Mohammed Shah I, the second monarch of the Bahmani Sultanate reigned from 1358 to 1377 CE. He succeeded his father Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah. He was a tremendous conqueror as well as a capable administrator. The administrative system he established not only lasted for a long time under the Bahmani empire, but it also impacted the administrative systems of the kingdoms that sprang from the ruins of the Bahmani empire. His reign was peaceful, and he spent most of his time establishing his court as a cultural and educational center. In this article, we will discuss the Important Ruler of the Bahmani Dynasty Muhammad Shah I (1358 – 1377 CE) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Reign of Muhammad Shah I

• Muhammad Shah I ascended to the throne in 1358.
• When he inherited the newly formed sultanate from his father Alauddin Bahman Shah, the region was still overrun with thieves and robbers.
• As a result, he spent the majority of his reign building law in his kingdom.
• He told his governors not to offer asylum to anyone who disobeyed him.
• This crusade was successful, and the country became calm and law abiding by the conclusion of his reign.
• He also sat on the takht—firoza, or Turquoise throne, which Kapaya Nayaka had given him.
• In 1367, he collaborated with a Persian architect named Rafi of Qazvin to construct the Grand Mosque of Gulbarga.
• Mohammed, like his father, fought many wars with the Vijayanagara and Warangal kingdom.
• After defeating Telangana (Warangal), he gained Golkonda, but his campaigns against Vijayanagara resulted in no territorial gains for the Bahmani kingdom.
• Mohammed died in 1375 from excessive drinking.

Administrative Structure under Muhammad Shah I

• Muhammad Shah I was a very efficient administrator.
• He divided the Bahmani kingdom into different provinces - Daulatabad, Bidar, Berar, and Gulbarga.
• In each province, there was a governor who had a distinct title.
• Daulatabad was called Masnad Ali, that of Berar - Majlis Ali, that of Bidar - Azam Humayun and that of Gulburga - Malik Nayak.
• The governor of Gulbarga was thought to be the most powerful of the four rulers.
• Only Bijapur was under his jurisdiction.
• A council of eight ministers was established by him and followed a decentralized administration.
• Vakil serves as Sultanate or Chief Peshwa.
• Wazir-I-Kul (Minister for Supervision), Nazir (Deputy Finance Minister), Amir-I-Jumla (Finance), Wazir-I-Ashraf (Foreign Affair), Peshwa (Deputy Prime Minister), Kotwal, and Sadar-I-Jhan (Justice) were the other ministers during his time.
• He reformed and divided the bodyguard force into four military sections.
• He used tough measures to stop dacoits and thugs, killing almost 200 of them.
• He was the first to employ gunpowder, which brought about a revolution in military structure.
• Muhammad I was a tremendous conqueror as well as a capable administrator.

Wars During Muhammad Shah I

• During the era 1350–1500, there were at least ten conflicts, most of which were fought over control of the Tungabhadra-Krishna Doab.
• Claims and counterclaims of victory demonstrate that neither side was able to maintain effective and long-term control of the doab, and the conflict eventually spread to the Konkan and Andhra regions.
• Muammad Shah used newly organized artillery to beat armies of much larger size than his own in his wars against Vijayanagar and Telangana (Warangal).
• His two wars with Vijayanagar yielded little, but his attack on Telangana in 1363 netted him a large indemnity, including the turquoise throne and the town of Golconda and its dependencies.
• In 1365, his quick response to a rebellion led by the governor of Daulatabad and some Maratha and other chieftains of Berar and Baglana resulted in a quick victory.
• The sultan spent the last decade of his reign concentrating his power over the lands he controlled.
• Muammad Shah laid a stable basis for the kingdom through institutional and geographic consolidation.

Conclusion

Muhammad Shah I was the 2nd ruler of Bahmani dynasty. He was a tremendous conqueror as well as a capable administrator. Throughout Muhammad Shah I's tenure, he had to contend with the long-time rival kingdoms of Vijayanagar and Warangal. He vanquished the kings of these kingdoms and forced them to pay a large war indemnity. He constructed the world-famous Gulbarga mosque. He died in 1377 and after that he was succeeded by his son Alauddin Mujahid Shah.