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The DELHI SULTANATE under Tughlaq dynasty had fragmented into several other Sultanates, one of which was the BAHMANI SULTANATE of the DECCAN. The Deccan region is all that lies south of the river Narmada and includes parts of present-day Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana states.
Capital city- Ahsansabad or today's Gulbarga (1347-1425), Muhammadabad or today's Bidar (1425-1527)
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| Map of Deccan region, India |
LIST OF BAHMANI SHAHS
TUGHLAQ vied to bring Islam to the Deccan, besides the loot he would engage in would bring in wealth from the Hindu kingdoms of the region. However the 1240 km journey from Delhi to Daulatabad was a perilous one. Amongst the multitude of Delhites who bore resentment in their heart against Muhammad bin Tughlaq's decision to relocate them to Deogiri (DAULATABAD) was Zafar Khan a nobleman in TUGHLAQ's court. [not to be confused with the other Zafar Khan who founded the GUJARAT SULTANATE after breaking free from DELHI SULTANATE].
Suggested read- DELHI Sultanate under Tughlaq dynasy
☀️ Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah [Zafar Khan] (r. 1347- 1358)~ the favorite of Sufi Shaikhs
Zafar Khan had previously attempted a revolt against the TUGHLAQ's in 1339, but it was unsuccessful and he was forced to flee to Afghanistan. When many other nobles rebelled against Mohammad bin Tughlaq, he too undertook a siege on Gulbarga in 1346 which was a success. He then took on the title Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah and established the BAHMANI SULTANATE with Gulbarga (present-day Kalaburgi) as his new capital city. He divided his kingdom into 4 provinces and appointed a governor for each province.
In his first campaign as the Bahmani Sultan, he led a successful campaign against WARANGAL and seized the KAULAS Fort from Kakatiya dynasty ruler Kapaya Nayaka.
The great proselytizer of Islam
Bahman Shah was under the influence of Chisti Sufi Shaikhs with whose support he founded the Bahmani Sultanate. These Sufis had the grand plan of converting the DECCAN region into a Dar-ul-Islam (land led by Islamic dictates).
BAHMANI SULTANATE v/z VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE
One of the main aspects of the Vijayanagara Empire history, was the regular conflicts with the Bahmani rulers, primarily over the Raichur-Tungabhadra Doab region. It was a conflict, that often kept going back and forth between these 2 kingdoms. The frequent conflicts with the Bahmani Sultans, had not just devastated large parts of the Doab area, but also resulted in wholesale massacres and destruction of temples too.
Suggested read- The VIJAYANAGARA empire of South India
☀️ Mujahid Shah Bahmani (r. 1375- 1378 CE): a well-trained warrior
Mohammad Shah I died in 1375 CE and was followed by his son Mujahid Shah. He was also referred to as 'Balwant' ie. A strong man due to his excellent skills in archery, wrestling, swordsmanship and horsemanship. Greatly influenced by Qadri Junaidi Chisti, he built within himself a passion to spread Islam by the sword.
Mujahid Shah's crushing defeat at the hand of the VIJAYANAGARAS
Just as his predecessors, Mujahid Shah was constantly engaged with the Vijayanagara camp which at the time was in its initial years. But Bukka Raya I's guerrilla tactics kept Mujahid in his tracks for 6 months. Not willing to give up, this Bahmani Sultan finally got ahead and plundered a wealthy temple of Sri Ranga and razed it to the ground, keeping in with the ludicrous principles of Islam. But Harihara II (son of Bukka Raya I) suddenly surprised the Bahamanis and challenged them with a 8000 strong army completely overcoming the muslims and killing their general Muqurrab Khan and forcing the Sultan's escape to the fort of Adoni. After a 9 month siege, the Vijayanagaras with the help of Chennapa Odeyar wrested control of Adoni fort forcing the Bahmanis to flee from there as well.
Mujahid Shah was assassinated by Da'ud Shah (his brother/ half-brother) in 1378 CE on account of an earlier skirmish between the two, and declared himself the next Bahmani Shah for a while. Later, he too was assassinated according to the orders of Mujahid's sister Ruh Parwar Agha as revenge for her brother's murder.
☀️ Mahmud Shah II Bahmani (r. 1378- 1397 CE): a man of culture
(Note- In many cases, he is wrongly called Muhammad instead of Mahmud)
After Mujahid's untimely death, his brother Mohammad Shah II ascended the throne. During his reign the Vijayanagara empire under Harihara Raya II gained a stronghold over the Bahmani territories lying on the western coast including Goa. But overall Mohammad Shah II's reign was marked by peace. Being a learned man and scholar in Arabic and Persian, he spent his time in bringing education to the masses and built several schools across his kingdom (Gulbarga, Bidar, Chaul.. )
☀️ Ghiyath-ad-din Shah 20 April 1397 to 14 June 1397 & Shams-ad-din Shah 14 June 1397 to 15 Nov 1397
A year of instability followed the death of Mahmud Shah II Bahmani. His 17 year old son Ghiyath-ad-din Shah ascended the throne, and within just 2 months met with a tragic fate~ he was blinded and imprisoned by an ambitious Turkic nobleman named Lachin Khan. Ghiyath-ad-din died later. In the longing to gain control of the Sultanate for himself, Lachin then installed as a puppet sovereign named Shams-ad-din Shah.
