The Malwa–Bahmani Wars were a series of military campaigns fought in the 15th century between the Bahmani Sultanate of the Deccan and the Malwa Sultanate of central India. The conflicts cantered on control of Kherla and Berar lasted from 1425 until 1466. The conflicts were influenced by the neighbouring states. Khandesh Sultanate acted as Malwa vassal, while the Gujarat Sultanate provided military support to the Bahmanis against Malwa.
The conflicts began in 1399–1400 when Narsingh Rai of Kherla, backed by the rulers of Malwa and Khandesh, invaded Bahmani territory in Berar. Bahmani Sultan Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah repelled the invasion and forced Narsingh Rai into vassalage. Over the following decades, the rulers of Kherla frequently shifted allegiances between the two powers. Key escalations occurred under Hoshang Shah of Malwa and Ahmad Shah Wali of the Bahmanis. The Bahmani initially gained victory at the battle of Kherla (1429) but this was reversed after Hoshang Shah's conquest of Kherla in 1433, during which Narsingh Rai was killed. Later, Mahmud Khalji of Malwa sought to extend his authority over Berar and Telangana, then part of the Bahmani Sultanate. He launched three campaigns into the Deccan. The first, in 1453, was an unsuccessful siege of Berar. In the second, he defeated the Bahmanis at the Battle of Maheskar (1462) and laid siege to Bidar, but was forced to withdraw due to Mahmud Begada of Gujarat's interference. On the third occasion, he successfully besieged Daulatabad (1462), though again compelled to retreat upon the arrival of Gujarati forces. After repeated raids along the Berar frontier and the fruitless war over Kherla (1466), both sides sued for peace. Prolonged and inconclusive warfare led to a treaty that fixed Ellichpur as the boundary between the two sultanates. Malwa retained Mahmudabad (Kherla), while Berar remained under Bahmani control.
Background In 1399–1400, Narsingh Rai encouraged by the rulers of Malwa and Khandesh, took advantage of turmoil within the Bahmani kingdom and advanced into Berar. He occupied territory as far as Mahur. At the time, Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah () was preparing for a campaign against Vijayanagar. Therefore, he dispatched the Daulatabad division to check Narsingh Rai's invasion. After Vijayanagar campaign, Firuz Shah turned northward and reoccupied Mahur. From there he moved towards Kherla. Afraid of Bahmani attack, Narsingh Rai asked help from Malwa and Khandesh rulers, but they refused. So, he gathered his men near Kherla and waited for Firuz Shah's army. Bahmani army killed many in the ensuing battle and captured Narsingh's son Gopal Rai. Narsingh Rai ran to Kherla fort but was besieged. After two months he capitulated, went to Firuz Shah's camp, accepted him as overlord, gave his daughter in marriage. Firuz Shah forgave him, gave him honour, and allowed him to rule Kherla as Bahmani vassal. In 1420, after a period of relief from Ahmad Shah's attacks, Hoshang Shah marched to Kherla to seize Narsingh Rai’s territories and wealth. Narsingh Rai confronted him outside the fort with 50,000 soldiers but was defeated. He submitted to Hoshang Shah, accepting him as overlord and handing over 84 elephants and a large amount of gold. This victory strengthened Hoshang Shah's army and replenished his treasury, which had been depleted by wars with Gujarat. However, he did not capture the fort and allowed Narsingh Rai to continue ruling Kherla as his vassal. Kherla became a contested territory between the Malwa Sultanate and the Bahmani kingdom. Narsingh Rai maintained relations with both Hoshang Shah and Ahmad Shah Bahmani, exploiting their rivalry to his advantage. Sultan Sultan Ahmad Shah Wali, driven by ambition wanted to conquer Khandesh, Malwa, and Gujarat claiming Timur had granted them to his brother Firuz Shah. He also sought to strengthen his position in Berar and Gondwana. In 1426–27, he invaded and finally annexed Mahur after three campaigns. Additionally, Firishta mentions that during this time, the Sultan seized the fort of Kalan or Kullum and a diamond mine which had previously belonged to the ruler of Gondwana. The removal of the Rai of Mahur is confirmed in the writings of Nizam-ud-Din, who states that the territory of Mahur was bestowed upon Shahzada Mahmud Khan. He also restored the old fort of Gawilgarh and spent a year at Ellichpur. This aggressive expansionist policy pursued by Sultan Ahmad Bahmani caused concern for Hoshang Shah.
Malwa conquest of Kherla
Siege of Kherla (1425) Hoshang Shah promptly took action to assess the situation. In 1425 he invaded Kherla. Kherla had pledged allegiance to Ahmad Shah Bahmani in order to protect its territories from destruction. The initial expedition led by Hoshang Shah did not yield any significant outcome.
