VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE

AND
BAHAMANI KINGDOM
BY: Yasir and Shrisha
Introduction
 The establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire is a landmark in Indian
history. The South Indian dynasties – the Yadavas of Devagiri, the
Kakatiyas of Warangal, the Pandyas of Madurai, Hoysalas of
Dwarasamudra (Halebeedu), the Cholas of Tanjore attacks were all
victims of violent Allauddin Khilji. As a result, political instability,
lawlessness, fear and religious turmoil prevailed everywhere. In such
a situation, the establishment of Vijayanagara empire enabled the
protection of the Hindu religion and Indian culture.
 Harihara and Bukka established this empire on the banks of the
Tungabhadra river in the year 1336. Later Hampi became the capital
of Vijayanagara empire.
 The famous kings of Sangama dynasty (1336 – 1486) were Harihara I,
Bukkaraya, Harihara II and Praudhadevaraya. Harihara laid the
foundation for the Vijayanagara empire and developed a capital
amidst of hillocks.
DYNASTIES THAT RULED VIJAYANAGARA
Years ruled
From 1542
to 1652
(110) From 1336 to
1486 (150)
ARAVEEDU

SANGAMA

From 1491 TULUVA

SAL
to 1570 (79) From 1485 to
1505 (20)

UV
A
SANGAMA SALUVA TULUVA ARAVEEDU
PROMINENT KINGS WHO RULED
VIJAYANAGARA
 BUKKARAYA

 HARIHARA II

 DEVARAYA II ( Praudhadevaraya )

 KRISHANADEVARAYA
BUKKARAYA
 Bukkaraya defeated the Reddys
of Kondaveedu and merged
Penukonda area with
Vijayanagara.
 Bukka was successful in solving
the differences between the Jains
and the Srivaishnavas, thereby
upheld religious harmony.
 This fact is revealed by one of
the inscriptions in Shravana
Belagola.
 He constructed a fort and a few
temples in the capital and
encouraged agricultural activities.
 Bukkaraya sent an ambassador to
the court of a Chinese king
belonging to the Ming dynasty.
HARIHARA II
 During the 27 years rule of
Harihara II, the son of
Bukkaraya, the Vijayanagara
Empire comprised of vast
area.
 He took into his control
Kondaveedu,Kurnool and
Nellore forts.
 Harihara II expanded his
kingdom from Goa to the
north of the Konkan coast.
 He occupied the fort of
Pangala lying to the north of
Krishna river in the year
1398.
Do you know this ?
The writings of commentaries on the Vedas was
completed during Harahara II period. Hence he earned the title
‘Vaidika Margasthapanacharya’. He developed markets in 26
important cities of his kingdom

Do you know this ?

Nicole Conti, an Italian traveller , visited Vijayanagar and
has recorded interesting facts about the kingdom. He has revealed that
the capital spread across 60 sq.miles

Do you know this ?

