Class – 7

Subject – History & Civics

Chapter – 4 ( The Vijaynagar and Bahmani Kingdom )

Causes Of The Disintegration Of Tughlaq Empire

The Tughlaq ruled till 1414 AD, but the process of the disintegration of this empire had started in the last days of Muhammad Tughlaq’s rule. There are many causes for this –

• Responsibility of Muhammad Tughlaq

• Responsibility of Firoz Tughlaq

• Centralized Monarchy

• Weakening of Military Power

• Weak Successors

• Invasion of Timur

The Vijaynagar Kingdom (1336-1565AD)

Vijaynagar, meaning the ‘City of Victory’, was founded in1336 AD by two brothers named Harihara and Bukka. The vacuum, created by Muhammad-bin Tughlaq’s transfer of capital back to Delhi in 1329, was the main factor for the rise of Vijaynagar kingdom. Harihara and Bukka were the officers in the court of the Raja of Warangal. The Raja along with his officers was captured and taken to Delhi by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. At Delhi, they were converted to Islam and made to work at important posts.

After a series of efficient and capable rulers, the kingdom of Vijaynagar rose to the height of its glory during the reign of Krishnadev Raya in the 16th century. It had a total of 16 rulers and the empire lasted for 230 years, from 1336 to 1565 AD.

Krishnadev Raya (1509-1530 AD)

Krishandev Raya sat on the throne in 1509 AD. He was the greatest King of Vijaynagar and one of the greatest in the . He was a great soldier and general. He waged many wars in all of which he was successful. First of all he subdued his ambitious vassals and reduced them to submission. Next, he obtained possession of the , which was a fertile region between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers. This fertile land had always been a centre of conflict between Vijaynagar and Bahmani kingdom. He also captured the Raichur fort.

Then he turned his attention towards his hostile neighbours. In 1513, he defeated Gajapati Pratapura, the king of Orissa and recovered from him portions of the Vijaynagar territory. In 1514, he captured the fortress of Udaygiri. Next he acquired the fortress of Kondavidu and then Kondapalli. Krishnadev Raya was also a great administrator. He reorganized the administration of the empire. He was himself an accomplished scholar and a patron of learning. He wrote Amuktamalyada in Telgu. There were eight scholers in his court who were called ashtdiggajas (eight elephants).

Krishnadev Raya built the famous Hazara temple which is an excellent specimen of Hindu temple architecture. Vithalaswami temple is another example of excellent architecture.

The Portuguese traveler, Domingo Paes, writes, “He is the most learned and perfect king that could possibly be.”

Battle of Talikota (1565 AD)

The Vijaynagar kingdom was defeated and completely destroyed by a confederation of independent states of Bahmani kingdom in the .

Administration under Vijaynagar Kingdom

The king’s was the highest court of justice. He paid great attention to the welfare of the people. The empire was divided into six provinces. The tehsil comprised a group of villages. The villages were looked after by panchayats.

Sources of Income – Revenue and Trade

Land revenue and trade were the two main sources of income. Land revenue was fixed at between one-third and one-sixth of produce.

Vijaynagar engaged in world trade through its many ports. It had trade relations with Arabia, Persia and Africa in the west and China, South-East Asia, Myanmar in the east.

Society

We have a lot of information about different aspects of the social life of the people of the Vijaynagar empire. Women in general occupied a high position in society. They took active part in political, social and literary activities. They received a fair amount of education. They were trained in wrestling, handling swords and shields, besides music and other fine arts.

Brahmans were held in high esteem and they exercised a great influence not only in social and religious matters but also in the political affairs of the state.

Development of Art and Architecture

Economic prosperity of the empire was also reflected in the field of culture. The Vijaynagar kings preserved and protected Hinduism. The magnificent Vithalswami and Hazara temples are adorned with beautiful sculptures. They also repaired temples built by the Cholas. Today nothing remains of the temples, palaces, forts and pavilions scattered all around the village of in .

Growth of Literature Literary growth took place due to royal patronage. Krishnadeva Raya was himself a great scholar who wrote Amuktamalyada. The king encouraged music, philosophy, painting, carvring on wood and various other crafts.

Decline of Vijaynagar Empire

Frequent wars with the Bahmani kingdom was the chief cause of the decline of Vijaynagar kingdom. The interference in the affairs of the five independent Bahmani kingdoms by Rama Raya, the Prime Minister of the Vijaynagar rulers, proved very costly for the empire. It prompted them to form a confederation for the purpose of destroying the Vijaynagar power. Even the ruins at Hampi tell the glorious tale of that mighty empire.

The Bahmani Kingdom (1347-1527 AD)

It was founded in 1347 by one of the officers of Muhammad-bin Tughlaq, named Hasan Gangu who assumed the title of Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah. He made Gulbarga his capital. In all, eighteen rulers ruled it during the period 1347-1527.

Firoz Shah was one of the important rulers of Bahmani dynasty. He ruled for 25 years (1397- 1422AD). He had conquered the Raichur doab from Vijaynagar ruler, but he lost it to them in the subsequent war. He was a poet and knew many language like Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Telugu, and Marathi.

