Bijapur Sultanate

The Bijapur Sultanate was an early modern kingdom in the western Deccan and South India, ruled by the Muslim Adil Shahi dynasty. Founded in 1490 CE, it originated as a province of the Bahmani Kingdom before achieving de facto independence in 1490 and formal independence with the Bahmani collapse in 1518. As one of the Deccan sultanates, it became one of the most powerful states on the Indian Subcontinent, second only to the Mughal Empire. Its borders expanded significantly, particularly southward after defeating the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565. The sultanate was eventually conquered by the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb in 1686.