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Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah (Persian: علاء الدين بهمن شاه; died 10 February 1358) whose original name was Zafar Khan or Hasan Gangu, was the founder of the Bahmani Sultanate.

Ancestry and early life

Hasan Gangu, the founder of the Bahmani Sultanate, was either of Afghan or Turk origin. Encyclopedia Iranica states him to be a Khorasani adventurer, who claimed descent from Bahram Gur. Andre Wink, known for his studies on India, stated that he was an Afghan. According to the medieval historian Ferishta, his obscurity makes it difficult to track his origin, but he is nonetheless stated as of Afghan birth. Ferishta further writes, Zafar Khan had earlier been a servant of a Brahmin astrologer at Delhi named Gangu (hence the name Hasan Gangu), and says that he was from North India. Historians have not found any corroboration for the legend, but Ziauddin Barani, who was the court chronicler of Sultan Firuz Shah, as well as some other scholars also called him Hasan Gangu. Ferishta mentions that later poets "who wanted to flatter him" called Hasan a descendant of Bahram Gur, but considers it implausible. Another theory of origin for Zafar Khan is that he was of Brahmin origin, and that Bahman is a corrupted personalized form of Brahmin, with Hasan being a Hindu Brahmin who became Muslim. However this view has been discredited by S. A. Q. Husaini, who considers the idea of a Brahmin origin or Zafar Khan originally being a Hindu convert to Islam from Punjab untenable.

In 1339, Zafar Khan participated in an uprising against the Tughlaqs. 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 of Gulbarga, at the time under Tughlaq control. The siege proved successful.

He was made a governor. Zafar Khan rose to power during the Rebellion of Ismail Mukh and in 1347 he was made commander of an army in Daulatabad. On 3 August 1347, the Afghan noble Nasir-ud-Din Ismail Shah, also known as Ismail Mukh, whom the rebel amirs 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). He was in charge of a three city jagir, with his main rule at Miraj.

Military campaigns

Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah aspired to expand his dominion as far as Rameshwaram, Ma'abar, or the Coromandel Coast, and subsequently aimed to conquer territories such as Malwa, 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. Instead, Malik advised the king to first pacify the Deccan 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 with Kotgir and Qandhar (Nanded), Raziud-din Qutb ul-Mulk with the southwest, Malik Maqbul (now Qir Khan) with Kalyani, Sikandar Khan with Telangana, and Ainu’d-din Kwaja-i Jahan led the army from Miraj to Gulbarga.

Capture of Kodgir

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.

Subjugation of Southwest region

Qutb ul-Mulk, dispatched to the southwest, successfully seized control of Maram, Mahendri, and Akkalkot, 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 of Daulatabad.

Siege of Kalyan fort

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.

Reign

Upon establishing an independent kingdom, Zafar Khan took the title of Abu'l-Muzaffar Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah. He gave Ismail Mukh a jagir near Jamkhandi 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.

Bahman Shah led his first campaign against Warangal in 1350 and forced its ruler Kapaya Nayaka to cede to him the fortress of Kaulas. His kingdom was divided into four provinces and he appointed a governor for each province. During his reign Hasan fought many wars with Vijayanagara. By the time of his death the kingdom stretched from north to south from the Wainganga River to Krishna and east to west from Bhongir to Daulatabad.

He was succeeded by his son Mohammed Shah I after his death in 1358.