The Persian Ambassador, Abdul Razak, visited the
capital of Vijayanagar towards the end of April,1443. Impressed by the
glory of the kingdom, he exclaimed thus: “The eye has not seen nor the
ear heard of any place like Vijayanagar. There is no place on earth which
is comparable to Vijayanagar.”
DEVARAYA II  The most famous king in the
Sangama dynasty was
Devaraya II. He had earned
the title of ‘Elephant Hunter’.
 Devaraya II defeated the
king Gajapati Kapilendra of
Orissa and seized
Kondaveedu.
 By suppressing the regional
leaders across the border,
he expanded the kingdom
upto Krishna river in the
north east.
 Later, he defeated the
Kerala ruler and received
royalties from Kerala and Sri
Continued…
 This earned him the title “Dakshinapathada Chakravarthi” (the
Emperor of the South).
 Through these conquests the Vijayanagara Empire extended
from Sri Lanka to Gulbarga and Telangana to Malabar.
 Devaraya II chased the traditional foe Ahmed Shah of
Bahamani till Bijapur and occupied Mudgal and Bankapura.
 His commander, Lakkanna Dandesha, took up a successful
naval victory. Devaraya II was tolerant towards other religions.
 He constructed Mosques, Jain and Vaishnava temples in the
capital. Being a poet himself, he had in his court the Sanskrit
scholar, Dindima and the Kannada scholar, Lakkana Dandesha.
 During his period, Veerashaiva tradition and literature saw a
revival. After the death of Devaraya II in 1446, weak kings
came to power, and the rule of the Sangama dynasty came to
an end.
KRISHANA
 The son of Narasanayaka of Tuluva
DEVARAYA Shri Krishnadevaraya dynasty and
his second wife, Nagalambika,
Krishnadevaraya was the most
famous king among the rulers of
the Vijayanagar Empire.
 During his rule, the Vijayanagar
Empire reached the pinnacle of
glory in comparison with world-
famous rulers like Ashoka,
Samudragupta and
Harshavardhana.
 He ruled for 20 years.
 When he came to power, the
kingdom faced various
complicated internal and external
problems. Continued…
 The Europeans who had arrived through new sea-route
established their colonies.
 The Moghuls of the north tried to expand their Empire in the
south.
 The five Shahi kingdoms of the Bahamani dynasty became
powerful Sultanates and plunged into wars with
Krishnadevaraya.
 In addition to these, the kings of Ummatthur and Orissa were a
constant source of threat.
KRISHANA DEVARAYA’s military achievements
 As mentioned by Robert Sewell, Varaha - The
state emblem Krishnadevaraya was an
unparalleled warrior, shrewd commander and
political expert. He won all the wars and
expanded his empire in the South.He defeated
Ummatthur’s Gangaraja and took over the
Shivanasamudra fort from him. Then he
conquered the Raichur fort. He helped the
Portuguese army to conquer Goa from the
Bijapur Sultan and established trade relations
with them. He attacked the Udayagiri fort.
When he attacked it he thought that it was a
very strong fort and very difficult to conquer it,
but decided to conquer it in a day and
conquered it. This shows his determination. He
conquered Kalinga’s capital Cuttack and
defeated Gajapati Prataparudra. He signed a
peace agreement with him. Continued…
 Krishnadevaraya defeated Adil Shahi of
Vijayapura(Bijapur) and won the Raichur fort.
At the time of attacking the Raichur fort, he
encouraged all the soldiers saying:
“Everyone has to die one day. If you die in
the battlefield, you go to heaven. If you win,
you will be blessed. Therefore, everyone of
you come and fight with me; don’t be
cowards.” After occupying Raichur fort,
Krishnadevaraya seized Bidar and Kalaburagi
(Gulbarga) forts. He defeated the Prime
Minister of the Bahamani kingdom, Kasim
Bareed and freed the Bahamani prince he
had imprisoned and coronated the prince on
the Bahamani throne at Bidar and earned
the title “Yavanarajya Pratisthapanacharya”.
By the time Krishnadevaraya died, the
Vijayanagara empire had spread over in all
directions and was very vast.
 FALL OF VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE
 After Krishnadevaraya, Achyutaraya and Sadashivaraya came to the
throne, Krishnadevaraya’s son-in-law, Ramaraya of the Araveedu dynasty
handled the administration in an able manner. Although Ramaraya had
improved the prestige of the kingdom by waging many wars during his 23-
year reign, many foes had sprung up against Vijayanagar.
 Counteracting to the frequent attacksby the Deccan Shahi Sultans,
Ramaraya had occupied Vijayapura and Golkonda forts. This had provoked
the Sultans to wage war against Ramaraya. The Deccan Sultans who were
envious of the progress and prosperity of the Vijayanagara empire, forgot
their political differences and were united. In 1565 the united army of the
four kingdoms mounted an attack on Vijayanagar. Ramaraya’s army was
defeated in this battle, and he died. The victorious army of the Deccan
Sultans plundered the glorious kingdom of Vijayanagar. As a result, the
capital Hampi became a ruin. Later, the Araveedu dynasty ruled from
Penugonda, Chandragiri and finally Vellore till 1646. The chieftains of
Mysuru, Keladi and Chitradurga in Karnataka became independent.
Continued…
 Krishnadevaraya was not only a skilled warrior but also an
able administrator. His Telugu work ‘Amukta Maalyada’
reveals the shrewdness he possessed in matters of state.
He provided irrigation facilities for expansion of agriculture.
With the friendship of the Portuguese, he increased foreign
trade. He abolished tax on marriages. He was a great
patron of art, literature and religions. There were eight
Telugu poets known as Ashtha Diggajas in his court.
Krishnadevaraya was a poet himself and wrote the play
‘Jambavati Kalyana’ in Sanskrit. Allasani Peddanna, Nandi
Timmanna, Durjuti, Tenali Ramakrishna and others were
the Telugu poets in his court. Krishnadevaraya constructed
Krishna temple at Hampi. Along with many of the temples,
he erected Maharangamantapa in Virupaksha temple at
Hampi and also many other temples. The Portuguese
travellers, Paes and Barbosa, have applauded the dignity
and ability of Krishnadevaraya, during whose time people
of all religions enjoyed religious freedom.
THE CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF
VIJAYANAGAR
 Administration
 Social system
 Economic system
 Religious system
 Literature
 Art and Architecture
 The unique features of Vijayanagar art
 Important temples
 Music and Dance
 ADMINISTRATION
 The administration in the Vijayanagara empire was carried on in a
traditional manner. The kings selected their eldest sons as their heirs. The
central administration was strong and some powers were decentralised.
The Council of Ministers, strong military, provincial chieftains or the king
would give land to the leader or chieftain in return for military service.
There were different bodies like the State Council leader (Nayankar),
village administration etc. Thimmarasa was a Prime Minister. The kingdom
had various administrative levels like the state, district and village.
 The king enjoyed absolute power in judicial matters. The provincial officers
used to dispense justice in the provinces. Punishment used to be severe.
The village was the last level of administration and the Grama Sabhas
used to carry on the administration there. The Gowda, Karani and Talwar
used to assist in the village administration. In the Provinces the
Nadagowdas and in the cities the Pattanaswami used to look after the
administration.

