The Bahmani Kingdom or Bahmani Sultanate (1347 CE to 1527 CE) arose in the Deccan in the mid-14th century and became the first independent Muslim state with sustained power in the Deccan plateau and ruled Telangana from 1350 CE - 1518 CE. Founded by Zafar Khan (commonly known as Hasan Gangu, Alla-ud-Din Bahman Shah or Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah), it established Persianate court culture in south India, patronized Persian, Arabic and Deccani literature, introduced new administrative practices, and acted as the principal rival of Vijayanagara for over 150 years. Its later political fragmentation (early 16th century) produced the five Deccan sultanates — Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar, Golconda (Qutb Shahi) and Bidar/Barid which dominated later medieval Deccan politics.
Gulbarga: The Jama Masjid in Gulbarga is a unique example of a mosque without a courtyard, covered entirely by a large dome and smaller domes, resembling a Persian prayer hall.
Bidar: The shift to Bidar under Ahmad Shah I Wali led to massive construction. The Bidar Fort is a magnificent example of military and civic architecture, with its formidable walls, palaces, and the famous Madrasa of Mahmud Gawan, a premier center of Islamic learning in the 15th century.
Sufism: The state strongly patronized Sufi saints, whose shrines (like that of Khwaja Banda Nawaz in Gulbarga) became and remain important cultural and religious centers, promoting a message of harmony.
1350–1375 CE Warangal, Nalgonda, Khammam Expansion through campaigns; Bahmani governors established; local forts like Rachakonda and Devarakonda subdued. Muhammad Shah-I (r. 1358–1375) fought long wars with Vijayanagara for control over eastern Deccan.
1375–1422 CE Eastern Telangana forts Consolidation under Muhammad Shah II and Firoz Shah; forts administered via Bahmani amirs and local chiefs as tributaries.
1429 CE onwards Golconda (Hyderabad region) Shifting capitals and administrative reforms under Ahmad Shah I; Golconda fortified and became the main provincial center of Telangana.
1495–1518 CE Entire Telangana under nominal Bahmani control Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk appointed governor of Golconda (1495), overseeing Warangal, Rachakonda, Devarakonda, Koilkonda. Some local chiefs remained semi-autonomous but recognized Bahmani authority.Nominally by 1495 CE, when Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk governed the entire Telangana region under Bahmani Sultan Mahmud Shah II. Before 1495, some areas were only under tributary agreements with local chiefs.
(Dates above reflect the narrative you supplied. The Bahmani dynasty formally continued in various listings to 1527, but effective central authority collapsed c.1518–1527 as successor states consolidated.)
Khalisa (crown) lands: Some lands were reserved as khalisa to meet royal household expenditure; nobles received pay in cash or jagir grants.
Nobility and factions: Two broad amir groups — the older Deccanis (local/long-established Muslim elites and converts) and the Afaqi/Pardesi (newcomers from Central Asia, Iran, Iraq) — repeatedly contested power. These factional tensions contributed to later fragmentation.
Bureaucracy and revenue: Significant reforms under Khwaja Mahmud Gawan: systematic land measurement and revenue assessment, boundary fixing of villages and more centralised accounts. Officials included wazir/wakil (prime minister), mir jumla (commander), and specialized financial officers (e.g., Malik-ut-Tujjar).
Military: Relied on the amirs for troops; cavalry and infantry supported by early use of gunpowder and artillery — notable in mid-14th to 15th century battles against Vijayanagara.
Maritime & coastal trade: Control and competition for western and eastern ports (Goa, Dabul, Machilipatnam, Rajamundry) — coastal reach extended under later rulers (Goa annexed c.1470s).
Commercial networks: Persianate court attracted merchants and financial agents; trade with Gujarat, Malwa, eastern seaboard and overseas Indian Ocean links.
Currency and revenue instruments: Standard medieval Islamic fiscal instruments (jagir, khas, customs duties); minting and royal treasuries in major capitals.
