SSC
The Bahmani Sultan Humayun Shah gave the title 'Malik-ut-Tujjar' (Chief of the Merchants) to which Persian merchant, who later became the famous prime minister of the kingdom?
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Answer: Option C — Mahmud Gawan
Detailed Solution
The Bahmani Sultan Humayun Shah gave the title "Malik-ut-Tujjar" ("Chief of the Merchants") to Mahmud Gawan, a Persian merchant who later became the famous prime minister (wazir) of the Bahmani kingdom.
About Mahmud Gawan:
- He was born in 1411 in Gawan, in Persia (Iran), from which he takes his name.
- He was a learned scholar, poet and merchant.
- He came to the Deccan as a merchant around 1453, and joined the service of the Bahmani Sultan.
- He rose quickly due to his ability, and became the chief minister.
- He served three Sultans, and was the real power in the kingdom for more than twenty years.
His achievements:
- He extended the Bahmani kingdom by conquering Goa, Konkan and other areas, and by fighting against Vijayanagara and the Gajapatis of Odisha.
- He reformed the administration: he divided the large provinces (tarafs) into smaller ones, to reduce the power of the governors.
- He brought some land in each province under the direct control of the Sultan (khalisa).
- He paid soldiers in cash and kept a check on the nobles' troops.
- He improved the revenue system by measuring land.
His Madrasa:
- He built a famous madrasa (college) at Bidar in 1472, a three-storeyed building with a library of about 3,000 books, decorated with coloured tiles.
- It attracted scholars from Persia and Iraq.
His death:
- His reforms and his power made the Deccani nobles jealous of him.
- They forged a letter suggesting that he was plotting with the Raja of Odisha against the Sultan.
- Sultan Muhammad Shah III, without proper enquiry, ordered his execution in 1481.
- The Sultan later realised his mistake.
- After his death, the Bahmani kingdom declined rapidly.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Yusuf Adil Khan was another noble of the Bahmani court.
- ✗Malik Ambar was a later minister of Ahmadnagar.
- ✗Mir Jumla was a Persian noble of Golconda and the Mughals.
Quick tip
Remember: Mahmud Gawan = "Malik-ut-Tujjar" (title from Humayun Shah); Bahmani wazir; madrasa at Bidar (1472); executed 1481 on a forged letter.
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This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.