Continued…
 Vijayanagar had a mighty army. It consisted of three
hierarchies of permanent troops, troops sent by vassal
states and troops of royal guards (this looked after the
king’s security). Infantry, cavalry, elephants and cannons
were the main factions of the army. There were mammoth
elephants. Horses brought from Arabia were a major
attraction at Vijayanagar. There was a naval squad in the
army. People from all religions could occupy high positions in
the army. Farmers and hunters became chieftains. Forts and
moats played an important role during the wars.
Social System

 There was also occupation-based caste system. There

were many skilled artisans, blacksmiths, goldsmiths,
bellmetal smiths, carpenters, weavers and cobblers in the
society. The practices of child marriage, sati and devadasi
systems were prevalent. Though monogamy was the
common practice, kings and rich people had many wives.
Women enjoyed a dignified status in society. There were
female wrestlers and female palace guards. Holi,
Deepavali and Dasara festivals were celebrated publicly.
Dasara festival used to be celebrated with pomp and glory
at Hampi under royal patronage. Music and dance enjoyed
great popularity.
Economic System
 Vijayanagar was economically prosperous Land tax was the
main source of revenue for the kingdom. Farmers used to give
of their income to the government in the form of tax.
Professional tax, revenue tax, road tax, market tax, commercial
tax, import and export taxes and tributes from the vassals were
the other forms of revenue to the kingdom. Agriculture was the
backbone of the economy. People grew different kinds of crops
throughout the year. Jowar, ragi, paddy, wheat, lentils, pulses
like green gram, black gram and tuvar, sesame (til) seeds,
groundnuts, cotton, sugarcane and coconut were the main
crops. The Vijayanagar kings constructed wells, tanks and
canals to encourage irrigation and agriculture. There were five
kinds of practices of land holdings likegeni, guttige, siddhaya,
vara and gadi (tenancy, lease holdings and other kinds).

