid I (r. 1504- 1542 CE)
After his father's death in 1504 CE, Amir Barid I took charge of Bidar and continued ruling as Vizier. As the BAHMANI Sultanate declined (1518 CE), Qasim and Amir Barid exerted further control of their territories until the Sultanate was finally dissolved in 1527 CE. Kaleem Ullah Shah Bahmani (r. 1525- 1527 CE) was the last Bahmani ruler who was only in name. Amir Barid I died in 1542, and lies buried at Barid Shahi tombs next to his father.
Ali Barid Shah I (r.1542- 1580 CE)
Ali Barid Shah I ascended the throne after his father in 1542 CE and was the first to assume the title of Sultan. During his reign the Bidar Sultanate faced rivalry from Ahmadnagar and the Golconda Sultanate of Hyderabad, so he sought help from the Adilshahis of Bijapur. He is also known to have played a key role in providing logistical support at the Battle of Talikota. Ali Barid Shah I died in 1579 CE.
đź’ˇ The Deccan Sultanates : Rivals or Allies
Despite coming into their own; the 5 newly formed Deccan Sultanates shared a relationship of pure conveniences- Sometimes they fought together as allies eg; at the Battle of Talikota when they joined hands against the Hindu Vijayanagara empire and other times they turned into rivals against each other.
Later Bidar Sultans from 1580 till 1619 CE
Ali Barid Shah I was followed by ~
- Ibrahim Barid Shah (1580- 1587 CE)
- Qasim Barid Shah II (1587- 1591 CE)
- Ali Barid Shah II (1591 CE)
- Amir Barid Shah II (1591- 1601 CE)
- Mirza Ali Barid Shah III (1601- 1609 CE)
- Amir Barid Shah III (1609- 1619 CE)
Following hostilities with the Adilshahis of Bijapur they were finally defeated in a war with Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1619 CE) resulting in ~ Bidar Sultanate now being annexed into the Bijapur Sultanate. Later on, around the 17th century Bidar and Gulbarga came under Mughal rule.
WHAT TO SEE IN GULBARGA
Commuting is easy in Gulbarga as there are autos to take you around, but still I found it rather tiresome to do so. The reason being that the town is quite frankly badly maintained and unkept.
Gulbarga fort complex
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| Gulbarga fort and Jama masjid complex |
The GULBARGA fort complex is vast and an important monument that was originally built by the 12th ce Kakatiya king, Raja Gulchand. It was later developed by Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah when GULBARGA became the capital of the BAHMANI SULTANATE from 1347 to 1425 CE. Sadly it is now mostly reduced to ruins and rubble. Inside the fort were various individual royal palaces and administrative buildings. However, what we could only see mostly are the demarcated areas with the nameplates. It's quite possible that the place fell into decline when the capital was changed to BIDAR. Some structures within the fort are: Jama masjid (1397 CE)- which is an active mosque and hence better maintained, there are 15 bastions (Burj) with cannons, one of which is about 25 ft long.
Haft Gumbaz tombs complex
Haft Gumbaz or Saat Gumbaz is located at a distance of approx 3km from GULBARGA fort en route Khwaja Bande Nawaz dargah. This tomb complex houses the tombs of the Bahmani royal family, namely; Mohammad Shah I (r. 1358- 1375 CE) the 2nd Bahmani sultan and the murderer of Hindu Gowdas, Mujahid Shah Bahmani (r. 1375- 1378 CE) and other Bahmani Sultans.
Suggested read- history of BAHMANI SULTANATE of the DECCAN
Khwaja Bande Nawaz dargah
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| Khwaja Bande Nawaz dargah, GULBARGA |
This is a revered resting place of a 15th ce Sufi, and the reason why GULBARGA is sometimes referred to as Sufi town. There are also tombs of few Bahmani military officers. The dargah in marble looks beautiful and is kept clean, but is cluttered with many destitutes and pilgrims sitting outside.
Sharana Basaveshwara temple
This is a beautiful temple built in stone. I visited it early in morning and felt at peace in its sublime ambience.
