Adil Shahis of Bijapur A Study on their contributions to Deccan Art and Heritage

Book excerpt: A glimpse at the political situation in the Deccan which was marked by political conclusion and disintegration during the last two decades, it is necessary to follow the trend of events which was contributed to the evolution of the Adil Shahi Kingdom of Bijapur. The murder of Khwajah Imaduddin Mahmud Gawan, the savior of Bahmani dynasty and the architect of a grand empire on the 5th April 1481 A.D. struck a fatal blow to the Kingdom. Mahmud Gawan’s dying words “the death of an old man is of little moment, but to your Majesty Sultan Muhammad Shah-III it will mean the loss of your character and the ruin of your Empire”, proved to be prophetic. Within a decade, the vast empire of the splendid edifice of the Bahmani dynasty presented a chequered scene. His death removed a dominating personality and let loose the forces of disintegration. It signaled the beginning of the decline and fall of the mighty empire