The Deccani Sultanates
About the Talk
This talk explores what has been described as one of the great displacements of world history: the expansion of Islam into the southern part of the Indian subcontinent from the beginning of the 14th century, resulting in a confrontation -and to some extent assimilation- between two civilisations which were utterly unalike. The first incursion into the Deccan was by the second Delhi Sultanate, the Khaljis, who never settled in the Deccan, thought they did leave behind the first mosques constructed from the stonework of Hindu temples. It was Tughlag who set in motion the turbulent history of the next four centuries, when he invaded the Deccan and moved his capital, albeit briefly, from Delhi to Devagiri, renamed Daulatabad. It was on the collapse of his dynasty that two new and important empires were founded, to fill the power vacuum. The Hindu Vijayanagara empire was founded in 1336 and the Bahmani Sultanate in 1347. It was only when the Bahmani Sultanate itself imploded, to be replaced by five successor Deccani Sultanates, that the clash between the Hindu and Moslem dynasties escalated into war and the annihilation of Vijayanagara in 1565.
About the Speaker
Dr Elizabeth Driver is a member of the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) and is Chair of the Finance Committee. She has a passionate interest in India’s history, architecture and diverse cultures, having visited the country on numerous occasions over many years.
In 2023, as part of the Society’s bi-centenary celebrations, Dr Driver meticulously planned and led a highly successful cultural tour to Rajasthan, tracing the historic footsteps of the Society’s first librarian, Colonel James Tod. The journey was so well-received that participants persuaded her to continue leading private expeditions. Following tours in 2024 and 2025, she is now organizing a tour of the Deccan for November 2026.
Now retired, Dr Driver enjoyed a distinguished professional career. She initially trained as a doctor and worked in medical research before transitioning into legal practice as a medically qualified lawyer. She actively contributes her expertise to the charity sector, having served as a trustee for several organizations—including the Royal Society of Medicine and the Marine Society and Sea Cadets—and currently volunteers as a watch keeper with the National Coastwatch Institution.
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