WHAT TO SEE IN BIDAR
It was Ahmad Shah I Wali Bahmani (r. 1422 to 1436 CE) who decided to make BIDAR the new capital of his Sultanate in 1429 and renamed it Ahmedabad Bidar. Most of Bidar's monuments date back to the BAHMANI SULTANATE.
BIDAR fort
I was stunned by the vastness and layout of the well-maintained 15th ce Bidar fort. A walkthrough of the fort is indeed a walk down the paths of history. It was the seat of power for the Bahmanis and later the BARID SHAHI DYNASTY who ruled from Bidar. Archaeological studies trace the fort back to the 3rd CE when Bidar was ruled by the Yadavas and then the Kakatiyas. Ahmad Shah I Wali Bahmani later initiated the job of fortifying the fort and for this he employed Persian and Turkish craftsmen to embellish and beautify the structure.
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| Bidar fort, Bidar Karnataka |
There are 7 arch gateways of which Mandu darwaza is the biggest, followed by Kalmadi darwaza, Delhi darwaza, Kalyani darwaza, Carnatic darwaza, Sharza darwaza and Gumbad darwaza. The fort's architecture in Islamic-Persian style is not only breathtaking but has an overpowering effect. There are 37 octogonal shaped huge bastions with metal cannons, of which the Munda Burj (bastion) is the biggest.
Also watch out for Rangeen Mahal~ this part was built by Muhammad Shah. It was meant to be a safe enclosure for the royalty. Ali Barid of the Bidar dynasty later embellished it with mother of pearl engravings on granite and wood. Solah khamba mosque (1423 to 1424 CE) is another masterpiece with a grand looking central dome and solah khamba or 16 columns. Tarkash Mahal~ a residential complex for the royalty, Gagan mahal, Takht Mahal meaning Throne palace and Diwan-e-aam ie. Public court. All the buildings are labelled and easy to get around.
Above video is of the prison cells inside Bidar fort.
MAHMOOD GAWAN'S MADRASA
Gawan was a dynamic and scholarly vizier of the Bahmani Sultanate who contributed greatly in making Bidar a great center for Islamic studies. Notice the splendid looking aqua indigo tiles on the walls~ these were imported from Ishfahan in Iran.
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| MAHMOOD GAWAN'S MADRASA at Bidar, Karnataka. This madrasa built by Gawan is said to have attracted students from all over. |
Chaubara
As you walk a bit down the road, there is a 80' tall clock tower or Chaubara that was integral to the city's identity.
Shopping for Bidriware
The road leading to the Old city, Chaubara is flanked by a row of Bidri work artisans' shops. Bidri is a age-old Persian craft wherein intricate floral and geometric designs of fine silver wire are hammered on to blackened copper-zinc articles. Antique Bidriware is much sought after.
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| A Bidri ware mirror for my vanity case |
The BAHMANI TOMBS at Ashtur
Tip- The Bahmani tomb complex is situated at an isolated location, a bit further from the town of Bidar and you will need to hire an auto to get here.
Ashtur, the place where this tomb complex is situated is void of any ticket counter, guides or touts and seems isolated thus making it an interesting tour. The tombs are spread out in the open and look splendid in its natural surroundings. Built between 1436 to 1535 CE there are totally 8 remarkably beautiful tombs for each Bahmani sultan. The style and architecture is typically Persian.
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| The BAHMANI TOMBS, Bidar |
The BARID SHAHI TOMBS
This tomb complex located within the town of Bidar is the resting place of the Barid Shahi rulers. The Indo-Islamic style of architecture is typically similar to other monuments of the Deccan.
Gurudwara Nanak Jhira sahib
Far removed from the cluster of Islamic monuments is a place that affords one peace and tranquillity. Gurudwara Nanak Jhira sahib is a reminder of Bidar's association with Sikhism. This is the home to Sahib Singh, one of Sikhism's Panj Pyare (the 5 beloved ones). Sahib Chand was born on 17 June 1664 to a Hindu Nai family and later embraced Sikhism. The gurdwara with well planned gardens and fountains look impressive. They are also well organised with a pilgrim resting facility, langar and clean surroundings.
Thanks for reading through 🙏. Your comments will be appreciated. Bye for now!
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