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Alauddin Husain Shah
Sultan of Bengal from 1494 to 1519 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ala-ud-din Husain Shah (Bengali: আলাউদ্দিন হোসেন শাহ; Persian: علاء الدین حسین شاه; r. 1494–1519)[1] was an independent late medieval Sultan of the Bengal Sultanate, who founded the Hussain Shahi dynasty.[2] He became the ruler of Bengal after assassinating the Abyssinian Sultan, Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar Shah, whom he had served under as wazir. After his death in 1519, the oldest surviving of his eighteen sons Nusrat Shah succeeded him. Alauddin Husain Shah is regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Bengali history,[3][4] and the reigns of Husain Shah and Nusrat Shah are generally regarded as the "golden age" of the Bengal Sultanate.[5]
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Origin and early life
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The origin of the dynasty is not very clear and there are multiple accounts of where it may have originated. However it is widely recognised that the dynasty's founder, Alauddin Husain Shah, was either of, Sayyid Arab,[6][7] or Afghan origin.[8][9]
There are local traditions in Rangpur which claim that he was indeed a native of that area.[10] It is said that it was Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah who had ousted his grandfather Sultan Ibrahim, and as a result, Husain's father and family migrated to Kamata.[11] Buchanan-Hamilton's manuscript is unnamed,[11] and Momtazur Rahman Tarafdar considers the manuscript to have confused Husain Shah of Bengal with Husayn Shah Sharqi of Jaunpur, whose grandfather was Shamsuddin Ibrahim Shah Sharqi, a contemporary of Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah. Tarafdar, whose work is written in 1965, makes note that there was no Sultan of Bengal in that period by the name of Ibrahim.[12] However, in the 1990s, coins of a Sultan of Bengal by the name of Nasiruddin Ibrahim Shah (r. 1415/16 – 1416/17) were discovered in Beanibazar, Sylhet which has opened discussion regarding this manuscript once again.[13][14]
Nitish Sengupta asserts that Husain's mother was a Bengali, stating the following
Ala-ud-din Hussain Shah who ruled Gaur between 1493 and 1519 must be given the credit of being the first Bengalee ruler of Gaur. While there are many theories about his origin, he was clearly born of a Bengalee mother and was the first ruler of Gaur who gave encouragement to the newly growing Bengali language. He showed no discrimination between his Hindu and Muslim subjects and fought several wars with neighboring kings in order to consolidate the unclear frontiers of what was eventually to become Bengal.
On the other hand, the Riyaz-us-Salatin mentions Husain's father Sayyid Ashraf Al-Husaini later inhabiting Termez (in Turkestan) for a long period before settling in the Chandpur mouza of Rarh (western Bengal). Husain and his elder brother, Yusuf, spent their childhood studying under the local Qadi, who later married his daughter to Husain due to his noble background.[15] Chandpur is often equated to the village of Chandpara in Murshidabad district, where a number of inscriptions can be founded during the early part of Husain's reign. Husain had also constructed the Kherur Mosque in Chandpara in the first year of his reign in 1494.[16][17] A lake in this village, called Shaikher Dighi, is also associated with Husain.[18] Krishnadasa Kaviraja, who was born during Husain's reign, claims that the latter worked for Subuddhi Rai, a revenue officer in the erstwhile Bengal's capital Gaur, and was severely whipped during the excavation of a lake. Local traditions in Murshidabad also claim that Husain was the rakhal (cow-keeper) for a Brahmin in Chandpara.[19]
16th-century Portuguese explorer João de Barros mentions the story of a noble Arab merchant from Aden arriving in Chittagong with an army to aid the Sultan of Bengal in conquering Orissa. This merchant later killed the Sultan, thus becoming ruler of Bengal, and according to Heinrich Blochmann, Barros' narrative is in reference to Husain Shah.[19]
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Accession
Most sources are in agreement that Husain was appointed the wazir (prime minister) of Sultan Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah (r. 1491-1493). Initially, Husain secretly sympathized with the rebels but ultimately he put himself openly as their head and besieged the citadel, where Muzaffar Shah shut himself with a few thousand soldiers. According to the 16th-century historian Nizamuddin, the Sultan was secretly assassinated by Husain with the help of the paiks (palace-guards), which ended the Abyssinian rule in Bengal.[1]
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Military Campaigns and Conquests
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Initial administrative actions
Immediately after accession to the throne, Husain Shah ordered his soldiers to refrain from plundering Gaur, his capital city. But being annoyed with their continuous plundering, he executed twelve thousand soldiers and recovered the looted articles, which included 13,000 gold plates. Subsequently, he disbanded the paiks (the palace guards) who were the most significant agitators inside the palace. He removed all Habshis from administrative posts and replaced them with Turks, Arabs, Afghans, and Bengalis.[20]
Engagement with the Delhi Sultanate
