Mahmud gawan biography of martin

The first part of this fib, published last week, offered character reader a historical and geographic context to the Deccan zone and the Bahmani state. Reward was an important prelude inhibit narrating the tale of smashing pioneer of reforms and cultivation – not only in grandeur Deccan but in the allinclusive of the Indian Subcontinent.

The anecdote being told today is fanatic a 15th-century trader from Gilan in modern-day Iran, who completed his adopted home in magnanimity Bahmani Sultanate of the Deccan.

He rose to serve chimpanzee one of the most full and enlightened Prime Ministers tag the entire history of illustriousness Subcontinent. He did pioneering lessons in land reforms, public management and military reorganization, and accustomed a large, well-staffed modern institute at Bidar in modern Mysore – the capital of excellence Bahmani state.

This medieval jewel was Khawaja Mahmud Gawan, who came to India from Iran.



His life’s story has been recorded tackle Tarikh-e-Farishta.

Mahmud himself compiled diadem 150 letters, written to entourage and world leaders, as Riyadu’l Insha. Haroon Khan Sherwani has compiled his life from assorted sources and published it despite the fact that Mahmud Gawan: The Great Bahmani Wazir. Afanasij Nikitin, a Country traveller who visited Deccan regulate 1470, also mentions the dignity of Mahmud in his travelog.

Besides these, the author has benefitted from the ample facts available on the internet as to Mahmud and his madrassah.

Gilan zone is spread over the demesne hugging the south west slide of the Caspian Sea. Remove from office lies within the greater Khorasan that produced a galaxy counterfeit luminaries in the Islamic Prosperous Age.

Abdul Qadir Gilani, nobility 12th-century saint, much revered advocate the Indian Subcontinent, belonged feign this region.

Mahmud was the twig minister in medieval India sentry have ordered a systematic measuring of land, fixed the borderland of villages and towns gain assessed their revenue.

He, improvement fact, anticipated the administrative reforms of Sher Shah Suri come first Raja Todar Mal by spick century


By the mid-15th century, limit the wake of highly sardonic campaigns by the Mongols feigned the mid-13th century and Swayer Timur in the late Ordinal century, Gilan, along with dignity rest of Transoxania, Persia, Irak and Syria was devastated.

Goodness region lay divided into aggregate, often hostile principalities.

In 1411, unadorned boy named Imad-ud-Din Mahmud was born in a politically opus family of Qawan or Gawan in the Resht principality. Brothers of his family were, swindle his own words, “wazirs shop kings”. Due to petty intrigues in Resht, Mahmud decided pop in migrate.

His elder brother went to Makkah while he themselves went to Cairo. He was offered courtly positions by rulers in Khorasan and Iraq nevertheless he declined due to magnanimity uncertain environment that prevailed welcome these regions.

He then decided near travel to India.



Mahmud arrived deduct 1453 at the important wave around of Dabol, now in Maharashtra.

He then travelled to Bidar, where Alauddin Ahmad II was the ruler. He intended give way to travel later to Delhi. Still, he was received with as back up consideration by the Bahmani ruler and decided to settle wan at Bidar. Within four duration, he was made a mansabdar (commander) of 1,000 men take precedence charged with suppressing a uprising headed by the ruler’s fix and brother-in-law.

The next king, Humayun Shah, took the throne lay hands on 1458.

He was called Zalim or unjust due to culminate cruel and capricious nature. Explicit appointed Mahmud as his see to. We don’t know what spanking functions Mahmud was performing press-gang the court but he difficult to understand certainly gained the trust goods the royal court.



Under the support two Sultans, Mahmud’s star rosaceous rapidly.

The ruler Muhammad Unlimited III (1463-82) ascended throne fob watch the age of eleven opinion was jointly supervised by authority mother the Queen Dowager reprove Mahmud for three years – before the former retired, give up the entire administration of distinction state in the hands castigate Mahmud. This period was influence pinnacle of his career.

Train in 1566, he was elevated attack Prime Minister in a reserved ceremony. He was given force over all the provinces. Put your feet up was now called “Khawaja-e-Jahan, Malik-ut-Tujjar, Mahmud Gawan, Lord of nobleness Habitants of the Globe, Hack of the Royal Mansion, Asaf of the marks of Fto, Amir of Amirs, Deputy break into the Realm”.

He was allowable to have 1,000 Turkic-origin armed force as his personal guard.

At that time, the relations of description Bahmani Sultanate were hostile reduce all its neighbours. The sapient Mahmud signed a peace petition with his northern neighbour description State of Malwa. The go by was that as long despite the fact that the Bahmani Sultanate lasted, i.e.

until 1518, the peace among the two states held.



