11. Sultani Rule in Medieval Bengal Key Features of the Sultani Rule and Its Leadership, Especially Maintaining the Administration of Justice, Causes of Their Decimation.

Sultani Rule in Medieval
Bengal:
Early Muslim invasions in India from 8th to 11th centuries
Bengal under the Sultani Rulers 1206-1576 ACE
Key figures among the Sultani Rulers
Sultani administration of justice & moral life
Revenue administration, Defence & Currency systems
Sultani patronization of Islam
Recognition of Bangla as State Language
Causes of their decimation.
Presented By
Prof. Dr. Ashit Boran Paul
Department of Archaeology
Jahangirnagar University
Savar, Dhaka – 1342.
Cheramaan Juma Mosque
How did Islam enter to South Asia?
❖ The rise of Islam and its conquest of West Asia
and Iran and slow expansion into Khurasan,
and Central Asia, India got larger attention
from the Muslim rulers of the Arab world. The
Umayyad Caliph Walid I of Damascus had
permitted the Arabs to go ahead with their
Indian mission.
❖ The Arab invasion of Sindh in 712 ACE was a

notable event in the accounts of Indian history
because for the first time the Muslims
attacked India under the leadership of
Muhammad Bin Qasim.
❖ However, before this Muslim invasion trading relation between the
Arab world and India was existed since the beginning of the 7th
century. The Arab sea traders who revived and strengthened India’s
sea trade, both with West Asia and with the countries of south-east
Asia and China continued their trading relation over the years.
❖ The invasion of Muhammad-bin-Qasim had a very little impact on
rest of the India as Qasim’s goal was not to expand his territory
further to the east rather his aim was to plunder the wealth of Sindh
and Multan.
Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf Muhammad-bin-Qasim Raja Dahir

❖ It is a known fact that Mahmud never
tried to establish a rule in India. His sole
intention was to ransack India’s wealth as
like Muhammad Bin Qasim. However, he
made Punjab as a part of his empire of
Ghazni. Mahmud carried huge wealth out
of India and thereby weakened the
economic condition of India. He has also
paved the way for foreign invaders to Court of Mahmud
invade India.
❖ After over-running the Punjab, Mahmud undertook three
expeditions into the Ganga Valley. The purpose of these raids was to
acquire wealth for his Central Asian campaigns, as also to
destabilize the states in the area so that no coalition of powers
against him could emerge.
❖ Despite these plundering raids, the Ghaznavids were in no
position to expand their territories in India. This process began
with another turn in West and Central Asia politics after the
rise of the Ghurids.
❑ The Rise of Ghurids:
❖ In 1163 ACE, Ghiyash al-Din Muhammad assumed the throne
of Ghur, and appointed his younger brother, Muizzuddin
Muhammad, as the ruler at Ghazni. This unique partnership
enabled Muizzuddin, to engage all his energies for the
conquest of India.
❖ His first expedition against India was launched in 1175 ACE when
he attacked and captured Multan. Conquering Peshawar from the
Ghaznavids in 1179-80 ACE, he marched on Lahore in 1181 ACE.
The Ghaznavid ruler, Khusrau Malik, surrendered and this part of
Pakistan became a part of the Ghurid dynasty.
❖ In 1194 ACE, Muizzuddin advanced
towards Kannauj and Banaras with
50,000 horsemen. The battle was fought
at Chandawar. Jai Chand, who is not
well-known as a great warrior, suffered
a disastrous defeat. The battles of
Tarain and Chandawar laid the
foundations of Turkish rule in the
Ganga valley.
❖ Efforts at expansion beyond the
upper Ganga valley and eastern
Rajasthan were made in two
directions—Gujarat in the west, and
Bihar and Bengal in the east.
❑ Turkish Conquest of Bihar and Bengal
❖During the reign of Muizzuddin, Bihar and Lakhnauti had
been captured by a Khalji malik, Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar
Khalji. The contemporary historian, Minhaj-I-Siraj, praises
him as a man of “impetus, enterprising, intrepid, sagacious
and expert in warfare. “The Khaljis were a Turkish tribe
from southwest Ghur. During the establishment period of
Khurasan these newly converted Khaljis moved to Khurasan
from West Asia.
❖Bakhtiyar was ungainly in appearance, and was offered

