Architecture of the Bahmani and Deccan Sultanates

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Gateway to Bidar Fort Gateway to Bidar fort.jpg
Gateway to Bidar Fort
Mahmud Gawan Madrasa Complete view of Mahumad Gawan.JPG
Mahmud Gawan Madrasa
Murud-Janjira Fort builted by Ahmadnagar Sultanate Murud Janjira Fort.JPG
Murud-Janjira Fort builted by Ahmadnagar Sultanate

Deccani architecture, particularly the architecture of the Bahmani and Deccan Sultanates, is the architecture of the Deccan Plateau, and is a regional variant of Indo-Islamic architecture. It was influenced by the styles of the Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal architecture, but sometimes also influenced from Persia and Central Asia. Hindu temple architecture in the same areas had very different styles.

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The Bahmani and Deccan sultanates ruled the Deccan Plateau for the majority of the 13th–17th centuries. The Deccan sultanates were five dynasties that ruled late medieval Indian kingdoms, namely the Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar sultanates.

The rulers of the five Deccan sultanates and the Bahmani sultanate had a number of cultural contributions in the fields of art, music, literature and architecture. The Bidar and Golconda forts are examples of the architecture and military planning of the sultanates. Apart from forts, they also constructed many tombs, mosques and madrasas. Gol Gumbaz (tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah), was the second largest dome in the world.[ when? ]

In 2014, UNESCO put a group of buildings on its "tentative list" to become a World Heritage Site under the name "Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate" (despite there being multiple sultanates). These are: [1]

Architecture of the Bahmani Sultanate

Garden of Fort Bidar Fort Garden bidar.jpg
Garden of Fort Bidar
Chand Minar at Daulatabad fort complex Chand Minar.JPG
Chand Minar at Daulatabad fort complex
Haft Gumbaz, tomb of Taj-ud-Din Firuz Shah in Kalaburagi Haft Gumbad.jpg
Haft Gumbaz, tomb of Taj-ud-Din Firuz Shah in Kalaburagi
The triple moat of Bidar fort. Protected Walls.JPG
The triple moat of Bidar fort.
Tombs of Bahmani & Bidar Shahi kings at Barid Shahi Park in Bidar Barid Shahi 05.jpg
Tombs of Bahmani & Bidar Shahi kings at Barid Shahi Park in Bidar

The Bahmani Sultanate constructed many architectural works, although many of them have been destroyed. Shown are some ruins showcasing their architectural legacy. [2] The Gulbarga Fort, Haft Gumbaz, and Jama Masjid in Gulbarga, Bidar Fort and Madrasa Mahmud Gawan [3] in Bidar, are the major architectural contributions.

The later rulers were buried in an elaborate tomb complex, known as the Bahmani Tombs. [4] The exterior of one of the tombs is decorated with coloured tiles. Arabic, Persian and Urdu inscriptions are inscribed inside the tombs. [4] [5]

The Bahmani rulers built tombs and mosques in Bidar and Gulbarga. They also built many forts at Daulatabad, Golconda and Raichur. The architecture was influenced by Persian architecture. They invited architects from Persia, Turkey and Arabia. Some of the structures built by the Bahmanis were the Jami Masjid at Gulbarga, Chandand Minar and the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa at Bidar.[ citation needed ]

The Persianate Indo-Islamic style of architecture developed during this period was later adopted by the Deccan Sultanates as well.

Architecture of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate

Ruins of Faria Bagh, the Palace of Nizam Shahi rulers Faria Bagh Palace of second Nizam.JPG
Ruins of Faria Bagh, the Palace of Nizam Shahi rulers

Palaces such as the Farah Bakhsh Bagh, Hasht Bihisht Bagh, and Manjarsumbah are in and around Ahmadnagar city. There exist tombs of nobles like Salabat Khan and Changiz Khan, and also of saints like Shah Sharif and Bava Bangali. [6]

Malik Ambar is credited with the construction of the Janjira Fort in the Murud Area of present-day Maharashtra India. [7] After its construction in 1567 AD, the fort was key to the Sidis withstanding various invasion attempts by the Marathas, Mughals, and Portuguese to capture Janjira. [8]

Farah Bagh (also called Faria Bagh) is situated in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. It is a palace build by Nizam Shahi rulers in Ahmednagar. [9] [10] [11] Farah Bagh was the centrepiece of a palatial complex completed in 1583. It was a special possession of the royal household and Murtaza Nizam Shah often retired here to play chess with a Delhi singer whom he called Fateh Shah and also built for him a separate mahal called Lakad Mahal in the garden. [ citation needed ]

Architecture of the Bijapur Sultanate

Ruins of Gagan Mahal Gagan Mahal Bijapura.jpg
Ruins of Gagan Mahal

Prominent monuments in Bijapur are the Gagan Mahal, Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur Fort and Ibrahim Rauza. Gol Gumbaz is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah and it contains the second largest dome in the world constructed before modern age. The external diameter of the hemispherical dome is 44 m. Ibrahim Rouza is the tomb for Ibrahim Adil Shah II and it is one of the most beautiful monument in Bijapur.

