History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c11.222

Language: English

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It was during these disorders in the Deccan that the foundation of the Bahmani kingdom was laid. The small principality created out of the fief of Daulatabad developed formidable strength in course of time, challenged the neighbouring Hindu power and aspired to bring the whole of the Deccan under its rule. The origin of Hasan Kāngū, the founder of the dynasty, is a matter of considerable interest, and it will not be out of place to discuss the various views expressed on the subject by writers on Indian History. The story of Hasan’s origin related by Firishta savours of romance. According to him Hasan in his early years was employed in the service of Gangū, a Brahman astrologer of Dihli who enjoyed the patronage of Prince Muhammad Tughluq. Pressed hard by adverse circumstances, Hasan begged of Gangū to give him some work, whereupon the latter gave him a pair of oxen, two labourers and a plot of waste land near Dihli. Hasan took to agriculture, and one day while his labourer was ploughing the land, the plough stuck up into a chain which was tied to a vessel full of gold and silver coins. Hasan, with perfect honesty, carried the vessel, wrapped in a piece of cloth, to Gangū’s house at night and related to him the story. Gangū, pleased with his honesty, recommended him to Muhammad Tughluq who called him into his presence and rewarded him for his honesty.

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The incident was communicated to Sultan Ghiyas-al-Din Tughluq who showed much kindness to Hasan and enrolled him among his amirs. One day the Brahman cast his horoscope and told him that he would attain to greatness at some future date. He made him promise that if ever his prophecy came true he would associate his name with his own. Hasan readily accepted the suggestion, and it was in consequence of this promise that he styled himself Hasan Kāngū or Gangū Bahmani.¹¹⁵ Firishta in the course of his narrative refers to certain historical works which he consulted regarding the origin of Hasan Kāngū. He writes: “The *Tuhfatuh-al-Salātīn*, *Sirāj-al-Tawārīkh*, and *Bahmannama Deccani* have not said anything clearly regarding the origin of ‘Ala-al-Din Hasan Kāngū Bahmani. But in some places where the authors of these works have pronounced a eulogy upon him, they have traced his descent from the Kiyānī kings of Persia, and in other places they have traced his pedigree to Bahman and Isfandiyār. He is described as a scion of the house of Bahman and an illuminator of his palace—things that go to prove his descent from Isfandiyār.” As regards *Bahmannamah* Firishta doubts its authenticity and says that the work was not written by Shaikh Āzarī to whom its authorship is ascribed, for the verses which he has cited from it do not appear to be from the pen of a practised master of the poetical art. Besides, he says, he has never come across the poet’s *nom-de-plume* under which he wrote.

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But he adds that on one occasion when he was in the service of Murtaza Nizam Shah of Ahmadnagar, he saw in the royal library a pamphlet entitled ‘An enquiry into the origin and descent of Sultan ‘Ala-al-Din Hasan Kāngū Bahmani’; which contained a genealogy of Hasan closely resembling that given by the author of the *Burhān-i-Ma'sir*. Firishta is not satisfied with these explanations of Hasan's origin and sticks to his original view that Hasan styled himself Bahmani because of his connection with the Brahman astrologer of Dihli, whose name he coupled with his own out of sheer gratefulness. Firishta's version is reproduced by Khwafi Khan in his *Muntakhab-al-lubāb* with the only difference that he alters the date of foundation to the 4th Rabi-'al-Sani 747 A.H. (25th July, 1346) and he is uncritically accepted by all later writers. The historians of the last generation followed Firishta without taking pains to examine the truth of his statements with the result that the Hindu origin of the dynasty has become one of the current coins of Indian History. Even in our own times in many a text-book on Indian history the old story of Hasan's Brahmanical connection is repeated with amazing simplicity illustrating the truth of Sir Henry Maine's dictum that error is the hardest to combat when it has spread over a wider area.

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Sir Wolseley Haig cited good evidence to prove that his account partook of a myth and that Hasan was not the servant of any Brahman astrologer, eking out his little income by practising agriculture, but a descendant of the kings of Persia. Firishta does not mention the source from which he borrowed this account of Hasan's early career.¹¹⁶ Probably he relied upon some tradition which he found prevalent in the Maratha country invented by the opponents of the Bahmanids to belittle the importance of the dynasty by describing its founder as a poor man depending for his subsistence upon the generosity of a Brahman. But even the traditional accounts do not agree in all respects. No Muhammadan historian of repute except Khwafi Khan—and he is a much later authority—gives Firishta's version. There is the testimony of the author of the *Burhan-i-Ma'sir* who is a contemporary of Firishta and who had equally good sources of information at his command. 'Ali Tabātabā commenced his history in 1591 A.D. as is indicated by the title which is a chronogram.¹¹⁷ There are many discrepancies between the accounts of 'Ali and Firishta, but the evidence of coins and inscriptions and other independent authorities corroborates the former and not the latter. 'Ali Tabātabā makes the following prefatory observations at the commencement of his work:¹¹⁸ ‘Historians have written strange things about him (Hasan).

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I have recorded the version which is given by the author of the *Ayūn-al-Tawārīkh* and which is corroborated by all the historians of Hindustan. It has been proved that he was descended from Bahman and Isfandiyār, though in some books of genealogies which the author of these pages has seen, his origin is thus described:—