only low employment when he appeared for service before
Muizzuddin at Ghazni during the time of his expedition to
Delhi.
❖ Bakhtiyar prepared a force and pressed on the Sena capital,
Nawadip (Nadia), so rapidly that only 18 horsemen were able to
keep up with him, that he proceeded in such a manner in which
people of the place imagined that may be his party were
merchants and had brought horses for sale.
❖ After reaching the palace Bakhtiyar suddenly attacked, and

captured the whole of Sena treasures and that the main army
arrived soon and took possession of the city and its junctions.
❖ After the conquest of Bakhtiyar, the Senas continued to rule

from south Bengal for another fifty years from their capital at
Vikrampur and Sonargaon.
❖ Bakhtiyar Khalji’s conquest of Bihar
and North Bengal paved the way to
other Turks to come and settle down
in this region. It added greatly to the
reputation of Turkish arms in India.
But Bakhtiyar Khalji did not live long
after his success.
❖ With the arrival of Islam, new rulers,
and a new faith, the stage was set for
subsequent changes in the society and
politics of the region. The Bengal
Sultanate was to last for more than
three centuries and the Sultans of
Bengal contributed to the growth of an
enlightened and prosperous Bengal.
▪Independent Sultani Rule in Bengal (1338-1538)
Sultani rule in medieval Bengal : Key features of the Sultani rule and its leadership
❑ Early Sultanate Period
Map of Bengal during Bakhtiyar Khalji

❑ Foundation of Muslim society in Bengal
❖ Bakhtiyar established a kind of limited feudal system (Feudal
system, was a combination of the legal, economic, military, and
cultural customs that flourished in Medieval Europe between the
9th and 15th centuries) in his territory. He divided the conquered
area into divisions and placed them in charge of his trusted
generals. Besides administrative settlements, Bakhtiyar also found
time to lay the foundation of Muslim society in Bengal by
establishing:-
❖ 1. Mosques for congregation,
❖ 2. Madrasas for the schooling of Muslim children, and Khanqah
❖ 3. Khanqahs for the Sufis to speak religion.

❑ Geographical location of Bakhtiyar’s

Region
❖ On the basis of the contemporary
and modern sources, a fair idea of
the geographical extent of
Bakhtiyar’s region may be
determined.
❖ In Bengal proper, it included the districts of Rajmahal,
Malda, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Bogra in the north.
❖ The Tista-Brahmaputra-Karatoya river system is regarded as

setting the eastern limit of the Lakhnauti territory.
❑ Muhammad Shiran Khalji
❖ The Khalji noblemen then
appointed Muhammad Shiran Khalji as
Bakhtiyar’s successor. Loyal troops under
Shiran Khalji punished Ikhtiyar’s death,
imprisoning Ali Mardan. Eventually Ali Mardan
fled to Delhi and provoked the Sultan of
Delhi Qutb al-Din Aibak to invade Bengal.
❖ Ghiyas-ud-din Iwaz Khalji became the successor
❖ Ali Mardan returned with the governor of Oudh, Kayemaz Rumi, and
dethroned Shiran Khalji. Shiran fled to Dinajpur where he later
died. Ghiyas-ud-din Iwaz Khalji became the successor. Ali Mardan
escaped and was made Governor of Bengal by Qutb-ud-din Aibak,
but was killed in 1212 ACE. Ghiyas-ud-din again assumed power and
proclaimed his independence.
❖ After victory, the Delhi Sultanate maintained a strong watch on
Bengal. Several governors of Delhi in Bengal attempted to break
away and create an independent state. Gradually, eastern Bengal
was absorbed into Muslim rule by the 14th century.
❖ During the middle of the 14th century,

three break away sultanates emerged in
the Delhi Sultanate’s province of Bengal.
These included a kingdom led
by Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah
in Sonargaon; a kingdom led by Alauddin
Ali Shah in Gaur/Lakhnauti; and a
kingdom led by Shamsuddin Ilyas
Shah in Satgaon.
❑ Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah

❖ In 1338 ACE Bahram Khan died.
Following the establishment of
Fakhruddin as independent
Sultan of Sonargaon, Bengal
experienced a period when
independent Sultans ruled for
nearly two centuries.
❖ During this time, significant developments took
place in the field of art and culture in Bengal.
❑Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah

