In the context of the Bahmani Sultanate and its administrative divisions during the 14th and 15th centuries, what were the provincial governors known as?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Provincial governors in the Bahmani Sultanate were designated as 'Tarafdars', who governed large administrative provinces known as tarafs. In the Delhi Sultanate, provincial governors were commonly called 'Muqtis' or 'Walis', whereas under the Mughals, regional administrators were styled as Subahdars and Faujdars. The Bahmani kingdom was founded by Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah in 1347 following a rebellion against Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Mahmud Gawan introduced significant administrative reforms by splitting the large tarafs into smaller units.