The famous Bahmani ruler who built the magnificent Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in Bidar and served as prime minister was renowned for his patronage of learning and his origin as a:

💡 Solution & Explanation

Mahmud Gawan originated from Gilan in Persia and arrived in the Deccan as a foreign merchant before entering the service of the Bahmani Sultanate and rising to become prime minister. His administrative reforms and patronage of learning left a lasting legacy, epitomized by the grand madrasa he established in Bidar featuring an extensive library. His execution due to court conspiracies among rival Deccani factions significantly hastened the fragmentation of the Bahmani kingdom.