Rise of Provincial Dynasties

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Bengal

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Overview

Nobles used to act de facto in this region.
Bugra Khan son of Balban was appointed as governor in 1281.
Ghiyasuddin and Muhammad Tughlaq took marches against Bengal.
@ Ilyas Shah (1342-57), emerged as a powerful ruler in Bengal. He was succeeded by Sikandar Shah. Feroz Tughlaq invaded during his reign.
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (1389-1409) was a popular ruler who succeeded his father, Sikandar.
Ruknuddin Barbek (1459-74) embarked upon an expansionist policy with the help of Abyssinian slaves who later usurped power
Alauddin Hussain Shah reclaimed power hi expanded towards Saran and Bihar; Sylhet and Chittagong; and Hajo and Mandaran.

Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah 1389-1409

most famous sultan was known for his love of justice.
~ had close relations w/ lerned men including Persian poet Hafiz of Shiraz.
! Re-established friendly relations with Chinese -> led to growth of overseas trade and Chittagong became a flourishing port.
Bengal exported fine quality textiles and reexported Chinese goods.
$ Mahuan was Chinese envoy’s interpreter who left description of trade.
Various sufis came were given rent free lands. They were the reason for widespread conversion of Eastern Bengal where Buddhism was prevalent along with poverty.

Alauddin Hussain 1493-1519

@ Maladhar Basu compiler of Sri Krishna Vijaya was patronised and granted title of Gunaraja Khan. This was before his reign.
Many famous Bengali writers flourished during his rule.
restored law and order, adopted a liberal policy by offering high offices to Hindus. Ex his Wazir, Physician, Bodyguard etc
~ Krittibas who translated Ramayana into Bengali.
AH also gave freedom of profession to Chaitanya

Kashmir

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Was a forbidden land to all outsiders. A/C to Albiruni entry into Kashmir not allowed to those not personally known to nobles.
Centre of Shaivism. Mongol attack in 1320 by Dulucha led to wholesale massacre.

Zainul Abidin 1420-1470

Before him Sikandar Shah had ordered systematic persecution of Hindus to convert them to Islam.
greatest Muslim monarch of Kashmir during this time Saints and refugees from Central Asia continued to come in.
! Sufi saints called Rishis rose combined features of Hinduism and Islam.
Lower classes converted to Islam. Cancelled all orders of Sikandar Shah and brought back non Muslim Kashmiris who had fled.
@ Restored libraries to Hindus, those who pretended to be Muslim could revert back to their religion
- Abolished Jiziya and banned cow slaughter. Hindus were given high rank in govt.
Well versed in Persian, Kashmiri, Sanskrit and Tibetan language. Mahabharat and Kalhan’s Rajtarangini were translated to Persian.
@ Sent 2 person to Samarkand to learn art of paper making and book binding. Patronised crafts ex stone cutting, bottle making, gold beating, shawl making.
- Musket making and manufacturing fireworks also dev.
- made dams, canals, bridges. Zaina Lanka - artificial island in Wular lake was built.
Aka Bud Shah/ Great Sultan.

Jonaraja’s account

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Gujarat

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Ahmad Shah 1411-42

! was real founder; shifted capital from Patan to Ahmedabad.
@ was a greate builder who drew on rich arch tradition of Jains. Its features were :
- Slender Turrets, stone carvings, ornate brackets.
- Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad ad Tin Darwaza are ex.
Attacked pilgrim center at Sidhpur and destroyed it. Imposed Jizya and Peshkash.
However, he inducted Hindus in govt ex Manik Chand and Motichand.
Very strict in justice had his son in law executed.
Bitter rivalry w/ Malwa weakened both empires.

Mahmud Begarha 1459-1511

Most famous sultan; was named Begarha after he captured 2 strongest forts of Girnar and Champaner.
Brought Sarurashtra under full control . Founded Mustafabad in Girnar which was made the 2nd Capital.
Captured Dwarka which was base of pirates and razed many Hindu temples there.
@ Founded Muhammadabad in Champaner. Jama Masjid still remains there which has many Jain principles in it.
Joined hands w/ ruler of Egypt to check Portugues.
~ Udayaraja was his court poet. Many works translated from Arabic to Perisan.
$ Barbosa says that from childhood he was nourished on some poison that if a flu settled on his hand it died.
Had a voracious appetite eating 10-15 kilos of food/day.

Lekhapaddati as Source of Society and Economy

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Conflict b/w Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, Portuguese and Mughals

BS sent embassy to Ottomans during Suleiman’s rule seeking support against P.
Fleet under Sulaiman Rais was despatched to aid BS. One of the 2 turkish official to arrive was Rumi Khan master gunner.
1531 P attacked Daman and Diu. Rumi Khan repulsed the attack -> P building a fort lower down the coast.
Mughals attacked Gujarat during this time. BS allied w/ Portugues but died shortly after.
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Malwa

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Dilawar Khan Ghori (d. A.D. 1406), the Tughluq governor of Malwa, assumed independence in the year A.D. 1401-02.
occupied areas from Nimar, Sauyar, Damoh and Chanderi.
had matrimonial alliance with Khandesh and friendly relations with Muzaffar Shah of Gujarat.
Hoshang Shah regained control after set backs from Muzaffar Gujarati.
occupied Kherla and Gagraun but withdrew from Gwalior.
His successor Muhammad Shah was incompetent he was over taken by Mahmud Khalji

Mahmud Khalji 1436-69

Most powerful of Malwa rulers
Mahmud followed a policy of appeasement and distributed iqta and high posts.
~ He undertook many campaigns against Rana Kumbha of Mewar from 1437 onwards.
- Destroyed many temples during his struggle w/ Rana Kumbha
Kalpi was another bone of contention between Malwa and Jaunpur.
Ghiyas shah was successor of Hoshang shah he concentrated on consollidation.