❖ Fakhruddin had established himself as
independent Sultan of Sonargaon and
after his death in 1349 ACE was
succeeded by his son, Gazi Shah.
However, more significant events were
happening in Lakhnauti, where an army
commander, Ali Mubrak, seized control
and established an independent
Coin of Bengal Sultan: Fakruddin Mubarak Shah kingdom.
❖ In 1342 ACE he was overthrown and killed by his foster brother.
Haji Iliyas, who established the Iliyas Shahi Dynasty which ruled
Bengal for the next hundred and fifty years.
❑ Iliyas Shahi Period:

❖ The dynasty founded by Iliyas Shah, ruled Bengal for
nearly one hundred and fifty years (1342-1487 ACE) with
an interruption of about twenty-three years (1412-
1435/36 ACE). The period of Iliyas Shahi rule is important
and significant. The Independent Sultanate, inaugurated
by Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, was consolidated and
witnessed widespread expansion.
❖ The Muslim administration was given a distinct shape in

this period. Arts and literature, particularly Bangla
literature flourished.
❑ Sultan Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar Iliyas Shah

❖ Haji Iliyas, the founder of the dynasty
and the real founder of the Independent
Sultanate of Bengal, climb at Satgaon
to the position of Malik and, in 1338
ACE, after the death of Izzuddin Yahya,
became the master of Satgaon.
Bengal under the Iliyas Shahi dynasty
❖ Then Haji Iliyas ascended the throne of Lakhnauti with the

title of Sultan Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar Iliyas Shah in
1342 ACE and thereby laid the foundation of the Iliyas Shahi
Sultanate in Bengal, which lasted for nearly one hundred
and fifty years.
❑ Sultan Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar Iliyas Shah
❖ By 1352 ACE Iliyas brought the
whole of Bengal under his
authority.
❖ Iliyas Shah was a hearty and
efficient ruler and by his
intelligence and political wisdom
earned for himself the titles of
Coins of Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar Iliyas Shah
Shah-i-Bangalah, Shah-i-Bangaliyan
and Sultan-i-Bangalah. He died at
Pandua in 1358 ACE after a reign of
about sixteen years.
❑ Sikandar Shah
❖ Sikandar Shah, son of Iliyas Shah, enjoyed a long and
prosperous reign of about 33 years and died sometime
around 1390 ACE in the course of a fight with his son Azam
Shah at Goalpara near Pandua.
❑ Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah
❖ On the death of Sikandar Shah, Azam
Shah ascended the throne with the title
of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah in
1390-91 ACE. He was a capable ruler
Tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah at Sonargaon with a profound regard for the law. He
died in 1410-11 ACE.
Art and Culture During the Iliyas Shahi Dynasty
❑ Art and Culture During the Iliyas Shahi Dynasty

❖ With the establishment of Iliyas Shahi Dynasty, the
initial unrest and political instability were brought
to a minimum. Therefore, the Sultans could pay
more attention to the development of art and
culture.
❖ In the field of architecture, the
most spectacular achievement was
the famous Adina Mosque in
Pandua, built by Sikandar Shah in
1375 ACE.
Qutub Shahi Mosque at Pandua, where Ilyas Shah established the capital of Bengal
❖ The mosque was not only larger than the

largest mosque of the Delhi Sultans of
the time, but it was also the largest
mosque in the whole subcontinent of
India.
Adina Mosque
❖ Other important monuments erected during
the Iliyas Shahi period were the tomb of
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah at Sonargaon, Kotwali
Darwaza, Dakhil Darwaza, Nim Darwaza,
Tantipara Mosque, Kadamrasul Masjid and the
Darasbari Mosque of Gaur, and the Sona Masjid
of Pandua.
❖ The mosque was not only larger than the

largest mosque of the Delhi Sultans of
the time, but it was also the largest
mosque in the whole subcontinent of
India.
Adina Mosque
❖ Other important monuments erected during
the Iliyas Shahi period were the tomb of
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah at Sonargaon, Kotwali
Darwaza, Dakhil Darwaza, Nim Darwaza,
Tantipara Mosque, Kadamrasul Masjid and the
Darasbari Mosque of Gaur, and the Sona Masjid
of Pandua.
Tantipara mosque Darasbari Mosque Chapai Nowabgonj, 1479 ACE
Darasbari Mosque Chapai Nowabgonj, 1479 ACE Chota Sona Mosque, Gaur, 15th century
❖ Under the patronage of Ghiyasuddin Azam

