The Malwa Sultanate was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1401 to 1562. It was founded by Dilawar Khan, who following Timur's invasion and the disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1401, made Malwa an independent realm. Following Battle of Gagron in 1519, much of the Sultanate came under the brief control of Mewar's ruler Rana Sanga[3] and he appointed one of his vassals Medini Rai to rule over the Sultanate.[4] In 1562, the Sultanate was conquered by the Mughal empire from its last ruler, Baz Bahadur and it became a subah of the empire. The Sultanate was predominantly ruled by Afghan, and Turco-Afghan dynasties throughout its existence.
Preparation of Samosa for Ghiyath al-Din, Sultan of Malwa, at Mandu
Ghurid dynasty
The sultanate of Malwa was founded by Dilawar Khan Ghuri, the governor of Malwa for the Delhi Sultanate, who asserted his independence in 1392, but did not actually assume the ensigns of royalty till 1401.[5] Initially Dhar was the capital of the new kingdom, but soon it was shifted to Mandu, which was renamed Shadiabad (the city of joy). After his death, he was succeeded by his son Alp Khan, who assumed the title of Hoshang Shah.
The Muzaffarids under Zafar Khan Muzaffar Shah I accused Hoshang of parricide and invaded Malwa. Hoshang was defeated and captured as a prisoner, while a Muzaffarid governor was appointed in his pace at Dhar.[13]
Khalji dynasty
The Ghurid dynasty, founded by Dilawar Khan Ghuri, was replaced by Mahmud Shah I, who proclaimed himself king on 16 May 1436. The Khalji dynasty, founded by him, ruled over Malwa till 1531.
The sultanate saw heavy decline in 1519 after the continues invasions of Rajput emperor Rana Sanga of Mewar.[14]Mahmud Khalji I was succeeded by his eldest son Ghiyas-ud-Din. The last days of Ghiyas-ud-Din were embittered by a struggle for throne between his two sons, with Nasir-ud-Din emerging victorious over Ala-ud-Din and ascending the throne on 22 October 1510, The last ruler Mahmud Shah II surrendered to Bahadur Shah, the sultan of Gujarat after the fort of Mandu fell to Bahadur on 25 May 1531.[12]
Muzaffarid Conquest
Since 1518, Mahmud Shah II was a vassal of the Gujarat Sultan. The last ruler Mahmud Shah II surrendered to Bahadur Shah, the sultan of Gujarat after the fort of Mandu fell to Bahadur on 25 May 1531.[12] During 1531 – 1537 the kingdom was annexed under the control of Bahadur Shah, though the Mughal emperor Humayun captured it for a short period during 1535-36. The Gujaratis regained Malwa giving allegiance to Bahadur Shah until 1542.
Restored Khalji dynasty
In 1537, Qadir Shah, an ex-officer of the previous Khalji dynasty rulers, regained control over a part of the erstwhile kingdom.[15] But in 1542, Sher Shah Suri conquered the kingdom, defeating him and appointed Shuja'at Khan as the governor. His son, Baz Bahadur, declared himself independent in 1555. Darya Khan Gujarati, the ex-Wazir of Mahmud Khan of Gujarat ruled Ujjain.[11]
In 1561, emperor Akbar sent the Mughal army, led by Adham Khan and Pir Muhammad Khan, which attacked Malwa and defeated Baz Bahadur in the battle of Sarangpur on 29 March 1561, culminating in the Mughal conquest of Malwa. Akbar soon recalled Adham Khan and made over command to Pir Muhammad. Pir Muhammad attacked Khandesh and proceeded up to Burhanpur, but he was defeated by a coalition of three powers: Miran Mubarak Shah II of Khandesh, Tufal Khan of Berar Sultanate and Baz Bahadur. Pir Muhammad died while retreating. The confederate army pursued the Mughals and drove them out of Malwa. Baz Bahadur regained his kingdom for a short period. In 1562, Akbar sent another army, led by Abdullah Khan, an Uzbeg, which finally defeated Baz Bahadur. He fled to Chittor.[16] It became the Malwa Subah (top-level province) of the Mughal empire, with seat at Ujjain and Abdullah Khan became its first governor.
