Question

give an account of the political history of the bahmani kingdom

Answer 1

After founding the Bahmani kingdom, Alauddin Hassan claimed his descent from the Iranian heroes, Isfandar and Bahman and added Shah to his name. Conse­quently, the kingdom was called the Bahmani Kingdom.

The political fortunes of the Bahmani kingdom can be divided into two phases. The first phase was between AD 1347-1422 and the second phase was between AD 1422-1538. In the first phase, the centre of activity was Gulbarga and in the second, the centre of activity was shifted to Bidar because of its strategic location. The Bahmani kingdom was a contemporary of the Vijayanagara power, which was founded in AD 1336.

Throughout their existence, both the Vyayanagara and the Bahmanis constantly fought for supremacy in three distinct areas, in the Tungabhadra Doab, in the Krishna Godavari delta and in the Marathwada country. The reasons for continued hostility were primarily the economic interest, but the religious dimension also influenced the hostility between the two powers to some extent. Alauddin Hassan Bahman Shah ruled from AD 1347 to 1358.

He was followed by his son Muhammad I (1358-1375). He was followed by his son Alauddin Mujahid (1375-78). Mujahid was killed by his uncle Dawood I, who ruled for nearly a month and was followed by his brother Muhammad II (1378-1397). Muhammad II was succeeded by Tajuddin Firoz Shah, who ruled from AD 1397 to 1422. He was followed by Shihabuddin Ahmad or Muhammad Shah, who ruled for a period of 14 years from AD 1422 to 1436.

He was followed by Alauddin Ahmad II or Alauddin II, who ruled from AD 1436-1458. He was succeeded by Alauddin Humayun who ruled form AD 1458 to 1461. He was followed by Muhammad III, who ruled from AD 1463-1482. The last noteworthy Bahmani ruler Shihabuddin Ahmad died in AD 1518. After him, his sons Ahmad Shah IV, Alauddin Shah, Kaliyuka and Kalimulla ruled till AD 1528. With the death of Kalimulla, the Bahmani kingdom disappeared.

Throughout this period, the wars between the Bahmanis and the Vijayanagara rulers were taking place affecting the fortunes of these two kingdoms. There was hardly any decade that passed without a clash of arms between these two kingdoms. Though, contemporary chroniclers describe the wars as Jihads or holy wars, this perception do not appear to be quite true. Of the twelve Bahmani Sultans, the most remarkable was Firuzshah Bahamani who ruled for a quarter of a century from AD 1397 to 1422. Firuz was a well-read scholar, a good calligraphist and a poet of eminence; he was also profi­cient in many languages. He had the vision of making Deccan a cultural centre of India.

He was liberal in outlook and inducted Hindus in large number into administrative cadres. He took all the necessary measures to improve the principal parts of his kingdom Chaul and Dabhol, where the foreign ships used to anchor. He was defeated by Devaraya-I. His successor Ahamad Shah shifted the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.

In the early decades of the foundation of Bahmanis, there arose strife among nobles. The nobles were divided as old timers or newcomers or Deccanis and Afaqis. This division created havoc in the history of the Bahamani kingdom, between AD 1482-1518, the clash among nobles reached its climax, which led to the dismemberment of the Bahmani kingdom. In the history of the Bahmani kingdom, the period between AD 1463-1482 saw the rise of Muhammad Gawan as the Prime Minister of the kingdom. Nothing important is known about the early life of Muhammad Gawan. Gawan was an Iranian by birth and he was first noticed in AD 1456 and in 1461 he was made a member of the council of regency.

In AD 1463 he was appointed as Vakil-i-Sultanat with the title of KhawaJa-i-Sehan and Malik-ul-Tajjar. He dominated the affairs of the State for twenty years. Gawan tried his best to extend the frontiers of the Bahmanis and the expansion of the Bahmanis kingdom towards the east and west led to a resurgence of the conflict with Vijayanagara. Gawan appears to have annexed the Tungabhadra Doab and made a deep raid into the Vijayanagara territories reaching as far south as Kanchi. Gawan also introduced a number of internal reforms which benefited the Bahmani kingdom.

He was a great patron of arts. He built a magnificent Madarsa in the capital city of Bidar and on his invitation some of the most famous scholars of Iran and Iraq visited the Madarsa. The Deccani nobles poisoned the ears of the Sultan and got him executed at the age of 70. The death of Gawan sounded the death knell of the Bahmani kingdom.

The Bahmani rulers followed the administrative structure of the Delhi Sultanate. The Sultan was the head of the state and supreme authority followed by Wakil, Wazir, Bakshi and Qazi and a host of officials like Dabir or Secretary, Mufti or interpreter of law, Kotwal, Mehtasib or censor of public morals and Munhihans or spies. The Bahmani kingdom was divided into 4 Tarafs or provinces.