Shivaji and The Adil Shahi Dynasty of Bijapur

v.1.2 March 1, 2005

Ravi Rikhye

The history of Shivaji is inextricably entwined with the history of Bijapur, for his father Shahaji was in the military service of that kingdom.

Bijapur: Origins The name is a form of "Vijaypur", or City of Victory. "

Bijapur formed a part of  Gulbarga province of the Bahmani kingdom founded by

  Alla- ud-in Hassan Gangu Bahmani  in 1347. When the Bahmani kingdom lost its 

  power  in the last decades of 15^th century, the kingdom was broken up and

  Yusuf Adil Khan of Bijapur was one of provincial governors who declared

  independence. Bijapur, thus became a separate kingdom under the Adil Shahi 

  rulers in 1489. [http://kannadasiri.kar.nic.in/heritage/heritage_areas.htm]

Shivaji began his career by seizing the fort of Torangarh from Bijapur.

The 9 Sultans

Adapted from RC Majumdar's "The Mughul Empire", which is Volume 7 in his monumental study "The History an Culture of the Indian People", pages 445-463. Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan, Bombay. 1974.

1490 - 1510 Yusuf Adil Shahi A son of Murad II of Turkey, his mother managed to save him from customary execution of all other sons when the Crown Prince succeeded Murad. She had him smuggled to Persia, from where he eventually found service with the Bidar Sultanate. He attained the position of Governor of Bijapur, a province of the Bahamani Sultanate. He died in the war against Vijaynagar's emperor Krishnadevaraya.

1510 - 1534 Ismail Adil Shahi On Yusuf’s death, his wife – a Marattha princess – defended their young son, Ismail, against a palace coup, and thus preserved the dynasty.

1534 - 1535 Mallu Adil Khan Unfit to rule, and addicted to low vices, his excesses become intolerable to the point his own grandmother had him removed and blinded. He was replaced by his younger brother Ibrahim.

1535 -1557 Ibrahim Adil Shahi I Succeeded his unfit elder brother. Disestablished the Shia faith, replacing it with the Sunni.

1557 - 1580 Ali Adil Shahi I Elder son of Ibrahim, he became king though his father preferred the the younger brother. The younger, however, was even more adamant in  his faith  of Shia Islam than the elder brother, so he was given the throne. Nonetheless, he moves to restore the Shia faith.

Ali I was initially an ally of Vijaynagar. The latter, however, attacked Ahmadnagar, one of the four original survivor states of the Bahamani Sultanate, which included Bijapur. Accordingly, Ali I led an alliance of the four states against Vijaynagar, defeating the latter in the Battle of Talikota in 1558.

He then led an alliance against the expanding Portuguese, and was defeated. This led to his expansion in the south, at Vijaynagar's expense. In this also, ultimately, he was unsuccessful.

Lacking any son of his own, Ali I designated his nephew [the son of his younger brother] Ibrahim II as his successor. He fell to an assassin at his own court.

1579 - 1626 Ibrahim Adil Shahi II

Ibrahim Adil Shahi II Ibrahim I had no sons, so on his death his nephew Ibrahim II ascended the throne, with his aunt, Chand Bibi, wife of Ibrahim I, as his regent. Ibrahim II was a great patron of the arts and lover/composer of music. He was famous for his religious tolerance and attempts to reconcile different sects of Islam, and Islam and Hinduism. He is known to history not as a warrior, but as an aesthete. http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/bijapur/adilshahis.htm

1627-1656 Muhammad Ali Shahi

Muhammad Ali Shahi Under him, the dynasty reached its zenith. He was a great builder. Source: www.kamat.com

1656 - 1672 Ali Adil Shahi II This was the ruler from whom Shivaji sought to wrest Bijapur.

Ali II faced an invasion of his kingdom from Aurangzeb, eventually sixth Mughul Emperor, who at this time as acting as regent for his farther Shah Jehan

1672 - 1680 Sikandar Adil Shahi – defeated by Aurangzeb, Bijapur passes to the Mughul Empire in 1680. [Please note some dates put Sikandar on the throne as late as 1686; if this is correct Aurangzeb must have restored Sikandar, this time as his vassal.]