170 BIDAR TO WN
dynasty, annexed the town to his new kingdom in 1347. Ahmad Shah
Wali, the tenth Bahmani king, founded the modern city and built the
fort, removing his court here from GULBARGA In 1430. Bidar continued
to be the capital of the Bahmani kings until the extinction of that
dynasty, when Amir Barid founded an independent State in 1492.
Amir Band ruled over Bidar and the surrounding country, and was
succeeded by his son Ali Barid, in 1538, who was the first to assume
the title of Shah and died in 1582. Three other kings, Ibrahim,
Kasim Barid, and Mirza Ali Barid, followed, the last of whom assumed
the title of Amir Barid II. This short-lived dynasty became extinct
when Amir Barid II was made a prisoner and sent to Bijapur by
Ibrahim Adil Shah. In 1624 the Nizam Shahi troops under Malik
Ambar attacked and plundered Bidar, but it was retaken by the
Bijapur king. In 1656 Aurangzeb besieged and took Bidar, changing
its name to Zafarabad. The town remained in the possession of the
Mughals till the first of the Nizams declared his independence, early
in the eighteenth century.
The town of Bidar must have been of great extent in its prosperous
days, as appears from its palaces, mosques, and other buildings. Among
these may be mentioned the great madrasa or college built by Mahmud
Gavan, the Bahmani minister, which is now in ruins, the Jama Masjid,
and the Sola Khamba or 'sixteen-pillared' mosque. The last of these
is in the citadel, which also contains the ruined Rang Mahal or' coloured
palace,' the remains of a mint, a Turkish bath, an arsenal, and several
powder magazines. The fortifications and battlernented walls of this
place are very strong, and are still well preserved. On its numerous
bastions pieces of ordnance are mounted, some of very large size; one
of them is specially remarkable as having been brought here from
Bijapur. West of the town are the tombs of Ali Band, Kasim Band,
and others of the same dynasty, while twelve tombs of the Bahmani
kings are situated to the north-east in the village of Ashtur. Most
of the old buildings in the fort are now used as offices. Bidar is the
chief trade centre of the District, and has given its name to a class
of metal-work made of an alloy of copper, lead, tin, and zinc, inlaid
with silver or gold. This industry is, however, not very flourishing.
Bidhiina.-North-eastern tahsal of Etawah District, United Provinces,
conterminous with the pargana of the same name, lying between 26° 38'
and 26° 57' N. and 79° 2o' and 79 45" E., with an area of 433 square
miles. Population increased from 187,530 in 1:891 to 206,182 in 19or.
There are 413 villages, but no town. The demand for land revenue in
1903-4 was Rs. 3,68,ooo, and for cesses Rs. 6o,ooo. The density of
population, 476 persons per square mile, is almost exactly equal to the
District average. The tahsil lies north of the river Sengar, and consists
of a fertile area of rich soil, interrupted only by marshes and patches of
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