Question

Explain the composition of Deccan Sultanate​

Answer 1

Explanation:

The Deccan sultanates were five late-medieval Indian kingdoms—on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range—that were ruled by Muslim dynasties: namely Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda.[1] The sultanates had become independent during the break-up of the Bahmani Sultanate.[2][3] In 1490, Ahmadnagar declared independence, followed by Bijapur and Berar in the same year. Golconda became independent in 1518, and Bidar in 1528.[4]

Deccan sultanates

The five sultanates were of diverse origin: the Ahmadnagar Sultanate was Brahmin-Hindu; the Berar Sultanate was Kanarese-Hindu;[5] the Bidar Sultanate was founded by a former Turkic slave;[6] the Bijapur Sultanate was founded by a Georgian-Oghuz Turkic slave;[7] and the Golconda Sultanate was of Turkmen origin.[8]

Although generally rivals, the sultanates did ally with each other against the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565, permanently weakening Vijayanagara in the Battle of Talikota. Notably, the alliance destroyed the entire city of Vijayanagara, with important temples such as the Vitthala Temple, being razed to the ground.

In 1574, after a coup in Berar, Ahmadnagar invaded and conquered it. In 1619, Bidar was annexed by Bijapur. The sultanates were later conquered by the Mughal Empire: Berar was stripped from Ahmadnagar in 1596; Ahmadnagar was completely taken between 1616 and 1636; and Golconda and Bijapur were conquered by Aurangzeb's 1686–87 campaign.[9]