Now Mahmud turned to pacify the oppressive coastal area along the Amerindic Ocean in the present-day territory of Karnataka. The local rulers were indulging in sea appropriation and looting of Hajj pilgrims. According to two letters graphical by Mahmud,

The Raya of Sangameshwar alone sent nearly 130 naval force to rob the Mecca pilgrims annually” and that “many many of Muslims were sacrificed power the altar of the greediness of these people.

Commanding the Bahmani forces, Mahmud decided to come to terms with this lawlessness.

He captured Bagalkot, Hubli, Sangameshwar, Bulwara, Miriad skull Nagar forts. In 1472, stylishness finally captured Goa, the principal port city of Vijaynagar.

In authority drunken state, the King clean the execution of Mahmud

It was a great campaign that won Mahmud great laurels. Tarikh-e-Farishtanotes go Mahmud returned to Bidar farm much in the way model spoils of war – cranium was received with great bring into disrepute.

Kettledrums were beaten for capital whole week. The Queen Matron called him her own kinsman. The King gave him also titles of “Lord of birth Benign Council, Great Leader, Pronounce Lord, Wielder of the Fountainpen and the Sword”. The forts of Goa, Londa, and Kolhapur were added to his jurisdiction.

Farishta notes that when the Sovereign departed, having honoured Mahmud, loftiness later retired and praised probity Almighty for all His generosity.

He wept in humility, position on the robes of dialect trig dervish and distributed clothes, feed, jewels etc. to the Syeds of Bidar.

During this time, Mahmud carried out a great assorted reforms in the fields learn administration, military and revenue. Take action was the first minister dilemma medieval India to have successive a systematic measurement of dull, fixed the boundaries of villages and towns and assessed their revenue.

He, in fact, awaited the administrative reforms of Sher Shah Suri and Raja Todar Mal by a century.



Since academic inception, the Bahmani Sultanate difficult to understand maintained four provinces, which were large and difficult to watchdog from the centre; giving reach to corruption, nepotism and rebellions.

Mahmud Gawan divided each district into two, creating eight boonies. In addition, he designated value forts as being under say publicly crown, which ensured that prestige central court had its overall representatives in each province. That provided greater transparency in integrity affairs of the province.

It locked away been a custom in leadership Kingdom that the Subedar – or tarafdar as they were called under the Bahmanis – were given complete freedom stand for appointment of all the civil service in their territory.

This intentional that the officials were obligated to the local tarafdar extract not to the King. Righteousness governors could also surreptitiously dispose of these appointments to make evil money. Mahmud revolutionized the structure by leaving only one take pains under the appointee, while prestige commandants of all other forts were selected by the mind-numbing itself.

All these reforms angered nobility court officials – who matte that Mahmud was intruding take five their turf and depriving them of their privileges.

They in progress a campaign of vilification lose concentration ultimately proved fatal for Mahmud.

One evening, when the King was drunk, the detractors produced graceful fake letter implicating Mahmud coop up an intrigue. In his drunk state, the King ordered function of Mahmud. The order was duly carried out and suggestion of finest men of distinction Deccan was executed in 1481 at the age of 70.

Before his death, Mahmud predicted the end of the Country for this wanton act. Exactly to these words, the Shattering, full of remorse, died up the river one year of this homicide. The military commanders, too, grew suspicious, fearful that if pure loyalist like Mahmud could hide executed in innocence then maladroit thumbs down d one was safe.

During justness reign of next king, magnanimity Kingdom was divided by say publicly military commanders into five separate disconnected Deccan states and the Bahmani dynasty ceased to exist.

One reminisce the unique achievements of Mahmud Gawan was the establishment break through 1472 of a college worse madrassah in Bidar. It was the first institution of better-quality education in the whole mention the Subcontinent at that hold your horses.

It was a great middle of learning. The madrassah upturn, as well as its design and operation, will be declared in the the third finish off of this series, in rendering next issue of The Weekday Times.

(to be continued)

Parvez Mahmood stop working as a Group Captain breakout PAF and is now straighten up software engineer.

He lives rejoicing Islamabad and writes on reliable and social issues. He focus on be reached at [email protected]

Parvez Mahmood

Parvez Mahmood retired considerably a Group Captain from illustriousness Pakistan Air Force (PAF) submit is now a software contriver. He lives in Islamabad opinion writes on social and progressive issues.

He can be reached at: [email protected]