Sultans of the South: Part 2

Swords, Statecraft, and Stone Carvings: The Many Faces of Bahman Shah

Sultan Bahman Shah visiting Ellora in CE 1352

On 4 December 1352, in the fifth year of his reign, Bahman Shah undertook a journey that does not fit the conventional image of a medieval conqueror. He marched to Ellora, not with siege engines and demolition squads, but with scholars and scribes. Roads leading to the monument complex were reportedly cleared and levelled in advance. As the court chronicler Isami recorded in the Futuh-us-Salatin, the Sultan and his courtiers spent time admiring the scale, artistic excellence, and craftsmanship of the rock-cut caves and sculptures. For a man who had recently led a successful rebellion, founded a kingdom, and was still consolidating power, setting aside time to appreciate an ancient non-Islamic monument is a fascinating glimpse into his personality.

Popular historical memory often reduces the Bahmani rulers to two-dimensional comic-book villains: tyrannical sovereigns locked in eternal combat with the Vijayanagara Empire, overtaxing peasants, lounging in harems, and smashing temples on a whim. History is rarely black and white. While some of his successors certainly had their moments, the founder of the dynasty was an altogether different breed of statesman—pragmatic, politically astute, and surprisingly open-minded. Bahman Shah reminds us that medieval rulers could be warriors, administrators, politicians, and curious patrons of culture all at once.

From Reluctant Migrant to Master of the Deccan

The rise of Bahman Shah was anything but ordinary. Before becoming a king, Hasan Bahman Shah was a minor noble in the service of the Delhi Sultanate. When Muhammad bin Tughlaq forced the imperial elite south during his capital transfer to Daulatabad, Hasan and his three brothers were part of that dusty migration. Over time, he rose through the ranks and served as Amir-i-Sadah, holding territories around Miraj, Hukkeri, and Belgaum. One wonders whether, during those uncertain years, Hasan could ever have imagined that he would one day be crowned Sultan in the same Daulatabad where he had reluctantly arrived as a servant of another empire.

Following the rebellion against the Tughlaqs, Hasan, now titled 'Zafar Khan' emerged as its most capable commander. After victories against the imperial forces, the reigning monarch Nasir-ud-Din Ismail Shah voluntarily stepped aside, allowing Khan to assume leadership of the new state. On 3 August 1347, he was crowned at Daulatabad and adopted the regal title Alau-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah, establishing what would become the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan.

The coronation of Bahman Shah

"The world became illuminated with the light of his justice,

And tyranny was wiped clean from the face of the realm.

He placed the crown of sovereignty upon his head,

And the Deccan, once withered, blossomed again into a garden of peace."

- Isami in Futuh-us-Salatin

Titles mattered in the medieval world. Bahman Shah styled himself 'Sikandar-i-Sani' (The Second Alexander) and adopted the name Ala-ud-Din, possibly invoking the legacy of the famed Delhi Sultan Alau-ud din Khilji. It was also a direct dig at the Tughlaqs, claiming political legitimacy from the dynasty they had ousted in 1320 CE.

His family connections were significant. Hasan was related to the celebrated Khilji-era commander Malik Hizhbar-ud-Din, known as 'Zafar Khan', who distinguished himself in battles against the mighty Mongols. By retaining this title and later passing it to his son Muhammad, Bahman Shah projected continuity with a proud military heritage.

But medieval dynasties rarely settled for distinguished relatives alone. Like many ruling houses, the Bahmanis claimed a more glamorous ancestry, tracing their descent from the legendary Persian hero Bahman, a figure celebrated in Firdausi's Shahnama. Whether historically accurate or not, it certainly sounded better than 'successful provincial governor turned rebel.'

Setting the House in Order

Winning a kingdom is difficult. Keeping it is harder. Bahman Shah's first challenge was managing the men who had helped create the new state. Instead of sidelining his predecessor Ismail Shah, Bahman elevated him to the prestigious office of Amir-ul-Umara and accorded him exceptional honours at court. This helped smooth the transition of power and project legitimacy. Meanwhile, he appointed Malik Saif-ud-Din Ghori as prime minister, a decision that would have a lasting impact on the stability of the young kingdom, for not only him, four of his successors would also benefit from his wise counsel.

Realizing that the rebel warlords viewed him merely as 'first among equals', Hasan quickly declared his eldest son Muhammad the Crown Prince to establish hereditary rule. A few years later, the capital was shifted to Gulbarga (Ahasanabad). The location was farther from Delhi, closer to the Sultan's support base, and strategically better suited for defending the new kingdom.

