Firuz Shah Bahmani; The multi-faceted Bahmani ruler

In 1397 Taj-ud-din Firuz Shah, popularly known as Firuz Shah Bahmani, usurped the throne of the Bhamani kingdom which came into existence in 1347 in the Deccan as a revolt against the rule of the Tughlaq Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq of the Delhi Sultanate.

The most famous ruler of the Bahmani kingdom, Firuz Shah was a grandson Alauddin Hasan Bahmani, the founder of the dynasty. Sayyid Ali Tabataba, the author of Burhan-i-Ma'asir, describes him as ' a good, just, and generous king, who supported himself by copying the Quran’. According to him, Firuz "was an impetuous and a mighty monarch, and expended all his ability and energy in eradicating and destroying tyranny and heresy, and he took much pleasure in the society of the Shekhs, learned men and hermits".

An interesting personality in the history of Deccan, Firuz Shah is counted among the most learned rulers of his time. Endowed with a prodigious memory and keen intellect, he was a linguist and could converse freely with his wives of varied nationalities in their own tongues. He was fond of music.

Firuz Shah Bahmani was not immune from vices. Addicted to hard drinking, he like many other medieval rulers, was a blood thirsty tyrant. He won two battles against the Hindu Vijayanagar kingdom in 1398 and 1406. After these victories, he took delight in massacre of the populace and left “the roads littered with the bodies of the slaughtered Hindus”. Firuz Bahmani entered into a new relationship with Vijayanagar ruler Deva Raya by marrying his daughter. The wedding ceremony was celebrated in the capital of Vijayanagar with great pomp and show.

However, when Firuz was defeated in his third expedition against the Hindu Kingdom in 1420 at Pangul, to the north of the Krishna, he fled from the battlefield when his commander-in-chief, Mir Fazl-ullah Inju, was killed. The Vijayanagar army mercilessly put hordes of the Muslim subjects of the Bahmani kingdom into sword and demolished several mosques in vengeance.  

This defeat took a heavy toll on Firuz’s mind and body and he lost interest in the affairs of the state which he left in the hands of his slaves, Hushyar 'Ain-ul-mulk and Nizam Bidar-ul-mulk. He was succeeded by his brother Ahmad who forced him to abdicate the throne in his favour. According to Burhan-i-Ma'asir, Firuz was murdered by Ahmad, while Ferishta says his death was natural.

Ruknuddin Kaikaus

Ruknuddin Kaikaus was the independent ruler of Bengal who ruled from 1291 to 1300 AD. He succeeded to the throne after his father Bughra Khan, son of Delhi Sultan Balban, decided to abdicate the Bengal throne in his favour. 

Futuh –us-Sulatin by Isami

Born in 1311 AD, Khwaja Abd Malik Isami has written a political history called Futuh–us-Sulatin, dedicated to the founder of the Bahmani kingdom, Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah. 

Composed in a form of an epic, Futuh –us-Sulatin begins with the rise of the Ghaznavi dynasty and concludes with the reign of Sultan Muhamamd bin Tughlaq.

According to Isami, Balban became the ruler of the Slave dynasty by murdering his predecessor and son-in-law Nasir-ud-din Mahmud. Regarding the rationale of shifting his capital from Delhi to Deogir (Daultabad) in the Deccan by Muhamamd bin Tughlaq,  this fourteen century historian says that the decision was taken as Daultabad was centrally located and consequently safe from the Mongol invasion, a recurrent feature during the period.

Burhan-i-Ma'asir

Burhan-i-Ma'asir, named after Burhan Nizam Shah II of Nizam Shahi dynasty of the Muslim kingdom of Ahmadnagar, is written by Sayyid Ali Tabataba who came to India from Persia in 1580. Tabataba started writing Burhan-i-Ma'asir in 1591-1592 and finished it in 1595-1596.

Burhan-i-Ma'asir describes the events pertaining to the Bahmani kingdom and its subsequent break-up into five Muslim dynasties in the South India. 

Muslim Sultanate of Madurai

No less than eighteen rebellions took place during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the second ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. One such rebellion challenging his authority came from Jalal-ud-din Ahsan Shah, governor of Malabar, who cashing in on the Sultan's military preoccupations in Northern India, declared his independence in A.D. 1335 and struck gold and silver coins in his own name.

Thus came into being the independent Muslim Sultanate of Madurai. 

The Madurai Sultanate, however, proved short-lived. 

The kingdom was annexed to the resurgent Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar in 1378. The victory has been celebrated in the Sanskrit epic poem of great merit Madura Vijayam (Conquest of Madurai) or Kamparaya-Charitam (History of Kampanna), composed by Ganga Devi, queen of Vira Kampanna, who led the Vijayanagar army. Vira Kampanna was the son of Bukka I, co-founder of Vijayanagar empire. 

Jalal-ud-din Ahsan Shah was also the father-in-law of the famous Arab traveller from Morocco, Ibn Batutah who had visited the Madurai Sultanate in 1344.

William Hawkins

One of the first Englishmen to come to the Mughal court during the reign of fourth Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Captain William Hawkins was sent as ambassador by the British King James I to the Mughal court. Though favourbaly received by Jahangir, he was unsuccessful in securing the permit to settle at Surat due the opposition of the Portuguese and the merchants of Surat. He was given a mansab of 400 by Jahangir. 
 

Hawkins remained at the Mughal court from 1609 to 1611. He has left a valuable account of his experiences in India.

Adham Khan's Conquest of Malwa

                                Tomb of Adham Khan/ Wikimedia Commons

One of the powerful nobles of the Mughal empire during Akbar’s reign, Adham Khan was the son of Maham Anaga, the foster mother of the Mughal emperor Akabr. He was sent by Akbar to conquer Malwa in 1561 which he accomplished with oppressive measures.

According to some school of thought, one of the causes for the invasion of Malwa was Adham Khan’s infatuation for Rupmati, the queen of Baz Bahadur, the ruler of Malwa. Baz Bahadur, who had hitherto neglected the administration of his kingdom, awoke from his slumber and faced the enemies but was defeated in the battle of Sarangpur and fled to Khandesh and Burhanpur. All his treasure and several other wives fell into the hands of Adham Khan whose methods to conquer Malwa and their oppression in the Malwa kingdom have been described by the contemporary historian Badauni, who had accompanied the Mughal army. 

When it was found that Rupmati ran the risk of being captured by Adham Khan, a eunuch of Baz Bahadur's harem caused wound to her with a sword. She later consumed poison and killed herself.

After hearing that Adham Khan, who was known for his contumacious spirit, had retained all the ladies, dancing girls, musicians and singers of Baz Bahadu and other spoils, Akbar was displeased and proceeded to Malwa. His movement was so fast that messengers sent by Maham Anaga were not able to communicate Adham Khan about the impeding visit of Akbar.

Irked at Adham Khan’s behaviour,  Akbar, who now wanted to come out of the influence of Maham Anaga and his son, appointed Shamsu-d din Muhammad Khan Atga as Prime Minister. This incensed Adham Khan so much that he murdered Atga. 

Unable to bear his handedness, Akbar got Adham Khan killed in Agra in 1562. His mother Maham Anaga who exercised undue influence on Akbar, died of anger and grief forty days after his son’s death.

Akbar, however, accorded due respect to both of them after their death and got them respectfully buried in a tomb in Mehrauli in Delhi.