Bijapur
district 550 km (342 miles) Northwest of Bangalore, After the fall of
the Bahmanis the Adil Shahi sultans emerged as the pricipal rulers of
the Deccan in the 16th and 17th centuries. Their capital, the fortified
city of Bijapur, was protected by ramparts with prominent bastions;
many of the original cannons are still in place. The Malik-i-Maidan
("Lord of the plain"), reputedly the largest cannon of the period in
India, still guards the western entrance. Within thye fort's walls are
splendid mosques, palaces and tombs built by a succession of enlightened
rulers.