Bahmani Sultanate - Definition and Overview

The Bahmani Sultanate was a Muslim state of the Deccan in southern India. The sultanate was founded in 1347 by the Turkish governor Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah, who revolted against the Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad ibn Tughluq. His revolt was successful, and he established an independent state on the Deccan out of the Delhi Sultanate's southern provinces. The Bahmani capital was Ahsanabad (Gulbarga) between 1347 and about 1425, when it was moved to Muhammadabad (Bidar). The Bahmani contested for control of the Deccan with the Hindu Vijayanagara empire to the south. The sultanate reached the peak of its power during the vizierate (1466–1481) of Mahmud Gawan. After 1518 the sultanate broke up into five states, Ahmednagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda, known collectively as the Deccan sultanates.