As the Sultanate's power waned, numerous kingdoms developed across the subcontinent. The majority of them started as Sultanate provinces before becoming independent provinces. The kingdoms of Gujarat and Malwa were located in western India. Gujarat's power was boosted by Ahmed Shah's founding of Ahmedabad. Kashmir became well-known in northern India. The ruler of the fifteenth century, Zain-ul-Abidin, was also known as 'Bud Shah' (the magnificent king). The eastern Indian provinces of Jaunpur and Bengal were both prominent. Both were formed by Delhi Sultan's governors who ultimately rebelled against the Sultanate. In the Deccan region of south India, the kingdoms of Bahmani and Vijayanagar were significant. These two kingdoms arose under Muhammad ibn Tughlaq's reign. In this article, we will discuss Provincial Kingdoms of Medieval India which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Provincial Kingdoms of Deccan and South

• The Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms emerged as important kingdoms following the disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate.
• The Vijayanagara Kingdom was ruled by four dynasties: Sangama (c. 1336-1485 CE), Saluva (c. 1485-1503 CE), Tuluva (c. 1503-1570 CE), and Aravidu (till the end of the 17th century).
• Another powerful kingdom known as the Bahmani Sultanate emerged in south India in the 14th century.
• Previously, the Deccan region was administered by the Delhi Sultanate as a province.

Vijayanagara Kingdom (1336 – 1672 CE)

• The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was based in South India's Deccan Plateau region.
• It was founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama dynasty, who had previously served under the Kakatiya rulers of Warangal, with the blessings of Guru Vidyaranya.
• They later declared their independence and established a new city called "Vijayanagar" on the south bank of the Tungabhadra River (City of Victory).
• Saivism was followed by early Vijayanagar rulers. Their family God was Virupaksha. They were later influenced by Vaishnavism. However, Siva was still worshipped.
• The Vijayanagar Empire and the Bahamani kingdom were constantly at odds over Raichur doab (the fertile region between Krishna and Tungabhadra), Tungabhadra doab (the fertile areas of the Krishna-Godavari delta), and Marathwada.
• The Sultans of Madurai were its main rivals in the south.
• During Rama Raya's reign, the combined forces of Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golkonda, and Bidar defeated him at the Battle of Talaikotta in 1565, bringing the Vijayanagar Empire to an end.
• Sri Ranga III was the last ruler of Vijayanagar.

Bahmani Kingdom

• The mighty Bahmani dynasty was founded by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah which lasted for two centuries from 1347 to 1518. He is thought to be descended from Bahman Shah, an Iranian half-mythical figure.
• He created it by revolting against the Delhi Sultanate's Muhammad bin Tughlaq with the help of other military leaders.
• Between 1347 through 1425, the Bahman capital was Ahsanabad (now Gulbarga), and after that, Muhammadabad (now Bidar).
• The sultanate was at its peak under Mahmud Gawan, who was a prime minister of this dynasty between 1461 and 1481.
• The Bahmani Kingdom came to power in August 1347 AD, led by Turkish Governor Ala-ud-din Hassan Bahman Shah.
• He rebelled against the Sultan of Delhi Sultanate, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, and was supported by Nazir uddin Ismail Shah.
• The revolt's success resulted in the formation of an independent Deccan state, which included sections of modern-day Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh that had previously been part of the Delhi Sultanate's dominion.
• It was in constant conflict with the Hindu Vijayanagar Empire in the south.
• The sultanate was at its peak under Mahmud Gawan (served as prime minister and general under multiple sultans) between 1461 and 1481.
• He expanded his dominion by conquering Goa, which had previously been ruled by the Vijayanagar Empire.
• He also instituted administrative reforms and had direct control over numerous districts.
• A sultan ordered his execution, and the Empire began to crumble after the death of Mahmud Gawan.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Provincial Kingdoms of Deccan and Southern India

Provincial Kingdoms of Western India

• There were three major provincial dynasties in the Western India during the medieval period. These were Muzaffarid dynasty in Gujarat, Malwa, Mewar.
• Muzaffarid dynasty in Gujarat was founded by Zafar Khan and this dynasty ruled over Gujarat from 1391 to 1583.
• The Muzaffarid dynasty in Gujarat, often known as the Ahmedabad dynasty, ruled Gujarat in western India from 1391 to 1583.
• Zafar Khan (later Muzaffar Shah I), the governor of Gujarat in the Delhi Sultanate, founded the dynasty.
• Sadharan Khan, Zafar Khan's father, has been said as either a Tank Rajput or a Khatri convert to Islam.
• Dynasty of Malwa ruled from 1392 to 1562, including the present-day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan.
• Dilawar Khan Ghuri (from him Ghurid dynasty named), the governor of Malwa for the Delhi Sultanate, established it in 1392 when he stopped paying tribute to Delhi.
• After it, other dynasties like the Khalji dynasty etc ruled this region whereas the last Sultanate of Muzaffarid dynasty of Malwa was Baz Bahadur.
• Dynasty of Mewar was established by Rana Hammira in 1314 CE.
• Rana Hammira (c. 1314 – 1378 CE) established the second Guhila dynasty of Chittor and became the progenitor of the Sisodia clan, a branch of the Guhilot clan to which every succeeding Maharana of Mewar belonged, in around 1335 CE.
• He was the first ruler to use the title "Rana," and he also built the Annapoorna Mata temple in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh fort.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Provincial Kingdoms of Western India

