Kaleemullah Shah – Bahmani Sultanate Copper 1/2 Gani Coin – Extremely Fine Condition

Kaleemullah Shah Bahmani, Sultanate of Bahmani, c. 1525-1527 CE or 1526-1538 CE, Denomination: 1/2 Gani, Composition: Copper, Weight: 7.90 grams, Diameter: 18 mm, References: G&G # BH165, about extremely fine.

Obverse: ‘al-mu’ayyad bi-nasr allah al-ghani,‘

Reverse: ‘kalimullah al-sultan al-bahamani‘

Kaleemullah Shah Bahmani, the last nominal ruler of the Bahmani Sultanate, reigned during a period of political collapse and fragmentation in the Deccan. By the 1520s, real power had already shifted to the Deccan Sultanates—Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Golconda, Bidar, and Berar—while Kaleemullah Shah survived largely as a symbolic sovereign. His coinage, including this 1/2 Gani copper issue, reflects this transitional phase, retaining the prestigious Bahmani royal titles despite the absence of effective authority. The obverse legend invoking divine support, “al-mu‘ayyad bi-nasr Allah al-ghani,” emphasizes religious legitimacy, while the reverse clearly names Kalimullah al-Sultan al-Bahamani, asserting dynastic continuity. Such late Bahmani coins are historically significant as they mark the formal end of centralized Bahmani rule and the emergence of independent Deccan states.