Continued…
 The Vijayanagara empire achieved great progress in the field
of industries and commerce. Spices like pepper, cloves and
cardamom, salt petre, iron ore, diamonds, granulated sugar,
musk, sandal perfume etc. were exported by them. There
were important textile industries. Coins of different
denominations like gold coins, gadyaana, pagoda, silver
coins and copper coins were in use.
 Bhatkal, Honnavara and Mangaluru were the important ports
of Vijayanagara, and foreign traders from Arab, China and
Portugal had trade relation with the Vijayanagara empire.
Do you know this?
Vajrakaroor near Gutti in Anantapur district was the diamond
center. Sapphires used to be available in plenty in Calicut. Bhatkal was the
center for iron ore. Rose perfume used to be manufactured at Pulicat. The
Portuguese traveler, Paes, has recorded that there used to be a fair every day at
the Vijayanagara capital, Hampi. The seven main markets were Virupaksha,
Krishna, Pansupari, Varadarajamma, Achyuta, Vittala and Malyavanta.
Religious system

 Vijayanagara empire enjoyed the distinction of having

encouraged all religions equally. The atmosphere was
such that Shrivaishnavites and Jains forgot their religious
differences and lived in perfect harmony. The early kings
of Vijayanagara patronized Shaivites and Veerashaivites,
whereas the later kings encouraged Vaishnavites.
 In Vijayanagar, masjids and dargas were built for
Muslims. The kings of Vijayanagar developed
business with Portuguese and encouraged
Christianity by giving permission to construct
churches.
Literature
 Due to the peace and order, economic progress,
literature flourished. Various works were created in
Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil languages.
 Ratnakaravarni’s ‘Bharateshavaibhava’, Chamarasa’s
‘Prabhulingaleele’, Kumaravyasa’s ‘Gaduginabharata’ are
the important Kannada works of the time. Bheemakavi
translated Palkurike Somanatha’s Telugu work,
‘Basavapurana’, to Kannada language. The collection of
Veerashaiva vachanas called ‘Shunyasampadane’ was
also published. Besides Lakkanna Dandesha’s
‘Shivatatvachintamani’, books in Kannada on human
medical science, veterinary science, poetics, astrology
and cookery were also published. Saint Purandaradasa,
Kanakadasa, Shripadaraya and Vyasaraya enriched dasa
sahitya. Among these, Kanakadasa’s ‘Mohanatarangini’,
‘Nalacharitre’, ‘Haribhaktisara’ and ‘Ramadhanyacharitre’
are important. Continued…
 Vidyaranya wrote ‘Shankaravijaya’ and ‘Sarvadarshana
samgraha’ in Sanskrit. His brother, Sayanacharya, wrote
commentaries on the Vedas called ‘Vedarthaprakasha’,
‘Ayurvedasudhanidhi’, ‘Purusharthasudhanidhi’ and other
books. Kampannaraya’s wife, Gangadevi, wrote a book called
‘Maduravijayam’. This book deals with Kampanna’s invasion
and a description of places of pilgrimage. The court poet of
Devaraya II, Srinatha, had earned the title ‘Kavichakravarthi’.
There were eight famous poets called the Asthadiggajas in
Krishnadevaraya’s court. Allasani Peddanna’s ‘Manucharitam’,
Timmanna’s ‘Parijatapaharanam’, and Tenali Ramakrishna’s
‘Ubhataradhyacharitam’ are important works of this period.
Krishnadevaraya’s court had also Tamil poets, paranjyothiyer
Veeraraghavar, Mandala Purusha, Gyanaprakasha, Harihara
and others. Paranjyoti Iyer wrote ‘Tiruvalayadal puranam’. In
the period of Vijayanagara empire they encouraged Sanskrit,
Kannada, Telugu & Tamil languages.
Art and Architecture

