Bengal Sultanate

Sultanate of Bengal

শাহী বাংলা^[1]

Sultanate

←

1342–1538

1555–1576

→

The empire of the Bengal Sultanate in 1500, during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Hussain Shah, who is regarded as the greatest of Bengal's sultans

Capital

Gaur
Pandua
Sonargaon

Languages

Bengali (general language)^[2]
Arabic (liturgical)
Persian (diplomatic)
Arakanese (regional)

Religion

Sunni Islam (official), Hinduism, Buddhism

Government

Absolute monarchy, unitary state with federal structure

Sultan

•

1342-1358

Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah (first)

•

1572-1576

Daud Khan Karrani (last)

Historical era

Late medieval

•

Independence declared from Delhi

1342

•

Battle of Raj Mahal

1576

Currency

Gold and silver dinar (locally known as taka)

Today part of

Bangladesh

Burma

India

The Bengal Sultanate was a sovereign state that encompassed present-day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal and the Myanmarese state of Rakhine between the 14th and 16th centuries. It was a regional power and a melting pot of diverse Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, located at the crossroads of modern South Asia and Southeast Asia.

History

A painting from the sultanate era in the Indian subcontinent

The fertile Bengal region, formed by the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, was integrated into the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of the Indian subcontinent. It was annexed by Bakhtiar Khilji as a province of the Delhi Sultanate. In the mid 14th century, governors in Bengal declared independence from the Delhi Sultanate, including at Lakhnauti, Sonargaon and Satgaon. In 1342, the Bengal Sultanate was formed by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah after he conquered the three cities. He also defeated an invasion by the Sultan of Delhi Firuz Shah Tughluq in 1353. Ilyas Shah led successful campaigns against neighboring Hindu states which consolidated the position of the Bengal Sultanate as the foremost military power in the eastern subcontinent. He was styled as "the second Alexander, the right hand of the caliphate, the defender of the Commander of the Faithful".^[3] His successors formed the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. His son Sikandar Shah and grandson Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah expanded the military, diplomatic and architectural influence of the sultanate.^[4]

In 1414, the Hindu noble Raja Ganesha staged a coup and installed his son Jadu on the throne. Jadu later converted to Islam and took the title Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, reigning until 1433 and proclaiming himself as a caliph of Islam. During his reign, Arakan in Burma came under a century of Bengali suzerainty.^[5] His military assisted the Arakanese ruler Narameikhla to regain control of the city of Mrauk U in return for Arakan becoming a vassal state of the Bengal Sultanate. Bengali Muslims formed their own settlements in Arakan. The Buddhist rulers in Arakan received Islamic titles. Coins in Arakan depicted Burmese script on one side and Arabic script on another side.^[6]

The Ilyas Shahi dynasty was restored in 1435. It continued to expand the territory of the sultanate, especially towards Northeast India. Palace coups became a regular phenomenon in the kingdom. Between 1487-1494, a group of Abyssinian generals assumed power and ruled the kingdom, taking turns as the Sultan of Bengal.^[4]

In 1494, the Hussain Shahi dynasty was founded by Alauddin Hussain Shah, an Arab-Bengali noble. His reign marked a flourishing period of religious pluralism and the development of Bengali literature. Sultan Hussain Shah and his governors patronized Bengali writers to produce Bengali adaptations of Islamic and Indian epics.^[7]

By the mid 16th-century, the Bengal Sultanate began facing increasing challenges. Between 1539 and 1554, it was overrun by the Afghan Sur Empire of Sher Shah Suri. The Twelve Bhuyan landlords also began asserting their independence. Arakan and Portuguese Chittagong formed the independent Kingdom of Mrauk U.^[4]

The Karrani dynasty was the last royal house of the kingdom. Despite the ambitions of its last ruler Daud Khan Karrani, the Bengal Sultanate was abolished by Emperor Akbar of the Mughal Empire after Karrani was defeated in the Battle of Raj Mahal in 1576. Most territories of the sultanate were eventually incorporated into Mughal Bengal.^[4]

Mint towns

Old Gateway of Gaur, the first capital of the Bengal Sultanate

The giraffe gifted to the Chinese emperor by the Bengal Sultan in 1414

The Bengal Sultanate governed its territories through a network of administrative centers which served as regional capitals and minted currency.^[8] These cities were district headquarters and contributed to urbanization. They received migrants from other parts of the Muslim world, including North India and the Middle East.

