ABSTRACT
A chronological literary survey of this period presents a number of difficulties. In our attempt to make this study as comprehensive as possible, we have included in our review the literary activities at Bidar and Gulbarga, the two capitals of the Bahmanī kingdom and at Bījāpūr and Golconda. ‘Ādilshāhī and Quṭbshāhī regimes, being contemporary, Persian literature flourished simultaneously under the aegis of these dynasties. Poets and litterateurs frequently changed their allegiance and moved from court to court for a better recognition of their merits. Moreover, it is uncritical to make arbitrary divisions in a literary period by splitting literary activity in fragments on political grounds, and studying local literature piecemeal. The writer aims at a general perspective of the growth of Persian literature in the Deccan, and has therefore selected the most important centres of literary activity for his review. In order to avoid repetition, he has also classified the entire literature of this period under general heads of (1) Poetry, (2) History, and (3) Miscellaneous Literature. Accordingly, this chapter deals with the contribution of the kings to Persian literature and to its patronage.
