Abu'l Muzaffar Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah (r. 3 August 1347 - 1358), whose original name was Hasan Gangu or Hansan Kanku and also bore the title of Zafar Khan was the founder of the Bahmani sultanate.[1][2]
Early historians, Tabataba and Nizam-ud-Din Ahmad believe that Hasan was descended from the Persian king Bahman, son of Isfandiyar. But Firishta emphatically asserts that this genealogy was fabricated after Hasan's accession to the throne by the flatterers and poets though he has seen the same genealogy in the royal library at Ahmadnagar. He believes that his origin was too obscure to admit or being traced. He thinks that Hasan was an Afghan by birth. He was servant of an astrologer Brahmin named Gangu(Gangadhar Shastri Wabale) of Delhi and was blessed by him as one day he was working at his farm when he found wealth which he returned to Gangu and by this act of him Gangu was pleased with him some experts also think and according to main library of Ahmednagar as being an astrologer Gangu had already read his astrology as he was very sharp and started giving him lessons and use his power at sultanate to make him sardar at Deccan .[1][2] Gangu began his career as a general serving under the Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq. He received the title of Zafar Khan after becoming a governor. In 1347 he was made commander of an army in Daulatabad. On 3 August 1347 Nasir-ud-Din Ismail Shah (Ismail Mukh, whom the rebel amirs of the Deccan placed on the throne of Daulatabad in 1345) abdicated in his favour and he set up the Bahmani Kingdom with its headquarters at Ahsanabad (Gulbarga).[3][4]
On establishing an independent kingdom Gangu took the title of Abu'l-Muzaffar Ala-ud-din Bahman Shah.[4] The name Bahmani Kingdom was derived after the Brahmin caste of Gangu (who had blessed Hasan)Hasan also gave Gangus son a jagir and title of Deshmukh (chief of local villages)at Ahmednagar. Another theory was that the name Bahman came from Hasan's claim of descent from the Iranian hero Bahman, which also lead to the dynasty and kingdom having the name Bahmani.[5] He gave Ismail Mukh a jagir near Jamkhandi and later conferred to him the highest title of his kingdom, Amir-ul-Umara. But Narayana, a local Hindu chieftain still succeeded in turning Ismail against Bahman Shah for a short period before he poisoned Ismail.[6]
Bahman Shah led his first campaign against Warangal in 1350 and forced its ruler Kapaya Nayaka to cede to him the fortress of Kaulas. His kingdom was divided into four provinces and he appointed a governor for each province.[6] During his reign Hasan fought many wars with Vijayanagar. By the time of his death the kingdom streched from north to south from the Wainganga River to Krishna and east to west from Bhongir to Daulatabad.[7]
He was succeeded by his son Muhammad Shah I after his death in 1358.[7]