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A brief historical background of Gulbarga
History of Gulbarga dates back to the 6th century when the Rashtrakutas gained control over the area, but the Chalukyas regained their domain and reigned for over two hundred years. The Kalachuri who succeeded them ruled till the 12th century. Around the close of the 12th century the Yadavas of Devagiri and the Hoysalas of Halebidu took control of the district. About the same period the Kakatiya dynasty kings of Warangal came into prominence. The present Gulbarga District and Raichur District formed part of their domain.
The Kakatiya power was subdued in 1321, and the northern Deccan, including the district of Gulbarga, passed under the control of the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi. The revolt of the Muslim officers appointed from Delhi resulted in founding of the Bahmani Sultanate in 1347 by Hassan Gangu, who chose Gulbarga to be his capital. When the Bahmani dynasty came to an end, the kingdom broke up into the five independent Deccan sultanates, Bijapur, Bidar, Berar, Ahmednagar and Golconda. The present Gulbarga district came partly under Bidar and partly under Bijapur. With the conquest of the Deccan by Aurangezeb in the 17th Century, control of Gulbarga passed to the Mughal Empire. In the early part of the 18th Century, when Mughal Empire was declining, Asaf Jah I, a general of Aurangzeb, became independent and formed state of Hyderabad in which a major part of Gulbarga area was also included.
In the middle of the 14th century, this town was made the capital of the Bahamani Dynasty that became independent from Delhi. In the old fort, only remarkable monument is Jama Masjid, which resemble the great mosque of Cardoba, Spain. It is an important building of the early Bahmani period built by Muhammad Shah. In the current town centre, Shah Bazar Masjid, which was built around the same time as Jama Masjid, is situated.
Mausoleums of the royal family of Bahamani are located in two areas. Up until the 8th king of the Bahamani all are entombed at Se Gumbaz in the western outskirts and Haft Gumbaz in the northeastern outskirts. In 1428, the capital of the Bahamani was moved to Bidar. However, Gulbarga kept its popularity because of the dargah of Khaja Bande Nawaz who was the saint of Chishti order and temple of Sharan Basaveshwara, the founder of Veershivism. There remain a few mausoleums from the Bahamani period. In recent times it has become the abode of Education. |