Mint Town	Modern areas	Notes
Lakhnauti	Maldah District and Rajshahi District	The oldest mint town and first capital of the Bengal Sultanate
Sonargaon	Dhaka District and Narayanganj District	Capital of several Bengal Sultans and administrative center of East Bengal
Satgaon	Hooghly District and Calcutta District	Flourishing port city
Chatgaon	Chittagong District	Bengal's largest seaport and administrative center of southeast Bengal
Mrauk U	Sittwe District	Administrative center of Arakan
Fatehabad	Faridpur District
Khalifatabad	Bagerhat District	Includes Mosque City of Bagerhat
Ghiaspur	Mymensingh District
Barbakaabad	Dinajpur District
Sharifabad	Birbhum District
Nusratabad	Rangpur District and Bogra District
Chandrabad	Murshidabad district
Rotaspur	Located in Bihar state, India
Mahmudabad	Nadia District and Jessore District
Jalalabad	Sylhet District	Named after Hazrat Shah Jalal
Muzaffarabad	Maldah District	Served as one of the longest capitals of the Bengal Sultanate
Husaynabad	24 Parganas
Tandah	Maldah District	Wartime capital of the last Sultan of Bengal

Foreign relations

Silver coin from the reign of Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, with a lion inscription

Arakanese Arabic coin minted during the Bengal Sultanate

Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah developed relations with the Chinese Ming dynasty, particularly with Emperor Yongle. The two rulers exchanged numerous embassies, including several missions by Chinese envoy Zheng He.^[9] Bengal gifted an African giraffe to the Chinese emperor in 1414.^[9] On several occasions, Ming China acted as a mediatory between Bengal and its neighboring kingdoms during times of disputes or conflict.

Many countries sent embassies to the Bengal Sultanate. They included ambassadors Niccolo De Conti of the Republic of Venice and Ralph Fitch of the Kingdom of England.^[10]^[11]

In the 16th century, the Portuguese Empire engaged with the Bengal Sultans and gained permission to set up trading posts in Chittagong and Satgaon.^[12]

Economy and trade

During his two visits to the sultanate, Ibn Battuta described Bengal as a vibrant fertile land overflowing with agricultural commodities.^[13] Most of its people were agricultural labourers and textile weavers. The Chinese traveler Ma Huan noted its large shipbuilding industry. Bengali traders were found in Malacca at the time of the sultanate.^[14] Shell currency was widely used in the sultanate and imported from the Sultanate of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.^[15] Its trade networks spanned as far as East Africa, including the Somali Ajuraan sultanate. It had both a maritime and overland trade route with China. The Grand Trunk Road connected Bengal through overland caravan routes to West and Central Asia, where its muslin was in high demand. The region exported grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton.

During the reopening of European trade with the East Indies following the Portuguese conquests of Malacca and Goa, Bengal was identified by European traders as "the richest country to trade with".^[16]

Culture

The Persian poet Hafez dedicated several poems to the sultanate. The Bengali Muslim royal court was strongly influenced by Persian culture.^[17]

Hindu devotional chanting in Nabadwip, 15th century. The Gaudiya Vaishnavism movement appeared during the Bengal Sultanate

The ruling class of the Bengal Sultanate combined heavy Persianate influences with the rich cultural heritage of Bengal.^[3] According to historian Richard M Eaton, the Bengali court was modeled on Iranian tradition.^[3] The Sultans were styled as the "King of Kings in the East".^[3] The Bengal style of Indo-Islamic architecture developed during the sultanate. The most grand testament to their imperial ambitions is reflected in the ruins of the Adina Mosque, the largest mosque ever built in the Indian subcontinent.^[3] It combines the art of the late Pala-Sena period with Islamic architecture.^[3] The mosque has a plan similar to the Great Mosque of Damascus and elements of the pre-Islamic Sassanid Taq Kasra monument.^[18]^[3] The Mosque City of Bagerhat was built during the Bengal Sultanate in the 15th century. Other monuments include the Firoz Minaret, the Golden Mosque and the Old Gateway of Gaur.