☀️ Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah (r. 1397- 1422 CE)
Among the popular Bahmani Shahs is Firuz Shah BAHMANI. He was the grand-son of the Bahmani Sultanate founder Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah. After the death of their own father Da'ud, Firuz and Ahmad his brother were raised by their uncle Mahmud Shah II who later married them off to his own two daughters (basically they married their first cousins).
Firuz Shah BAHMANI's harem collection
Firuz Shah's harem is said to have included women from different parts of the world, besides the Islamic mu'tah (temporary marriages) that he indulged in. He also did not deter from taking into his harem daughters of the kings whom he defeated in battle.
Hostilities with the Vijayanagara empire continued during the time of Firuz l, and in a major victory against the Vijayanagara king Deva Raya I in 1506, he managed to wrest control of the RAICHUR DOAB region. According to the treaty that followed, Deva Raya I was also forced to give his daughter in marriage to FIRUZ. In another campaign against the Gond ruler Narsingh Rai~ here also he was victorious and captured the fortress of Kherla from Narsingh Rai and took his son captive. When Narsingh pleaded for mercy Firuz made him a Bahmani vassal state, took 40 elephants into his stable and brought the daughter into his harem.
However a major defeat with the Vijayanagaras (1419-20) brought him to his knees. He then abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Ahmed Shah. Firuz Shah died on 1 Oct 1422 and is buried in Gulbarga.
☀️ Ahmad Shah I Wali Bahmani (r. 1422- 1436 CE)
The medieval age was truly a golden period for Islamization in India and the sufis of the Deccan region truly had a run of whatever that was worth it. Under the influence of a Sufi Chisti named Banda Nawaz, Ahmad Shah I Wali moved the Bahmani capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1432. Banda Nawaz's tomb in Gulbarga still draws huge crowds for the Urs event in his name.
The Bahmani Sultanate contributed greatly in bringing northern culture to southern parts of the country. Ahmad Shah-I like his predecessors was a patron of Arabic and Persian arts and crafts. He is credited to introduce a unique craft of inlaying zinc alloy metal ware with gold and silver. The craft known as Bidriwork still continues in the town of Bidar.
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| Bidri craft products, Bidar KARNATAKA |
In warfare, he was relentless and led several campaigns. His reign ran alongside that of Deva Raya II (r. 1422- 1446 CE) of the Vijayanagara empire and found victory in a war against them. He subjugated Warangal from the Kakatiya rulers. Besides campaigns against other muslim Sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat.
☀️ Ala ud-din Ahmad Shah BAHMANI (r. 1436- 1458 CE)
He succeeded his father and predecessor Ahmad Shah I Wali in 1436. Even though he ruled for a good number of years, there's not much info about him other than his folly, namely- some Dakhani nobles who held unfounded dissent against the Persian Shia Sayyids convinced the gullible Allauddin Ahmad II that they were in fact responsible for his failures in the Konkan coast. This resulted in the massacre of the Persians. When the Shah realised his mistake it was too late although he made sure the Dakhani nobles paid a heavy price for their wrongdoings.
☀️ Humayuh Shah 'Zalim' Bahmani (r. 1458- 1461 CE)
The word 'Zalim' meaning tyrant in his name is enough to give one a hint about Humayun Shah BAHMANI's personality. He was the eldest son of his predecessor Ala-ud-Din Ahmad Shah Bahman. His subjects heaved a sigh of relief upon his death in 1461 CE.
At the time the Muslim aristocracy was divided into mainly 2 rival groups:
The Deccanis- the Deccanis were the indigenous Bahmanid dynasty nobles who had immigrated from north India, same as the Bahmani Sultanate rulers. They were Sunni muslims.
The Afaquis or Pardesis - were the foreigners from Central Asia and Iran (Turks, Arabs and Persians) who were settled here and were by and large Shi'as.
Humayuh Shah Bahmani had a soft corner for the Afaquis, and appointed Khwaja Mahmud Gawan a Persian nobleman as governor of BIJAPUR province.
☀️Nizam ud-din Ahmad III (r. 1461- 1463 CE) & Muhammad Shah III Lashkari (r. 1463- 1482 CE)
Both sons of Humayun Shah BAHMANI were young boys and ascended the throne one after the other. The real power however lay with Mahmud Gawan (r. 1411- 1481 CE) and his wife who ruled the Sultanate on their behalf. Mahmud Gawan is credited to being a great statesman but his appointment as vizier was resented by the Deccanis who considered themselves more entitled than the Pardesis. And despite all his efforts Mahmud Gawan found difficulty in gaining their confidence.
