Introduction
The Bahmani Kingdom (1347-1527 CE), founded by a rebel Delhi Sultanate governor, became
the leading Muslim power in the Deccan for nearly two centuries — locked in near-continuous rivalry with
the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire to its south, before eventually fragmenting into five successor Sultanates.
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Image space — add illustration here
Suggested: Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur — one of the grandest domed structures inherited from Bahmani-successor architecture
Suggested visual: Deccan Sultanate architecture (Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur)
Founding
- Founded by Alauddin Bahman Shah (Hasan Gangu), a Delhi Sultanate governor in the Deccan, who rebelled against Muhammad bin Tughlaq's rule in 1347 CE.
- Capital initially at Gulbarga, later shifted to Bidar.
Bahmani-Vijayanagara Rivalry
The two kingdoms fought numerous wars over the fertile Raichur Doab region (between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers) and control of key ports — a rivalry that persisted across generations of rulers on both sides, shaping much of Deccan political history through the 14th-16th centuries.
Mahmud Gawan — Key Administrator
- A Persian merchant who rose to become the Bahmani Kingdom's most capable and influential Prime Minister (Wazir) under Muhammad Shah III.
- Introduced significant administrative reforms — reorganised provinces (increased from 4 to 8 for better control), standardised revenue measurement, and curbed the power of nobles.
- Built the famous Mahmud Gawan Madrasa at Bidar, a centre of Islamic learning.
- Executed in 1481 CE on suspicion of treason (widely regarded by historians as based on false accusations) — his death is often cited as accelerating the kingdom's subsequent decline.
Break-up into Five Deccan Sultanates
Flowchart — Fragmentation of the Bahmani Kingdom (by c. 1527 CE)
Bahmani Kingdom (weakened after Mahmud Gawan's execution)
↓
Bijapur (Adil Shahi)
Golconda (Qutb Shahi)
Ahmadnagar (Nizam Shahi)
↓
Bidar (Barid Shahi)
Berar (Imad Shahi)
These five "Deccan Sultanates" collectively defeated Vijayanagara at the Battle of Talikota (1565 CE) before eventually being absorbed into the Mughal Empire in the 17th century (covered further in the Deccan States chapter).
✅ UPSC Focus: Alauddin Bahman Shah's rebellion against Tughlaq authority · Mahmud Gawan's administrative reforms and Bidar madrasa · Raichur Doab as the core Bahmani-Vijayanagara flashpoint · The five successor Sultanates and their combined victory at Talikota.