Among the four alternatives, Gulbarga alone satisfies the full historical condition. The Bahmani Sultanate first established its capital at Gulbarga; the capital was later transferred to Bidar in the fifteenth century. The distractors need separate rejection: Daulatabad belongs to a different institution, context or chronology; Bidar does not perform the function described in the stem; and Bijapur fails the required association. The wording of “What was the first capital of the Bahmani Sultanate?” is deliberately specific, so the candidate should isolate its operative clue before recalling names. — Gulbarga”, but also remember the factual reason stated above.