The Jami Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India having courtyard of 11,000 square feet. Other architectural works of this period in Bijapur are the Chini Mahal, Jal Mandir, Sat Manzil, Gagan Mahal, Anand Mahal and the Asar Mahal (1646). [12]

Architecture of the Golconda Sultanate

Golkonda fort, built by the Qutb Shahi dynasty, is one of the most impregnable forts in India. It is also known for its acoustic features and water management.

The Jami Masjid (1518) built by Quli Qutb Mulk is a notable mosque in Golkonda. The tombs of Qutb Shahis are a mausoleum complex, a royal necropolis of 30 tombs of the royal family. These were erected from 1543 to 1672.

Char Minar, in the heart of Hyderabad, was completed in 1591. It has four minarets of 56 m. height. The construction of the Makkah Masjid was started in 1617 during the reign of Muhammad Qutb Shah but completed only in 1693. [13]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalaburagi</span> City in Karnataka, India

Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kalaburagi district and is the largest city in the region of North Karnataka (Kalyana-Karnataka). Kalaburagi is 568 km north of the state capital city of Bangalore. It was incorporated into the newly formed Mysore State through the States Reorganisation Act in 1956.

The Deccan sultanates were five late-medieval Indian kingdoms—on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range—that were created from the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate and ruled by Muslim dynasties: namely Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda. The sultanates had become independent during the break-up of the Bahmani Sultanate. The five sultanates owed their existence to the declaration of independence of Ahmadnagar in 1490, followed by Bijapur and Berar in the same year. Golconda became independent in 1518, and Bidar in 1528.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bijapur</span> City in Karnataka, India

Bijapur is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of the Adil Shahi dynasty. It is also well known for the popular Karnataka premier league team, the Bijapur Bulls. Bijapur is located 519 km (322 mi) northwest of the state capital Bangalore and about 550 km (340 mi) from Mumbai and 210 km (130 mi) north east of the city of Belgaum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gol Gumbaz</span> Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur

Gol Gumbaz, also written Gol Gumbad, is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Bijapur, a city in Karnataka, India. It houses the remains of Mohammad Adil Shah, seventh sultan of the Adil Shahi dynasty, and some of his relatives. Begun in the mid-17th century, the structure never reached completion. The mausoleum is notable for its scale and exceptionally large dome. The structure is an important example of Adil Shahi architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidar</span> City in North Karnataka, India

Bidar (/biːd̪ər/) is a city in the north-eastern part of Karnataka state in India. It is the headquarters of Bidar district, which borders Maharashtra and Telangana. It is a rapidly urbanising city in the wider Bidar Metropolitan area. The city is well known for its many sites of architectural, historical and religious importance. Bidar City have a population of more than 2 lakh and are likely to get upgraded to municipal corporation in the next 5 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qutb Shahi dynasty</span> Rulers of Golconda Fort

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was a Persianate Shia Islamic dynasty of Turkoman origin that ruled the Sultanate of Golkonda in southern India. After the collapse of the Bahmani Sultanate, the Qutb Shahi dynasty was established in 1512 AD by Sultan-Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, better known in English, though less correctly referred to, as "Quli Qutb Shah".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adil Shahi dynasty</span> Ruling dynasty of Sultanate of Bijapur

The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was the reigning dynasty of the Sultanate of Bijapur in western Deccan from 1489 to 1686. Bijapur had been a province of the Bahmani Sultanate (1347–1518), and member of the Deccan Sultanates, before its political decline in the last quarter of the 15th century and eventual break-up in 1518. The Bijapur Sultanate was fully absorbed into the Mughal Empire on 12 September 1686, after its conquest by the Emperor Aurangzeb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Islamic architecture</span> Islamic architecture in Indian subcontinent

Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establishment of Delhi as the capital of the Ghurid dynasty in 1193. Succeeding the Ghurids was the Delhi Sultanate, a series of Central Asian dynasties that consolidated much of North, East, and Central India, and later by the Mughal Empire during the early 16th century. Both of these dynasties introduced Islamic architecture and art styles from West Asia into the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidar Sultanate</span> Late mediaeval Indian kingdom (1492–1619)

The Sultanate of Bidar was one of the Deccan sultanates of late medieval India. The sultanate emerged under the rule of Qasim Barid I in 1492 and leadership passed to his sons. Starting from the 1580s, a wave of successions occurred in the rulership of the dynasty which ended in 1609 under the last Sultan Amir Barid III who was eventually defeated in 1619 by the Bijapur sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II. Bidar became annexed into the Bijapur Sultanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmadnagar Sultanate</span> Deccan Indian kingdom (1490–1636)

The Sultanate of Ahmednagar or the Nizam Shahi Sultanate was a late medieval Indian Muslim kingdom located in the northwestern Deccan, between the sultanates of Gujarat and Bijapur, ruled by the Nizam Shahi or Bahri dynasty. It was established when Malik Ahmed, the Bahmani governor of Junnar after defeating the Bahmani army led by general Jahangir Khan on 28 May 1490 declared independence and established the Nizam Shahi dynasty of the Sultanate of Ahmednagar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidar Fort</span> Fort in Bidar, Karnataka, India

