Consider the following statements regarding the Bahmani Kingdom and its successor states:
1. The Bahmani Kingdom disintegrated into five successor states, including the Adil Shahis of Bijapur and the Qutb Shahis of Golconda.
2. The Barid Shahis of Bidar were the most powerful among the successor states.
3. The disintegration of the Bahmani Kingdom facilitated the territorial expansion of the Vijayanagara Empire under Krishnadeva Raya.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Explanation Statement 1 is correct: After the decline of the Bahmani Kingdom, five independent successor states emerged: the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the Qutb Shahis of Golconda, the Nizam Shahis of Ahmadnagar, the Barid Shahis of Bidar, and the Imad Shahis of Berar. These states arose from the ruins of the Bahmani empire during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Statement 2 is not correct: The Barid Shahis of Bidar were relatively weaker compared to other successor states like the Adil Shahis of Bijapur and the Qutb Shahis of Golconda, who exerted much greater political and military influence. Bidar primarily served as a cultural center, but it lacked the military strength and territorial dominance of the other states.
Statement 3 is correct: The decline of the centralized Bahmani power allowed Krishnadeva Raya, the greatest ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, to expand his kingdom. He successfully annexed territories like Raichur and Kovilkonda from the Adil Shahis, as well as Gulbarga and Bidar, which had been controlled by the Bahmanis. The weakened successor states provided an opportunity for Krishnadeva Raya to expand his influence.
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