Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah (Persian: علاء الدين بهمن شاه; died 10 February 1358)^[4] whose original name was Zafar Khan or Hasan Gangu, was the founder of the Bahmani Sultanate.

Hasan Gangu, the founder of the Bahmani Sultanate, was either of Afghan or Turk origin.^[5][6][7] Encyclopedia Iranica states him to be a Khorasani adventurer, who claimed descent from Bahram Gur.^[8] Andre Wink, known for his studies on India, stated that he was an Afghan.^[9] According to the medieval historian Ferishta, his obscurity makes it difficult to track his origin, but he is nonetheless stated as of Afghan birth.^[10] Ferishta further writes, Zafar Khan had earlier been a servant of a Brahmin astrologer at Delhi named Gangu (hence the name Hasan Gangu),^[11][12] and says that he was from North India.^[13] Historians have not found any corroboration for the legend,^[14][15] but Ziauddin Barani, who was the court chronicler of Sultan Firuz Shah, as well as some other scholars also called him Hasan Gangu.^[16] Ferishta mentions that later poets "who wanted to flatter him" called Hasan a descendant of Bahram Gur, but considers it implausible.^[17] Another theory of origin for Zafar Khan is that he was of Brahmin origin,^[18] and that Bahman is a corrupted personalized form of Brahmin,^[19] with Hasan being a Hindu Brahmin who became Muslim.^[20][18] However this view has been discredited by S. A. Q. Husaini, who considers the idea of a Brahmin origin or Zafar Khan originally being a Hindu convert to Islam from Punjab untenable.^[21]

In 1339, Zafar Khan participated in an uprising against the Tughlaqs.^{[specify][where?]} This turned out unsuccessful; he and his allies were exiled to Afghanistan the same year. He managed to return to the Deccan, and in 1346 he participated in a siege of Gulbarga, at the time under Tughlaq control. The siege proved successful.^[22]

He was made a governor. Zafar Khan rose to power during the Rebellion of Ismail Mukh and in 1347 he was made commander of an army in Daulatabad. On 3 August 1347, the Afghan noble Nasir-ud-Din Ismail Shah, also known as Ismail Mukh, whom the rebel amirs of the Deccan placed on the throne of Daulatabad in 1345, abdicated in favor of Zafar Khan, resulting in the establishment of the Bahmani Sultanate with its headquarters at Hasanabad (Gulbarga).^[23][24][25] He was in charge of a three city jagir, with his main rule at Miraj.^[26]

Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah aspired to expand his dominion as far as Rameshwaram, Ma'abar, or the Coromandel Coast, and subsequently aimed to conquer territories such as Malwa, Gujarat, Gwalior, and Delhi itself. However, his advisor, Malik Saifuddin Ghori, cautioned against this endeavor, citing the dense jungles and challenging terrain in the southern regions as unsuitable for a successful campaign.^[27] Instead, Malik advised the king to first pacify the Deccan plateau before advancing towards Malwa and Gujarat. Following this counsel, the king directed his military commanders to subdue various areas in the Deccan still held by those opposing his rule. Husain Gurshasp was tasked with Kotgir and Qandhar (Nanded), Raziud-din Qutb ul-Mulk with the southwest, Malik Maqbul (now Qir Khan) with Kalyani, Sikandar Khan with Telangana, and Ainu’d-din Kwaja-i Jahan led the army from Miraj to Gulbarga.^[27]

The initial campaign was led by Gurshasp, who learned en route to Kodgir that the Tughlaq garrison stationed at Qandhar had switched allegiance to a new ruler, prompting the Hindu general Akraj to flee into the forests. Gurshasp then proceeded towards Qandhar, where he personally accepted the garrison's allegiance on behalf of Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah. Subsequently, he advanced towards Kodgir, compelling its garrison to surrender and securing the city without resorting to plunder, opting instead to safeguard both the city and its populace.^[28]

Qutb ul-Mulk, dispatched to the southwest, successfully seized control of Maram, Mahendri, and Akkalkot, renaming the latter as Sayedabad. He issued a decree granting pardon to all who pledged allegiance. Furthermore, Qutb returned all confiscated possessions to their rightful owners and ensured the safety of local Hindu landlords. He strictly prohibited any plunder by his troops. Despite commanding a relatively small army, Qutb ul-Mulk's efficient leadership brought the entire region under the protection of Daulatabad.^[28]

Qir Khan embarked on the mission to seize the formidable Kalyan fort, later known as the Basavakalyan fort, but encountered resistance as it was unprepared to yield. Following a grueling five-month siege, the Tughlaq garrison finally capitulated. Qir Khan accepted their surrender, ensuring the safety of all lives and properties within the fort.^[28]

Upon establishing an independent kingdom, Zafar Khan took the title of Abu'l-Muzaffar Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah.^[25][29] He gave Ismail Mukh a jagir near Jamkhandi and later conferred to him the highest title of his kingdom, Amir-ul-Umara. But Narayana, a local Hindu chieftain still succeeded in turning Ismail against Bahman Shah for a short period before he poisoned Ismail.^[30]

Bahman Shah led his first campaign against Warangal in 1350 and forced its ruler Kapaya Nayaka to cede to him the fortress of Kaulas. His kingdom was divided into four provinces and he appointed a governor for each province.^[30] During his reign Hasan fought many wars with Vijayanagara. By the time of his death the kingdom stretched from north to south from the Wainganga River to Krishna and east to west from Bhongir to Daulatabad.^[31]

He was succeeded by his son Mohammed Shah I after his death in 1358.^[31]

• Avari, Burjor (2013), Islamic Civilization in South Asia: A history of Muslim power and presence in the Indian subcontinent, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-58061-8
• Bhattacharya, Sachchidananada (1972), A Dictionary of Indian History, Westport: Greenwood Press
• Chandra, Satish (2004), Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206–1526) – Part One, Har-Anand Publications, ISBN 978-81-241-1064-5
• Kulke, Hermann; Rothermund, Dietmar (2004), A History of India (Fourth ed.), Routledge, ISBN 9780415329194
• Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1967), The Delhi Sultanate, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
• Briggs, John, ed. (1909), History of the Mohommedan powers in india till 1612,Vol 2
• Sherwani, H K, ed. (1946), History of the Bahmani dynasty-An Objective study