Deccan Sultanates: Map & History

Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I who was the son of Nizam-ul-Mulk Malik Hasan Bahri established the kingdom. His Family were the Brahmin Kulkarnis of Pathri, a town in Marathwada. Either as a result of religious persecution or famine, his ancestors came to Vijayanagar Empire. Ahmed's father was made prime minister on the death of Mahmud Gawan and was made Malik Na'ib by Mahmood Shah Bahmani II. Soon after, he appointed Ahmed governor of Beed and other districts in the vicinity of Dowlutabad. After the death of his father, Ahmed assumed the title of Nizam ul-Mulk Bahri from his father, the latter signifying a falcon, as Hasan had been a falconer to the Sultan.

From Wikipedia: Ahmadnagar Sultanate · History: Establishment (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Under the reigns of successive rulers of the dynasty, architecture and art flourished in the kingdom. The earliest extant school of painting in the Deccan sultanates is from Ahmadnagar. Several palaces, such as the Farah Bakhsh Bagh, The Hasht Bihisht Bagh and Lakkad Mahal were built, as were tombs, mosques and other buildings. Many forts of the Deccan, such as the fort of Junnar (later renamed Shivneri), Paranda, Ausa, Dharur, Lohagad, etc., were greatly improved under their reign. Daulatabad, which was their secondary capital, was also heavily fortified and constructed during their reign. Literature was heavily patronised in the kingdom, as seen through manuscripts such as the Tarif-i Husain Shah Badshah-i Dakan. Sanskrit scholarship was also given a boost under their rule, as demonstrated by the works of Sabaji Pratap and Bhanudatta.

From Wikipedia: Ahmadnagar Sultanate · Culture: Art (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Despite Ahmadnagar city being incorporated into the Mughal Empire, much of the former kingdom still remained in the possession of influential officials of the Nizam Shahi dynasty. Malik Ambar and other Ahmadnagar officials defied the Mughals and declared Murtaza Nizam Shah II as sultan in 1600 at a new capital in Paranda. Malik Ambar became prime minister and vekīl-us-saltanat of Ahmadnagar. Later, the capital was shifted, first to Junnar and Ausa and then to a new city called Khadki (later Aurangabad).

From Wikipedia: Ahmadnagar Sultanate · History: Malik Ambar and the demise of the sultanate (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Bidar Sultanate made considerable additions to the Bidar Fort. Their tombs, the Barid Shahi tombs, were their main architectural pursuits, and are also located at Bidar. The rulers employed Hindu architects and engineers for the construction of these buildings, which resulted in amalgamation of some Hindu features within the architecture of this period.

From Wikipedia: Bidar Sultanate · Culture: Architecture (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Yusuf impressed the Bahmani sultan Muhammad Shah III, and he was appointed governor of Bijapur. Yusuf took advantage of Bahmani decline to establish himself as an independent sultan at Bijapur in 1490, pursuing the same goal Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I had that year. He proclaimed Shi'a Islam as the official religion of his territorial holdings in 1503, following the lead of Isma'il I of the Safavid dynasty. Yusuf conquered and annexed the Bahmani taraf of Gulbarga the following year and reinstated Shia Islam in his realm shortly afterwards, a year after he revoked it under threat of invasion from his neighbours. A Portuguese Empire colonial expedition led by Afonso de Albuquerque exerted pressure on the major Adil Shahi port of Goa, conquering it in 1510; Yusuf retook the settlement two months later, but the Portuguese again conquered it in November of that year.

From Wikipedia: Bijapur Sultanate · History: Founding and consolidation (1490–1580) (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The sultanate's architecture, a subset of Deccani architecture, was a variant of Indo-Islamic architecture influenced by that of the Middle East. Adil Shahi architecture was of good quality with a localized, unique nature. It was characterised by large domes and dargahs (Sufi shrines), complex turrets, geometric and Arabic (or Persian) calligraphic designs, and decorated friezes of tholobates.

From Wikipedia: Bijapur Sultanate · Culture: Architecture (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ali I had no son, and his nine-year-old nephew Ibrahim II was set on the throne in 1580. Control of the regency was contested by Kamal Khan and, later, by the Habshi Dilawar Khan (who reverted the state religion to Sunni Islam). Dilawar was deposed by Ibrahim II in 1590. Ibrahim's rule was characterised by prosperity and patronage; Sufism thrived, with its adherents and others flocking to Bijapur because of his talent as a musician and poet. Religious and cultural syncretism reached a zenith, and the capital was one of India's most prosperous; population estimates in the latter half of Ibrahim's rule are as high as one million, and accounts from a Jesuit in Ali I's rule and a Mughal diplomat in the same period of Ibrahim's rule indicate the increase of wealth of the commoners and city. Ibrahim suppressed a 1594 rebellion by his brother, Ismail, who was aided by Burhan II of Ahmednagar.

From Wikipedia: Bijapur Sultanate · History: Peak and decline (1580–1686) (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Qutb Shahi Kingdom was a highly centralized state. The sultan enjoyed absolute executive judicial and military powers. When he was away, a regent carried to carry on the administration on behalf of the king. The Peshwa (Prime Minister) was the highest official of the sultanate. He was assisted by a number of ministers, including Mir Jumla (finance minister), Kotwal (police commissioner), and Khazanadar (treasurer).

From Wikipedia: Golconda Sultanate · Administration (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Golconda Sultanate was notoriously wealthy. While its primary source of revenue was a land tax, the sultanate greatly profited from its monopoly on diamond production from mines in the southern districts of the kingdom. The sultanate also had control over the Krishna and Godavari deltas, giving it access to craft production in the villages of the area, where goods like textiles were produced. The town of Masulipatnam served as the Golconda Sultanate's primary seaport for the export of diamonds and textiles. The kingdom reached the peak of its financial prosperity in the 1620s and 1630s.

From Wikipedia: Golconda Sultanate · Economy (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Qutb Shahis were patrons of Persianate Shia culture. Over the first 90 years of their rule (c. 1518 – 1600), they championed Persian culture. Their official edicts and court language were in Persian only. Quli Qutb Mulk's court became a haven for Persian culture and literature. In early 17th-century, with Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580–1612) a change began. He began to patronize the Telugu language and culture as well. Edicts began to be issued both in Persian and Telugu. Towards the end of the dynasty, these were primarily in Telugu with a summary in Persian. As they adopted Telugu, they saw their territory as the Telugu-speaking region, states Indologist Richard Eaton, with their elites considering the rulers as "Telugu Sultans".

From Wikipedia: Golconda Sultanate · Culture (CC BY-SA 4.0)