When did the Berar Sultanate exist?

The Berar Sultanate existed 1490–1574. On this map it is drawn 1492–1578.

How large was the Berar Sultanate?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Berar Sultanate covered about 81,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

South Asia · Sultanates and the south

Berar Sultanate

Sultanate · 1490–1574

One of the five Deccan successor states of the Bahmani Sultanate, in which Berar had been a province governed by a tarafdar. In 1490 Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk, appointed governor of Berar after assisting Mahmud Gawan's campaigns, proclaimed independence amid Bahmani civil unrest and founded the Imad Shahi dynasty.

See it on the map → Wikipedia ↗

Type: Sultanate
Existed: 1490–1574
Shown on the map: 1492–1578
Heartland: the larger figure reflects its peak extent under Tufail Khan); Berar/Vidarbha region of the northern Deccan
Peak area: c. 81,000 km² (the Wikipedia infobox gives c. 29,340 km² at one point
Region: South Asia

Origins and founding

Capitals and territory

The capital was Ellichpur (Achalpur). Fathullah annexed the neighboring province of Mahur and fortified the great strongholds of Gavilgad and Narnala.

Major rulers and key events

The dynasty comprised Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk (1490–1504); Aladdin Imad Shah (1504–1529), who resisted Ahmadnagar aggression with help from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat; Darya Imad Shah (1529–1562), who tried unsuccessfully to align with Bijapur against Ahmadnagar; and the minor Burhan Imad Shah (1562–1568 de facto), deposed by his minister and regent Tufail Khan (1568–1574), who usurped rule.

Government, economy and culture

A Sunni Muslim monarchy using Persian, Marathi and Dakhini. Its territory was a contested buffer among Ahmadnagar, Khandesh, Bijapur and Golconda, and its diplomacy constantly sought outside protectors to fend off Nizam Shahi expansion.

Decline and end

Tufail Khan's usurpation gave Murtaza Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar a pretext to intervene. He invaded Berar, imprisoned and executed Tufail Khan, his son Shams-ul-Mulk and the former king Burhan, and annexed Berar into the Ahmadnagar Sultanate in 1574.

Legacy and significance

The smallest and shortest-lived of the Deccan sultanates, Berar is remembered mainly for its formidable hill forts — Gavilgad and Narnala — and for the region's later history as the Mughal Berar Subah, Berar Province and part of modern Maharashtra.

Common questions

What was the Berar Sultanate?: One of the five Deccan successor states of the Bahmani Sultanate, in which Berar had been a province governed by a tarafdar. In 1490 Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk, appointed governor of Berar after assisting Mahmud Gawan's campaigns, proclaimed independence amid Bahmani civil unrest and founded the Imad Shahi dynasty.
When did the Berar Sultanate exist?: The Berar Sultanate existed 1490–1574. On this map it is drawn 1492–1578.
How large was the Berar Sultanate?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Berar Sultanate covered about 81,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Where was the Berar Sultanate?: The capital was Ellichpur (Achalpur). Fathullah annexed the neighboring province of Mahur and fortified the great strongholds of Gavilgad and Narnala.
Who ruled the Berar Sultanate?: The dynasty comprised Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk (1490–1504); Aladdin Imad Shah (1504–1529), who resisted Ahmadnagar aggression with help from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat; Darya Imad Shah (1529–1562), who tried unsuccessfully to align with Bijapur against Ahmadnagar; and the minor Burhan Imad Shah (1562–1568 de facto), deposed by his minister and regent Tufail Khan (1568–1574), who usurped rule.
How did the Berar Sultanate end?: Tufail Khan's usurpation gave Murtaza Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar a pretext to intervene. He invaded Berar, imprisoned and executed Tufail Khan, his son Shams-ul-Mulk and the former king Burhan, and annexed Berar into the Ahmadnagar Sultanate in 1574.
How was the Berar Sultanate governed?: A Sunni Muslim monarchy using Persian, Marathi and Dakhini. Its territory was a contested buffer among Ahmadnagar, Khandesh, Bijapur and Golconda, and its diplomacy constantly sought outside protectors to fend off Nizam Shahi expansion.
Why does the Berar Sultanate still matter?: The smallest and shortest-lived of the Deccan sultanates, Berar is remembered mainly for its formidable hill forts — Gavilgad and Narnala — and for the region's later history as the Mughal Berar Subah, Berar Province and part of modern Maharashtra.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Berar Sultanate en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berar_Sultanate

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

See the Berar Sultanate in its world

Open the atlas at 1535 and every neighbour, rival and successor is on screen with it — then drag the slider and watch what happens next.

Open the map at 1535 →