 The excellent work done by

Vijayanagar kings in the fields of
art and architecture is memorable.
The emperors were known as great
patrons of architecture. During this
period, temples, palaces, forts,
towers, huge halls (mahamantapa),
public buildings, tanks, bunds,
canals and dams were constructed.
THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF
VIJAYANAGAR ART
 The Vijayanagar kings continued the architectural
style of Chalukyas, Cholas and Hoysalas. The unique
feature of their architecture was the construction of
huge auditorium and marriage halls. Temples had
huge towers (rayagopura), leaf-shaped arches and
platforms. In this art, more than ornamentation, the
qualities of grandeur, awe and elegance were given
importance. Rough granite stone (kanashile) was
used for construction of these structures.
Important temples
 During the period of the Vijayanagar kings,
temples were built in Hampi, Shringeri,
Tirupati, Lepakshi, Karkala, Moodabidri,
Bhatkal, Chidambaram, Kanchi, Kalahasti,
Nandi, Srishaila, Kolar and other places.
The most important temple constructed in
the beginning of the Vijayanagar dynastic
rule was Vidyashankara temple at
Shringeri. The structure of this temple is
unique in India. The most ancient temple
of Vijayanagar is Virupaksha temple at
Hampi. Having a vast courtyard/hall, this
temple has many pillars with sculptures
and decorative ceilings. The Vijaya Vitthala
temple of Hampi is known for its
magnificent architectural beauty. The
saptaswara musical pillars, huge Kalyana
Mantapas and the Stone Chariot have
 The Dasara festival was celebrated on
the Mahanavami Dibba constructed by
Krishnadevaraya. The Persian
ambassador Abdul Razak, recorded that
during this festival, kings from distant
places and provincial leaders used to
assemble as per the orders of the
emperors. Kamal Mahal, Elephant stable,
Queen’s bath are wonderful examples of
Indo-Muslim architectural style.
Lakshminarasimha, Kadalekalu Ganesha,
Sasuvekalu Ganesha and Uddana
Veerabhadra’s idols are attractive. The
fort of Hampi during Vijayanagar empire
was very strong with seven circular walls
around it. At present, there are only four
circular walls around it.
Music and Dance

The Vijayanagar Stone chariot kings

patronized fine arts like music, dance,
drama and yakshagana. Artists
enjoyed great respect in the palace
and temples. Saint Purandaradasa and
Kanakadasa had enriched Carnatic
music through kirtanas. Dancers,
adorned in exquisite costumes and
jewellery, performed dance in the
temples and palaces.
 FALL OF VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE
Decline of the Vijayanagar Empire
 The Vijayanagar Empire reached its pinnacle during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya of
the Tuluva Dynasty.
 As with many empires, the decline of the Vijayanagar Empire began with a cruel,
manipulative, greedy despot who had taken over the empire after the death of Krishna
Deva Raya. Aliya Rama Raya was a regent for Krishna Deva Raya who wrested the
throne from its rightful heir, the nephew of Krishna Deva Raya, Sadashiva Raya, during
the latter part of the Tuluva Dynasty.
 Sadashiva Raya remained the public face of the empire, but in reality, it was Aliya
Rama Raya who had the power. He was known for his sadistic cruelty to the citizens of
the places he conquered, especially Muslims, and for his disloyalty to allies, Hindu and
Muslim alike.
 At some point, however, Raya went too far. He played the sultanates against one
another and used their fractions to make inroads into their territory. He came to the aid
of Ali Adil Shah of the Bijapur Sultanate in an assault on the Ahmednagar Sultanate,
which was ruled by Sultan Hussain. Sultan Hussain was defeated and humiliated and
Battle of Talikota
 In 1565, a great battle was fought between the forces of Hindu Raja Aliya Rama Raya
and that of the four Deccan Sultanates: Gogonda, Bidar, Ahmadnagar, and Bijapur.
The sultans were determined to take vengeance on the Vijayanagar Empire and
eliminate the empire as a threat. The Battle of Talikota would prove to be a major
blow to Vijayanagar and would have far-reaching repercussions that affected its
future viability.
 The battle took place in the Indian state of Karnataka not far from the Krishna River.
Raja Aliya Rama's forces included one-hundred war elephants, in addition to horses
and foot soldiers. The Decan Sultanate has fewer foot soldiers, but more cavalry, as
well as guns and cannons.
 The Deccan sultanates also had superior weaponry, including the Malik-e-Maidan
(Lord of the Battle Plain), an enormous cannon, measuring 14 feet in length with a
bore, the part of the cannon that shoots out the cannonball, measuring two feet four
inches. One can only imagine the kind of damage a canon of this size could cause to
an enemy without the same access to superior artillery.
 Aliya Rama Raya, however, was not intimidated. Many sources describe him as
overconfident on the eve of battle. His goal was to keep the Deccan forces on one
side of the river. However, the Deccan forces were able to find gaps where the river
wasn't being guarded. They pretended to try crossing where it was guarded and then
BAHAMANI KINGDOM
 INTRODUCTION
 The other important historical change seen in the
14th century was the rise of the Bahamani kingdom.
In the year 1347, Alauddin Hasan Gangu Baheman
Shah established this dynasty. The Bahamani and
Shahi dynasties ruled from 1347 to 1686. Among
their rulers, Mohammad Shah I, Mohammad Shah II,
Feroz Shah, Usuf Adil Khan, Ibrahim Adil Shah I,
Ibrahim Adil Shah II are very famous. Mohammad
Shah, son of Allauddin Hassan Gangu Bahaman
constructed the famous vast Jamia Masjid in Gulbarga
in the year 1367. Feroz Shah who came after him,
built a new capital called Ferozabad. He constructed a
planetarium. He was a great scholar.
KINGS WHO RULED BAHAMANI KINGDOM
AND DIVISIONS OF THE KINGDOM