Battle of Kherla (1429) In 1428–29, Hoshang Shah of Malwa decided to personally lead a campaign to subdue Kherla. Narsingh Rai, caught between the two powers sought protection from the Bahmani Sultan Ahmad Shah Wali. Ahmad Shah responded by ordering Abdul Qadir, the governor of Berar, to collect troops and rush to Narsingh's aid. The Sultan himself marched with 6,000 to 7,000 cavalry towards Ellichpur and then on to Kherla in 1429 CE. Meanwhile, under pressure from both sides, Narsingh attempted to appease Hoshang Shah by promising him one lakh tankas for every day's march towards Kherla. Hoshang responded swiftly, advancing on Kherla with a large army of 30,000 troops. Bahmani army had 15,000 troops under their possession. Upon learning of the Malwa army's approach and realising he was outnumbered, Ahmad Shah retreated into Bahmani territory. He proposed through a message that both sides withdraw to avoid unnecessary bloodshed between fellow Muslims, but without waiting for a reply, he broke camp and withdrew. Hoshang Shah pursued the Bahmanis and pitched his tents on the very spot vacated by Ahmad Shah. At this critical juncture, Ahmad Shah justified his earlier retreat to his officers and prepared for battle. He placed the right wing under Abdul Qadir, the left under Abdullah the grandson of Ismail Mukh, and the centre under his son, prince Alauddin. The Sultan himself commanded the reserve. Despite being outnumbered, the Bahmani forces were well-positioned. The two armies clashed in a fierce engagement. Hoshang had only 17,000 soldiers present in the battlefield. The engagements lasted the entire day. Both sides suffered massive casualties. In the afternoon, Ahmad Shah marched with his reserve force of 10,000 picked cavalry and 12 elephants. This decisive charge broke the Malwa army. As night fell, Hoshang Shah's forces were completely routed. As Hoshang retreated, Rai Narsingh seized the opportunity to attack the disordered Malwa army, inflicting further damage. Around 2,000 of his soldiers were killed. Hoshang himself fled back towards Malwa. Ahmad Shah Wali captured his elephants and harem, including two of his daughters. He returned them safely.
Hoshang Shah's conquest of Kherla (1433) After Hoshang Shah's defeat by Ahmad Shah Bahmani, Narsingh Rai switched allegiance to the Bahmani Kingdom. From 1429–30 onwards, Ahmad Shah was in war with the Gujarat Sultanate. In 1433, Hoshang Shah taking the opportunity invaded Kherla, killed Narsingh Rai in battle, and annexed the territory. Narsingh's son, Kosal Rai, submitted and was allowed to rule Kherla as a feudatory of Malwa. Ahmad Shah promptly marched against Hoshang Shah. However, Nasir Khan of Khandesh intervened and persuaded both sultans end hostilities. After negotiations, Kherla was left with Hoshang Shah, while the province of Berar remained with the Bahmanis, thus establishing a clear boundary between the two kingdoms.
Malwa invasion of Deccan
First invasion
Siege of Berar (1453)
During the reign of Alau'd-din Ahmad Shah, the Bahmani kingdom was suffering from internal power struggle. Mahmud Khalji had been observing the situation, hoping to exploit it. Alau'd-din Ahmad Shah's brother-in-law Jalal Khan and his son Sikandar Khan revolted in Nalgonda. While Jalal Khan defended the fort, Sikandar Khan fled to Mahur and appealed to Mahmud, falsely claiming that Sultan Alau'd-din Ahmad was dead and the kingdom was collapsing. He urged Mahmud to invade quickly, promising that Berar and Telingana would fall easily into his hands. In January–February 1453, Mahmud Khalji tried to invade Berar and Telangana by starting from Hoshangabad for Mahur via Kherla. He now allied himself with Mubarak Khan of Khandesh, crossed the frontier, and marched to Mahur where he joined hands with Sikandar. When Alau'd-din Ahmad Shah heard about the invasion from the north, he quickly left Nalgonda and marched toward Mahur with a massive army of 180,000 men. He divided his forces into three parts: one under Malik-ut-Tujjar Qasim Beg facing the main Malwa army, another consisting of Berar levies facing Mubarak Khan of Khandesh, while he himself stayed in the centre with the Bijapur forces. Sultan Mahmud had marched with only 50,000 troops, believing the false report that Ahmad II was dead. But when he saw the huge opposing army and realised the Sultan was very much alive, he knew a battle would be disastrous. So, he decided not to fight. However, Mahmud didn't want Sikandar Khan to slip away and rejoin the Bahmanis. He ordered a retreat but left a thousand men behind to protect Sikandar, but actually to keep him under watch. After Mahmud withdrew, Sikandar eventually managed to escape and went back to Sultan Ahmad, begging for pardon. In the end, Mahmud's 1453 campaign achieved nothing.
Second invasion Battle of Maheskar (1462)