Social and Economic Condition of the People under the Bahmani Sultanate

Summary

This article examines the social and economic life of people in the Bahmani Sultanate (mid-14th to early 16th century) using Persian chronicles, travellers’ accounts and local histories. The author notes that contemporary Muslim historians focused on kings and nobles and left little information on commoners. Therefore, the article relies heavily on Athanasius Nikitin’s travelogue and the works of historians such as Ferishta and Burhan-i-Maasir. The Bahmani kingdom was ethnically diverse, comprising Turks, Persians, Abyssinians and Hindus of various castes. Sectarian tension existed between the Shia and Sunni factions, known as the struggle between “Deccanies” and “foreigners,” which often destabilised the court. The author describes how the early sultans like Ala-ud-din Hassan Bahmani and his son Muhammad Shah Bahmani were seen as just rulers who worked to ensure public welfare. Ala-ud-din, even when sick, held public audiences and released prisoners, illustrating his humane disposition. Muhammad Shah established orphan schools, emphasised that kings are trustees of the state and provided monthly charity to the blind. The paper also notes how later rulers attempted to regularise revenue collection and patronised agriculture. Despite political turbulence, foreign travellers reported that the countryside was populous, lands were well-cultivated and roads were safe from robbers. However, the article acknowledges that the absence of primogeniture led to frequent coups and civil wars, causing instability. In conclusion, the author asserts that, although the Bahmani period was marked by factional strife, the general population maintained relative economic self-sufficiency: villagers relied on agriculture and local crafts and were largely unaffected by court intrigues.