Kings:
 Mohammed Gawan.
 Ibrahim Adil Shah II
MOHAMMED GAWAN (1411-1481)
 From1347 to 1426, Kalburgi was the capital of Bahamani
kingdom. During this period, Mohammad Gawan ruled the
kingdom with selflessness and dedication. As a Prime Minister,
he took the Bahamani kingdom to great heights. He learnt
Muslim religious verses and law at Kairo, also gained proficiency
in Arabic and Parsi languages. He served as the Prime Minister
during the rule of Bahamani kings Humayun, Nizam Shah and
Mohammad Shah III. He was responsible for enhancing the glory
of Bahamani kingdom by his efficient administration and
victories. Gawan conquered Konkan, Goa and Belagavi. Later, he
invaded Orissa and conquered Kondaveedu. In the year 1481.,
he invaded Kanchi and plundered its huge wealth. Thus,
Mohammad Gawan who was responsible for the all-round
development of the Bahamani kingdom, became a victim to a
conspiracy of his enemies and was beheaded on the false
charge of betrayal to the kingdom. After him, the kingdom
became weak and disintegrated into five parts.
Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1580 – 1627)
 The most famous king of Adil Shahi, Ibrahim II ascended the throne in his
9th year.
 He ruled over for 47 years with historic incidents.
 Politically he took Vijayapura to the pinnacle of glory with his efficient
administration, and was responsible for the tremendous progress in art,
literature and education.
 His book ‘Kitab-E-Navaras’ begins with prayers to the God’s Ganesha,
Saraswathi and Narasimha.
 There are prayers to Muhammad, the Prophet too.
 This book is evidence of the knowledge, magnanimity and religious
tolerance of Ibrahim II.
 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE BAHAMANI
SULTANS
 Administration.

 Revenue, Military and Judicial system

 Economic, Social and Religious system.

