Vijaynagar%20and%20Deccani%20Sultanates

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Vijaynagar and Deccani Sultanates

• 1335/47-1660s

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Deccani Dynasties

• After the collapse of Khalji power, the Tughlaqs
  (1320-1414) were unable to hold on the south.
• By 1336 the brothers Harihara and Bukka, who were
  either captives or tributaries of Muhammad bin
  Tughlaq returned to the Deccan South and founded
  the kingdom of Vijaynagar
• Other parts of the Deccan were claimed by a
  former Turkish soldier Hassan Kangu, a nephew of
  Ala-ud-din Khaljis general. He gave himself the
  name Ala-ud-din Hassan Bahmani Shah, founding the
  Bahmani kingdom
• Later his own generals would set up five separate
  kingdoms Bijapur, Berar, Bidar, Ahmadnagar,
  Golconda

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Raichur Doab
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Origin Myths and historiographies

• Since each of the Deccani dynasties were from
  relatively humble origins, each dynasty created
  an origin mythpatronage of Bhramins (Bahamani),
  descent from Persian Emperor (Bijapur),
  patronage/persecution by Tughlaqs (Vijaynagar).
• In actual fact each of these dynasties
  represented the warrior traditions of
  Sultanate-era South AsiaNayakas, Turkish
  soldiers, Persian emigrants
• In todays history the past of these dynasties is
  written in communalist tones as a massive
  Hindu/Muslim conflict. The evidence from this
  period does not support such a simplistic
  argument, the past was much more complex.

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The Deccan and its politics

• Each of these kingdoms was a multi-ethnic,
  multi-lingual, and multi-religious societyeven
  Muslims were as likely to be Shia as Sunni
• The kings personal ties could not be made part
  of official policyall groups had to be
  incorporated into public life.
• Officials from the 5 sultanates and Vijaynagar
  were a mix of Hindu and Muslim
• The boundaries of these kingdoms closely follow
  the earlier regional boundaries, suggesting
  geographical issues continued to be important

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Reason for fluid alliances

• Since all six kingdoms relied heavily on trade
  revenue, an open policy vis-à-vis other groups
  was essential
• The growth of Military Fiscalism also meant that
  ties with Central Asia, the Middle East, and
  European companies had to be preserved to ensure
  a supply of war horses and canons.
• Strategic interests dictated a system of open
  alliancesas the Raichur doab was the bone of
  contention among the six kingdoms, each of the
  sultanates formed alliances with Vijaynagar at
  some point, and when Vijaynagar became dominant,
  collaborated against it.

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Why does contemporary History see this as a
Hindu/Muslim conflict?

• Influence of British Orientalists such as Sewell,
  who produces the first English history of this
  era
• Early histories by Indian nationalists in the
  late 19th and early 20th century reflected the
  religious biases of that time
• Linguistic rivalry between regional
  nationalismsKannad versus Telugu
• Sources of the period when taken selectively,
  particularly in terms of religious legitimacy,
  can endorse this view

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What are the sources?

• Epigraphic inscriptions on rocks, caves, temples,
  copperplate grants
• Persian chronicles and Sanskrit literature from
  the courts (see Thursdays reading)
• Travelers accountsArab, Portuguese, and Dutch
  (see todays reading)
• Non-textual sources such as art, architecture,
  textiles, coins (see Wagoner)

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Vijaynagar
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Origins and expansion

• Link to Tughlaqs and Harihara and Bukka clear,
  however dispute over the nature of that link
• Four dynastiesSangama, Saluva (Saluva
  Narasimha), Tuluva (40 years), Aravidu
• Based on segmentary rule, centralized control was
  limited, local dynasties were incorporated into
  empire through ritual means. Similar
  segmentation and incorporation is seen in the
  five Deccani sultanates. Discuss why.

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Models of Rule

• Patronage of Nayaka warriors, recruitment of
  other southern warrior groups, Turkish, Afghan,
  and Portuguese mercenaries
• Older ruling families left in place as long as
  tribute was paid (notice similarities/differences
  with iqta system)
• Considerable grants given to Brahmins tax free,
  particularly by Tuluva dynasty
• Great emphasis on preserving trade revenues
• A warrior ethic cultivated as part of ruling
  ideology, energies of this culture oriented to
  the borders of this kingdom.

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Krishnadeva Raya 1509-1529

• Most important ruler of Saluvas
• Expands military recruitment and purchases
• Expands Empire greatly, builds alliances with
  Portuguese and other Sultanates
• Builds monumental temples and tries to create
  legitimacy through patronage of Brahmins

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Virupaksha Temple
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Consequences of Expansion

• After Krishnadeva Raya many of his reforms were
  undone by his successors
• Military expansion was expensivecontinued
  purchases of horses and expensive weaponry
  demanded more revenue
• Kings increasingly had to rely on greater
  recruitment of Nayaka warriorsinfighting among
  the various chiefs became endemic
• Alliances with one or more Deccani Sultanates was
  essentialhowever, as Vijaynagar expanded the
  Sultantes were more likely to see it as a rival
  not an ally. In 1565 the Sultanates form an
  alliance and defeat Vijaynagara, sacking the
  capital city
• The kingdom would continue until 1664 engulfed in
  disputes among the powerful nayaka families

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Important legacies

• Conquest, politics, and religious legitimacy have
  dominated modern histories, but none are as
  significant to the actual legacy of Vijaynagar
  and the Deccani Sultanates
• More important is the Multi-lingual/ethnic
  cosmopolitan culture that these left behind
• Strong patronage for the written arts fostered
  learning in Sanskrit and Persian, but also in the
  regional languages such as Kannada, Telugu,
  Tamil. Also gave rise to the Deccani dialect of
  Urdu
• Fostered the growth of trading networks,
  increased contact with Europe, Africa, Middle
  east, East Asia
• Profits from trade lead to greater urbanization
  and economic growth
• Short term conflicts proved less significant than
  the long-term collaboration between local
  dynasties/warrior groups, which would strongly
  oppose the incursion of Mughal power in the 16th
  and 17th century.