References

1. Sherwani 1946, Alauddin Hassan Shah Bahamani pp.69.
2. History of the Deccan. Mittal Publications. 1990. p. 15. This man was called Hasan. He was born in the year 1290 (A.D.) and was in very humble circumstances.
3. Briggs 1909, Death of Alauddin Hassan Shah Bahamani pp. 297.
4. Shokoohy, Mehrdad (ed.), "Alauddin Hassan Shah Bahamani", Encyclopædia Iranica
5. Jenkins, Everett (2015). The Muslim Diaspora (Volume 1, 570-1500): A Comprehensive Chronology of the Spread of Islam in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, Volume 1. McFarland. p. 257. ISBN 9781476608884. 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.
6. Kulke & Rothermund 2004, p. 181: "The Bahmani sultanate of the Deccan Soon after Muhammad Tughluq left Daulatabad, the city was conquered by Zafar Khan, a Turkish or Afghan officer of unknown descent, had earlier participated in a mutiny of troops in Gujarat."
7. Kerr, Gordon (2017). A Short History of India: From the Earliest Civilisations to Today's Economic Powerhouse. Oldcastle Books Ltd. p. 160. ISBN 9781843449232. 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).
8. "Ḥasan Gāngu". Encyclopædia Iranica.
9. Wink, André (2020). The Making of the Indo-Islamic World C.700-1800 CE. Cambridge University Press. p. 87. ISBN 9781108417747.
10. Wink, Andre (1991). Indo-Islamic society: 14th - 15th centuries. BRILL. p. 144. ISBN 9781843449232.
11. Bhattacharya, Sachchidananada. A Dictionary of Indian History (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1972) p. 100
12. Cathal J. Nolan (2006). The Age of Wars of Religion, 1000-1650: An Encyclopedia of Global ..., Volym 1. pp. 437.
13. Chopdar (1951). The History and Culture of the Indian People: The Delhi sultanate. p. 248.
14. Chandra 2004, p. 177.
15. Majumdar 1967, p. 248.
16. Chopdar (20 April 1967). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 06,The Delhi Sultanate. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 248.
17. Prashad, Baini (1939). The Tabaqat-i-akbari Of Khwajah Nizamuddin Ahmad Vol.iii. Banasthali. p. 3.
18. ^ Jayanta Gaḍakarī (2000). Hindu Muslim Communalism. p. 140.
19. McCann, Michael W. (15 July 1994). Rights at Work: Pay Equity Reform and the Politics of Legal Mobilization. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-55571-3.
20. Suvorova (2000). Masnavi: A Study of Urdu. Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-19-579148-8.
21. Husaini (Saiyid.), Abdul Qadir (1960). Bahman Shāh, the Founder of the Bahmani Kingdom. Firma K.L. Mukhopadhyay. pp. 60–63.
22. M., Eaton, Richard. A Social History of the Deccan, 1300-1761 : Eight Indian Lives. pp. 40–42. ISBN 978-1-139-05390-7. OCLC 921054505.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
23. Ahmed Farooqui, Salma (2011). Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century. Pearson. p. 150. ISBN 9789332500983.
24. Mahajan, V.D. (1991). History of Medieval India, Part I, New Delhi:S. Chand, ISBN 81-219-0364-5, pp.279–80
25. ^ Bhattacharya. Indian History. p. 928
26. Proceedings, Indian History Congress (Part 2 ed.). Indian History Congress. 2007. p. 1443. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
27. ^ Sherwani, Haroon Khan (1985). The Bahmanis of the Deccan. Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 51–52.
28. ^ Sherwani 1985, p. 53.
29. Bhattacharya 1972, p. 100.
30. ^ Majumdar 1967, pp. 249–250.
31. ^ Bhattacharya. Indian History. p. 929

Sources

• Avari, Burjor (2013), Islamic Civilization in South Asia: A history of Muslim power and presence in the Indian subcontinent, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-58061-8
• Bhattacharya, Sachchidananada (1972), A Dictionary of Indian History, Westport: Greenwood Press
• Chandra, Satish (2004), Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206–1526) – Part One, Har-Anand Publications, ISBN 978-81-241-1064-5
• Kulke, Hermann; Rothermund, Dietmar (2004), A History of India (Fourth ed.), Routledge, ISBN 9780415329194
• Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1967), The Delhi Sultanate, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
• Briggs, John, ed. (1909), History of the Mohommedan powers in india till 1612,Vol 2
• Sherwani, H K, ed. (1946), History of the Bahmani dynasty-An Objective study

• 1358 deaths
• Bahmani sultans
• 1290s births