Bahmani Kingdom: Bahman Shah to Muhammad Gawan

Introduction

The Bahmani Kingdom, spanning from 1347 to 1527, emerged as a significant power in the Deccan region of India. Founded by Bahman Shah, it witnessed a series of rulers who shaped its administration, military, and cultural landscape. This article delves into the key rulers and their contributions, along with the eventual fragmentation of the kingdom into successor states.

Rulers And Their Contributions 

1. Bahman Shah (1347–1358)

• Introduction: In 1345, Bahman Shah (also known as Zafar Khan and Hasan Gangu) declared independence at Devagiri and later shifted his capital to Gulbarga (northern Karnataka). 
• Administrative Structure: Administratively, he adopted the Delhi Sultanate’s structure, dividing his realm into four regions (Gulbarga, Daulatabad, Bidar, and Berar) termed as ‘Tarafs’, each governed by a Governor responsible for administration, revenue collection, and military command.
• Challenges Faced by Bahman Shah: He faced challenges from rulers in Warangal, Orissa (Jajnagar), and Vijayanagar. 
  • After successful campaigns, he styled himself as the Second Alexander on coins. 

2. Mohammed I (1358–1375)

• Military Campaigns: Attacked Warangal in 1363; captured the fortress of Golkonda and the Turquoise Throne, which subsequently served as the Bahmani kings’ royal seat.
• Legacy of Mohammed I’s Governance: He established a system of government that was followed by all the successor sultanates as well as the Marathas. 
• Council of Eight Ministers: He appointed a council of eight ministers of state: 
  • Vakil-us-saltana: Lieutenant and immediate subordinate of the sovereign. 
  • Waziri-kull: Supervised the work of all other ministers.
  • Amir-i-jumla: Minister of Finance
  • Wasir-i-ashraf:  Minister of foreign affairs and Master of ceremonies.
  • Nazir: Assistant minister for finance.
  • Peshwa: Associated with the lieutenant of the kingdom.
  • Kotwal: or chief of police and city magistrate in the capital. 
  • Sadr-i-jahan: Chief justice and Minister of religious affairs and endowments. 
• Measures for Suppression of Highway Robbery: Further, he took measures for the suppression of highway robbery and built two mosques at Gulbarga.
• Capital Relocation and Southern Campaigns: For a century, successive Sultans, often through usurpation, battled the South with minimal gains. 
  • Warangal was captured in 1425, but Orissan rulers halted further eastward progress. 
  • Ahmad Wali Shah relocated the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1429.

3. Mohammad III (1463–1482): 

Mohammed Gawan was his lieutenant (Prime Minister) who contributed extensively to the dynamic development of the Bahmani Kingdom. 

4. Mohammed Gawan

• Military Tactics and Victories: He won wars using gunpowder in the Belgaum battle against the Vijayanagar Kings.
• Administrative reforms: Divided the existing four provinces of the Bahmani Sultanate into eight. 
  • The royal officers were granted land assignments as payment and were held accountable for their income and expenditure.
• Intensification of Conflicts: Deccani Muslims and Pardesi (foreigner) Muslim conflicts intensified because of the administrative reforms of Gawan.
• Division and Rise of Independent Kingdoms: The Sultanate gradually broke up into four independent kingdoms:
  • Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar and Golkonda. 
  • Further, the  Bahmani Sultan ruled over Bidar as a puppet, which became the fifth independent kingdom.
  • Bijapur grew in strength through the annexation of Bidar and Berar. 
  • Ahmadnagar and Golkonda initially acted independently but later united with Bijapur against Vijayanagar, defeating it in the Battle of Talikota or Rakshasa-Tangadi in 1565. Subsequently, the Mughal Empire gradually subjugated the Sultanates within a century.

Conclusion

The Bahmani Kingdom’s legacy reverberates through the Deccan’s historical tapestry, marked by its administrative innovations, military conquests, and cultural achievements. Despite its eventual disintegration into multiple successor states, such as Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, and Golkonda, the Bahmani era left an indelible imprint on the Deccan’s socio-political landscape, influencing subsequent developments in the region.