Get complete information on the life history of Mahmud Shah

Get complete information on the life history of Mahmud Shah

Muhammad Shah III was succeeded by his son Mahmud Shah. He was a minor when he became King. When he reached manhood, he became an imbecile. He spent all his time in the company of buffoons and fiddlers who flocked to his court from all quarters. “The people, following the example of their King, attended to nothing but dissipation.

Revered sages pawned their very garments at the wine-cellars and holy teachers quitting their colleges retired to taverns and presided over the wine flask.” The feuds between the Deccanis and the foreign continued. The provincial governors took advantages of the prevailing confusion and declared them independent.

The nominal authority of Mahmud Shah was confined to a small area round the capital. He and his four successors were mere puppets in the hands of Qasim Barid-ul-Mamalik and after his death in those of his son Amir Ali Barid, “the fox of the Deccan”. The last ruler of the Bahmani kingdom was Kalim Ullah Shah and he came to the throne in 1524. He died in 1527 and with him came the end of the Bahmani kingdom after its existence of about 180 years.

It is to be observed that there were 18 rulers of the Bahmani kingdom. Five of them were murdered, two of them died of intemperance. Three of them were deposed and two of them were blinded.

Most of the rulers of the Bahmani kingdom were busy with their wars with the Vijayanagar Empire. Most of them were tyrants and followed a policy of persecution of the Hindus. Their armies caused much suffering to the people.