Art and Architecture
An illustration from the manuscript of the Nimat Nama completed during the reign of Nasir-ud-Din Shah
Malwa painting
Many remarkable illustrated manuscripts were prepared during the period of the sultanate. An illustrated manuscript of Kalpa Sutra (1439) (presently in the National Museum, Delhi) was prepared in Mandu during the reign of Mahmud Shah I[17] But the most interesting is a manuscript of the Nimat Nama, a treatise on the art of cooking, which bears many portraits of Ghiyas-ud-Din Shah but the colophon bears the name of Nasir-ud-Din Shah. The other notable illustrated manuscripts of this period are of the Miftah-ul-Fuzala, a dictionary of rare words, the Bustan (1502) painted by Haji Mahmud and the Aja'ib-us-San'ati (1508). Another manuscript of the Anwar-i-Suhaili (now in the National Museum, Delhi) probably also belong to this period.[18]
Malwa Architecture
The arches of Hindola MahalRoopmati's PavilionThe Kapoor Talao situated in the Madu FortMain court of Baz Bahadur's Palace.Rewa Kund - a reservoir that supplies water to Roopmati's Pavilion.The courtyard of the Jami Masjid.Mausoleum of Hoshang ShahJahaz MahalDai ki Mahal
District Archaeological Museum, Dhār, Madhya Pradesh
Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
Entire view of Bawari (Water Source at the Dhār Fort)
Entrance view from inside the fort at Dhār
Outer view of the fort at Dhār
The Dhār Fort
in Mandu & Dhar the capital of the Malwa Sultanate The monuments built during the sultanate period are almost concentrated in Mandu city. The early monuments were assembled out of the materials of earlier Hindu temples, according to the Islamic plan and convention. But nothing seems to have been done to conceal or alter their essential Hindu appearance. The significant among them are the Kamal Maula Masjid (c.1400), the Lal Masjid (1405), Dilawar Khan's Masjid (c.1405) and the Masjid of Malik Mughis (1452) in Mandu.[19]
the Jahaz Mahal
Hoshang Shah laid the foundation of the Mandu fort on the ruins of the original fortification. With him began the second and the classical phase of Malwa architecture. Some of the ten gateways on the 25 miles long wall of the fortress of Mandu were built by the Malwa sultans, the earliest one being the Delhi Darwaza (northern gateway). Within the walls of the fortress, presently only forty structures survive in different stages of preservation. The largest and most impressive of them is Jami Masjid, which according to an inscription was begun by Hoshang Shah and completed by Mahmud Shah I in 1454. The remarkable Durbar hall, known as the Hindola Mahal is also attributed to Hoshang Shah. Opposite to Jami Masjid, the large structural complex known as the Ashrafi Mahal comprises a group of buildings successively built in course of a rather long period. Its original nucleus seems to be a madrasa building erected as an adjunct to the Jami Masjid, probably during the reign of Hoshang Shah. According to Firishta, the tomb of Hoshang Shah was built by Mahmud Shah I. The later mausoleums, such as the tomb of Darya Khan, the Dai ka Mahal and the Chhappan Mahal were built on the same design. A long structural complex situated between two lakes has a curious name, the Jahaz Mahal (ship-palace). Though the date of this monument is not definitely known, its general style is in accord with the character of Ghiyas-ud-Din Khalji. A lonely building on the slope of a hill by the side of Riwa Kund is known by the local people as Baz Bahadur's palace. According to an inscription this monument was actually built by Nasir-ud-Din Shah. The Rani Rupmati Pavilion stands on the southern edge of the plateau and as its situation and form indicate, was, in all probability, designed for military purposes.[19]
Rulers
Silver half tanka of Nasir Shah dated (AH) 915 (= 1509–1510 CE)
Silver half tanka of Muhammad Shah II dated (AH) 917 (= 1511–1512 CE)
The princess of Malwa was defined as the most beautiful princess during that era in India. She had jet black hair and green eyes. She was said to be a brave warrior who trained among the army of men. She also fought for women rights.
↑ Islam, Riazul; Bosworth, C. E. (1998). "Delhi Sultanate". History of civilizations of Central Asia, v. 4: The Age of achievement, A.D. 750 to the end of the fifteenth century; Pt. I: the historical, social and economic setting. UNESCO Publishing. p.285.
↑ Hadi, Nabi (1995). Dictionary of Indo-Persian Literature. Abhinav Publications. ISBN978-81-7017-311-3. Originally he belonged to a neighborhood of Bukhara, and after much wandering across the cities of the Islamic world, at last, came to settle in Mandu, capital city of the Independent Sultans of Malwah claiming descent from the Khalji clan, the Turko-Afghan mixture.
↑ Lee, Jonathan (2019). Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present. Reaktion Books. p.55. ISBN9781789140101.
↑ Dasharatha Sharma (1970). Lectures on Rajput History and Culture. Motilal Banarsidass. p.27. ISBN978-0-8426-0262-4. Early 16th century marks the rise of patriotic one eyed chief of Mewar named as Rana Sanga who defeat several of his neighbour kingdom and establish Rajput hold on Malwa first time after fall of Parmara dynasty through series of victories over Malwa,Gujarat and Delhi Sultanate
↑ Kolff, Dirk H. A. (2002). Naukar, Rajput, and Sepoy: The Ethnohistory of the Military Labour Market of Hindustan, 1450-1850. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p.103. ISBN9780521523059.
Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also synonymous with the former state of Madhya Bharat which was later merged with Madhya Pradesh. At present the historical Malwa region includes districts of western Madhya Pradesh and parts of south-eastern Rajasthan. Sometimes the definition of Malwa is extended to include the Nimar region south of the Vindhyas.
Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar princely state.