Language & literary milieu: Persian used for court, administration and high literature; Arabic for religious scholarship; Dakhini/Deccani Urdu developed as a vernacular literary idiom; Telugu, Kannada and Marathi used regionally.
Social policy: Patronage of educational institutions (madrasas), charity and welfare for orphans and the poor noted in Muhammad Shah II’s reign.
Literature & scholarship: Flourishing of Persian poetry and prose; Khwaja Mahmud Gawan wrote in Persian; Sufi literature in Dakhini and Persian; development of Deccani Urdu (Dakhini).
Visual arts & crafts: Court patronage supported calligraphy, manuscript production and crafts (Bidar later became a noted centre of steelwork, tilework and ceramics).
Warangal (successor Telugu polities): Early campaigns secured forts (e.g., Kaulas, Golconda) and indemnities.
Khandesh, Malwa, Gujarat, Orissa: Interactions ranged from trade to military expeditions (e.g., Parenda and Kherla campaigns, raids/annexations along coastal zones).
Foreign recruits & diplomacy: Diplomatic, cultural and military links with Persia, Central Asia and the broader Islamic world via Afaqi elites.
Cultural synthesis: Institutionalized Persianate court culture blended with Deccan vernaculars (Dakhini), producing a distinctive Deccan Indo-Islamic culture.
Architectural monuments: Mosques, madrasas and civic buildings in Gulbarga and Bidar (some survive as major heritage sites).
Political legacy: The Bahmani breakup created the five Deccan sultanates (Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar, Golconda/Qutb Shahi and Bidar/Barid), which dominated 16th–17th century Deccan politics and culture.
Military & diplomatic precedent: Set stage for extended rivalry with Vijayanagara and later Mughal interactions with Deccan polities.
c.1290 — Traditional birth date of Alla-ud-Din Hassan (founder).
1339 — Zafar Khan participates in anti-Tughluq uprising; exiled to Afghanistan.
1346 — Returns to Deccan; siege of Gulbarga; becomes governor under Tughluq breakdown.
3 Aug 1347 — Ismail Mukh abdicates; Zafar Khan accepted as sovereign (foundation often dated to 1347); capital at Hasanabad (Gulbarga / Ahsanabad).
1347–1358 (Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah) — Provincial reorganisation (four tarafs), wars with Warangal and Vijayanagara.
1358–1375 (Muhammad Shah I) — Campaigns vs. Warangal and Vijayanagara; first recorded artillery use (c.1367); treaty with Vijayanagara fixing boundaries at Golconda; built Gulbarga Jama Masjid.
1375–1378 (Mujahid Shah) — Campaigns to Vijayanagara; assassination (1378).
1378–1397 (Muhammad Shah II) — Peaceful cultural reign; patronage, import of grain during famine, public welfare.
1397–1422 (Firoz Shah) — Learned ruler; observatory project (Balaghat); military actions vs. Deva Raya I; 1407 victory and later diplomacy.
c.1429 — Capital shifted from Gulbarga to Bidar by Ahmad Shah I (major administrative reorientation).
1463–1481 (Muhammad Shah III / Mahmud Gawan era) — Mahmud Gawan appointed (c.1463); major administrative, revenue and educational reforms; expansion including control of Goa (c.1470s) and campaigns to Kherla and Orissa.
1481–1482 — Annexation of Kanchi (southmost point reached). False conspiracy leads to Khwaja Mahmud Gawan’s execution (1481), causing noble unrest.
1482–1518 (Mahmood Shah II) — Gradual decline in central authority; rise of powerful provincial governors (Qasim Barid, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Imad-ul-Mulk) and the seeds of fragmentation.
c.1490s–1518 — Regional governors assert independence: formation of Ahmadnagar (Nizam), Bijapur (Adil Shahi), Berar, Golconda (Qutb Shahi declared 1518), and Bidar/Barid families; repeated defeats by Vijayanagara under Krishnadevaraya (notably 1509–1512 campaigns: Dony, Kovelaconda, Gulbarga/Raichur offensives).
