The Bahmani Tombs Complex at Bidar is a necropolis of the Bahmani dynasty. It is located in Bidar, Karnataka state. The mausoleums, built in the 15th and 16th centuries, exemplify the Indo-Islamic style of architecture unique to the Deccan, drawing heavily from Persian architecture and with considerable Hindu influences.
Bahmani Tombs are about 688.8 km from Bangalore and 5.4 km from Bidar.
The architectural style of the Bahmani tombs is a regional variant of Indo-Islamic architecture unique to the Deccan, with substantial Persian influences such as the use of encaustic tiles and influences from Hindu temple architecture.
There are eight tombs of Bahmani rulers and tombs of other family members. The tombs are square structures surmounted by bulbous domes and built of black trap stone laid in lime. Some tombs had elaborate exterior tile decoration in the form of floral designs, Islamic geometric patterns and calligraphy. Tomb inscriptions reveal the name of the king, the date of his accession and the date of death. Persian poetry and Quranic verses are also engraved.
History
The Bahmani Sultanates in South India ruled the Deccan region between the 14th and 16th centuries. Sultans and members of the ruling family were buried in elaborate tombs built in a typical Indo-Islamic style of architecture. Tombs of earlier rulers are found in the Haft Gumbaz complex in Gulbarga, which was the capital of the sultans.
In 1432, Ahmad Shah I Wali shifted the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar and as a result, later Sultans were buried here. The tombs were erected from 1436 to 1535. Ahmed Shah’s mausoleum was the first to be built here.
The complex contains the tombs of eight Bahmani sultans, as well as some queens and other family members. The decline in the size of the later tombs corresponds with the decline of the Bahmanis’ political influence.