Sultan Hussain Shah Sharqi, after being defeated by Bahlol Lodi, retired to Bihar, where his occupation was confined to a small territory. In 1494, he was again defeated by Sultan Sikandar Lodi and fled to Bengal, where he was granted asylum by Sultan Ala-ud-Din Husain Shah.[21] This resulted in an expedition against Bengal in 1496 by Sultan Sikandar Lodi. Husain Shah of Bengal sent an army under his son Shahzada Danyal to fight with the Delhi army. The armies of Delhi and Bengal met at Barh near Patna. The Delhi army suffered from logistics problems from the beginning of the campaign, and thus Sikandar Lodi halted the advance of his army and concluded a treaty of friendship with Ala-ud-din Husain Shah. According to this agreement, the country west of Barh went to Sikandar Lodi while the country east of Barh remained under Husain Shah of Bengal. The final dissolution of the Jaunpur Sultanate resulted in the influx of the Jaunpur soldiery in the Bengal army, which was further strengthened by it.[22] Moreover, the Lodis could not maintain their dominance over the entirety of the Jaunpuri territory they annexed, leading to Bengali expansion in Uttar Pradesh. This is signified by Alauddin Hussain Shah's numerous inscriptions that record the construction of mosques: a Jama Mosque in Kharid village of Balia district of Uttar Pradesh, another mosque in Sikdarpur, Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, and another mosque in Hussainabad of Balia district in 1501-02,[23] Hussainabad being named after Husain Shah himself. This indicates firm control of Husain Shah in trans-Gandak area of Uttar Pradesh.[24]
Conquest of Kamrup-Kamatapur
In 1499, Husain Shah's general Shah Ismail Ghazi led an expedition to the Kamata Kingdom. Husain Shah's army imprisoned King Nilambar of Kamata, pillaged the capital city and annexed the territory up to Hajo. The victory was publicly recorded in an inscription at Malda.[25]
Odisha campaign
According to the Madala Panji, Shah Ismail Ghazi commenced his campaign from the Mandaran fort (in the present-day Hooghly district) in 1508-09 and reached Puri, raiding Jajpur and Katak on the way. The Gajapati King of Orissa, Prataparudra Deva was busy in a campaign in the south. On hearing the news, he returned and defeated the invading Bengal army and chased it into the borders of Bengal. He reached the Mandaran fort and besieged it, where the general had taken shelter. The general managed to escape along with some of his soldiers. Rest of the forces of Bengal were routed, and the fort was occupied by Prataparudra's army.[26] Intermittent hostilities between the Bengal and Orissa armies along the border continued throughout the reign of Husain Shah.[27]
Capture of Pratapgarh
When Gouhar Khan, the Bengali governor of Sylhet (in present-day Bangladesh) died, the district was seized by ruler of the neighbouring kingdom of Pratapgarh, Sultan Bazid.[28] One of Husain Shah's nobles named Surwar Khan was sent to confront Bazid and when attempts at negotiations failed, fought against the Sultan and his allies. Bazid was defeated and captured and was forced to give heavy concessions to keep his kingdom, though under the suzerainty of Bengal. In reward for his actions, Surwar Khan was named the new governor of Sylhet and the defeated Sultan's daughter was given in marriage to his son, Mir Khan.[29][30]
Expeditions to Tripura and Arakan
According to Rajmala, a late royal chronicle of Tripura, Husain Shah despatched his army four times to Tripura. The Tripura army offered stiff resistance and did not yield any territory, but in the fourth expedition Hussain Shah succeeded to annex at least some portion of the territory of Tripura. The 1513 Sonargaon inscription of Khawas Khan, entitled Sar-i-Lashkar-i-Tripura (Commander-in-chief of the Army Stationed in Tripura) is interpreted by a number of modern scholars as an evidence of annexure of at least a part of Tripura by Husain Shah.[31]
During Alauddin Husain Shah's expeditions to Tripura, the ruler of Arakan helped Dhanya Manikya, the ruler of Tripura and expelled Husain Shah's officers from Chittagong. In 1516, Husain Shah decided to launch an expedition to Arakan. Husain assigned the charge of the land army for Arakan expedition to Paragal Khan; prince Nasrat, who was made crown prince of Bengal in 1515, was placed in overall command.[32] On Nasrat's order, Paragal Khan advanced from his base on the Feni River. The expedition of territory to the western bank of Kaladan river was placed under his governorship administration. The hostilities probably ended in 1516, when Mrauk U recognized Bengali sovereignty over Chittagong and northern Arakan.[33] As a result of the conflict, Mrauk U again became a vassal of the Bengal Sultanate.[33] Nasrat renamed Chittagong to Fatehabad, City of Victory. This is also corroborated by Portuguese adventurer Joao de Silvera who, landing in Chittagong in 1517, stated that Arakan was a vassal state of Bengal Sultanate.[34]
The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, arrived India by sea in 1498.[35] Consequently, a Portuguese mission came to Bengal to establish diplomatic relations towards the end of Husain Shah's reign.[36]
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Cultural contribution
