Bahmani Sultanate
The first independent Islamic kingdom of the Deccan, the Bahmani Sultanate laid the foundation for a rich Persianate culture in South India. It was often in conflict with the Vijayanagara Empire and later fragmented into five major Deccan Sultanates.
🛡️ Foundation (1347 CE)
- Founder: Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah, a former governor under Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
- Initial Capital: Daulatabad (Maharashtra)
- Later Shifted: Gulbarga (Karnataka)
- Later Capital (under Ahmad Shah I): Bidar
Bahman Shah broke away during the disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate—reflecting the growing assertion of Deccan identity.
👑 Notable Rulers and Ministers
🧱 Muhammad Shah I (1358–1375 CE)
- Son of Alauddin Hasan Bahman.
- Consolidated the Bahmani state with administrative and military reforms.
- Encouraged Persian, Turkish, and Arab nobles to migrate to the Deccan court.
📚 Firuz Shah Bahmani (1397–1422 CE)
A true Renaissance-style ruler of the Deccan, Firuz Shah was both a scholar and a statesman.
Contributions:
- Scholar of botany, geometry, logic, and a calligrapher-poet.
- Polyglot—spoke Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi.
- Built an observatory near Daulatabad.
- Promoted foreign trade via ports like Chaul and Dabhol.
👥 Socio-Administrative Reforms:
- Inducted Deccani Brahmins and Hindus into the administration—especially in revenue departments.
- This helped balance the increasing influence of foreign nobles and reduce internal tensions.
He aimed to make the Deccan a cultural centre of India, especially as Delhi Sultanate began to decline.
🧘♂️ Ahmad Shah I (1422–1436 CE) – The Sufi Sultan
- Forced Firuz Shah to abdicate.
- Known as a Sufi Saint (Wali) due to his association with Gesu Daraz, a renowned Chishti saint.
- Continued wars with Vijayanagara and Warangal:
- Warangal defeated; its ruler was killed and much of its territory annexed.
- Shifted capital from Gulbarga to Bidar to consolidate power in newly conquered regions.
🧠 Mahmud Gawan (Prime Minister, 1463–1481 CE)
Arguably the most capable administrator of the Bahmani era.
🏗️ Administrative Reforms:
- Divided empire into eight provinces (tarafs); each under a Tarafdar.
- Standardized noble salaries and assigned jagirs (land grants).
- Separated Khalisa land (for royal revenue) from jagir land.
- Attempted land measurement and rationalized tax collections.
🌍 Expansion and Diplomacy:
- Strengthened Bahmani control in the eastern and southern Deccan.
- Maintained trade and diplomatic contacts with the Persian world.
His execution in 1481 (due to court conspiracies) signaled the beginning of the Bahmani decline.
⚰️ Decline and Fragmentation
After Mahmud Gawan’s death, central authority weakened and governors began asserting autonomy.
By 1526, the Bahmani Sultanate broke into five Deccan Sultanates:
| Sultanate | Founder | Capital | Duration | Fate |
| Imad Shahi (Berar) | Imad-ul-Mulk | Ellichpur | 1490–1574 CE | Annexed by Ahmadnagar |
| Nizam Shahi (Ahmadnagar) | Malik Ahmad | Ahmadnagar | 1490–1633 CE | Annexed by Mughals (Shah Jahan) |
| Adil Shahi (Bijapur) | Yusuf Adil Shah | Bijapur | 1490–1686 CE | Annexed by Aurangzeb |
| Qutb Shahi (Golconda) | Quli Qutb Shah | Golconda | 1518–1687 CE | Annexed by Aurangzeb |
| Barid Shahi (Bidar) | Ali Barid Shah | Bidar | 1526–1619 CE | Annexed by Bijapur |
📌 Legacy of Bahmani Sultanate
- First independent Islamic kingdom in South India.
- Developed a distinct Deccani Indo-Persian culture.
- Rival of Vijayanagara Empire for 150+ years.
- Set the foundation for art, architecture, and Persianate administration in the Deccan.
- Its decline led to the emergence of the five Deccan Sultanates, which played a crucial role in Mughal–Deccan relations.