1518–1527 (approx.) — Final disintegration into five successor sultanates; Qutb Shahi Golconda established c.1518 (Sultan Quli/Qutb ul Mulk declares independence and founds Golconda line).
Bijapur (Adil Shahi dynasty) — founded by Yusuf Adil Shah (initially a Bahmani governor who established independence c.1490s; consolidated after 1518).
Ahmadnagar (Nizam Shahi) — founded by Malik Ahmad Nizam-ul-Mulk (c.1490s).
Berar (Imad Shahi / others) — regional governors asserted autonomy; later states in Berar region.
Golconda / Qutb Shahi (Golconda Sultanate) — Sultan Quli (Qutb-ul-Mulk) declared independence c.1518 and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty (Golconda).
Bidar / Barid (Barid Shahi) — Barid family under Qasim Barid and Amir Barid became de facto rulers in Bidar and later asserted autonomy.
These successor polities carried forward the Bahmani administrative and cultural patterns while competing with one another and with Vijayanagara; they formed the political landscape of the Deccan until the Mughal expansions of the 17th century.
Significance: institutionalised Indo-Islamic rule in the Deccan, patronage of Deccani Urdu/Dakhini and Persian culture, innovations in administration and land revenue, and long-term geopolitical impact by spawning the five successor sultanates.
Founder : Zafar Khan or Hasan Gangu or Allauddin Hassan or Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah
Capitals: Gulbarga (Ahsanabad) 1347–c.1425; Bidar (Muhammadabad) from c.1425 onward (major shift under Ahmad Shah I).
Religion: Sunni Islam (state); major Sufi presence and a large Hindu populace.
Languages: Persian (court/administration), Dakhini/Deccani Urdu, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi; Arabic for religious scholarship.
Religion: Sunni Islam (state); major Sufi presence and a large Hindu populace.
Languages: Persian (court/administration), Dakhini/Deccani Urdu, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi; Arabic for religious scholarship.
Currency
The Bahmani Sultanate issued a sophisticated and highly valued coinage, primarily in gold, silver, and copper.
Gold Coins: The most famous gold coin was the Half Gani and the Gani, but their premier gold coin was the Mohur (or Ashrafi). These coins were known for their high purity and fine calligraphy.
Silver Coins: The standard silver coin was the Tanka. Later, a heavier silver coin called the Mahmudi(named after Sultan Mahmud Shah) became very popular and was widely used in trade.
Copper Coins: Coins like the Jital were used for smaller, everyday transactions.
The Bahmani Sultanate issued a sophisticated and highly valued coinage, primarily in gold, silver, and copper.
Gold Coins: The most famous gold coin was the Half Gani and the Gani, but their premier gold coin was the Mohur (or Ashrafi). These coins were known for their high purity and fine calligraphy.
Silver Coins: The standard silver coin was the Tanka. Later, a heavier silver coin called the Mahmudi(named after Sultan Mahmud Shah) became very popular and was widely used in trade.
Copper Coins: Coins like the Jital were used for smaller, everyday transactions.
1. Major Achievements
Architectural Innovation:
Indo-Saracenic Style: The Bahmanis pioneered a distinct architectural style that blended Persian, Turkish, and Indian elements. This set the template for all subsequent Deccan Sultanates.Gulbarga: The Jama Masjid in Gulbarga is a unique example of a mosque without a courtyard, covered entirely by a large dome and smaller domes, resembling a Persian prayer hall.
Bidar: The shift to Bidar under Ahmad Shah I Wali led to massive construction. The Bidar Fort is a magnificent example of military and civic architecture, with its formidable walls, palaces, and the famous Madrasa of Mahmud Gawan, a premier center of Islamic learning in the 15th century.