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Art as a Historical Source
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Muhammad bin Tughlaq1325-1351

• Madman or misunderstood Genius?

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Background and Motivations

• 1320 the first Tughlaq Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din
  Tughlaq rises to the throne after subduing the
  choas arising from the Khilji succession.
• Moderate rule that kept many of Ala-ud-dins
  reforms, but attempted to reconcile and win back
  the favor the Chehelgan
• His son and heir Ulugh Khan is deputed to crush
  out rebellion in the Deccan (Warrangal) and
  Bengal in the east
• Suspicions about Ulugh Khans succession and
  Ghiyas deathcollapse of the wooden pavillion

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Areas Claimed by Tughlaqs
Rebellious Areas
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Character of Mohammad b. Tughlaq

• Sources are very dividedIsami hated the King,
  Barani wrote for his successor and cousin Firuz
  Shah Tughlaq, Ibn Batuta implies the kings
  mental instability
• Extremely well educated, particularly
  well-trained in Islamic Fiqh, history, and South
  Asian administrative practices
• Interested in Ala-ud-dins reformist legacy, also
  in the reforms being carried out in the Middle
  East and China
• Moody, often paranoid of insubordination. Could
  be generous to a fault, prone to anger and
  violence

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Controversial Reforms

• 1327-30 moving the central capital to Daulatabad
• 1328-9 doab taxes
• 1329-30 token currency in copper
• 1341-43 creation of a new legal code or asalib
• Each reform had logical goals, but was poorly
  executed

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Moving the Capital

• Done with poor planning
• Extreme heat, lack of provisions
• Forced move of nobility and artisans
• Logistics of information/travel in this period,
  Mongol attacks lead to failure

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Increase in Doab Taxes, 1328-29

• Doab was the most productive, however, no
  measures were takes to phase the taxes in
  gradually, or target more profitable crops
• Peasants rebel and leave villages
• Grain becomes expensive, revocation of taxes and
  release of grains from city granries comes as too
  little to late
• Widespread famine in 1330s causes further problems

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Currency Reform, 1329-1330

• Introduction of copper coins an attempt to copy
  the chao of the Chinese-Mongol empire
• Not a bad idea, however, its value made 11 with
  silver tanka coins
• Coin easy to forge, causes collapse in currency
  value, foreign merchants refuse to accept it
• Treasury has to buy back all copper coins

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New Legal Code, 1341-43

• Attempt to create a unified legal code based on
  sharia
• New judges, many foreigners, hired to try
  casesoffends local ulema
• Did not recognize that the flexibility and
  diversity of local custom was favorable to most
  local communitiesuniformity only of use to
  government and certain elites

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Why did his reforms fail?

• Bad timing in terms of weather and politics
• The personality of the Sultan, lack of diplomacy
• An inability to carry out one reform at a time
• Inability to fit a theoretical model of empire to
  local conditions
• The support of the Chehelgan, Sufis, Ulema, and
  peasant communities were still important, and the
  Sultan undermined them.

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Firuzs restoration, 1351-88

• First peaceful succession1351 his cousin and
  heir Firuz is crowned with popular support
• Quickly attempts to restore confidence in the
  government by giving generous gifts to nobility,
  local leaders, Religious figures
• Foreign judges pensioned off, local one hired
• Compensation give to M. B. Tughlaqs victims
• Massive public works and charity undertaken for
  common people
• No attempt made to re-establish control over
  Deccan
• Wages rise, but the Iqta system with all its
  problems is re-asserted

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Evaluating the Sultanate period

• Both at the elite and popular level a hybrid
  culture mixing Indian and Islamicate ideas and
  culture was beginning to emergemost notably in
  literature, religion, dress, manners
• An Indian version of Islam, heavily influenced by
  Sufism, local customs, and local pilgrimage sites
  became rooted in South Asiavery different from
  Middle Eastern Islam
• Politically leadership however, remained
  fragmented since the iqta system and other forms
  of segmentary rule favored local nobility not a
  centralized authority
• Trade continued to grow and expand connecting
  far-flung parts of South Asia and serving as a
  conduit for the movement of culture and ideas,
  also appears to have led to forms of social
  mobility for some groups.

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Transition to Mughal Era

• After the Tughlaq period no other major empires
  would form until the arrival of the Mughals in
  1526
• Stable regional kingdoms, however, such as that
  of the Lodis (NW), Sharqis, Bengal, Vijaynagar,
  and Deccani Sultantes do appear and last until
  1526
• Each of these regimes showed considerable
  cultural borrowingIslamic sultanates gradually
  became indigenized to some degree, while Hindu
  Kingdoms borrowed from Islamicate forms

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