Mahmud Gawan

During the reign of Muhammad Shah III (1453-1482), the Bahmani kingdom reached great heights. His able general and minister Mahmud Gawan looked after the empire as the regent, since Muhammad Shah was only nine years old. He served his master faithfully for eighteen years and extended the boundaries of the kingdom. Mahmud defeated the rulers of Konkan (1469), Orissa(1478) and captured Dabhol and Goa, one of the best ports of Vijaynagar empire.

In many respects, Mahmud Gawan’s character was far superior to his contemporaries. He led a simple and pure life and served three successive reigns with efficiency and honesty.

Mahmud Gawan’s Execution

There were two groups of nobles in the Court of Bahmani Kings - Deccani nobles and Pardesi nobles. There was a permanent rivalry between the two groups.

In 1481, the local Deccan nobles of the Bahmani court forged a letter which proved Gawan as a traitor.

Break-up and Decline

The king soon realized that he had been tricked but it was too late. With the strong man gone, the local Deccan nobles soon took control of the empire. After Muhammad Shah, the later kings became puppets in the hands of the nobles. By 1527, the kingdom broke up into five independent kingdoms of Berar, Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golconda and Bidar. They plotted and fought against one another. After their joint war with Vijaynagar, Berar was annexed by Ahmednagar and Bidar by Bijapur.

Bahmani Administration

The Bahmani rulers followed the Sultanate form of administration. The governors ruled independently in the states.

Life of People

There was great prosperity in the Bahmani kingdom. Athanasius Nikitin, a Russian traveler, who visited there, was greatly impressed by the luxurious lifestyle of the people.

Art, Architecture and Culture

The Bahmani rulers patronized Islamic art, architecture, language and music. Many colleges and libraries were established. Charminar of Hyderabad is a great specimen of Bahmani architecture. Gol Gumbaz is the most outstanding building of that period.

Activities –

• Collect pictures of important monuments of the Vijaynagar and Bahmani kingdoms and paste them in your copy.

Question and Answers –

Ques-1) Name the two regional powers of South India the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Ans- Vijaynagar and Bahmani were the two regional powers of South India the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Ques-2) How did the Bahmani Kingdom get its name?

Ans- The Bahmani Kingdom was founded by Hasan Gangu in 1347, who assumed the title of Ala-ud- din Bahman Shah. Hence his kingdom was known as Bahmani Kingdom.

Ques-3) When and between whom was the Battel of Talikota fought?

Ans- the Battle of Talikota was fought between Vijaynagar and Bahmani Kingdoms (Ahmednagr, Bijapur, Golconda, Berar and Bidar) in 1565. In which Vijaynagar was defeated.

Ques-4) State two causes of the decline of Vijaynagar.

Ans-(i) Weak successors after the death of Krishnadev Raya became puppets in the hands of his Prime Minister Rama Raya.

(ii) Continuous interference in the Bahmani kingdoms brought about its decline.

Ques-5) What was the cause of constant struggle between Vijaynagar and Bahmani kingdoms? Ans- The fertile land of Raichur Doab was the cause of constant struggle between Vijaynagar and Bahmani kingdoms.

Ques-6) Who was Mahmud Gawan? Why and by whom he executed?

Ans- Mahmud Gawan was a faithful general and minister of Muhammad Shah III. He was executed in 1481, on the basis of a forged letter by the local nobles (Deccani nobles).

Ques-7) Name the five smaller kingdoms into which Bahmani kingdom was broken up.

Ans- By 1527, Bahmani kingdom broke up into 5 small kingdoms of Berar, Bijapur, Ahemadnagar, Golconda and Bidar.

Ques-8) Who was Firozshah? What was his major achievement?

Ans- Firozshah was ne of the important rulers of Bahmani dynasty. He ruled for 25 years(1397-1422 AD). His major achievement was the conquest of the Raichur Doab from Vijaynagar.

Qures-9) Discuss the development of art and architecture in the Vijaynagar kingdom.

Ans- Economic prosperity of the empire was also reflected in the field of culture. The Vijaynagar kings preserved and protected Hinduism. The magnificent Vithalswami and Hazara temples are adorned with beautiful sculptures. They also repaired temples built by the Cholas. Today nothing remains of the temples, palaces, forts and pavilions scattered all around the village of Hampi in Karnataka.

Ques-10) How did the two groups of nobles in Bahmani Court influence the decline of the kingdom?

Ans- There were two groups of nobles in the Court of Bahmani Kings - Deccani nobles and Pardesi nobles. There was a permanent rivalry between the two groups.

In 1481, the local Deccan nobles of the Bahmani court forged a letter which proved Gawan as a traitor. When the letter was shown to the king, he called Gawan and asked him what punishment should be given to a traitor. “Death”, replied Gawan. At this the king showed Gawan the forged letter and Gawan was beheaded on the spot. With his death, all the cohesion and power of the Bahmani Kingdom departed.