Deccan Sultanates — Key Changes

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
1	1490 CE	Declaration of independence by Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I (Ahmadnagar) and Yusuf Adil Shah (Bijapur), marking the initial formal fragmentation of the Bahmani Sultanate into independent regional powers. Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk also declared independence in Berar in the same year.	Established the first three independent Deccan Sultanates, initiating a new political order in the Deccan and signaling the irreversible decline of the Bahmani central authority. This shift from a unitary state to multiple sovereign entities fundamentally altered regional power dynamics.
2	1518 CE	Sultan Quli Qutb Shah declared independence in Golconda, and Amir Barid I solidified Baridshahi control over the Bahmani remnants in Bidar, effectively completing the formation of the five independent Deccan Sultanates.	Formalized the five-fold division of the Bahmani Sultanate, creating a multi-polar political landscape in the Deccan. This set the stage for both intense rivalries and strategic alliances among the sultanates, defining the next century of Deccan history.
3	1574 CE	The Imadshahi Sultanate of Berar was annexed by the Nizamshahi Sultanate of Ahmadnagar.	Reduced the number of independent Deccan Sultanates from five to four. This consolidation reflected the ongoing power struggles and territorial ambitions among the sultanates themselves, even before significant Mughal intervention.
4	1619 CE	The Baridshahi Sultanate of Bidar was annexed by the Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur.	Further reduced the number of independent Deccan Sultanates to three (Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Golconda). This annexation by Bijapur, the most powerful of the sultanates, demonstrated its growing regional dominance and strategic expansion, albeit temporary.
5	1636 CE	The Nizamshahi Sultanate of Ahmadnagar was finally annexed by the Mughal Empire under Emperor Shah Jahan.	Marked the first major successful Mughal absorption of a Deccan Sultanate, establishing a direct Mughal presence in the Deccan and significantly altering the balance of power. It intensified Mughal pressure on the remaining sultanates and the nascent Maratha power.