Sikandar Adil Shah was the last Sultan of Bijapur, who reigned between 1672 and 1686. Placed on the throne at five years of age, his reign was marked by the collapse of the Bijapur Sultanate. His reign ended when the Mughal Emperor

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...

the city of Bijapur, putting an end to the Adil Shahi dynasty. The Sultan was captured and imprisoned at the Daulatabad Fort, where he died in 1700.

Reign

He was placed on the throne of Bijapur in 1672 at five years of age. Therefore, his reign (1672–1686) is one of regents and ministers and was marked by chronic

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

among factious nobles, independence of provincial governors, paralysis of the central administration, Mughal invasions, secret alliances but pretend hostilities with the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

and other neighbors, and the final absorption of Bijapur into the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

in 1686. The prestige of Bijapur was so seriously damaged by internal disruptions that the Mughal General Diler Khan almost coerced and humiliated Sikandar. Despite several sacrifices and desperate attempts on the part of Sikandar, he could not satisfy the growing greed of the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

. Sikandar's alliance with Sambhaji (who was Hindu) further aggravated Mughal-Bijapur relations.

Siege of Bijapur

At last, Emperor

himself marched out in 1685 with a large army to fulfill the ambition of his life. After desperately defending his capital and withstanding the prolonged siege of Bijapur in 1685–1686, Sikandar was unable to halt the Mughal assault led by Aurangzeb. On 12 September 1686, Bijapur was occupied, its garrison surrendered and Bijapur Fort was annexed by the

. Sikandar Adil Shah was captured bound in silver chains and brought before the

Mughal Emperor The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...

, to whom he bowed three times. Aurangzeb then sent him and his followers to Daulatabad fort, where he died during captivity. Sikandar Adil Shah was eventually buried at foot side of his spiritual teacher Naimullah Hashmi in the open yard in the New Market Place of Bijapur. The Adil Shahi dynasty thus came to an end.

References

* Wakiyate Mamlakate Bijapur by Basheeruddin Dehelvi. * Tareekhe Farishta by Kasim Farishta * External Relation of Bijapur Adil Shahis. 1686 deaths 17th-century Indian monarchs 17th-century Indian Muslims Year of birth unknown Sultans of Bijapur 1667 births {{India-royal-stub