The city of Bidar rose to prominence when it became the Bahmani capital during the reign of Ahmad Shah Bahman (1423-1436 A.D) in 1429. Ahmed Shah was awestruck by the scenic beauty and climate of the place and he decided to build a new city near its ancient fortress and called it Ahmadabad-Bidar. Ahmad Shah also laid the foundations of the Bidar fort.
When the Bahmani dynasty eventually collapsed in 1538, the sultanate broke up into five independent sultanates, known as the Deccan sultanates. Bidar became a part of the Barid Shahi dynasty. In 1543 Ali Barid assumed royal appellation of Shah. The Bidar Sultanate was absorbed by the Bijapur Sultanate to the west in 1619, which was in turn conquered by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1686.
From 1724 to 1948, Bidar remained a territory of the Nizam of Hyderabad's dominions. It became a part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, when it was annexed to India. In 1956, Hyderabad was partitioned along linguistic lines and Bidar district became part of Mysore state, later renamed Karnataka. Travel to Bidar and soak in the history of this ancient capital. Over the years Bidar tourism has increased by leaps and bounds.
Places to See:
Bidar Fort
The Bidar Fort, built in 1428 by Ahmed Shah Bahmani, stands proudly epitomizing the grandeur of the Bahmani dynasty. Five darwazas (gates) with imposing bastions lead into a little town nestling within the ramparts. The Rangin Mahal, the royal residence, was built by Ali Barid (1542-1580) and features exquisite wood carvings and fascinating glazed tile mosaics.
Tombs of Bahmani Rulers
The tombs of Bahmani rulers in Ashtur, Bidar were erected from 1436 to 1535. The two most impressive are those of the ninth and tenth Bahmani rulers, Ahmad Shah I and Allauddin Shah II. The tomb of Ahmad Shah I has a dome rising over 30m high. The interior of these square tombs have beautifully colored and gilded paintings on the ceilings.
Tombs of the Barid Shahis
The Mausolea of the Barid Shahi rulers lack the grandeur of the Bahmani tombs. Ali Barid's tomb has a 25m high dome. The Tomb of Ali Shah Barid, the largest of the lot, with a domed chamber, stands in the middle of a symmetrical four square garden. Blank panels above the arches once contained tile mosaic, examples of which are preserved inside.
Madrassa of Mahmud Gawan
Madrassa of Mahmud Gawan is an Islamic seminary built in 1472 by Khwaja Mohammad Gawan, the Prime Minister during the reign of Bahamani ruler Muhammad-III. This university was once a renowned centre of learning in the Muslim world for the scholars of Persian, Arabic, philosophy, theology and mathematics. The massive three-storey building housed a mosque, a laboratory, lecture halls, quarters for the teaching faculty and a students' hostel.
Chaubara
The Chaubara is a mighty 71-feet-tall tower located at the heart of the town. Built to function as an observation post, this cylindrical structure gives a commanding view of the entire city from the top.
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