Literature in the royal courts were influenced by Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit works. The Sultans patronized translations of ancient Indian mythology, including the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Bengali was the universally spoken language in the sultanate, according to the Chinese envoy Ma Huan.^[3] Shah Muhammad Sagir wrote Yusuf-Zulekha during the reign of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah. The Sufis were highly influential in the Bengal Sultanate. The Sufi Baul movement began emerging during this era. Among Hindus, Krittibas Ojha wrote the first Bengali adaptation of the Ramayana during Azam Shah's reign. Under the reign of Sultan Alauddin Hussain Shah, Kabindra Parameshvar wrote his Pandabbijay, a Bengali adaptation of the Mahabharata. Similarly, Shrikar Nandi wrote another Bengali adaptation of the Mahabharata. Kabindra Parameshvar in his Pandabbijay eulogised Alauddin Hussain Shah.^[19] Bijay Gupta wrote his Manasamangal Kāvya also during his reign. He eulogised Husain Shah by comparing him with Arjuna (samgrame Arjun Raja prabhater Rabi).^[20] He mentioned him as Nrpati-Tilak (the tilak-mark of kings) and Jagat-bhusan (the adornment of the universe) as well.^[21] An official of Husain Shah, Yashoraj Khan, wrote a number of Vaishnava padas and he also praised his ruler in one of his pada.^[22] The Gaudiya Vaishnavism movement pioneered by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared during the sultanate's era.

One foreign account on the kingdom's populace described the following:-^[23]

They are honest and pure and speak a language called Bengali. Some men wrap their foreheads in white cloth and wear long white shirts. Some others are wrapped in colorful cloth from the waist down. Women are dressed in short shirts and draped with brocades...
The kingdom is densely populated and has abundant resources and fertile lands. Hard-working men plough the fields while diligent women weave cloth. Many of the rich build ships and go abroad for business.

Architecture of the Bengal Sultanate

List of Sultans

Part of a series on the
History of Bangladesh

Ancient Neolithic, c. 7600 – c. 3300 BCE Bronze Age, c. 3300 – c. 1200 BCE Iron Age, c. 1200 – c. 200 BCE Janapada, c. 1200 - c. 600 BCE Northern Black Polished Ware, c. 700 - c. 200 BCE Pundra Kingdom, c. 700 - c. 200 BCE Bengal in Mahabharata, c. 400 - c. 325 BCE Gangaridai Kingdom, c. 350 - c. 325 BCE Mauryan Empire, c. 325 – c. 185 BCE Samatata Kingdom, c. 232 BCE - c. 800 CE Southwestern Silk Road, c. 114 BCE - c. 1450 CE Indo-Roman trade relations, c. 30 - BCE - c. 600 CE
Classical Shunga-Kushan Period, c. 185 – c. 75 CE Gupta Empire, c. 200 - c. 550 CE Sylhet-Assam Varmans, c. 350 - c. 650 CE Gauda Kingdom, c. 590 - c. 626 CE Khadga dynasty, c. 650 - c. 750 CE Pala Empire, c. 750 - c. 1100 CE Arrival of Islam, c. 800 - c. 1050 CE Harikela Kingdom, c. 900 - c. 1050 CE Candra dynasty, c. 900 - c. 1050 CE Sena dynasty, c. 1070 - c. 1320 CE Deva dynasty, c. 1100 - c. 1250 CE
Medieval Delhi Sultanate, c. 1204 - c. 1338 CE Mamluk Dynasty Khilji Dynasty Tugluq Dynasty Sonargaon Sultanate, c. 1338 - c. 1352 CE Bengal Sultanate, c. 1352 - c. 1576 CE Ilyas Shahi dynasty Hussain Shahi dynasty Karrani dynasty Suri Dynasty, c. 1540 - c. 1556 CE Twelve Bhuyans, c. 1550 - c. 1620 CE Porto Grande de Bengala, c. 1528 - c. 1666 CE Chittagong-Arakan Kingdom, c. 1530 - c. 1666 CE Mughal Empire, c. 1576 - c. 1717 CE Bengal Subah
Modern Nawabs of Bengal, c. 1717 - c. 1757 CE Company Raj, c. 1757 - c. 1858 CE Faraizi Movement, c. 1818 - c. 1884 CE The Great Rebellion, c. 1857 - c. 1858 CE British Raj, c. 1858 - c. 1947 CE Bengal Renaissance Eastern Bengal and Assam Prime Minister of Bengal East Bengal-East Pakistan, c. 1947 - c. 1971 CE Bengali Language Movement Six Point Movement 1969 uprising in East Pakistan Pakistani general election, 1970 Bangladesh Liberation War, c. 1971 CE Declaration of Independence Provisional Government of Bangladesh 1971 Bangladesh Genocide Bangladesh Forces Bangladeshi Republic, c. 1972 CE - present
Related articles Timeline of Bangladeshi history Bangladeshi art History of Bengali literature