Bahmanids

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Bahmani Kingdom

Various revolts from Amiran i sadah who were nobles controlling 100 villages in Deccan during the rule of Muhammad Tughluq laid the foundations of the Bahmani Kingdom.
@ established by Hasan Gangu aka Bahman Shah who came to the throne after Ismail Shah abdicated in 1347.
$ The details about their reigns were provided by Ferishta and travellers like Nicolo Conti, Duarte Barbosa.
- Ferishta in 17th cent wrote that Hasan was raised under a Brahman called Gangu thus his name.

Firuz Shah Bahmani 1397-1422

@ most remarkable B ruler; knew religious science, commentaries of Quran, Logic, botany, geometry.
was poet and composed verses, spoke Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi.
@ Decline of DS led to migration of learned men to Deccan.
inducted Hindus in administration on a large scale providing balance from influx of foreigner Afaqis.
Jiziya was not taken, Majority Sunnis did not persecute Shiias.
~ encouraged astronomy and built observator near Daulatabad.
Deva Raya I defeated him.
! Ahmad Shah I suceeded him who was a disciple of Gesu Daraz who sifted the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.

Mahmud Gawan 1463-82

Was Iranian by birth who steadily rose to throught the ranks.
He fought against Gajpati Rulers joining hands w/ Vijayanagar. He overran western coastal areas including Dabhol and Goa against Vijayanagar.
warred w/ Mahmud of Khalji of Malwa for Berar.
Made deep raids into Vijayanagar territories capturing TB doab
@ Carried out various reforms esp to curb power of Nobles.
- Old provinces further sub divided into 8, governor of fort directly appt by Sultan.
- Salaries of each noble fixed paid in cash or jagir.
- Every province was to have Khalisa land
Great Patron of arts. Built Madrasa college in Bidar
@ After he was executed by the young sultan Bahmani kingdom divided into 5 principalities Golconda, Bijapur, Ahamdnagar, Berar and Bidar. #important

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Conquests and Consolidation

1347 - 1422 1st Phase

Raya’s of Telingana and Vijayanagra were the their main rivals.

Struggle against Vijayanagara

The early losses faced by them were due to the Velamas of Teligana and surrounding areas supporting Vijayanagra against them.

1422-1538 2nd Phase

Period was marked by the shift of capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.
Malwa and Warangal were annexed.
Alliance against Sultanate of Gujarat was formed with Khandesh
The clash b/w Deccanis and Afaqis proved to be disastrous and ended up in the disintegration of the Bahmani Kingdom in 1538.
It spilt into Berar, Bidar, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golconda.

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Conflict b/w Afaqis and Dakhnis

During Bahman Shah’s reign 3 factions helped establish the kingdom the Decaanis, the Tughluq faction that defected, and local chiefs and vassals.
@ From Alaudding Mujahid’s 1375-78 reign Afaqis who were migrants from Transoxiana, Iran and Iraq were granted high posts.
The Decannis and Habshis tried to counter the threat but they were massacred.

Central and Provincial Administration

It was organised on the basis of the Delhi Sultanate consisting of a wakil, wazir, bakshi and qazi.
The Dabir was a secratary, mufti was interpreter of law, Kotwal, muhtasib was censor of public morals. Munihians were spies.
~ The Kingdom was divided into 4 atraf or provinces viz Daulatabad, Berar, Bidar and Gulbarga each ruled by a tarafdar.
Mir Naib or viceroy was appointed in the most imp provinces like Gulbaraga.
Amir ul umara was commander of the army. Khassakhel were bodyguards. Silahdars were incharge of personal armoury of the King.

Economy

Mahmud Gawan ordered for systematic measurement of land and fixed the boundaries of villages and towns. ^87de47
- It was done to estimate the revenues in advance and also to curb corruption.
- $ The details of this has been provided by Nikitin a Russian traveller.
Horses, cloth, silk and pepper were major major mechandise for trade.

Society and Culture

The society was heterogeneous had Hindus, Muslims, Iranians, Transoxianians, Iraqis and Abyssinians.
Persian, Marathi, Dakhni, Kannada and Telugu were widely spoken.
$ Niktin mentions the difference b/w nobles and the common people.
Sufis were venerated by Bahmani rulers to legitimize their authority. They were of the Chishti, Qadiri and Shattari orders. Gesu Daraz was an important saint.
Hindu culture and tradition influenced the court.

PYQs

Political Developments and Economy: - Rise of Provincial Dynasties: Bengal, Kashmir (Zainul Abedin), Gujarat, Malwa, Bahmanids

Write a short essay on: “The Bahmani kingdom” [2005, 20m]

https://www.britannica.com/place/Bahmani-sultanate

Write a short essay on: “The Bahmani Kingdom” [2007, 20m]

https://www.britannica.com/place/Bahmani-sultanate

Assess the Lekhapaddhati as an important source for evaluating the society and economy of the thirteenth century CE with special reference to Gujarat. [2013, 15m]

Discuss the state of society and economy of the Bahmani kingdom as gleaned from historical sources. [2013, 10m]

Assess the contribution of Firoz Shah Bahamani and Mahmud Gawan in the field of education. [2016, 15 Marks]

Evaluate Jonaraja’s account of the reign of Zain-ulAbidin. [2016, 10 Marks]