Administrative System:
They established a highly centralized administration divided into eight provinces called Tarafs, each under a Tarafdar (governor). This system was more organized than its predecessors in the region.Cultural Synthesis:
Development of Deccani Urdu: The Sultanate was the cradle for the development of Dakhini/Deccani Urdu. As Persian interacted with local languages (Marathi, Kannada, Telugu) and the speech of the Muslim settlers, a new literary language emerged, which would later evolve into modern Urdu and Hindi.Sufism: The state strongly patronized Sufi saints, whose shrines (like that of Khwaja Banda Nawaz in Gulbarga) became and remain important cultural and religious centers, promoting a message of harmony.
Military Prowess:
The Bahmanis were a formidable military power, known for their effective use of artillery and cavalry. They were locked in a near-constant struggle for supremacy with the Vijayanagara Empireto their south, most famously winning the Battle of Talikota in 1565 (though by this time, the Sultanate had fractured, the successor states united for this victory).2. Origins and rise
Founder: Zafar Khan (b. c.1290), later known as Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah (also called Hasan Gangu / Alla-ud-Din Hassan).
Founding story (traditional): A narrative preserved in many histories: Hasan, of Afghan/Ghor noble origin, faced political misfortune, became attached to a Brahmin astrologer (Gango Pandit) near Delhi, adopted the name Gangu/‘Gangu’s protegé’ in gratitude, entered Tughluq service and rose to command. He joined Deccan amirs’ rebellion against the Tughluqs, returned to the Deccan (c. 1346), besieged and captured Gulbarga (Daulatabad region), was declared sovereign when Nasir-ud-Din Ismail Shah (Ismail Mukh) abdicated in his favour (3 Aug 1347). The polity consolidates between 1347 and c.1350 and is usually dated from 1347 (foundation at Hasanabad/Gulbarga) or 1350 (formal consolidation).
Early expansion: Consolidation of the Deccan, campaigns versus Warangal (Kakatiya successor polities) and repeated wars with Vijayanagara; territorial extent reached from Wainganga (north) to Krishna (south) and Bhongir/Daulatabad (east–west) by mid-14th century.
Founding story (traditional): A narrative preserved in many histories: Hasan, of Afghan/Ghor noble origin, faced political misfortune, became attached to a Brahmin astrologer (Gango Pandit) near Delhi, adopted the name Gangu/‘Gangu’s protegé’ in gratitude, entered Tughluq service and rose to command. He joined Deccan amirs’ rebellion against the Tughluqs, returned to the Deccan (c. 1346), besieged and captured Gulbarga (Daulatabad region), was declared sovereign when Nasir-ud-Din Ismail Shah (Ismail Mukh) abdicated in his favour (3 Aug 1347). The polity consolidates between 1347 and c.1350 and is usually dated from 1347 (foundation at Hasanabad/Gulbarga) or 1350 (formal consolidation).
Early expansion: Consolidation of the Deccan, campaigns versus Warangal (Kakatiya successor polities) and repeated wars with Vijayanagara; territorial extent reached from Wainganga (north) to Krishna (south) and Bhongir/Daulatabad (east–west) by mid-14th century.
Timeline of Bahmani Expansion in Telangana
1350 CE Warangal (Kaulas Fort) First fort captured; Kapaya Nayaka became a vassal. Initial foothold in Telangana.1350–1375 CE Warangal, Nalgonda, Khammam Expansion through campaigns; Bahmani governors established; local forts like Rachakonda and Devarakonda subdued. Muhammad Shah-I (r. 1358–1375) fought long wars with Vijayanagara for control over eastern Deccan.
1375–1422 CE Eastern Telangana forts Consolidation under Muhammad Shah II and Firoz Shah; forts administered via Bahmani amirs and local chiefs as tributaries.
1429 CE onwards Golconda (Hyderabad region) Shifting capitals and administrative reforms under Ahmad Shah I; Golconda fortified and became the main provincial center of Telangana.