Shah, Shah Muhammad Sagir wrote his
famous poem, Yusuf-Zulekha.
❖ It brought about a revolution in Bengali

Literature, which was greatly enriched
with the addition of the religious stories of
Islam and the introduction of the romantic
tale as a new theme for Bengali poets.
❖ Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah asked Krittivas to write the
Ramayana in Bangla. Ruknuddin Barbak
Shah extended his patronage to muslim and Hindu
scholars alike. During his reign, Zaynuddin
composed the Resulbijay.
❖ Ruknuddin Barbak Shah equally extended his

patronage to Hindu scholars and poets-during his
reign, Raimukuta Brhaspati acquired fame and glory,
and Barbak Shah honored Maladhar Basu, the
compiler of the Srikrishnavijay.
Sultani rule in medieval Bengal : Key features of the Sultani rule and its leadership: Later Iliyas ShahiDynasty
❑ Raja Ganesha dynasty

❖ Raja Ganesha was a Hindu ruler
of Bengal, who took advantage of the
weakness of the first Ilyas Shahi
dynasty and seized power in
Bengal. The Ganesha dynasty founded
by him ruled over Bengal from
1415−1435 ACE.
❖ His name mentioned in the coins of his son, sultan Jalaluddin
Muhammad Shah as Kans Jha or Kans Shah. The Indo-Persian
historians mentioned his name as Raja Kans or Kansi. A number of
modern scholars identified him with Danujamardanadeva, but this
identification is not universally accepted.
Sultani rule in medieval Bengal : Key features of the Sultani rule and its leadership: Later Iliyas ShahiDynasty
Later Iliyas Shahi dynasty

❑ Nasiruddin Abul Muzaffar Mahmud Shah (1435-36 ACE)
❖ Following the murder of

Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah, the
Iliyas Shashi dynasty was restored
when the nobles placed
Nasiruddin, a descendant of
Sultan Shamsuddin Iliyas Shah, on
Map of Bengal under Later Iliyas Shahi Dynasty
the throne of Bengal in 1435-36
ACE.
❖ Assuming the title of Nasiruddin Abul Muzaffar Mahmud Shah, the
new sultan reigned peacefully for about twenty-four years.
❑ Ruknuddin Barbak Shah
❖ After the death of Nasiruddin in 1459-60 ACE and was succeeded by
his son Ruknuddin Barbak Shah, who was just, liberal, learned and a
wise sultan.
❑ Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah
❖ Ruknuddin Barbak Shah died in 1474 ACE and was succeeded by his
son Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah.
❑ Jalaluddin Muzaffar Fath Shah
❖ After Yusuf’s death in 1481 ACE, the nobles raised his son Sikandar II
to the throne. But the nobles deposed him after a nominal reign of a
few days and offered the throne to Fath Shah, son of Nasiruddin
Mahmud Shah. Fath Shah assumed the title of Jalaluddin Muzaffar
Fath Shah. With the death of Fath Shah the rule of the Iliyas Shahi
dynasty came to an end.
Sultani rule in medieval Bengal : Key features of the Sultani rule and its leadership: Husain Shahi Dynasty
(1494-1538 ACE)
❑ Husain Shahi dynasty
❑ Alauddin Husain Shah
❖ Husain Shahi Rule (1494-1538 ACE) occupies a
significant place in the medieval history of
Bengal.
❖ The founder of the dynasty, Alauddin Husain

Shah, occupied the throne by assassinating
the Habshi Sultan Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah,
under whom he had served as Wazir.
❑ Husain’s reign ended in 1519 ACE.
❖ The country enjoyed undisturbed peace and Vijaya Gupta, the
contemporary poet mentioned him as Nrpati-Tilaka (the tilak-mark
of kings) and Jagatabhusana.
❑ Nasiruddin Nusrat Shah

