Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk (, ruled 1490–1504) was the founder of the Imad Shahi Dynasty and the
Berar Sultanate. Originally a Hindu captive from
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.[Vijayanagara](_blank) , Fathullah was brought up as a
Deccani Muslim and rose to command the army of Berar under the
Bahmani Sultanate
The Bahmani Kingdom or the Bahmani Sultanate was a late medieval Persianate kingdom that ruled the Deccan plateau in India. The first independent Muslim sultanate of the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom came to power in 1347 during the rebellio ...
.
In 1490, he declared himself Sultan of Berar, which he ruled until his death in 1504. He was succeeded by his son
Aladdin Imad Shah.
History
Fathullah was born a
Kanarese Hindu of the
Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
caste, but was captured as a boy by Bahmani forces on an expedition against the
Vijayanagara empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
and brought up as a Muslim. He served the Bahmani Sultans in
Bidar
Bidar ( ) is a city and headquarters of the Bidar district in Karnataka state of India. Bidar is a prominent place on the archaeological map of India, it is well known for architectural, historical religious and rich heritage sites. Pictures ...
. Through the influence of
Mahmud Gavan, he achieved the rank of officer in command of the forces (''Sarlaskar'') of Berar and received the title ''Imad-ul-mulk''. He was stationed at the fort of
Gawilghur, but extended his influence over the entire East Berar, becoming de facto ruler of the region.
Shortly after
Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I declared independence for the
Ahmadnagar Sultanate in 1490, Fathullah Imad-ul-mulk declared himself ''Sultan of Berar''. He set up his capital in
Achalpur
Achalpur (), formerly known as Ellichpur and Illychpur, is a city and a municipal council in Amravati District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the second most populous city in Amravati District after Amravati and seventh most populous ...
and proceeded to annex
Mahur to his new kingdom. He also fortified
Gavilgad and
Narnala
Narnala Fort or Narnala Qila Sarkar, also known as Shahnoor Fort, is a hill fortress in the Satpura Range of Vidarbh, Maharashtra, India, named after the Rajput Solanki (clan), Solanki Chaulukya Ruler, Raja Narnal Singh, also known as Narnal S ...
. He was succeeded by his eldest son
Aladdin Imad Shah.
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{Bahmani Sultanate
Berar
Imad Shahi dynasty
15th-century Indian Muslims
Sultans
15th-century Indian monarchs
Year of birth missing
1504 deaths
People from the Bahmani Sultanate