 Education Art and Architecture

Administration
 There were three levels of administration namely Central, Provincial
and Village. Among these, there was revenue, judicial and military
administration too. The Sultan was the chief of the central
administration. The cabinet was called Majlis-E-II. Top officials,
commandants, ulemas and amins, friends and relatives of the
Sultan, attended the meeting.
 Gawan converted the then existing four provinces into eight units
and these provinces were divided into fifteen Sarakars. The Subedar
was the administrator in each of these Sarakars. Sarakars were
divided into paraganas. Kotwal, Deshmukh and Desai were the
administrators of the paraganas. The final unit of administration
was the village having Patel, Kulkarni and guards as staff. The
village units were independent units.
 Revenue, Military and Judicial System
 Amir-E-Jumlas were the head of the revenue authorities. Land tax was the main
source of income for the kingdom. 1/3 to 1/2 of the agricultural production was
collected as land tax. There were 50 kinds of taxes including house, mines,
tobacco, grasslands, trade and employment. The money earned by taxation
was used for maintaining palaces, wars and bodyguards, construction and
maintenance of forts.
 The Bahamani kingdom depended on thestrength of their military force. Military
expenditure was huge. They had four types of armed troops. Permanent troops,
troops recruited during war-time, troops for religious wars and untis for the
protection of the Sultan and the palaces. Infantry, cavalry, elephants and
explosive units were the important divisions of the army. Bijapur fort was the
most formidable of the Adil Shahi forts. The Sultan was the supreme Judicial
authority. He ruled according to the prevailing customs, traditions and
principles of the Islamic religion. Kazis and senior officers assisted the Sultan in
dispensing justice. Due to their efficient administration, the state witnessed
progress in economic, social and cultural fields
Economic, social and religious
systems
 Agriculture was the main occupation in the villages. Spinning, oil
extraction, sugar and jaggery manufacture, thread-weaving,
leather work, pottery, carpentry, goldsmithy, perfumery and
sculpture were also the other occupations. There were ports in
Dhabol, Rajapura, Chawla and Goa. Silk, wine, gold, silver, copper,
tin, lead and glass were the main imports. Trade and employment
organisations were in existence. Gold coins known as ‘honnu’ and
silver coins were known as ‘lorry’ and ‘tanka’ were in circulation.
Undivided patriarchal families continued in the society. Caste
system and polygamy were practised. Haridasas of the Bhakti
panth and Muslim Sufi saints tried to imbibe tolerance in society.
In Muslim society, Sunni, Shia, Syed, Sheikh and Pathan were the
main groups. Muslim women practised burkha system
 Education, art and architecture
 The educational policy of the Adil Shahis was to propogate Islamic culture.
There were schools known as maktabs. They were under the control of
mosques. The students in the maktabs were taught the alphabet, religion,
law, poetry and rhetoric. The madrasas were centers of higher education.
Mohammad Gawan who was a scholar himself, established a madrasa
(college) at Bidar to encourage study of the Islamic religion and law. This
college was 242 ft. length, 222 ft. width and 56 ft height three-storied
magnificent building constructed in the Deccan style. It had a library with
around 3000 manuscripts. The college was also a lodge for students, teachers
and orthodox people. Astronomy, grammar, mathematics, philosophy and
political science were studied in this college. The Sultans developed Indo-
Saracenic style of architecture. The Jamia mosque built by Ali Adil Shah I is a
prominent monument even today. Ibrahim Roza, Gol Gumbaz, Gagan Mahal
and Asar Mahals are the important monuments of this time. These
monuments have made the Adil Shahis world famous. The Gol Gumbaz at
Vijayapura is one of the greatest structures in the world. It has an area of
1800 sq.ft. There are 7- storied minarets in the four corners of the building.
 Gol Gumbaz
• This monument is in Vijayapura in
Karnataka. Mohammad Adil Shah
constructed this monument.
• The construction work is said to have
begun around 1626 and completed in
1656.
• This structure is 51 mtrs.tall and has a
wide dome. The dome has four pillars
in which steps have been built to go
up.
• The unique feature of this dome is that
if one whispers standing on one side of
the dome, it can be heard clearly on
the other side. It is the biggest Dome
in India.
Architecture of Bahamani
Sultans

Jamia Masjid Bidar fort

 THANK YOU
&
HAVE A GOOD DAY
(not biscuit )