The Turkish Roots of Yousef Adil Shah

The Role of Murad II (Father of Yousef Adil Shah) in Turkies History

The political and geographical entity governed by the Muslim Ottoman Turks. Their empire was centered in present-day Turkey and extended its influence into southeastern Europe as well as the Middle East. Europe was only temporarily able to resist their advance: the turning point Despite military success of their territorial expansion, there remained problems of organization and governmentwithin the Othman Empire. Murad IIattempted to limit the influence of the nobility and the Gazi by elevating faithful former slaves and janissaries to administrative positions. These administrators came to provide an alternative voice to that of the nobility and, as a result, Murad IIand successive Sultans were able to play one faction against the other, a feature that came to typify the Othman Empire.

Emporor Murad II of Turkey Father of Yousef Adil Shah

The power of the janissaries often overrode a weak sultan and the elite military force occasionally acted as 'king-makers'. Another weakness was that primogeniture was not used in Islam and the transference of power from a deceased sultan to his son was frequently disputed. If a Sultan died without a male heir or if he left several sons, succession was violently contested. In the early period, to prevent ongoing rivalries, all male relatives of a newly crowned Sultan were put to death. Later, however, the potential rivals were merely imprisoned for life. Some historians consider that this policy of imprisonment contributed to the decline of the Othman Empire as mentally unstable and politically inexperienced sultans were rescued from prison and placed upon the throne. Nevertheless, despite frequent disputes over succession, the Othman Empire managed to produce effective leaders in the late Middle Ages and a comprehensive government policy developed. Despite the difficulties of succession and admisnstrative control, the Othman Empire had a number of advantages that contributed to their success, the enormous wealth of the Empire being the most significant asset. As the Othman Empire expanded, it acquired control of the trade routes to the East and many European powers, such as Venice and Genoa, paid great sums for the privilege of access to these routes.

King Murad II was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1451 (except for a period from 1444 to 1446). Murad's reign was marked by the long war he fought against the Christians of the Balkans and the Turkish emirates in Anatolia, a conflict lasting for 25 years. He was brought up in Amasya, and ascended the throne on the death of his father.The Byzantines encouraged Mustafa Çelebi (known as Düzmece Mustafa) to try to create civil war and dethrone the young sultan. Mustafa defeated the Murad's army and declared himself Sultan of Adrianople (modern Edirne). The Ottoman army caught up with him in Ulubat, near Bursa, and executed him. Murad then formed a new army called Azeb in 1421, and marching through the Byzantine Empire, laid siege to their capital Constantinople. Whilst besieging that city, the Byzantines in league with some independent Turkish Anatolian states,sent the Sultan's younger brother Mustafa (who was only 13 years old) to rebel against the Sultan and besiege Bursa. Murad had to abandon the siege of Constantinople in order to deal with his rebellious brother. He caught Prince Mustafa and executed him. The Anatolian states that had been constantly plotting against him — Aydin, Germian, Mentese and Teke were annexed and henceforth became part of the Ottoman Empire.He then went against Venice, the emirate of Karamanid, Serbia and Hungary. Karamanid was defeated in 1428 and Venice withdrew in 1432 following the defeat at the second Siege of Salonika in 1430. In the 1430s Murad captured huge territories in the Balkans and succeeded in annexing Serbia in 1439. In 1441 the Holy Roman Empire, Poland and Albania joined the Serbian-Hungarian coalition. Murad won the Battle of Varna in 1444 against János Hunyadi but lost the Battle of Jalowaz and was forced to abdicate.In 1446 he regained command at the interference of the Janissaries and could crush the Christian coalition at the Second Battle of Kosovo (the first one took place in 1389). When the Balkan front was secured Murad turned east to defeat Timur Lenk's son, Shah Rokh, and the emirates of Karamanid and Corum-Amasya.

Yousef Adil Shah was the son of Murad II, the Sultan of Turkey. After the Sultan's death and succession to throne by the crown prince, all other sons were executed. However, Yusuf's mother secretly replaced him with a slave boy and sent him to Persia. After many romantic adventures, Yusuf reached the court of the Bidar Sultanate. His bravery and personality raised him rapidly in Sultan's favor, resulting in his appointment as the Governor of Bijapur. He built the Citadel or Arkilla and the Faroukh Mahal. Yusuf was a man of culture. He invited poets and artisans from Persia, Turkey and Rome to his court. He married Punji, the sister of a Maratha warrior.

At this juncture Ali Yousef Adil Khan declared himself independent and established a separate kingdom at Bijapur, which was one of his Jahagir towns. It is very hard to get statesmen like Muhammad Gavan to manage the affairs of the State; but he was thus murdered and lost to the State. Yousef Adil Khan, who was considered and loved as his own son by Mehammad Gavan, saw that he also would be obliged to go the way of Muhammad Gavan and consequently had to establish a separate kingdom. When in A.D.1489, Yousef Adil Khan established his dynasty at Bijapur, his kingdom consisted of the whole tract between the Bhima and the Ghataprabha excepting some portion of Konkan. The Gomantak Province was yet half conquered. During the next century, the Konkan and the Vijayanagar Kingdom were completely conquered and annexed to the Bijapur Kingdom. Later on the dominions of Bijapur extended up to Ceylon.

Yousef Adil Khan died in A.D.1510 (H.916) after his return from the Goa expedition.Yousef Adil khan built the Citadel or Arkilla and the Faroukh Mahal.The Chapra Fort in Goa.

Yusuf was a man of culture. He invited poets and artisans from Persia, Turkey and Rome to his court.He himself composed Music and he was a good painter. He married Punji, the sister of a Maratha warrior.Yusuf died in 1510 A.D.at the age of 74.

He laid a foundation of Adil Shahi Empire. His desended took forward his dream of forming a strong Kingdom in South India.

