BIJAPUR, Karnataka

Main Attraction: THE GOL GUMBAZ

The Gol Gumbaz or Mausoleum of Muhammad Adilshah (1627 – 1657A.D.) is the largest and most conspicuous building in Bijapur city and one of the most celebrated in India. Built in 1657 by Yaqut a master builder of Dabul, it is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Situated on a 183m square podium, the tomb resembles a giant cube crowned by a hemispherical dome with a seven storied octagonal tower at each of its four corners, capped by smaller domes. The great dome is the second largest in the world, 37.9m. in diameter, compared with 42.4m. at St Peter’s in Rome, and 32.9m. at St Paul’s, London. 

The space it encloses is the largest in the world covered by a single dome. Externally, it is faced in plaster. The facades have a large central arch, above which is a cornice of grey basalt and row of small arches carrying a second line of plain work crowned by a 1.8m. high balustrade. The corner towers are entered from winding staircases in the walls of the main building. Each stories has seven arched window. Whispering gallery at the sixth storey is a broad gallery around the dome, which has remarkable acoustic properties: a tenfold echo can be obtained. 

From the base of the dome there is a fine arial view of the city. Over the south doorway are three inscriptions giving the date of Muhamad Adilshah’s death on 1657A.D. below the dome, in the center of the chamber, is the tomb of Muhammad. To the east are the graves of his youngest son Ali Adilshah II; on the west are those of his favorite dancing girl called Rambha , his daughter and eldest wife.

Brief History

Bijapur is called in Kannada as Vijapur, shortened form of the Sanskrit term “Vijayapura” meaning “City of victory”. It is not known when exactly the place was named “Vijayapura” and which victory it was intended to perpetuate. The town might have got its name after the victory pillar installed during seventh century to commemorate a victory on the eastern side of Ark-Killa.

In an inscription found on the wall near Ibrahim Roza, Bijapur is called “Vidyapur”- “The city of learning”. In an Old Persian manuscript map, Bijapur is called Darul-Zafar meaning ‘abode of victory’. But the place has retained the original name of Bijapur or Vijapur in Kannada.

Bijapur district can be truly proud of a glorious part – a past which can be traced back to the very remote and pre-historic times, information that can be had from the treasure – home of legends – monuments, tradition and historic places like Kaladagi, Dhulkhed find a mention in Ramayana as being located in Dandakaranya. Archaeological discoveries reveal that certain tracks of the district were inhabited by early man.

Ptolemy, a Greek geographer in 150 A.D. mentions several places, including some places in Bagalkot district, where there are numerous inscriptions, which throw light on the early Chalukya rule. It appears that during 5th and 6th centuries, the Pallavas had a stronghold over the district. But in the early 6th century, the Chalukya king Pulekeshi -I took over the Badami from the Pallavas, presently part of newly created Bagalkot district. In 610 A.D. Pulekeshi –II ascented to the throne, the most powerful and illustrious ruler of the Chalukya dynasty. During his reign he had constant threat from the enemies on all the sides. But by virtue of his own powers and intelligence he defeated the enemies and united different parts of the territory of Karnataka for the first time in the history and extended his empire from river Cauvery in the South to Narmada in the North. His greatest victory over Harsha or Harshavardhana earned for himself the title of ‘Parameshwara’ or Supreme Lord.

After the end of the Chalukya rule, which lasted till 760 A.D., the Rashtrakutas ruled till 973 A.D. Again the Chalukyas captured the territory. Hoysala Ballalas too had sway over these parts from 1120 - 1180 A.D. However, between 1162 -1182 A.D., the Kalachuris rose to power. Bijjala of the Kalachuri dynasty, who was the commander-in- chief under Talia-III of the Chalukya king, rebelled against the authority of Chalukyas and assumed royal titles and established the Kalachur rule.

Bijjala was killed in an open insurrection and his eldest son Raya Murari Soyideva ascended the throne (1167 - 1175 A.D.). Bijjala’s Prime Minister, Basaveshwara, hailed from Bagevadi of this district. Basaveshwara’s association with this kingdom is of a special interest in that he was a saintly man and a great social reformer. From 1150 to 1310 A.D., a major portion of the district came under the rule of Devagiri Yadavas. At the close of 13th century, Muslim invasion of the Deccan took place and in 1327 A.D. the Mughal emperor Mohammed - Bin -Tughlak established his supremacy. From then onwards Bijapur came under the authority of the Delhi emperors. At the same time, the great Vijayanagara Empire was established in the south with Harihara Raya (1335 -1350 A.D.) as its first ruler.

