HISTORY – MEDIAEVAL PERIOD 213 CHAPTER 7 —THE QUTBSHAHI OF GOLCONDA* AND THE BARIDSHAHI OF BIDAR @ OF THE FIVE SUCCESSION STATES OF THE BAHAMANI KINGDOM, viz., Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Berar, Bidar and Golconda, Bidar and Golconda delayed the declaration of their independence. It is proposed in this chapter to give a brief description of the political history of these two Kingdoms from their inception till 1600 when the Moghals invaded the Deccan on a large scale. Their subsequent history merges with that of the history of the Moghal Deccan. However, a detailed treatment of the political history of these two dynasties for the study of the mediaeval history of Maharastra is unnecessary for more than one reason. In the first instance, Golconda did not rule any part of the territory of Maharastra in the mediaeval period. The rule of the Baridsahis of Bidar covered roughly the present District of Nanded and a part of the District of Osmanabad. Secondly as compared to the dynasties of Ahmadnagar and Bijapur which between themselves covered more than 3/4 of Maharastra under their administrative control the dynasties of Golconda and Bidar played relatively a subordinate role. Thirdly and lastly the Kingdom of Bidar, after the humiliating treatment meted out to Amir Ali Barid by Adil Sah, practically ceased to exist as an independent state. It continued as the vassal of Bijapur. This does not, however, lessen the importance of these two * Sooltan Koolly is said to be descended from the tribe of Baharloo Toorkmans, of the Ally Shukur persuasion. Some of his courtiers have asserted that he was grandson to Meerza Jehan Shah of Persia ; but I have no good authority for supporting this opinion. It is related that he was born at Humadan, and that in the end of the reign of Mahomed Shah Bahmuny he arrived in the Deccan, in the prime of youth. As that monarch retained a large train of Toorks in his body-guard, he was admitted as one of the numbers. Having received an excellent education, he was subsequently appointed to the situation of secretary in one of the public offices. Shortly after, complaints arriving at court that the inhabitants and petty land-holders of Tulingana refused to pay the revenues, and had rebelled, the King resolved to send an officer with a force into that country ; but Sooltan Koolly volunteered to go without troops, and to bring matters to a favourable conclusion. He was accordingly appointed to the duty, and succeeded so completely, that in a short time he recovered many small districts which had been usurped by the Hindoos. (Briggs's Ferishta, Vol. III, pp. 321-22). @ Kasim Bereed Toork was brought by Khwaja as a Georgian slave to Sooltan Mahomed Shah Lushkurry Bahmuny, by whom he was admitted among the Georgian attendants of that monarch. In his reign he distinguished himself by his bravery against the rebel Marrattas residing between Peitun and Chakun, whom he was deputed to reduce. One action in particular took place, in which Kasim Bereed was victorious, and having slain Sabajee Marratta, the King gave the deceased chief's daughter in marriage to Kasim Bereed's son, Ameer Bereed, as a reward for his services. Sabajee's territory was also conferred on him. (Briggs's Ferishta, Vol III. pp. 495-96). 214 MAHARASHTRA STATE GAZETTEER dynasties in the mediaeval history of Maharastra. They were associated in all the offensive and defensive wars fought on the territory of Maharastra during the mediaeval period. We first hear of Qasim entitled Barid-ul-mamalik at the time of the coronation of Sihabuddin Mahmud Bahamani after the death of Muhammad III. He was a Turk. For selfish reasons he allied himself to the faction headed by Malik Naib Nizam-ul-mulk. The coronation of the Sultan was followed by a ruthless massacre of the foreigners in Bidar leaving Nizam-ul-mulk in supreme command. For the help rendered by Qasim to Nizam-ul-mulk, he was made the Kotval of the city of Bidar. Nizam-ul-mulk, Qasim Barid and Imad-ul-mulk formed the triumvirate and carried on the administration of the kingdom for four years. Vexed at the restrictions imposed upon him, Mahmud was soon seen plotting against the three with the help of Dilavar Khan Habsi. The conspiracy, however, came to light and the triumvirate was broken. Imad-ul-mulk left Bidar, disgusted with the atmosphere of intrigues. Some time after this, Nizam-ul-mulk marched to Telahgana to suppress the rebellion of Kivam-ul-mulk, the younger. Qasim Barid and Dastur Dinar entered into conspiracy against him. They secured an order from the Sultan for putting the minister to death. The unfortunate minister was executed by one of his own partisans, Dilapasand Khan at Bidar. Qasim Barid now