Part of a series on the
History of India

Ancient Neolithic, c. 7600 – c. 3300 BCE Indus Valley Civilization, c. 3300 – c. 1700 BCE Post Indus Valley Period, c. 1700 – c. 1500 BCE Vedic Civilization, c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE Early Vedic Period Rise of Śramaṇa movement Later Vedic Period Spread of Jainism - Parshvanatha Spread of Jainism - Mahavira Rise of Buddhism Mahajanapadas, c. 500 – c. 345 BCE Nanda Dynasty, c. 345 – c. 322 BCE Maurya Dynasty, c. 322 – c. 185 BCE Shunga Dynasty, c. 185 – c. 75 BCE Kanva Dynasty, c. 75 – c. 30 BCE Kushan Dynasty, c. 30 - c. 230 CE Satavahana Dynasty, c. 30 BCE - c. 220 CE
Classical Gupta Dynasty, c. 200 - c. 550 CE Chalukya Dynasty, c. 543 - c. 753 CE Harsha's Dynasty, c. 606 CE - c. 647 CE Karakota Dynasty, c. 724 - c. 760 CE Arab Invasion, c. 738 CE Tripartite Struggle, c. 760 - c. 973 CE Gurjara-Pratihara, Pala and Rastrakuta Chola Dynasty, c. 848 - c. 1251 CE 2nd Chalukya Dynasty, c. 973 - c. 1187 CE
Medieval Delhi Sultanate, c. 1206 - c. 1526 CE Slave Dynasty Khilji Dynasty Tugluq Dynasty Sayyid Dynasty Lodhi Dynasty Pandyan Dynasty, c. 1251 - c. 1323 CE Vijayanagara, c. 1336 - c. 1646 CE Bengal Sultanate, c. 1342 - c. 1576 CE Mughal Dynasty, c. 1526 - c. 1540 CE Suri Dynasty, c. 1540 - c. 1556 CE Mughal Dynasty, c. 1556 - c. 1707 CE Maratha Empire, c. 1674 - c. 1818 CE
Modern Kingdom of Mysore, c. 1760 - c. 1799 CE Company Raj, c. 1757 - c. 1858 CE Sikh Empire, c. 1799 - c. 1849 CE The Great Rebellion, c. 1857 - c. 1858 CE British Raj, c. 1858 - c. 1947 CE Independence Movement Independent India, c. 1947 CE - present
Related articles Timeline of Indian History Dynasties in Indian History Economic History Linguistic History Architectural History Art History Literary History Philosophical History History of Religion Musical History Education History Coinage History Science and Technology History List of Inventions and Discoveries Military History Naval History

History of Myanmar

Prehistory of Myanmar 11,000–200 BCE Pyu city-states 200 BCE–1050 CE (Sri Ksetra Kingdom, Tagaung Kingdom) Mon kingdoms 825?–1057 Arakanese kingdoms 788?–1406
Pagan Kingdom 849–1297 Early Pagan Kingdom 849–1044 Warring states period Upper Burma 1297–1555 Myinsaing and Pinya Kingdoms 1297–1364 Sagaing Kingdom 1315–64 Kingdom of Ava 1364–1555 Prome Kingdom 1482–1542 Hanthawaddy Kingdom 1287–1539, 1550–52 Shan States 1215–1563 Kingdom of Mrauk U 1429–1785 Bengal Sultanate 1430-1531 Toungoo Dynasty 1510–1752 First Toungoo Empire 1510–99 Nyaungyan Restoration 1599–1752 Restored Hanthawaddy 1740–57 Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885
British colonial period 1824–1948 Anglo-Burmese wars 1824–85 Nationalist movement 1900–48 Japanese occupation 1942–45
Modern era 1948–present Union of Burma 1948–62 Socialist Republic 1962–88 Union of Myanmar 1988–2010 Political reforms 2011–12
Timeline List of capitals Leaders Royal chronicles Military history

