DAULATABAD

also called Devagiri, or Deogir village and ancient city, Maharashtra state, western India. Founded in the late 12th century by King Bhillam of the Yadava dynasty, it was a major fortress and administrative centre in medieval times. The fortress, located in and around a large rock outcropping, was so impregnable that it was never taken by force, although it was taken by intrigue. The city was the capital of the Hindu Yadava dynasty until the early 14th century, when it came under the rule of the Muslim sultans of Delhi. It retained its importance under Delhi, the Bahmani sultanate, and the kingdom of Ahmadnagar, but it declined in the 17th century when the Mughals established nearby Aurangabad as their administrative centre in the Deccan.