Bahmani Dynasty (AD 1347 – AD 1527)

The Bahmani dynasty was founded by Alauddin Bahman Shah (Hasan Gangu). Gulbarga was the capital of the Bahmani dynasty. Alauddin Bahman Shah renamed Gulbarga as Ahsanabad. Other famous rulers of the Bahmani dynasty included Firoz Shah Bahmani, Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Gawan, and Kalimullah Shah. Ahmad Shah shifted the capital of the Bahmani dynasty from Gulbarga to Bidar. Muhammad Gawan introduced progressive administrative systems to the Bahmani dynasty. He was known as the 'God of Merchants'. In 1482, Gawan was assassinated and the Bahmani empire was divided into five provinces. Kalimullah Shah was the last Bahmani king. After 1527, the Bahmani Empire was divided into five provinces: Golconda, Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Birar, and Bidar. They were known as the Deccan Sultanates. The Bahmani kingdom served as a cultural bridge between North and South India. The unique cultural tradition of the Bahmani kingdom was followed by later kingdoms. It also influenced the formation of Mughal culture.