Bidar Fort is located in old city area, Bidar, Karnataka, India. The fort, the city and the district are all affixed with the name Bidar. Sultan Ahmad Shah I of the Bahmanid dynasty shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1427 and built his fort along with a number of Islamic monuments. There are over 30 monuments inside Bidar fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulbarga Fort</span> Bahmani-era fort in Kalaburagi, India

The Gulbarga Fort is located in Kalaburagi in the Kalaburagi district of North Karnataka. This fort was originally constructed by a hindu king Raja Gulchand, but it was subsequently significantly enlarged in 1347 by Al-ud-din Hasan Bahmani of the Bahmani Dynasty after he cut off his ties with the Delhi Sultanate; Islamic monuments such as mosques, palaces, tombs, and other structures were also built later within the refurbished fort. The Jama Masjid, built later within the fort in 1367, is a unique structure built in Persian architectural style, fully enclosed, with elegant domes and arched columns, unlike any other mosque in India. It was built to commemorate the establishment of the dynastic rule of the Bahmani kingdom at Kalaburagi fort between 1347 and 1424, though the capital was initially Daulatabad. It remained the capital of the Bahmani Kingdom till 1424 where after the capital was shifted to Bidar Fort, as Bidar had better climatic conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bijapur Fort</span> Fort in Bijapur, India

The Bijapur Fort is located in the Bijapur city in Bijapur District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bijapur fort has a plethora of historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty.

<i>Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments</i> Book by Hekmat E Shirazi

Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments is a book written in Persian by Dr Ali Asghar Hekmat E Shirazi and published in 1956 and 1958 and 2013. New edition contains the Persian texts of more than 200 epigraphical inscriptions found on historical monuments in India, many of which are currently listed as national heritage sites or registered as UNESCO world heritage, published in Persian; an English edition is also being printed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barid Shahi tombs</span> Historic site in Karnataka, India

The Barid Shahi tombs are tombs of the Barid Shahi dynasty. They are located in Bidar in the Indian state of Karnataka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahmani Tombs</span> Necropolis in Bidar, India

The Bahmani tombs complex at Bidar is the necropolis of the Bahmani dynasty, located in Bidar, in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Qutb Shahi architecture is the distinct style of Indo-Islamic architecture developed during the reign of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, also known as the Golconda Sultanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haft Gumbaz</span> Group of tombs in Gulbarga, Karnataka, India

The Haft Gumbaz, also spelt Haft Gumbad are a group of tombs of the Bahmani dynasty situated in Kalaburagi, in the Indian state of Karnataka. Built during the 14th and 15th centuries, the tombs are examples of early Indo-Islamic architecture. There are seven tombs in total, with four being tombs of the rulers of the Bahmani dynasty. The tomb complex is a monument of national importance, maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. The tomb complex is part of the "Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate", which is an ensemble of various structures added to the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jod Gumbaz</span> Building in Bijapur, India

Jod Gumbaz is a complex of two tombs located in Bijapur, in the Indian state of Karnataka. Built during the late Adil Shahi period and completed in 1687, it contains the tombs of Khan Muhammad and his spiritual advisor Abdul Razzaq Qadiri. A third, smaller tomb is located towards the west of the complex.

References

  1. UNESCO "tentative list"
  2. 1 2 Datta, Rangan (6 June 2023). "Bidar Fort in Karnataka: A treasure trove of south Indian heritage". The Telegraph. My Kolkata. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. Yazdani 1947, pp. 91–98.
  4. 1 2 Yazdani 1947, pp. 114–142.
  5. Sara Mondini (2016). "The Use of Quranic Inscriptions in the Bahmani Royal Mausoleums The Case of Three Tombstones from Ashtur". Eurasiatica. 4. doi:10.14277/6969-085-3/EUR-4-12.
  6. Sohoni, Pushkar (2018). The Architecture of a Deccan Sultanate: Courtly Practice and Royal Authority in Late Medieval India. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN   9780755606795.
  7. Sohoni, Pushkar (2020). "The Fort of Janjira". African Rulers and Generals in India. Greensboro, North Carolina; Ahmedabad: University of North Carolina Ethiopian and East African Studies Project; Ahmedabad Sidi Heritage and Educational Center. pp. 167–183.
  8. Kainthla, Anita (August 2011). "The Invincible Fort of Murud Janjira". India Currents. 25 (5): 56–57 via ProQuest.
  9. "How 16th-century Ahmednagar palace in Maharashtra stayed cool in summer". Hindustan Times. 26 May 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  10. George Michell (1987). The New Cambridge History of India: 1. The Portuguese in India. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0521563216 . Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  11. Singh, M.; Kumar, S Vinodh (8 May 2019). "Architechtural features and characterization of 16th century Indian Monument Farah Bagh, Ahmed Nagar, India". International Journal of Architectural Heritage. 14 (9): 1398–1411. doi:10.1080/15583058.2019.1610524. S2CID   164648431.
  12. Michell & Zebrowski 1999 , pp. 41–47, 86–98
  13. Michell & Zebrowski 1999 , pp. 47–53, 101–106

Sources