Under the capable hands of Gawan Muhammad Shah III defeated the Ganapati rulers and wrested control of much of the Konkan region plus many other policies were introduced for the benefit of the Sultanate. Unfortunately the Deccani nobles managed to poison the ears of Muhammad Shah III who ordered Gawan to be executed in 1481. It is said that the Sultan deeply regretted his haste action until his death in 1482.
☀️ Mahmood Shah Bahmani II (r. 1482- 1518 CE): the last Bahmani ruler with actual power
Mahmood Shah Bahmani II was 12 years old when he ascended the throne after his father and predecessor Muhammad Shah III Lashkari. Amongst the traditional Deccani nobles was Malik Na'ib, a key conspirator in Mahmud Gawan's death who was also killed in 1486.
Mahmood Shah Bahmani II like his predecessors before never lost sight of the Vijayanagara empire. In his obsession to wage a jihad war against them; a campaign that was a major failure setting him back tremendously. As the sultan grew weaker, conflicts amongst his nobles also grew and they now wished to exert their own influence.
The Bahmani Sultanate v/z Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk : The birth of Berar Sultanate
Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk was a commander of the Bahmani forces in Berar. As the Bahmani Sultanate began showing strains, he declared himself Sultan of Berar.
The Bahmani Sultanate v/z Qasim Barid I: The birth of Bidar Sultanate
The Sultan's excesses and weakened position led to an unrest amongst the nobles. In 1487 Qasim Barid I led the first open rebellion against the Bahmani Sultanate and won victory against the Sultanate. He thus gained the de facto control of Bidar. To read more about the Bidar Sultanate click on the link.
The Bahmani Sultanate v/z Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I: The birth of Ahmadnagar Sultanate
After Barid, the next in line to revolt against the Bahmani Sultanate was Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I. The revolt was successful and gave birth to the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.
The Bahmani Sultanate v/z Yusuf Adil Shah : The birth of Bijapur Sultanate
Yusuf Adil Shah, it is said was of Persian-Turkic origin and was Mahmud Gawan's find. His valor and capabilities during the wars against the Vijayanagaras earned him a high position under the Bahmani Sultanate. He followed suit with the previous nobles, and founded the Sultanate of Bijapur.
The Bahmani Sultanate v/z Quli Qutb Shah: The birth of Golconda Sultanate
By 1492 Quli Qutb Shah also broke off from the Bahamanis and formed the Golconda Sultanate.
The decline of the BAHMANI SULTANATE
By the end of 1518 CE the Bahmani Sultanate had split into 5 new Sultanates and lost its importance. Qasim Barid exerted control of the Sultanate and his son Amir Barid thereafter. The remaining Bahmani Shahs were only in name until it was finally dissolved; these were ~
Ahmed Shah Bahmani II (r. 1518- 1520 CE)
Ala ud-din Shah Bahmani II (r. 1520- 1523 CE)
Waliullah Shah Bahmani (r. 1522- 1526 CE)
Kaleem Ullah Shah Bahmani (r. 1525- 1527 CE)
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| The Deccan Sultanates (Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, Golconda and Ahmadnagar V/Z the VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE map. Image courtesy public domain |
KRISHNA DEVA RAYA ~ a mighty force to reckon with
Even though the Bahmani empire had split up now into Bijapur, Golkonda, Bidar, Berar and Ahmednagar, the annual raid and loot tactics by the Bahmanis continued. The first thing Sri Krishnadeva Raya did on ascending the throne, was to put a stop to the regular loot and raid. The raiding Bahmani army of Bijapur was decisively routed at the Battle of Diwani, while Krishna Deva Raya went in hot pursuit of the Bahmani Sultan. Yusuf Adil Shah of the Bijapur Sultanate was defeated and killed at Kovilkonda. It was a crushing blow for the Bijapur forces.
After Bijapur fell, Sri Krishna Deva Raya turned his attention to the other Bahmani kingdoms. His next target was Gulbarga, where the Bahmani Sultan, Mahmud Shah, was overthrown and imprisoned by his minister Qasim Barid. Krishnadeva Raya, defeated Barid, freed Mahmud Shah, restored the throne to him, and proceeded to capture Bidar too.
The other main rivalry Krishnadeva Raya had was with the Golkonda sultan, Quli Qutub Shah, the founder of the Qutub Shahi dynasty, and his contemporary. While Sri Krishnadeva Raya was engaged in his campaigns against the Gajapatis, Quli Qutub Shah occupied the forts of Warangal, Khammam, Rajahmundry, and conquered most of Coastal Andhra, right up to Machilipatnam. But Sri Krishna Deva Raya’s able Prime minister, Timmarasu, managed to defeat Quli Qutub Shah, and regain most of the territories. By 1512, Sri Krishna Deva Raya controlled most of the territories to the North of Karnataka.
Also the Bahmani sultans, annual raid and loot came to an end, with the crushing defeats inflicted on them.However, Sri Krishna Deva Raya, wanted to put an end to this constant feud once for all, and turned his attention to the strategic fort of Raichur.
Blog on the Battle of Raichur will follow later. 🙏
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