Ala-ud-din , Hassan Gangu Bahamani , the chief of Bijapur, rebelled against the Mughal emperor in 1347 A.D. and founded the Bahamani kingdom in Gulbarga. This kingdom was divided into four provinces and Bijapur was included in Gulbarga province. The Bahamani prime minister Khwaja Mohammed Gavan introduced many reforms and constituted the territory into eight provinces. After the death of Mohammed Gavan, the faction fights and the struggle for supremacy lead the kingdom into 5 separate Sultanates. Though the Bahamani kings were supreme and ruled the kingdom upto 1526 A.D. , their actual supremacy over Bijapur ceased after 1489 A.D. Yusuf Adil Khan threw of his allegiance and established himself as an independant ruler of Bijapur. Thus the Adil Shahi rule started in Bijapur in 1489 A.D. and lasted for nearly two centuries.

During the period of Ali-Adil-Shah I (1557-1580 A.D.) the confideration of the kings of Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golkonda and Bidar attacked Vijayanagara and defeated the king Rama Raya in the famous battle of Talikota or Rakkasathangadi. In 1672 A.D. the five year old Sikander Adil Shah , the last king of the Bijapur dynasty succeeded to the throne. On the 15th October 1686, Aurangazeb who was leading the Moghul army conquered Bijapur and said to have remained there for two years. In 1689 plague broke out in a fierce form and the emperor returned to Akluj.

In 1703 A.D. Chinkilich Khan was appointed as the Governor of Bijapur. Later, he established the family of Nizams of Hyderabad. Peshwa Balaji and his cousin Sadashiv Bahu entered the Moghul territory and defeated the Nizam at Udgir in 1759 A.D. A greater part of the Bijapur district passed on into the hand of Marathas. In 1764 after the defeat of Marathas at the battle of Panipat, Hyder Ali of Mysore spread his kingdom north across the Malaprabha and Ghataprabha to the banks of river Krishna.

In 1824 A.D. the Marathas and the Nizams of Hyderabad entered into a secret treaty and fought against Tipu Sultan to recover the territory which was lost to Hyder Ali. In 1787 A.D. fearing that the English, who may also join hands against himself, Tipu Sultan agreed to give up all the claims to south Bijapur. The territory was thus ceded to the Marathas. In 1818 A.D. the whole of Bijapur was conquered by General Munro. The British era which started thus lasted till 15th August 1947.

After the defeat of Peshwas the areas comprising the undivided Bijapur district fell into the hands of British, under the proclamation of the 11th Feb 1818. Of these, Bijapur taluk was made over to the Raja of Satara. Indi and Muddebihal were placed under the sub-collectorate of Bagalkot. A new taluk with headquarters at Hippargi was formed in 1839 by transfer of some villages from Indi and Muddebihal. In 1842 there was another large addition as a consequence of an exchange of territory with the Raja of Satara and another taluk was formed with headquarters at Mangoli (Bagevadi). When the Raja of Satara died without heirs, Bijapur was taken over by the British. The five taluks namely,Indi, Muddebihal, Sindgi, Bagevadi and Bijapur which lie between the rivers Bhima on the north and Krishna on the south belonged to the Solapur collectorate till November 1864. The taluks of Bagalkot, Badami, Hungund formed a part of Dharwad collectorate from 1818 to 1847.

In pursuance of the recommendations by the Revenue Commissioner of the southern division of Bombay Province, for administrative convenience a new collectorate comprising of eight taluks and one sub taluk was formed in December 1864 with headquarters at Kaladgi. In 1868, Hippargi was named Sindgi and Mangoli as Bagevadi. The headquarters of the district shifted from Kaladgi to Bijapur in 1885 and from then onwards the district came to be known as Bijapur district. There were several exchanges from time to time from Bijapur and other adjoining districts.

Jamkhandi and Mudhol which were parts of princely states, were reconstituted as separate taluks, after their merger with Union of India in 1948.The district which formed a part of the Bombay Province came to be intergrated with Mysore state i.e. Karnataka as a result of reorganisation of states in November 1956.