In
the latter part of 15th century The Great Bahmani
Dynesty & Bidar was the capital of the kingdom.
Mehammed Gawan, the chief minister, the most
able statesman, valiant and clever, owing to
internal strives and jealousy, was put to death
in 1471.
Enraged
at this heinous act there followed Bhairi Nizam
Shah, the governor of Ahmednagar division was
the first to break away from the kingdom, declared
independence and thus became the founder of
the Nizam Shahi kingdom. Yusuf Khan of the Turk
family the then governor of the Bijapur division
followed suit. Thus was founded the Adil Shahi
kingdom from Bijapur in 1489. Disturbances in
the kingdom brought about the disintegration
of the kingdom.
Bahmani Kingdom divided into Five indpendent
States.
Adil Shahi Dynesty Family Chart. Click on the desired
Kings Icon to know more about his regime
The
city used to be the extensive, splendid and opulent
capital of an independent sovereignty of the same name,
but now retains only the vestiges of its former grandeur.
It is still, however, the most picturesque collection
of ruins in India.
The
city of Bijapur owed its greatness to Yusuf Adil Shah,
the founder of the independent state of Bijapur. It
consists of three distinct portionsthe citadel, the
fort and the remains of the city. The citadel, built
by Yusuf Adil Shah, a mile in circuit, is of great strength,
well built of the most massive materials, and encompassed
by a ditch 100 yds. wide, formerly supplied with water,
but now nearly filled up with rubbish, so that its original
depth cannot be discovered. Within the citadel are the
remains of Hindu temples, which prove that Bijapur was
an important town in pre-Mahommedan times.The historic
city of Bijapur was the capital of Adil Shahs from 1489
upto 1686 that was nealry 200 years. During this golden
era Bijapur got world famous monments still standing
tall making the historical statement about Adil Shahi
Era.
The forts, which were completed by Ali Adil Shah in
1566, is surrounded by a wall 6 m. in circumference.
This wall is from 30 to 50 ft. high, and is strengthened
with ninety-six massive bastions of various designs.
In addition there are ten others at the various gateways.
The width is about 25 ft.; from bastion to bastion runs
a battlemented curtained wall about 10 ft. high. The
whole is surrounded by a deep moat 30 to 40 ft. broad.
Inside these walls the Bijapur kings bade defiance to
all comers. Outside the walls are the remains of a vast
city, now for the most part in ruins, but the innumerable
tombs, mosques, caravanserais and other edifices, which
have resisted the havoc of time, afford abundant evidence
of the ancient splendour of the place.It is said that
Bijapur at its zenith was second only to Rome in beauty
and not less than Mugals.
An Italian Traveller Varthema during his travelles rcorded
on his travel log that Bijapur is a walled city, very
beautiful and very rich in culture. He descirbed The
Foundre King Yoiusef Adil Adil Shah as a powerful and
very libral King who lived in great pride and pomp.
His palace has many chamber with each a door, forty
four of which .
The
ancient city was supplied with water by an elaborate
underground system of reservoirs and aqueducts, which
has been restored in part as a famine relief work.
Among
its many buildings three are specially worthy of mention.
The Gol Gunbad, or tomb of Sultan Mahommed Adil Shah,
which was built 1626-1656, is one of the most interesting
buildings in the world. It is a square building, 135
ft. each way, which is surmounted by a great circular
dome 198 ft. high. The inside area (18,360 ft.) is greater
than the Pantheon at Rome (15,833 sr. ft.). When first
built the dome was covered by gold leaf, and the outer
walls were adorned with stucco work picked out in aold
and blue, hut to-day there are very few trsres of this
ornamentation. Of late years this mosque has been thoroughly
restored, and one portion is now used as a museum in
which all objects of interest discovered in the surrounding
places are exhibited.
Next
to this comes the Ibrahim Roza, or tomb and mosque of
Ibrahim Adil Shah II., which was completed about 1620
and is supposed to be one of the most exquisite buildings
in the world after the Taj at Agra. It is said to have
cost 1,700,000 and to have occupied thirty-six years
in its construction. The Gagan Malial, or ancient audience
hall, is now a mass of ruins, but when complete must
have been a beautiful building. The archway remains.
It is over 60 ft. span and about 90 ft. high. Through
this arch Sikandar Adil Shah, the last king of Bijapur,
was brought bound with silver chains, while on a raised
platform sat Aurangzeb, the Mogul emperor, who had left
Delhi three years previously to conquer the Deccan.
This magnificent palace, where so many scenes historic
in the Bijapur dynasty.
THE
ADIL SHAHI EMPIRE 1451 AD 1682 AD
