| Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah | |||||
| 1stBahmani Sultan | |||||
| Reign | 3 August 1347 – 10 February 1358 | ||||
| Predecessor | Position established | ||||
| Successor | Mohammed Shah I | ||||
| Born | Zafar Khan 1290–1292[1][2] Ghazni (present-dayAfghanistan) | ||||
| Died | 10 February 1358 (aged 65–68)[3] | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Issue | Sultan Muhammed Shah I, Prince Mahmud, Prince Dawood | ||||
| |||||
Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah (bornZafar Khan;Persian:علاء الدين بهمن شاه; 1290–1292 – 10 February 1358)[4] was the founder and Sultan of theBahmani Sultanate from 3 August 1347 until his death in 1358.
Abd-al-Malek Esami, a contemporary historian of the time, states that Bahman Shah was born inGhazni,Afghanistan.[5] He was either ofAfghan orTurk origin.[6][7][8]Encyclopedia Iranica states him to be aKhorasani adventurer, who claimed descent fromBahram Gur.[5] Ferishta mentions that later poets "who wanted to flatter him" called Bahman Shah a descendant of Bahram Gur, but considers it implausible.[9]Andre Wink, known for his studies onIndia, stated that he was an Afghan.[10] According to the medieval historianFerishta, his obscurity makes it difficult to track his origin, but he is nonetheless stated as of Afghan birth.[11] Bahman Shah has also been attributed the name Hasan Gangu, which has been considered a corruption of his fathers name.[12]
In 1339, Zafar Khan participated in an uprising against theTughlaqs.[specify][where?] This turned out unsuccessful; he and his allies were exiled to Afghanistan the same year. He managed to return to the Deccan, and in 1346 he participated in a siege ofGulbarga, at the time under Tughlaq control. The siege proved successful.[13]
He was made a governor. Zafar Khan rose to power during theRebellion of Ismail Mukh and in 1347 he was made commander of an army inDaulatabad. On 3 August 1347, the Afghan noble Nasir-ud-Din Ismail Shah, also known as Ismail Mukh, whom the rebelamirs of the Deccan placed on the throne of Daulatabad in 1345, abdicated in favor of Zafar Khan, resulting in the establishment of the Bahmani Sultanate with its headquarters at Hasanabad (Gulbarga).[14][15][16] He was in charge of a three cityjagir, with his main rule atMiraj.[17]
Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah aspired to expand his dominion as far asRameswaram, Ma'abar, or theCoromandel Coast, and subsequently aimed to conquer territories such asMalwa,Gujarat,Gwalior, and Delhi itself. However, his advisor, Malik Saifuddin Ghori, cautioned against this endeavor, citing the dense jungles and challenging terrain in the southern regions as unsuitable for a successful campaign.[18] Instead, Malik advised the king to first pacify theDeccan plateau before advancing towards Malwa and Gujarat. Following this counsel, the king directed his military commanders to subdue various areas in the Deccan still held by those opposing his rule. Husain Gurshasp was tasked withKotgir andQandhar (Nanded), Raziud-din Qutb ul-Mulk with the southwest, Malik Maqbul (now Qir Khan) with Kalyani, Sikandar Khan withTelangana, and Ainu’d-din Kwaja-i Jahan led the army fromMiraj toGulbarga.[18]
The initial campaign was led by Gurshasp, who learned en route to Kodgir that the Tughlaq garrison stationed at Qandhar had switched allegiance to a new ruler, prompting the Hindu general Akraj to flee into the forests. Gurshasp then proceeded towards Qandhar, where he personally accepted the garrison's allegiance on behalf of Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah. Subsequently, he advanced towards Kodgir, compelling its garrison to surrender and securing the city without resorting to plunder, opting instead to safeguard both the city and its populace.[19]
Qutb ul-Mulk, dispatched to the southwest, successfully seized control of Maram, Mahendri, andAkkalkot, renaming the latter as Sayedabad. He issued a decree granting pardon to all who pledged allegiance. Furthermore, Qutb returned all confiscated possessions to their rightful owners and ensured the safety of local Hindu landlords. He strictly prohibited any plunder by his troops. Despite commanding a relatively small army, Qutb ul-Mulk's efficient leadership brought the entire region under the protection ofDaulatabad.[19]
Qir Khan embarked on the mission to seize the formidable Kalyan fort, later known as the Basavakalyan fort, but encountered resistance as it was unprepared to yield. Following a grueling five-month siege, the Tughlaq garrison finally capitulated. Qir Khan accepted their surrender, ensuring the safety of all lives and properties within the fort.[19]
Upon establishing an independent kingdom, Zafar Khan took the title ofAbu'l-Muzaffar Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah.[16][20] He gave Ismail Mukh ajagir nearJamkhandi and later conferred to him the highest title of his kingdom,Amir-ul-Umara. But Narayana, a local Hindu chieftain still succeeded in turning Ismail against Bahman Shah for a short period before he poisoned Ismail.[21]
Bahman Shah led his first campaign againstWarangal in 1350 and forced its ruler Kapaya Nayaka to cede to him the fortress ofKaulas. His kingdom was divided into four provinces and he appointed a governor for each province.[21] During his reign Hasan fought many wars withVijayanagara. By the time of his death the kingdom stretched from north to south from theWainganga River toKrishna and east to west fromBhongir to Daulatabad.[22]
He was succeeded by his sonMohammed Shah I after his death in 1358.[22]
This man was called Hasan. He was born in the year 1290 (A.D.) and was in very humble circumstances.
Zafar Khan alias Alauddin Hasan Gangu ('Ala al-Din Hasan Bahman Shah), an Afghan or a Turk soldier, revolted against Delhi and established the Muslim Kingdom of Bahmani on August 3 in the South (Madura) and ruled as Sultan Alauddin Bahman Shah.
In the early fourteenth century, the Muslim Bahmani kingdom of the Deccan emerged following Alauddin's conquest of the south. Zafar Khan, an Afghan general and governor appointed by Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq, was victorious against the troops of the Delhi Sultanate, establishing the Bahmani kingdom with its capital at Ahsanabad (modern-day Gulbarga).
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Bahmani Sultan 3 August 1347 – 10 February 1358 | Succeeded by |