Military Expansion & Diplomacy

Hasan initially kept a low profile at home, perhaps fearful of a Tughlaq invasion or an internal revolt while dispatching loyal generals to clear out pro-Tughlaq garrisons across the Deccan. Husain Gurshasp secured Nanded and Kotgir while Qutb-ul-Mulk took Akalkot and seized the later capital - Gulbarga from the pro-Tughlaq chieftain Poccha Reddi by cutting off its water supply. Qir Khan,  the former tyrannical Tughlaq general 'Malik Maqbul' who had joined Hasan after the defeat of the imperial forces, took Basvakalyan after a five-month siege whereas Sikandar Khan captured Bidar and extracted rich tribute and war elephants from Kanya Nayak of Telangana.

Commanders reportedly operated under clear instructions: surrendered opponents were to be treated fairly, unnecessary bloodshed was to be avoided, and property was not to be indiscriminately plundered. Writing several centuries later, Ferishta records the Sultan's advice:

Bahmani Kingdom under Bahman Shah

"It is better to gain hearts by clemency and kindness than to govern by the sword; 

for he who reigns by terror sits upon a seat of thorns, 

while he who reigns by justice dwells securely in the hearts of his people."

After the death of Muhammad bin Tughlaq in CE 1352, Bahman Shah seems to have felt secure enough to leave the capital; his first campaign as Sultan saw him crush the rebellion of recalcitrant officers at Sagar. Marching next to Jamkhandi, he broke the resistance of local pro-Tughlaq chief Narayan after a fierce assault, then besieged him at Mudhol for four months until Narayan surrendered. Further campaigns reached Mandu, Goa, and Dabhol, though his push into Telangana met fierce resistance from regional Reddy chiefs. Across campaigns, surrendered enemies, regardless of religion, were treated with strict clemency. For Bahman Shah, mercy was a virtue. Treason, however, was another matter entirely.

When his general Qir Khan rebelled, Sikandar Khan was sent to quell the unrest. As the Khan was brought to Gulbarga in chains, the Sultan had him beheaded on the spot, despite Sikandar's pleas for mercy. Similarly, fate awaited the ex-Sultan Ismail Shah who was later caught conspiring against the crown, he was executed in court. Yet in typical Hasan fashion, he immediately appointed Ismail’s son to his late father's vacant post of Amir-ul-Umara.

Hasan also appears to have possessed a keen diplomatic touch. While he expanded his kingdom through force when necessary, he was equally adept at cultivating goodwill with neighbouring rulers. The attendance of the Rayas of Telangana, Shakarkhera, and Mudgal at the wedding of Crown Prince Muhammad to Shah Begum, daughter of Vazir Malik Saif-ud-din Ghori, suggests that Bahman Shah enjoyed cordial relations with many of his contemporaries.

Religious Policy

Bahman Shah was undoubtedly a devout Muslim. Contemporary writers emphasise his personal piety. He is said to be particularly fond of his preceptor Shaikh Siraj-ud din Junaidi, the Peshawar born ascetic who would move to Deccan during the shifting of the royal capital to Daulatabad and later take up residence in Bijapur and Bidar. He is even said to have established a rubat (rest-house) at Mecca in CE 1354.

Yet religious devotion did not prevent him from engaging with other traditions. His reported visit to Ellora, consultation of Hindu astrologers at the time of his accession, and the absence of evidence for systematic religious discrimination during his reign suggest a ruler who was more pragmatic and intellectually curious than later stereotypes often allow.

Final Years and Legacy

Tomb of Bahman Shah and his son and successor - Muhammad I

Bahman Shah died on 10/11 February 1358, aged around sixty-seven. In little more than a decade, he had transformed a fragile rebellion into a durable kingdom that would dominate the politics of the Deccan for nearly two centuries.

He was not a perfect ruler. No medieval king was. But he was clearly more than a mere conqueror. He respected capable advisers, rewarded loyalty, forgave many enemies, built institutions, and displayed a curiosity about the world around him that even modern rulers sometimes struggle to match.

History often remembers founders for the states they create and the battles they win. Sultan Bahman Shah deserves remembrance for something rarer: his ability to look beyond war. Between rebellions, campaigns, court politics, and governance, he somehow found time to visit Ellora and also planned a surprise for his queen Malika-i-Jahan Begum: he arranged for her sister to travel from Multan to attend the Crown Prince's wedding, a journey that reportedly took seven months to complete.

He was ambitious but not merely ambitious, religious but not narrowly so, and powerful yet capable of appreciating beauty carved into stone centuries before his arrival. In an age of swords and sieges, Bahman Shah occasionally paused to be a tourist. And perhaps that is what makes him memorable.

Heads up: The text in this post was embellished with a little AI polish, and the images are AI-generated.