1495–1518 CE Entire Telangana under nominal Bahmani control Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk appointed governor of Golconda (1495), overseeing Warangal, Rachakonda, Devarakonda, Koilkonda. Some local chiefs remained semi-autonomous but recognized Bahmani authority.
3. Rulers
Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah / Zafar Khan (r. 3 Aug 1347 – 11 Feb 1358)
Founder; reorganised territory into provinces; established Gulbarga (Ahsanabad) as capital; wars with Vijayanagara and Warangal; expanded frontier; institutional foundations.Muhammad Shah I (r. 11 Feb 1358 – 21 Apr 1375)
Consolidator and organiser; first sustained use of artillery vs. Vijayanagara (late 1360s); negotiated long treaty with Vijayanagara (lasting c.50 years); built Gulbarga Jama Masjid.Mujahid Shah (r. 21 Apr 1375 – 16 Apr 1378)
Continued campaigns, especially against Vijayanagara; short reign, assassinated.Daud Shah I (r. 16 Apr – 21 May 1378)
Brief reign; assassinated/overthrown.Muhammad Shah II (r. 21 May 1378 – 20 Apr 1397)
Peaceful, culturally active reign; patron of Persian/Arabic literature, schools and welfare; adopted heirs, engaged in diplomacy.Ghiyas-ud-Din Tahmatan Shah (r. Apr – Jun 1397) & Shams-ud-Din Daud II (Jun – Nov 1397)
Short, troubled episodes of palace intrigue and regency.Firoz Shah Bahmani / Taj-ud-Din Firoz Shah (r. 16 Nov 1397 – 22 Sep 1422)
Scholar-king and administrator; patron of astronomy (observatory projects), diplomacy with Vijayanagara; military actions on western coast.Ahmad Shah I / Shihab-ud-Din Ahmad I (r. 22 Sep 1422 – 17 Apr 1436)
Shifted the capital c.1429 from Gulbarga to Bidar (Muhammadabad/Bidar) — a major administrative move; patronage of architecture and religious institutions.Ahmad Shah II / Ala-ud-Din Ahmad II (r. 17 Apr 1436 – 6 May 1458)
Continued internal factionalism (newcomers v. Dakhanis).Ala-ud-Din Humayun Shah (r. 7 May 1458 – 4 Sep 1461)
Violent suppression of rivals; appointed Khwaja Mahmud Gawan to high office (beginnings of Gawan’s rise).Nizam-ud-Din Ahmad III (r. 4 Sep 1461 – 30 Sep 1463)
Short minority reign; court regency under queen and ministers.Muhammad Shah III / Shams-ud-Din Muhammad Shah III (r. 30 Jul 1463 – 26 Mar 1482)
Reign saw the apex of Bahmani administrative competence under Mahmud Gawan (appointed c.1463–1481) who modernised revenue and administration, built Bidar’s college and madrasa, and led major military campaigns (including annexations like Goa).Mahmud Shah Bahmani II (r. 26 Mar 1482 – 27 Dec 1518)
Long reign but progressive weakening of central power; rise of powerful regional governors and ministers (Qasim Barid, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Imad-ul-Mulk); eventual loss of central control and emergence of independent powers. During this broad period (late 15th–early 16th c.) the polity fragmented into the five Deccan sultanates.(Dates above reflect the narrative you supplied. The Bahmani dynasty formally continued in various listings to 1527, but effective central authority collapsed c.1518–1527 as successor states consolidated.)
4. Administration
Central → provincial organisation: Kingdom divided into four principal provinces (tarafs): Daulatabad, Gulbarga (Ahsanabad), Bidar (Muhammadabad) and Berar; each province headed by a tarafdar/subedar.Khalisa (crown) lands: Some lands were reserved as khalisa to meet royal household expenditure; nobles received pay in cash or jagir grants.
