Provincial Kingdoms after the Sultanate

The control of the Sultanate over a major part of India could not continue for long. The Deccan broke away in the reign of Muhammad-bin- Tughlaq itself. As the power of the Sultans declined further, several small kingdoms arose. In the Deccan arose two prominent kingdoms-the Bahmani and the Vijayanagar. These two kingdoms were continually fighting each other, the main causes of conflict being (I) rival claims on the Raichur Doab, a fertile bit of land between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra; (it) the desire on the part of the Vijayanagar kings to get hold of Golconda with its diamond mines; and (iii) rivalry in Marathwada. Besides, both kingdoms had ambitious rulers wanting control over the peninsula. It was only after long warfare which ex­hausted their resources that they decided to conclude a treaty.