BIDAR

city, northeastern Karnataka (formerly Mysore) state, southern India. It lies at 2,300 feet (700 m) above sea level and is 68 miles (109 km) northwest of Hyderabad. The city contains some of the finest examples of Muslim architecture in the Deccan. Bidar was important under the medieval Hindu dynasties when it was captured in 1324 by the Muslim prince Muhammad ibn Tughluq, who became the sultan of Delhi the following year. In 1347 the Deccan region broke away from the sultanate's control under the leadership of the Bahmanis, whose ruler Ahmad Shah Bahmani moved the site of his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar about 1425. He rebuilt and extended the fort that still dominates the city's layout. Bidar later became an independent sultanate under the Barid Shahi dynasty in 1531. The city was annexed by the sultanate of Bijapur in 161920 but was captured by the Mughal viceroy Aurangzeb in 1657 and formally annexed to the Mughal Empire in 1686. Upon that empire's breakup, Bidar fell to the nizam of Hyderabad in 1724. When Hyderabad state was partitioned in 1956, Bidar city and district were transferred to Mysore (now Karnataka) state. The fortress that Ahmad Shah Bahmani rebuilt about 1428 at Bidar has a triple moat and walls built of red laterite. Within the fortress complex is the Rangin Mahal (Painted Palace), so called from its elaborate decoration with coloured tiles; the Takht Mahal, or throne room; and several other palaces. Elsewhere in Bidar are the Jami Masjid (Great Mosque) and the Sola Khamba (Sixteen-Pillar) mosque; these are typical Bahmani buildings without minarets or prominent domes. Another notable Bahmani monument is the great madrasah, or Islamic college, that was built in 147281 and is now a massive ruin. East of the town are the domed tombs of eight Bahmani kings, while to the west lie the royal necropolis of the Barid sultans. Since the 14th century, Bidar has been noted for its production of Bidri waremetal articles damascened (ornamented with wavy lines) in floral and geometric designs with silver wire. Several colleges in the city, including schools of law and commerce, are affiliated with Gulbarga University, which was established in 1980. Bidar is reached by northward branches of the Hyderabad-Bombay road and railway. The surrounding lowland area is drained by the Karanja River and produces millet, wheat, and oilseeds. Kalyani, 42 miles (68 km) west of Bidar, was the capital of the second Calukya dynasty (10th12th century). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 107,542.