Eternal India Encyclopedia

LURE - THRU THE AGES

E t e r n a l I n d i a encyclopedia

BAHMANI DYNASTY 1347-1518 A.D. 1422-36 To avenge his brother's defeat he carried on a terrible war against Vijayanagar. The Raja of Vijayanagar had to conclude peace by paying a heavy indemnity. In 1425 he defeated the Raja of Warangal. He shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar. He also won a victory against Malwa, but could not conquer Gujarat. 1436-58 He suppressed a rebellion headed by his brother Muhammad who was pardoned and given the governorship of Raichur doab. The Raja of Sangameshwar gave his daughter in marriage to Ala-ud-din II. In 1443 he compelled the Vijayanagar king to pay him tribute. 1458-61 He was a cruel tyrant. He appointed as Prime Minister an Iranian immigrant, Khwaja Mahamud Gilana (Gawan) 1461-63 Since he was a minor, the administra- tion was carried on by his mother with the assistance of Khwaja Jahan and Khwaja Mahmud Gawan. In 1461-62 Mahmud Khalji of Malwa invaded the Bahmani kingdom but retreated on the arrival of the Sultan of Gujarat with 20,000 soldiers. 1463-82 At the time of his accession he was only 9 years old. The administration was carried on by Mahmud Gawan, his minister. By successful military operations Gawan ex- tended the empire. The Bahmani army seized Kherla in Malwa in 1467. Mahmud Gawan later returned Kherla to Malwa in return for Berar. The campaign against the Konkan was a great success. Making Kolhapur his head- quarters, he seized several forts. The recapture of Goa in 1472 was a major victory. In 1474 there was a great famine in the Deccan. In 1478 Mohammad Shah III invaded and devastated Orissa. In 1481 Mahmud Gawan was falsely accused of treason and sentenced to death by the Sultan on the basis of a forged letter he had sent to the Sultan's enemy, the Raja of Vijayanagar. This was the work of the nobles, who were.jealous of Mahmud Ga- wan. Gawan was executed in 1481. Mohammad Shah III later realised his mistake and died of guilt. Ahmad Shah Ala-ud-din II Humayun Nizam Shah Mohammad Shah III

Overview * The Bahmani kingdom was founded during the reign of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. The nobles of the Deccan re- belled against the eccentric policies of the Sultan, seized the fort of Daulata- bad and proclaimed Hasan Kangu, en- titled Zafar Khan as their king in 1347 under the title of Abul-Muzajfar, Ala- ud-din Bahman Shah. Ala-ud-din Hasan 1347-58 - He made Gulbarga in north Karnataka his capital and renamed it Ahsanabad. He embarked on a career of conquest against the Hindu rulers of the south. When he died in 1358 he left behind a kingdom extending from the Wainganga river in the north to the Krishna river in the south and from Daulatabad in the west to Bhongir in the east. He divided his kingdom into four prov- inces : Gulbarga, Daulatabad, Berar and Bidar, each under a governor. Mohammad Shah I 1358-75 During his reign he was engaged in waging wars against the rulers of Waran- gal and Vijayanagar. Finally he had to sue for peace after both sides suffered terrible losses. Mujahid Shah 1375-78 His reign was marked by war with Vijayanagara empire. He was defeated and had to sue for peace. He was a victim of a conspiracy hatched by one of his near rela- tives, Daud Khan who usurped the throne. Daud Khan was killed subsequently. Mohammad Shah II 1378-97 He was a lover of peace. He was en- gaged in literary pursuits. He built mosques and free schools for orphans. Many learned men came to his court from all parts of Asia. There was a famine during his time. Firoz Shah 1397-1422 He was the grandson of Alauddin Hasan Bahmani. He took the title Taj-ud-din Firuz Shah. He liked the company of Sheikhs and hermits. In 1398 and 1406 he defeated the Vijayanagar king. In 1420 there was another war with Vijayanagar where he was defeated. The Vijayanagar troops occupied the southern and eastern districts of his kingdom. In his old age he was forced to abdicate the throne in favour of his brothers.

Mahmud Shah 1482-1518 He was a minor when he became king. He was an incompetent ruler since he had no able ministers to guide him. He and his four succes- sors were mere puppets in the hands of Qasim- Barid-ul-Mamalik, the new Prime Minister. The kingdom disintegrated during his rule. Five separate Muslim Sultanates came into existence, the most important of which was Bijapur.

QutbShahis 1512-1611 A.D.

Quli Shah - a Turkish officer of the Bah- mani kingdom during the reign of Mahmud Gawan founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty in 1512 A.D.; he had a prosperous and long reign and was murdered in 1543 by his son Jamshid. Jamshid ruled for seven years and was succeeded by his brother Ibrahim, he fought against Vijayanagara in 1565; he died in 1611; later Golkonda was annexed to the Mughal empire by Aurangzeb irf 1687.

Chronology * Quli Shah (1512-1543) * Jamshid (1543-1550) * Ibrahim (1550-1611)