Provincial Kingdoms of North India

• In the 13th century, Kashmir was ruled by Jagadeva, an independent but weak Hindu kingdom (1198-1212). During his reign, the Damras, a volatile feudal community, rebelled but were defeated.
• His successors, however, Rajadeva (1212-35), Samgramdeva (1235-52) and Ramdeva (1252-56) were unable to assert their power.
• Following the death of the latter, the Damra lord, Simhadeva (1286- 1301), was given the opportunity to usurp the throne. His dynasty, however, could not last forever.
• Interestingly, despite Muslim inroads in India, Kashmir remained outside of Muslim control for nearly two centuries.
• The Mahmud Provincial Kingdoms of Ghazna tried twice, in 1015 and 1021, but the mighty Himalaya and Hindukush foiled his plans.
• The myth of Kashmir's invincibility was only shattered in 1320, when the commander Dulacha succeeded in ransacking Kashmir and amassing massive booty. However, a severe snowstorm buried him at Banihal Pass itself.
• The invasion had a long-term impact. It paved the way for Muslim rule to be established in Kashmir.
• The way Raja Sahadeva handled the Mongol problem, as well as the Mongols' large-scale destruction and devastation, infuriated his subjects.
• Rinchan, a Bhautta Prince of Laddakh, used this to usurp the throne in 1320. Soon after, he converted to Islam and took the title of Sultan Sadruddin.
• His assassination was followed by a long period of internal strife, culminating in Shamsuddin I's establishment of the Shah Mir dynasty in Kashmir in 1339.

Shah Mir Dynasty (1339 - 1555 CE)

• The Shah Mir dynasty was an Indian subcontinent dynasty that ruled the region of Kashmir.
• The dynasty takes its name from its founder, Shah Mir.
• Islam was firmly established in Kashmir during the reign of the dynasty, which lasted from 1339 to 1555.

Chak Dynasty (1555 - 1586 CE)

• The Chak dynasty ruled Kashmir after the Shah Mir dynasty. The Chaks are said to be native Kashmiris of Dardic origin.
• The Chak dynasty ruled from 1555 to 1586.
• Ghazi Chak is regarded as the first Chak ruler.
• Following the death of the Turco-Mongol military general Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat, the dynasty rose to power.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Provincial Kingdoms of Northern India

Provincial Kingdoms of Eastern India

• There were three major provincial dynasties in the Eastern India during the medieval period. These are Jaunpur dynasty, Ilyas Shah dynasti, Gajapati dynasty.
• Jaunpur dynasty was founded by Malik Sarwar and this dynasty ruled over Jaunpur from 1394 to 1505 CE.
• Ilyas Shah dynasty was the first independent dynasty of Bengal founded by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah which remain in power for 200 years from 1338 to 1538 CE.
• Gajapati dynasty ruled over area of Odisha and was founded by Kapilendra Deva in 1434 which last till 1541 CE.

Jaunpur Dynasty

• The governor of Jaunpur, Malik Sarwar (Sultanu Sharq), took advantage of the Delhi Sultanate's mounting weakness and the invasion of Timur in Delhi and declared independence in 1394 CE.
• He ruled over Awadh as well as a major portion of the Ganga Yamuna doab, including Kannauj, Dalmau, Kara, Sandeela, Bihar, and Tirhut.
• The Sharqi dynasty was founded on his shoulders. During this time, the Sharqi style of architecture emerged as a distinct architectural style.
• The Sharqi style of architecture can be seen in the Atala Masjid, Jama Masjid, and Lal Darwaja Masjid.

Ilyas Shah Dynasty

• The Ilyas Shah dynasty was the first independent dynasty of Bengal that established the Sunni Muslim Sultanate in Bengal.
• Their rule lasted for more than 200 hundred years, though it was interrupted by their slaves and the House of Ganesha.
• Initially, Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah served under the governorship of Izz al-Din Yahya in Satgaon.
• After Yahya's death in 1338, Ilyas Shah seized control of Satgaon and declared himself as independent Sultan of Delhi.
• They maintained friendly relations with China, which aided Bengal's overseas trade.

Gajapati Dynasty

• The Gajapati dynasty was a medieval Hindu dynasty from the Indian subcontinent that originated in the region of Trikalinga (most of modern-day Odisha and Northern coastal Andhra) from 1434 to 1541 CE.
• Kapilendra Deva founded this dynasty in 1434. Under Kapilendra Deva, the Gajapatis expanded their empire from the lower Ganga in the north to the Kaveri in the south.
• They were supporter of art and literature and also built numerous temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Provincial Kingdoms of Eastern India

Conclusion

Regional states rose from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries as a result of the internal weakness of the Delhi Sultanate and the decline of the Mughal Empire. There were numerous such states, including Jaunpur, Kashmir, Gujarat, Bengal, Vijayanagar, and Bahmani, among others. It should be remembered that, while these states fought each other, they also shared ideas in the fields of art, architecture, and religion. Their relationship with the central authority and among themselves changed over time.