Nobility and factions: Two broad amir groups — the older Deccanis (local/long-established Muslim elites and converts) and the Afaqi/Pardesi (newcomers from Central Asia, Iran, Iraq) — repeatedly contested power. These factional tensions contributed to later fragmentation.
Bureaucracy and revenue: Significant reforms under Khwaja Mahmud Gawan: systematic land measurement and revenue assessment, boundary fixing of villages and more centralised accounts. Officials included wazir/wakil (prime minister), mir jumla (commander), and specialized financial officers (e.g., Malik-ut-Tujjar).
Military: Relied on the amirs for troops; cavalry and infantry supported by early use of gunpowder and artillery — notable in mid-14th to 15th century battles against Vijayanagara.
5. Economy and trade
Agriculture: Backbone of revenue; state control and measurement reforms increased yield extraction.Maritime & coastal trade: Control and competition for western and eastern ports (Goa, Dabul, Machilipatnam, Rajamundry) — coastal reach extended under later rulers (Goa annexed c.1470s).
Commercial networks: Persianate court attracted merchants and financial agents; trade with Gujarat, Malwa, eastern seaboard and overseas Indian Ocean links.
Currency and revenue instruments: Standard medieval Islamic fiscal instruments (jagir, khas, customs duties); minting and royal treasuries in major capitals.
6. Society
Religious composition: Sunni Islam at the state level; substantial Hindu population and local elites (many integrated into administration — e.g., alliances, tributary chieftains like Kapaya Nayaka). Sufism (e.g., Khwaja Bande Nawaz in Gulbarga) played a major social role.Language & literary milieu: Persian used for court, administration and high literature; Arabic for religious scholarship; Dakhini/Deccani Urdu developed as a vernacular literary idiom; Telugu, Kannada and Marathi used regionally.
Social policy: Patronage of educational institutions (madrasas), charity and welfare for orphans and the poor noted in Muhammad Shah II’s reign.
7. Art, culture & architecture
Indo-Islamic architecture with Persian influence: Gulbarga and later Bidar produced mosques, tombs and madrasas featuring tall minarets, wide arches, domes, extensive use of local stone and tilework; Persian architectural elements blended with local forms. Examples: Gulbarga Jama Masjid, Bidar madrasas and Mahmud Gawan’s college.Literature & scholarship: Flourishing of Persian poetry and prose; Khwaja Mahmud Gawan wrote in Persian; Sufi literature in Dakhini and Persian; development of Deccani Urdu (Dakhini).
Visual arts & crafts: Court patronage supported calligraphy, manuscript production and crafts (Bidar later became a noted centre of steelwork, tilework and ceramics).
8. Foreign relations
Vijayanagara: Principal rival; repeated wars and shifting treaties. Notable episodes: early artillery engagements under Muhammad Shah I (1360s), long treaties, and major battles under Krishnadevaraya (early 16th c.) that contributed to Bahmani decline. Raichur and Tungabhadra doab were recurrent contested areas.Warangal (successor Telugu polities): Early campaigns secured forts (e.g., Kaulas, Golconda) and indemnities.
Khandesh, Malwa, Gujarat, Orissa: Interactions ranged from trade to military expeditions (e.g., Parenda and Kherla campaigns, raids/annexations along coastal zones).
Foreign recruits & diplomacy: Diplomatic, cultural and military links with Persia, Central Asia and the broader Islamic world via Afaqi elites.
9. Achievements and legacy
Administrative modernisation: Land measurement and more systematic revenue under Mahmud Gawan.Cultural synthesis: Institutionalized Persianate court culture blended with Deccan vernaculars (Dakhini), producing a distinctive Deccan Indo-Islamic culture.
Architectural monuments: Mosques, madrasas and civic buildings in Gulbarga and Bidar (some survive as major heritage sites).