Name	Reign	Notes
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah	1342–1358
Sikandar Shah	1358–1390
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah	1390–1411
Saifuddin Hamza Shah	1411–1413
Shihabuddin Bayazid Shah	1413–1414
Alauddin Firuz Shah I	1414
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah	1414–1435
Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah	1433–1435
Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah	1435–1459
Rukunuddin Barbak Shah	1459–1474
Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah	1474–1481
Sikandar Shah II	1481
Jalaluddin Fateh Shah	1481–1487
Shahzada Barbak	1487
Saifuddin Firuz Shah	1487–1489
Mahmud Shah II	1489–1490
Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah	1490–1494
Alauddin Hussain Shah	1494–1518
Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah	1518–1533
Alauddin Firuz Shah II	1533
Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah	1533–1538
Khidr Khan	1539–1541
Qazi Fazilat	1541–1545
Muhammad Khan Sur	1545–1555
Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah II	1555–1561
Ghiyasuddin Jalal Shah	1561–1564
Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah III	1564
Taj Khan Karrani	1564–1566
Sulaiman Khan Karrani	1566–1572
Bayazid Khan Karrani	1572
Daud Khan Karrani	1572–1576

References

↑ Kunal Chakrabarti; Shubhra Chakrabarti (2013-08-22). "Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis". Books.google.co.nz. p. 562. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ Richard Maxwell Eaton. "The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760". Books.google.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760" (PDF). Hudsoncress.net. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
1 2 3 4 Syed Ejaz Hussain. "The Bengal Sultanate: Politics, Economy and Coins, A.D. 1205-1576". Books.google.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ Richard, Arthus (2002). History of Rakhine. Boston, MD: Lexington Books. p. 23. ISBN 0-7391-0356-3. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
↑ Yegar, Moshe (2002). Between integration and secession: The Muslim communities of the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, and Western Burma / Myanmar. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. p. 23. ISBN 0739103563. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
↑ Amartya Sen. "The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity". Books.google.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ "Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. 2015-10-25. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
1 2 "Pelagic Passageways: The Northern Bay of Bengal Before Colonialism". Books.google.co.nz. p. 285. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ "Conti, Nicolo de - Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ "Pakistan Quarterly". Books.google.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ "Portuguese, The - Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ Ross E. Dunn. "The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century". Books.google.co.nz. p. 254. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ "Pelagic Passageways: The Northern Bay of Bengal Before Colonialism". Books.google.co.nz. 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ "A fractured link". Dhaka Tribune. 2014-03-29. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ Nanda, J. N (2005). Bengal: the unique state. Concept Publishing Company. p. 10. ISBN 978-81-8069-149-2. Retrieved 22 November 2010. Bengal [...] was rich in the production and export of grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton. Europe referred to Bengal as the richest country to trade with.
↑ "HAFEZ i. AN OVERVIEW – Encyclopaedia Iranica". Iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ Perween Hasan (2007-08-15). "Sultans and Mosques: The Early Muslim Architecture of Bangladesh". Books.google.co.nz. p. 63. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
↑ Sen, Sukumar (1991, reprint 2007). Bangala Sahityer Itihas, Vol.I, (Bengali), Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, ISBN 81-7066-966-9, pp.208-11
↑ Sen, Sukumar (1991, reprint 2007). Bangala Sahityer Itihas, Vol.I, (Bengali), Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, ISBN 81-7066-966-9, p.189
↑ Chowdhury, AM (2012). "Husain Shah". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
↑ Sen, Sukumar (1991, reprint 2007). Bangala Sahityer Itihas, Vol.I, (Bengali), Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, ISBN 81-7066-966-9, p.99
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