Legend of origin - Other Accounts

The founder of the dynasty, Yusuf Adil Shah, was likely a Bahmani nobleman of Iranian origin. According to the historian Mir Rafi-uddin Ibrahim-i Shirazi, or Rafi', Yusuf's full name was Sultan Yusuf 'Adil Shah Sawa or Sawa-i, the son of Mahmud Beg of Sawa in Iran, (Rafi' 36-38, vide Devare 67, fn 2). Rafi's history of the 'Adil Shahi dynasty was written a the request of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, and was completed and presented to the patron in AH 1017. The Indian scholar T.N. Devare mentioned that while Rafi's account of the Bahmani dynasty is filled with anachronisms, his account of the Adilshahi is "fairly accurate, exhaustive, and possesses such rich and valuable information about Ali I and Ibrahim II" . Rafi-uddin later became the governor of Bijapur for about 15 years.

Rafi's account is less well known than that of the popular historian Firishta, the author of the Nawras- nama, also known as the Gulshan-i Ibrahim. Rafi's account of the life of Yusuf 'Adil Shah directly contradicts a fanciful legend related by Firishta on the origins of the Adil Shahi dynasty. According to him, Yusuf Adil Shah is said to have been the son of Murad II, Ottoman sultan and caliph of Islam, who was succeeded by one of his sons, Mehmed II. After his accession, the new sultan is said to have ordered the execution by strangling of all his brothers, including Yusuf. Yusuf's mother contrived to save him by replacing him with a slave boy; she then arranged to have Yusuf conveyed to Persia. Yusuf eventually came to India, where he took service under the Bahmani ruler of the Deccan, ultimately becaming a personage of importance at the court of Mahmud II.

T.N. Devare found that other historians of the time, Mir Ibrahim Lari-e Asadkhani, and Ibrahim Zubayri, the author of the Basatin as-Salatin, favored Rafi's account and rejected this account provided solely by Firishta (Devare 67, fn 2). Devare observed that the work is "a general history of India from the earliest period up to Firishta's time written at the behest of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and presented to him in 1015 AH/1606 CE. It seems however that it was supplemented by the author himself as it records events up to AH 1033 (1626 CE). This is the most widely quoted history of the Adil Shahi, and it is the source of the story that Yusuf was an Ottoman prince" (Devare 272).

Despite the obvious fabrication of Yusuf's Ottoman origin, Firishta's account continues to be very popular today in Bijapur, although very few, if any serious historians give any credence to this legend. The reason that prompted Firishta to fabricate this account it unknown, and especially curious given that he must have known of, if not been familiar with the account of his contemporary Rafi. Perhaps this story was added after the death of his patron, simply as a way of aggrandizing his patron, if not to gain attention.

Career
Whatever may have been Yusuf's origins, the matter did not hamper his essaying a brilliant career. His bravery and personality raised him rapidly in the Bahmani sultan's favor, and resulted in his being appointed Governor of Bijapur.

In 1489, Yusuf took advantage of the decline of the Bahmani power to establish himself as an independent sultan at Bijapur. He waged war against the Vijayanagar empire, as also against Bijapur's Muslim neighbours. The Bijapur sultanate he founded was a formidable force for close to two centuries until it was finally defeated by Aurangzeb in 1686.

Adil Shah is personally responsible for building the imposing Citadel or Arkilla and the palace named Faroukh Mahal. Yusuf was a man of culture and invited poets and artisans from Persia, Turkey and Rome to his court. He was also an accomplished musician and scholar with deep religious tolerance that was reflected in art and architecture from this time.

Yusuf Adil Shah married Punji, the sister of a Maratha warrior. He died in 1511, shortly after the loss of Goa to the Portuguese governor Afonso de Albuquerque, in 1510. Yusuf left behind a strong if small state, one which persisted through two relatively chaotic centuries in a region rife with political ferment. He was succeeded by his son Ismail, who being a minor, was aided in his rule by a Kamal Khan the Adil Shahi geneal.

GOA UNDER Yousef Adil Shah second capital of Adil Shah kingdom:

In the 14th century, Goa was a great trading centre. It imported good quality horses from Persia and Arabia. These horses were in great demand in the Deccan. The rulers of both,Vijaynagar and Badami were at war with each other. Both wanted Goa mainly because of the HORSE TRADE. So Goa was at different times OCCUPIED by the rulers of Vijay nagar and Badami. When Yousef Adil Khan became King of Adil Shah Bijapur
, brought Goa into the Kingdom of Bijapur. He was a powerful ruler. He encouraged agriculture , art and literature. He was TOLERANT to all religions.Under him, Hindus were given religious freedom. Some of them were given high civil and military posts. Yusuf Adil Shah developed the PORT OF GOA by constructing a main road from the jetty of River Mandovi at OLD GOA right up to the PALACE of Adil Shah [present Secretariat] for trade and commerce. The PORT of Old Goa later became the capital city under Portuguese rule.

After the dweath of Yousef Adil Shah 1498, Portugal sent fleets to India from time to time, to keep the spice trade of the MALABAR under Portuguese control. One of these fleets was under AFONSO DE ALBUQUERQUE, who had a dream of establishing a Portuguese empire in the East.

CONQUEST OF GOA
Afonso de Albuquerque had heard of the importance of Goa's location on the west coast of India. He felt that the conquest of Goa would strengthen the Portuguese rule over the Arabian Sea. TIMMAYA, the Admiral of the Vijaynagar fleet, INVITED him to at Goa for his own personal ambitions. On March1,1510, Albuquerque sailed up the river Mandovi,
captured and looted ships at Goa harbour. No one opposed him. Two months later, Ismail Adil Shah, King of Bijapur, sent a large army toGoa. It drove the Portuguese into the sea.