Medieval History notes · Chapter 9 of 15 · Deccan and the South · 1347–1527
Bahmani kingdom
10 sections, 15 flashcards. Open a card to check your answer, or revise them in the app with spaced revision.
At a glance
- The Bahmani kingdom was founded in the Deccan by nobles who revolted against Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Its long wars with Vijayanagara over the Raichur Doab shaped south Indian history, and it later broke up into the Deccan Sultanates.
Timeline
- 1347 Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah founds the kingdom; capital Gulbarga
- 1358 Muhammad Shah I succeeds
- 1363 Warangal attacked; the fort of Golconda ceded to the Bahmanis
- 1397–1422 Reign of Firoz Shah Bahmani
- 1429 Ahmad Shah Wali shifts the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar
- 1463 Muhammad Shah III succeeds; Mahmud Gawan becomes wazir
- 1481 Mahmud Gawan executed after a court conspiracy
- 1490–1528 The kingdom breaks up into five Deccan Sultanates
- 1565 Battle of Talikota — the Deccan Sultanates defeat Vijayanagara
Check yourself
What was the first Bahmani capital?
Gulbarga.
Which fort did the Bahmanis gain from Warangal in 1363?
Golconda.
How did Mahmud Gawan die?
He was executed in 1481 after a court conspiracy.
Alauddin Bahman Shah (1347–58)
- Also Zafar Khan or Hasan Gangu.
- Founded the Bahmani kingdom after rebelling (with other Deccan nobles) against Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s harsh policies.
- Divided the kingdom into four provinces (“tarafs”), each under a tarafdar:
- Gulbarga — the initial capital
- Daulatabad
- Bidar
- Berar
- Assumed the title “second Alexander” on his coins (like Alauddin Khalji before him).
- The Krishna–Tungabhadra (Raichur) Doab became the prize in the long Bahmani–Vijayanagara rivalry, which began in his time.
Check yourself
Who founded the Bahmani kingdom, and when?
Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (Hasan Gangu / Zafar Khan), in 1347.
Against which Sultan did the Bahmani founders rebel?
Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
Name the four original Bahmani tarafs.
Gulbarga, Daulatabad, Bidar and Berar.
Over which region did the Bahmanis and Vijayanagara fight?
The Raichur Doab, between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra.
Which Bahmani ruler used the title “second Alexander” on his coins?
Alauddin Bahman Shah.
Muhammad Shah I (1358–75)
- 1363: attacked Warangal and seized the fort of Golconda, which became the boundary with Warangal.
- Appointed a council of eight ministers to run the administration.
- Took measures to suppress highway robbery.
Check yourself
Which Bahmani ruler set up a council of eight ministers?
Muhammad Shah I.
Firoz Shah Bahmani (1397–1422)
- A scholar-king who brought Hindus (especially Brahmins) into the administration and built an observatory near Daulatabad.
Ahmad Shah Wali (1422–36)
- 1429: capital shifted from Gulbarga to Bidar.
Check yourself
Who shifted the Bahmani capital to Bidar, and when?
Ahmad Shah Wali, in 1429.
Muhammad Shah III (1463–82) and Mahmud Gawan
- Mahmud Gawan — a Persian merchant who became the most famous wazir of the Bahmanis:
- administrative reforms to curb the powers of provincial chiefs: divided the kingdom into eight tarafs, and left only one fort in each province under the governor
- measured land to fix revenue
- built a great madrasa at Bidar
- captured Goa from Vijayanagara
- executed through a conspiracy (1481) by the rival Deccani faction, using a forged letter
- Used gunpowder in the wars against the Vijayanagara kings.
- Rivalry between Deccanis (older settlers) and Afaqis (newcomers from Persia and Central Asia) weakened the kingdom.
- The Russian merchant Afanasy Nikitin visited the Bahmani kingdom in this period.
Check yourself
Who was the most famous Bahmani wazir?
Mahmud Gawan, under Muhammad Shah III.
Name Mahmud Gawan’s main reforms.
Divided the kingdom into eight tarafs, curbed provincial governors, measured land, and built a madrasa at Bidar.
Which Russian traveller visited the Bahmani kingdom?
Afanasy Nikitin.
Break-up into the Deccan Sultanates
- After him, the Sultanate broke up into independent kingdoms. The mindmap lists four; standard texts count five, adding Bidar.
| Kingdom | Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Bijapur | Adil Shahi |
| Ahmednagar | Nizam Shahi |
| Berar | Imad Shahi |
| Golconda | Qutb Shahi |
| Bidar | Barid Shahi |
Check yourself
Name the five Deccan Sultanates and their dynasties.
Bijapur (Adil Shahi), Ahmednagar (Nizam Shahi), Berar (Imad Shahi), Golconda (Qutb Shahi), Bidar (Barid Shahi).
Battle of Talikota (1565)
- Also called the Battle of Rakshasa-Tangadi.
- An alliance of the Deccan Sultanates (Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golconda and Bidar) defeated the Vijayanagara empire; its regent Rama Raya was captured and executed, and the capital was sacked.
Check yourself
What is the other name of the Battle of Talikota?
Rakshasa-Tangadi (1565).
Memory hook
Five Deccan Sultanates
Three B’s plus A and G — Bijapur, Bidar, Berar, Ahmednagar, Golconda.
Source check
- Where the mindmap differs from standard textbooks. Use the standard version in the exam.
Mindmap says: After Muhammad Shah III, the Sultanate broke into 4 kingdoms
Standard texts: The standard answer is five: Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Berar, Golconda and Bidar.
Standard texts: The standard answer is five: Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Berar, Golconda and Bidar.
Mindmap says: 1565: “Bahmanis defeated Vijayanagar”
Standard texts: The Bahmani kingdom had already dissolved; it was the alliance of its successor Deccan Sultanates.
Standard texts: The Bahmani kingdom had already dissolved; it was the alliance of its successor Deccan Sultanates.
All 15 chapters of Medieval History notes
- Arab conquest of Sindh8 sections
- Mahmud of Ghazni7 sections
- Muhammad Ghori9 sections
- Mamluk (Slave) dynasty10 sections
- Khalji dynasty13 sections
- Tughlaq dynasty7 sections
- Sayyid dynasty4 sections
- Lodi dynasty5 sections
- Bahmani kingdom10 sections
- Vijayanagara empire11 sections
- Karnata dynasty5 sections
- Oinwar dynasty5 sections
- Mughal empire15 sections
- Sur dynasty7 sections
- Marathas7 sections