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The reign of Husain Shah witnessed a remarkable development of Bengali literature.[37] Under the patronage of Paragal Khan, Husain Shah's governor of Chittagong, Kabindra Parameshvar wrote his Pandabbijay, a Bengali adaptation of the Mahabharata. Similarly, under the patronage of Paragal's son Chhuti Khan, who succeeded his father as governor of Chittagong, Shrikar Nandi wrote another Bengali adaptation of the Mahabharata. Kabindra Parameshvar in his Pandabbijay eulogised Husain Shah.[38] Bijay Gupta wrote his Manasamangal Kāvya also during his reign. He eulogised Husain Shah by comparing him with Arjuna (samgrame Arjun Raja prabhater Rabi).[39] He mentioned him as Nripati-Tilak (the tilak-mark of kings) and Jagat-bhusan (the adornment of the universe) as well.[36] An official of Husain Shah, Yashoraj Khan, wrote a number of Vaishnava padas and he also praised his ruler in one of his pada.[40] During Husain Shah's reign a number of significant monuments were constructed. Wali Muhammad built Chota Sona Masjid in Gaur.[41]
In 1502 AD, the Sultan ordered a Madrasa to be built "for the teaching of the sciences of religion and for instruction in the principles which lead to certainty, in the hope of obtaining from Allah the great reward and begging from Him that He will ever remain pleased (with him.)"[42]
During his reign, an Islamic scholar known as Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yazdan Bakhsh Bengali visited Ekdala where he transcribed Sahih al-Bukhari and gifted it to the Sultan in Sonargaon. The manuscript is currently kept at the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library in Bankipore, Patna, Bihar.[43]
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Religious policy
The reign of Husain Shah is also known for religious tolerance towards his subjects. While R.C. Majumdar writes that during his Orissa campaigns he destroyed some Hindu temples, which Vrindavana Dasa Thakura has mentioned in his Chaitanya Bhagavata,[44] he was well known for his tolerance of Hinduism, for which his Hindu subjects named him Nripati Tilak (Crown of Kings) and Jagat Bhushana (Adornment of the Universe)- and many of his previously oppressed Hindu subjects even compared him to an incarnation of Krishna.[45] The celebrated medieval saint, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers preached Bhakti (Nath-Gopi) throughout Bengal during his reign.[46] When Husain Shah learned of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's huge following among his subjects, he ordered his qazis not to injure him in any way and allow him to go wherever he liked.[44] Later, two high level Hindu officers in Husain Shah's administration, his Private Secretary, (Dabir-i-Khas) Rupa Goswami and his Intimate Minister (Saghir Malik) Sanatana Goswami became devoted followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.[47] Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider him to be the incarnation of King Jarasandha.
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Death and legacy
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Alauddin Husain Shah died in 1519 and was succeeded by his oldest surviving son, Nasrat Shah, who had been the crown prince since 1515. He was possibly buried in Gaur City near the Qadam Rasul Mosque. Henry Creighton saw the black stone tombs of Alauddin Husain Shah and Nasrat Shah in Gaur, which has disappeared, allegedly carted away by the English.[48]
Husian Shah's long reign of more than a quarter of a century was a period of peace and prosperity, which was strikingly contrast to the period that preceded it. The liberal attitude of Husain Shah towards his Hindu subjects is also an important feature of his reign.[37] Many Brahmins had taken service at his court.[49] .
R.C. Majumdar summarizes,
Husain was unlucky in not having had an Abul Fazl to record his sayings and glorify his actions, and no contemporary chronicle has survived. But the few facts known of his reign are sufficient clues to the greatness of a ruler who may well be compared with Akbar. Of all the Muslim sovereigns Bengal had had, he captured most the imagination of the people and "the name of Husain Shah the good, is still remembered from the frontiers of Orissa to the Brahmaputra".[50]
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Family and issue
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Husain Shah had eighteen sons and at least eleven daughters.[51][52] Among these are:
- Danyal: likely the eldest son.[53] May have been killed at the end of the campaign on Kamata kingdom.[51]
- Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah alias Ali Shah: was made crown prince of Bengal in 1515; succeeded his father. Reigned as Sultan of Bengal from 1519 to 1532.[54]
- Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah: born as Abdul Badr, reigned as Sultan of Bengal from 1533 to 1538.[54]
- Qutbuddin Nasir: A son of Husain Shah, he constructed a Jami Mosque in Matihani village, Munger, Bihar. [55]
- Raushan Akhtar Banu: possibly a granddaughter. Married Ibrahim Danishmand, a Sufi saint and landowner.[56][57][58]
- One of his daughters married Jalal Khan, son of Hussain Shah Sharqi, erstwhile sultan of Jaunpur. [59]
- One of his daughters married Makhdum Alam, governor of Bihar, while another married Alauddin, a general of his brother-in-law Nasrat Shah. [60]
- Two daughters: one married Kandarpadeva, a son of the Brahmin Madan Bhaduri of Bhaturia; another daughter married another son of Madan Bhaduri, both of whom had converted to Islam before marriage. These type of marriages were common to complete the conversion of a neo-phyte Muslim.[52]
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See also
Notes
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