Political legacy: The Bahmani breakup created the five Deccan sultanates (Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar, Golconda/Qutb Shahi and Bidar/Barid), which dominated 16th–17th century Deccan politics and culture.
Military & diplomatic precedent: Set stage for extended rivalry with Vijayanagara and later Mughal interactions with Deccan polities.
10. Chronology, key events & inscriptions
(Concise timeline merging your supplied dates and events.)c.1290 — Traditional birth date of Alla-ud-Din Hassan (founder).
1339 — Zafar Khan participates in anti-Tughluq uprising; exiled to Afghanistan.
1346 — Returns to Deccan; siege of Gulbarga; becomes governor under Tughluq breakdown.
3 Aug 1347 — Ismail Mukh abdicates; Zafar Khan accepted as sovereign (foundation often dated to 1347); capital at Hasanabad (Gulbarga / Ahsanabad).
1347–1358 (Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah) — Provincial reorganisation (four tarafs), wars with Warangal and Vijayanagara.
1358–1375 (Muhammad Shah I) — Campaigns vs. Warangal and Vijayanagara; first recorded artillery use (c.1367); treaty with Vijayanagara fixing boundaries at Golconda; built Gulbarga Jama Masjid.
1375–1378 (Mujahid Shah) — Campaigns to Vijayanagara; assassination (1378).
1378–1397 (Muhammad Shah II) — Peaceful cultural reign; patronage, import of grain during famine, public welfare.
1397–1422 (Firoz Shah) — Learned ruler; observatory project (Balaghat); military actions vs. Deva Raya I; 1407 victory and later diplomacy.
c.1429 — Capital shifted from Gulbarga to Bidar by Ahmad Shah I (major administrative reorientation).
1463–1481 (Muhammad Shah III / Mahmud Gawan era) — Mahmud Gawan appointed (c.1463); major administrative, revenue and educational reforms; expansion including control of Goa (c.1470s) and campaigns to Kherla and Orissa.
1481–1482 — Annexation of Kanchi (southmost point reached). False conspiracy leads to Khwaja Mahmud Gawan’s execution (1481), causing noble unrest.
1482–1518 (Mahmood Shah II) — Gradual decline in central authority; rise of powerful provincial governors (Qasim Barid, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Imad-ul-Mulk) and the seeds of fragmentation.
c.1490s–1518 — Regional governors assert independence: formation of Ahmadnagar (Nizam), Bijapur (Adil Shahi), Berar, Golconda (Qutb Shahi declared 1518), and Bidar/Barid families; repeated defeats by Vijayanagara under Krishnadevaraya (notably 1509–1512 campaigns: Dony, Kovelaconda, Gulbarga/Raichur offensives).
1518–1527 (approx.) — Final disintegration into five successor sultanates; Qutb Shahi Golconda established c.1518 (Sultan Quli/Qutb ul Mulk declares independence and founds Golconda line).
11. Successor states / vassals
After the effective decline of central Bahmani authority (early 16th century) the Bahmani polity fragmented into the principal “five Deccan sultanates” (sometimes enumerated slightly differently in sources):Bijapur (Adil Shahi dynasty) — founded by Yusuf Adil Shah (initially a Bahmani governor who established independence c.1490s; consolidated after 1518).
Ahmadnagar (Nizam Shahi) — founded by Malik Ahmad Nizam-ul-Mulk (c.1490s).
Berar (Imad Shahi / others) — regional governors asserted autonomy; later states in Berar region.
Golconda / Qutb Shahi (Golconda Sultanate) — Sultan Quli (Qutb-ul-Mulk) declared independence c.1518 and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty (Golconda).
Bidar / Barid (Barid Shahi) — Barid family under Qasim Barid and Amir Barid became de facto rulers in Bidar and later asserted autonomy.
These successor polities carried forward the Bahmani administrative and cultural patterns while competing with one another and with Vijayanagara; they formed the political landscape of the Deccan until the Mughal expansions of the 17th century.
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