became the lieutenant of the Kingdom. Qasim paid scant respect to the wishes of the Sultan. He now decided to seize the government of the region about the capital and subdue the fortresses held by different officers. He succeeded in inflicting several defeats upon royal troops. The Sultan sent Dilavar Khan Habsi against him. When Qasim Barid was on the point of being defeated, a mad elephant rushed on Dilavar, killing him and turning defeat into victory. Qasim Barid returned to Bidar and forced the Sultan to appoint him prime minister and grant him Daulatabad and Balaghat as Jagir. Some writers date the foundation of the Barid Sahi dynasty from this year. Though Qasim Barid had not the capacity to execute his plans he tried to assert his supremacy by subdueing the so called provincial governors by setting them against each other. He first incited the regent of Vijaya-nagar, Saluva Timma, against Yusuf Adil of Bijapur and induced Malik Ahmad and Khvaja Jahan of Parenda to join him in an attack against Yusuf Adil. Ahmad refused to take part and Yusuf Adil in an action fought near Gulburga defeated Qasim Barid and Khvaja Jahan. In 1493-1494 Bahadur Gilani rose in rebellion at Goa and attacked ships belonging to the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Sah Begada. The Sultan now ordered the provincial governors to send forces to suppress the rebellion of Bahadur Gilani. In one of the actions fought near Jamkhindi, Qutb-ul-mulk DakhanI, the governor of Telangana was killed. His title along with the fiefs enjoyed by him were conferred on Sultan Quli, alias, Khavas Khan. Sultan Qulb was the founder of the Qutb Sahi dynasty of Golconda. HISTORY – MEDIAEVAL PERIOD 215 With Qutb-ul-mulk in command, the royal army gained a series of victories against Bahadur Gilani. Bahadur Gilani now offered to negotiate but Qasim Barid who saw in him a possible rival to Yusuf Adil, offered such favourable terms that Bahadur Gilani refused to surrender, and marched towards the fort of Panhala. Qutb-ul-mulk was sent to cut off the retreat of Bahadur Gilani to Panhala. Bahadur met Qutb-ul-mulk with a force composed of 2,000 Gilani, Mazenderani, Iraqi and Khurasan cavalry and 15,000 infantry but was defeated and slain in the battlefield. On the death of Bahadur Gilani, Qasim Barid and the Sultan visited the port of Dabhol. On the advice of Qasim Barid the Jagirs of the late Bahadur Gilani were conferred on Ain-ul-mulk Kanani by the Sultan. Similarly Dastur Dinar was transferred to Gulburga and his possessions of western Telahgana were transferred to Qutb-ul-mulk. Dastur Dinar did not like the change and rebelled. Qasim Barid, enlisting the aid of Yusuf Adil, defeated Dastur Dinar. Dastur Dinar was sentenced to death but was immediately pardoned and restored to his fiefs in Gulburga. Yusuf Adil could not reconcile himself to the imposition of Dastur Dinar in what he regarded to be his traditional fiefs. In 1497 when the provincial governors had assembled at Bidar to celebrate the betrothal of the infant prince Ahmad to Yusuf Adil's daughter, civil strife, which had become the salient feature of life in Bidar broke out. Qasim Barld now allied with Dastur Dinar, against Yusuf Adil and Qutb-ul-mulk. But the latter defeated the former. Qasim Barid, Dastur Dinar and Khvaja Jahan fled to Aland. Being pursued by Yusuf Adil they fled to Ausa. Yusuf Adil, having obtained from the Sultan such grants and dignities as he required, left for Bijapur. Qasim Barld again returned to Bidar and resumed his former position. In the following year Yusuf Adil compelled Dastur Dinar to submit. Dastur Dinar, however, obtained the support of Malik Ahmad and Qasim Barid. Yusuf Adil aBaridoned his enterprise against Dastur Dinar. The subsequent rise of Qutb-ul-mulk was phenomenal. The Sultan conferred upon him the title of Amir-ul-umra. He was raised in rank above all the nobles of Telangana such as Jahahgir Khan, Sanjar Khan and Qivam-ul-mulk and the fort of Golconda was added to his already extensive fiefs. To appease Qasim Barld the Sultan gave him Ausa and Kandhar. The conduct of Qasim Barid now became overbearing. The helpless Sultan invited Yusuf Adil and Qutb-ul-mulk to his side. The three invaded Qasim's Jagirs at Ausa. In the thick of the engagement a large contingent of the royal army went over to Qasim Barid. Qutb-ul-mulk and Yusuf Adil thereupon retired to their respective charges. Qasim rode in state with the Sultan back to the capital. Later, Qasim Barid, Yusuf Adil and Malik Ahmad agreed that they should leave the Sultan alone but visit the capital once in a year to pay homage to him. The understanding was purely a mask to hide the real intentions of the three and none cared to abide by it.