Muhammad Shah III Lashkari

Summary

Muhammad Shah III Lashkari or Shamsuddin Muhammad Shah III was the sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate from 1463 to 1482. During his reign, he successfully invaded Orissa and made their Gajapati Purushottam Deva to surrender. He also made his brother Hamvira Deva surrender by besieging Kondavidu fort.

Muhammad Shah III Lashkari
13th Bahmani Sultan
Reign30 July 1463 – 26 March 1482
PredecessorNizam-Ud-Din Ahmad III
SuccessorMahmood Shah Bahmani II
RegentMahmud Gawan
Died26 March 1482
FatherHumayun Shah
MotherMakhduma-e-Jahan Nargis Begum
ReligionIslam

Ascension edit

Muhammad Shah III was 8 or 9 years old when he ascended the throne on 30 July 1463 on the death of his brother, Nizam-Ud-Din Ahmad III.[1]

Reign edit

Mahmud Gawan was appointed vizier and served as one of the regents under Makhduma-e-Jahan Nargis Begum.[2] With Gawan, Muhammad Shah subjected most of the Konkan and defeated the Gajapati Kingdom in 1470, thus securing the west coast trade until the arrival of the Portuguese. At the same time, standard measurements and valuations of agricultural land were introduced, along with other policies to unify the sultanate. Unfortunately, these actions upset many powerful people who convinced Muhammad Shah III to execute Mahmud Gawan in 1481.[1]

Invasion of Orissa edit

The Bahmani invasion of Orissa in the 15th century unfolded through a series of conflicts and diplomatic maneuvers between the Gajapati Empire and the Bahmani Sultanate. In 1475, a Bahmani rebel officer named Bhimraj initiated a revolt at Kondavidu, a Bahmani territory, leading to a complex alliance between the Gajapatis and chiefs of Telengana and Jajnagar. The Sultan successfully defeated them and forced Purushottam Dev to surrender. Tensions heightened in 1478 when Muhammad Shah III invaded Orissa.[3]

Alarmed by the invasion, Purushottam Dev expressed his willingness to pay homage, offering to disarm and present gifts. The Sultan accepted this homage, confirming Purushottam as the ruler of his patrimony. Subsequently, Muhammad Shah III besieged Hamvira Deva, the brother of the Gajapati, successfully ending his career in tragedy. These events, including the earlier revolt at Kondavidu, became integral aspects of Muhammad Shah III's engagement with the Gajapati Empire, shaping the historical narrative during his reign.[3]

Succession edit

Soon after the death of Gawan, the sultan himself died of remorse on 26 March 1482.[4] He was succeeded by his son, Mahmood Shah Bahmani II.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Srivastava, A.L.; Allchin, Frank Raymond; et al. "Bahmanī consolidation of the Deccan". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  2. ^ Agnihotri, V. K. (2000). Indian History With Objective Questions and Historical Maps. New Delhi: Allied Publishers Private Limited. p. B-137. ISBN 9788184245684. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  3. ^ a b Sherwani, Haroon Khan (1985). The Bahmanis of the Deccan. Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 328–330.
  4. ^ Bürgel, Johann Christoph (1988). The Feather of Simurgh : The "Licit Magic" of the Arts in Medieval Islam. New York: New York University Press. p. 68.
Preceded by Bahmani Shah
1463–1482
Succeeded by