Question

Under which Bahamani ruler, Mahmud Gawan acted as the wazir (Prime Minister)?
A) Aladdin Hassan Bahman Shah
B) Muhammad Shah I
C) Muhammad Shah II
D) Muhammad Shah III

Answer 1

Hint:
-Mahmud Gawan became the regent of an infant ruler during 1463 AD.
-Mahmud Gawan had campaigned against the rulers of Konkan, Orissa, Sangameshwar, and Vijaynagar.

Complete answer:
Mahmud Gawan was born in the year 1411 his full name was – Khwaja Mahmud GIlani he was from the village of Gawan in Persia and was well versed in Islamic theology, Persian language and Mathematics. He was also a reputed poet and prose writer.

He was the prime minister in the Bahmani Sultanate of Deccan. The Bahamani Sultanate is also known as the Bahmanid Empire or Bahmani Kingdom, and was the first independent Muslim empire of the Deccan in South India and was famous for its wars with its Hindu rival kingdoms, especially Vijayanagara. The empire was established by Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah after revolting against the Delhi Sultanate of Muhammad bin Tughlaq. The ruler Alauddin was succeeded by his son Mohammed Shah I.

The eldest sons of Humayun Shah, i.e. Nizam-Ud-Din Ahmad III and Muhammad Shah III Lashkari took over the throne (successively) while they were still young boys. The vizier Mahmud Gawan ruled as regent during this period, until Muhammad Shah reached of age. Later, he became a minister in the court of Muhammad III (1463-1482).

Hence, we can deduct from the above given information that the correct solution is – option (d), i.e. Muhammad Shah III.

Note:
-The last Bahmani ruler to have real powers was Mahmood Shah Bahmani II.
-After 1518 the sultanate broke up into five states, which is collectively known as the "Deccan Sultanates.
-The south Indian empire of Vijayanagara ruled by Emperor Krishnadevaraya defeated the last remnant of Bahmani Sultanate power which led to the collapse of the Bahmani Sultanate.