Mandu or Mandavgad is an ancient city in the present-day Mandav area of the Dhar district. It is located in the Malwa and Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh, India, at 35 km from Dhar city. In the 11th century, Mandu was the sub division of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom. This fortress town on a rocky outcrop about 100 km (62 mi) from Indore is celebrated for its architecture.
Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah, born Bahadur Khan was a sultan of the Muzaffarid dynasty who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval kingdom in India from 1526 to 1535 and again from 1536 to 1537. He ascended to the throne after competing with his brothers. He expanded his kingdom and made expeditions to help neighbouring kingdoms. In 1532, Gujarat came under attack of the Mughal Emperor Humayun and fell. Bahadur Shah regained the kingdom in 1536 but he was killed by the Portuguese on board a ship when making a deal with them.
Raja Shiladitya Tomar, also called Silhadi Tomar, was a chieftain of northeast Malwa in the early decades of 16th century Indian. He become vassal of Sanga of Mewar and remain as an ally and Sanga helped him and Medini Rai in various battles and in conquering Malwa from Sultans. He joined the Rajput Confederacy with garrison of 30,000 Rajputs at the Battle of Khanwa which was fought for supremacy of Northern India between Rajputs and Mughals.
Mandav is a town and a nagar panchayat, near city of Dhar in Dhar district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar Shah II or Muzafar II, born Khalil Khan, was a Sultan of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1511 to 1526. He was the eldest son of Sultan Mahmud Begada and his Rajput wife, Rani Hírabai.
The Gujarat Sultanate or the Sultanate of Guzerat, was a late medieval Indian kingdom established in the 1394 in Western India, primarily in the present-day state of Gujarat, India when Muzaffar Shah I, the Governor of Gujarat declared independence from the Delhi Sultanate.
The Farooqi dynasty or the Farooq Shahi was the ruling dynasty of the Khandesh Sultanate from its inception in 1382 till its annexation by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1601. The founder of the dynasty, Malik Ahmad participated in a rebellion against the Bahmani ruler Muhmmad Shah I in his early years. When he was compelled to flee from Deccan, he established in Thalner on the Tapti River. After receiving the grant of the fiefdoms of Thalner and Karanda from Firuz Shah Tughluq in 1370, he conquered the region around Thalner, which later became known as Khandesh. By 1382, he started ruling independently.
Hindu Rajput kingdoms in the north-western Indian subcontinent resisted the Muslim invasions of India, beginning with the Umayyad campaigns from the Middle East and the Ghaznavid Turks from Central Asia. They continued resistance against subsequent Muslim empires, including the Arabs, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Delhi Sultans and the Mughals.
Tughlaq Tombs in the Indian subcontinent are mostly simple, monotonous and heavy structures in Indo-Islamic architecture built during the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1413). They look more like fortresses with walls surrounding them and have restrained decoration and embellishment compared to both earlier and later Indian Islamic tombs. Their architecture lacks the influence from Dravidian architecture and craftsmanship which was later found in Lodi and Mughal architecture. But Dravidian architecture influence on Tughlaq buildings was not totally absent. Features of Hindu influences on Tughlaq architecture include the flat lintel instead of pointed arch, pillars, windows with balconies and eaves and railings.
Mahmud Khalji (1436–1469), also known as Mahmud Khilji and Ala-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, was the Sultan of Malwa, in what is now the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Khilji came into power after assassinating Mohammad, the son of the previous ruler, Hoshang Shah, in 1435. He mounted an unsuccessful campaign against the Delhi Sultanate however, it was under his reign that the Malwa Sultanate reached its greatest height.
The Battle of Gagron was fought in 1519 between Mahmud Khalji II of Malwa and Rajput Confederacy of Rana Sanga. The conflict took place in Gagron and resulted in Sanga's victory, with him taking Mahmud captive and annexing significant territory.
Lat Mosque is a mosque in Dhar town of Madhya Pradesh, India. Named after the Iron pillar of Dhar, it is also known as Lat ki masjid, Ladh Masjid, or Lath Masjid.
Muzaffar Shah I, born Zafar Khan, was the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty in Medieval India, reigning over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1391 to 1403 and again from 1404 to 1411. The Kumbalgarh inscription says that Kshetra Singh defeated and captured Zafar Khan, King of Patan and the Khan remain in imprisonment with other Rajas.
Jama Masjid is a historic mosque in Mandu in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Built in Mughal style of architecture, the mosque has been believed to have been built during the reign of Hoshang Shah and completed during the reign of Mahmud Khilji in 1454.
The Mewar- Malwa conflict was a series of wars between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Islamic Sultanate of Malwa. The conflict erupted due to mutual territorial expansion triggered by both sides on each other. The war was fought in what is today the Indian states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Rana branch of the Guhilas, following their successful recovery of the Rajput stronghold of Chittorgarh and the entire region of Mewar alongside Rajputana after the Battle of Singoli, embarked on an ambitious expansion at the cost of their neighboring kingdoms. On the other side, with the invasion of Timur, the Lame Delhi Sultanate grew weak with its multiple subahs gaining independence which included Malwa, adjacent to Mewar.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
