Bahmani Kingdom

The Bahmani Sultanate, also called the Bahmanid Empire or the Bahmani Kingdom and was also known as a Persianate, a Muslim empire of the Deccan region in the South Indian region. Bahmani Sultanate was the first self-governing Muslim empire of the Deccan region and was popularly known for its everlasting wars with its rival from the Hindu religion known as Vijayanagara. Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire defeated the last remnant of Bahmani Sultanate.

The Bahmani sultanate is popularly known as the first Muslim state in the Deccan region of India (1347–1518). The Bahmani sultanate was started in 1347 by the ruler named ʿAlaʾ al-Din Bahman Shah, and he was reinforced by various military heads in revolution against the Delhi sultan, Muhammad ibn Tughluq. The capital of Bahmani state was Aḥsanabad between 1347 and 1425, which is now known as Gulbarga and then Muhammadabad (now known as Bidar) subsequently. Bahmani achieved the highest of its influence during the vizierate of Mahmud Gawan between 1466 to 81.

The Bahmani sultanate was started in 1347 via Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah. The Bahmani Kingdom was later divided into five inheritor states that, as collectively identified as the Deccan sultanates of Bahmani, ultimately the Vijayanagara became the capital just after the war of Talikota.

The Division Bahmani Kingdom is as follows  

The political and radical control of Muslim sultans in a largely Hindu area was simplified by various joint commissions and noninterference amid the several religious societies. The Bahmani sultans repeatedly stimulated the culture of the Deccan region. The differentiation of the Bahmani sultanate into four parts (ṭarafs) stimulated independence that the modifications of Mahmud Gawan were unsuccessful in battle. The Bahmani Kingdom was divided into five successors from 1490 to 1518, which are named Golconda, Bidar, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and Berar.

The Bahmani Sultans

The Bahmani kingdom or Bahmani sultanate was one of the popularly known kingdoms as it was the first kingdom that was considered the first Muslim state. Bahmani sultanate is rich in history as it has 14 sultans who governed the bahmani kingdom and ruled for more than two centuries.

• Hasan Gangu Bahmani

Hasan Gangu Bahmani established the Bahmani kingdom in 1347 A.D. He worked as a Turkish officer in devagiri under Muhammad Bin Tuglaq. Bahmani kingdom has seen various victories in his rule as he stretched his empire from the Bay of Bengal in the east to the Arabian Sea in the west and continuously grew and ruled the total Deccan region of India and also the Krishna River. During the rule of Hasan Gangu Bahmani, the capital of the kingdom was Ahsanabad.

• Muhammad Shah I (1358-1377 A.D.)

Muhammad Shah is known for his power and presence of mind at that time. He ruled the Bahmani kingdom between 1358 to 1377 A.D. he ruled the kingdom after his father and became the new king and also known as the second king of the Bahmani Kingdom. His generals and administration are known best for their work. 

• Muhammad Shah II (1378-1397 A.D.)

Muhammad Shah II was also the sultan of the Bahmani sultanate, who turned out to be the ruler in 1378. He is known for his contribution to the kingdom in terms of architecture and structural building. He is well known for his friendly and peaceful nature, which helps in building relations with neighbors, and also constructed many hospitals, religious institutes, mosques, etc.

• Feroz Shah Bahmani (1397-1422 A.D.)

Feroz Shah is popularly known as the greatest Sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate. He is fond of creative things such as art, culture, and poetry. He also defeated the emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire and later married the daughter of the king. He has also succeeded in the establishment of various cities, such as Firozabad, which is located on the bank of the Bhima River.

• Ahmad Shah (1422-1435 A.D.)

Ahmad Shah is also the sultan of the Bahmani kingdom. He got the position of the sultan in 1422, just after the completion of Feroz Shah Bahmani. He was known for his unkind, ruthless and brutal nature. He is also known as a powerful ruler of the kingdom as he was successful in defeating the Warangal Kingdom and then he changed the capital of the kingdom Bidar from Gulbarga, and then he died in 1435 A.D.

• Muhammad Shah III (1463-1482 A.D)

Muhammad Shah III became the sultan of the Bahmani kingdom, and the age of the king was less than 9 years when he became sultan in 1463A.D. Due to the sudden demise of the king.

As Muhammad Shah III was very young and was not aware of politics, and was unable to make decisions on his own. So, Muhammad Gawan became the advisor of the king and helped him to make appropriate decisions.

• Muhammad Gawan

Muhammad Gawan was known for their great and beneficial strategies and was also considered the able king who took the Bahmani kingdom to great heights and made the kingdom more powerful.

Muhammad Gawan was intelligent and could conquest the leaders of Sangameshwar, Orissa, Vijayanagara, and Konkan. He has removed corruption from the kingdom successfully and was clever to advance the management by arranging the funds, inspiring public teaching, improving the income system, and correcting the army.

Later on, Muhammad Gawan was punished to death by the king Muhammad Shah III owing to harassment by Deccan Muslims.

Administration of Bahmani Kingdom

There was a primitive type of management or administration in the Bahmani Kingdom.

Tarafs: Tarafs may be defined as the five divisions of the Bahmani kingdom. Each tarafs is controlled by the associated ruler. 

Contribution of the Bahmani Kingdom to the Education

The Bahmani sultanate always pays keen attention to the education system and always tries its best to do so. Learning and teaching Persian and Arabic languages was always endorsed in the Bahmani Kingdom.

The Booming of the Urdu language took place in the Deccan region of India and also tried to flourish art and architecture in the Bahmani sultanate.

Art and Architecture in the Bahmani Kingdom

Sultans of the Bahmani kingdom is very much attracted to art and architecture and build up numerous buildings such as libraries, madrasas, and mosques, for instance

• Gulbarga Juma Masjid
• The Golconda Fort
• The Golgumbaz at Bijapur
• The Muhammad Gawan Madrasa

Conclusion

Descendants of Muhammad Shah III were so feeble and unproductive to convey out the empire. They had rivalries with foreign empires, which caused their further decline.