Bidar Fort

A photo of Bidar Fort by Amit Chattopadhyay.

Bidar and Bidriware:
Though it is difficult to trace the origins of the art of Bidri, it has most probably originated in Persia. As per sources, the craft was brought to India almost 1000 years ago by migrants to Ajmer in Rajasthan, by a nobleman Khaja Mohiuddin Chishti and his followers. Much later one artisan Abdullah-bin-Khaisar migrated to Bijapur who taught the craft to some locals.

Later when the Bahamani kingdom was established in South of India, Bidar became one of its provinces, the others being Gulbarga, Daulatabad and Berar. Articles presented to Allauddin II (1434-1457 A.D) of Bidar during his coronation, impressed him and he invited the craftsmen to settle at Bidar itself. He gave it the name Bidari or Bidri by which it is still known. The craft got royal patronage with the craftsmen being given facilities and comforts to carry out their work; by making huqqas, sailabchis, aftabas, and paes for the palace. When the Bahmani kingdom collapsed five independent kingdoms took birth. These were Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda, Berar and Bidar. Amir Ali Barid established the Barid Shahi dynasty. By the first half of the 17th century Bidar got annexed to the Bijapur Sultanate. Aurangzeb took it in 1656 A.D and Bidar came under Nizam I when he declared independence from the Mughals early in the 18th century. Bidar remained the main centre of this craft, but from about 1770 A.D it spread to other places like Lucknow of Awadh, Purnea in Bihar and Murshidabad in Bengal. The items produced were used by Deccani and Mughal nobility, princes of Rajasthan, Punjab Hill states, Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Western India.