Golgumbad Express - A monthly Web Magzine

Be it Arya Bhata the great mathemetician, the Bijapur's ancient name was Vidhyapur which means City of Knowledge. During Chalykian Kindom era Bijapur was a major place of learning and later during Adil Shahi Era it reaches to its peak.

Education During Adil Shahs in Bijapur

The Adilshahi Sultans of Bijapur (1489-1686 C.E.) continued the Bahamani tradition of patronage to education by constructing masjids and makhtabs. Among this dynasty of rulers, Yusuf Adilshah the founder (1499-1510 C.E.) was educated at Sava (in Persia) and had a taste for poetry and music. He could play two to three instruments and composed spontaneous songs. Many master musicians and learned men were invited by him from Persia, Turkistan and Rome. Ismail Adil Shah (1510-1534 C.E.) was also a patron of scholars and poets. He knew several languages, and was adept in drawing, painting and making arrows. Ali Adil Shah I (1535-1558 C.E.) had a philosophical bent of mind and invited Hindu, Muslim and Christian saints for religious discussions and called himself “Adilshah Sufi.” He had a great liking for books and collected a huge number on a variety of subjects, and carried boxes of books with him during many journeys. The royal library lodged in Asari Mahal at Bijapur had its beginning during his rule.

Music, the Dakhani language, painting and crafts received a lot of encouragement during the Adilshahi reign in Karnataka. Calligraphy grew in all its grace and elegance. The Persian script renders itself beautifully to an artist’s imagination and skill. An artist or a sensitive calligraphist can give flowing touches, flowery flourishes or long and short joints to letters. Islamic calligraphy developed into seven styles at a later date. The kufi style was employed for religious sayings or quotations from the Koran, the nasq for simple forms in everyday correspondence and the tulup was used for epitaphs of heroes and martyrs. Nastaliq and jughra were the other two styles, even more in vogue. The tughra was used to avoid the evil eye (an Indian belief analogous to the western scarecrow) and were to be found in forts and fortresses of the Deccan Region.

As the use of paper became increasingly popular, calligraphists grew in demand. Khushnavis was an expert in calligraphy. Hindus and Muslims were equally adept in handwriting. Books on poetry, biography and history were illustrated with the choicest handwriting, with beautiful borders of gold, red and blue flowers.

Ibrahim Adilshah II (1580-1627 C.E.) is remembered as the greatest king, for trying to bring in cultural harmony through music and other fine arts. His book, “Kitab-E-Navras” (book of nine flavours) in the Dakhani language is a collection of 59 poems and seventeen couplets. According to his court poet Zuhuri, Ibrahim Adilshah wrote the book to introduce the theory of nine juices (which occupies the most important place in Indian aesthetics) to people who had only a Persian background. For him, the tanpura (a musical instrument) personified learning, and it was said that "Ibrahim the Tanpurawala became learned due to the grace of God, by living in the city of learning i.e., Vidyanagari." Vidyanagari was the earlier name of Bijapur.For more click here