❖ Alauddin Husain Shah was succeeded in 1519
ACE by his eldest son Nusrat, who assumed the
title of Sultan Nasiruddin Nusrat Shah. Nusrat
Shah faced reverses in the battle of the
Ghogra, concluded a peace with Babur and
saved Bengal.
❑ Alauddin Firuz Shah (1532)
Coins of Alauddin Husain Shah
❖ The process of disintegration of the Husain
Shahi regime, which began in the reign of
Nusrat found its end in the reign of his
successors. After the death of Nusrat Shah, a
group of nobles put his young son Firuz on the
Copper coins of Nushrat Shah
throne with the title Alauddin Firuz Shah
❑ Suri interruption (1539–1564)

❖ In the 16th century, the Mughal emperor Humayun was
forced to take shelter in Persia as the conqueror Sher Shah
Suri rampaged through the subcontinent. Bengal was
brought under the control of the short-lived Suri Empire.
❑ Karrani dynasty (1564–1576)

❖ An Afghan dynasty was the last royal house of the Bengal
Sultanate. The capital of the dynasty was Sonargaon. The
dynasty also ruled parts of Bihar and Orissa. Its eastern
boundary was formed by the Brahmaputra River.
Art and Culture During the Hussain Shahi Dynasty
❖The Hussain Shahi Dynasty was marked by a
long spell of undisturbed peace, prosperity,
communal harmony and the development of
Bengali culture and literature.
❖This is why the Hussain Shahi era is considered

the “Golden age of the Bengal Sultanate”. The
rulers of this period took an active interest in
the growth of local literature by patronizing
the major poets of the time.
❑ Development of Bangla language

❖ The Sultans, because of their close association with
the local people, gave status and dignity to the
Bangla language which now began to play the role
that was earlier played by Sanskrit language in the
Pre-Muslim period.
❖ Kavindra Parameshvara and Shrikara Nandi, the

translators of the Mahabharata, were patronized by
Paragal Khan and his son Chhuti Khan respectively,
both being governors of Chittagong under Alauddin
❑ Development of Bangla literature

❖ Of the few writers of Vaisnava Padas, Yashoraj
Khan, served as an official of Alauddin Husain
Shah. Shyaikh Zahid composed his yogic
philosophy Adya Parichaya in 1498-99 ACE.
❖ The period also marked the growth of secular

elements in Bangla literature. Shridhara, the
author of Vidya Sundara, received patronage
form Prince Firuz, son of Nusrat Shah.
❑ Development of architecture and calligraphy
❖ During the Hussain Shahi period, Bengal’s
contributions to architecture and calligraphy were
significant. Architecture and calligraphy were largely
the product of court patronage.
❑ Development of graphic/pictoral art

❖ The reign of Nusrat Shah witnessed a sudden
flowering of pictorial art as is evidenced by the ten
folio illustrations of the first part of the
Sikandarnamah, known as the Sharafnamah, which
details the exploits of Alexander in the East.
❑ Development of architecture
❖ By the time the Hussain Shahi rulers came to power,
Bengal had already developed a tradition of
architecture. The Iliyas Shahi rulers had started a
rich architectural tradition with an individuality of
its own.
❖ Hussain Shahi architecture is a
continuation of this earlier
tradition. The ruins of the Darasbari
Madrassa at Gaur exhibit the vigour
Darasbari Madrassa of the building art in the period.
❑ Development of architecture
❖ The Gumti Gate, the Qadam Rasal, the
Jahanian Mosque, the Bara Sona mosque and
the Chota Soan mosque show the glorious
Gumati Gate brick style of Bengal developed in the Hussain
shahi period.
❖ The building built outside the metropolis. The

Sura mosque and Hemtabad mosque in
Dinajpur, the Bagha Mosque, the Navaram
Qadam Rusal
Mosque in Pabna, the Mijlis Aulia Mosque of
Pathrail in Faridpur, the Sankarpasha Mosque
of Sylhet and the Goaldi Mosque in Sonargaon
are some excellent examples of the period.
Goaldi Mosque
The Bara Sona mosque

and the Chhota Sona
mosque have a spirit
Bara Sona mosque at Gaur
of ornamentation
which most of the
earlier structures
lack.
Chhota Sona mosque Chapainawabgonj
❖ In this period, we find a predominance of the stone cutters art. The
architecture of the period clearly reveals local influences and gives
expression to Bengal’s life and culture.
❖ The old Terracotta, which had its revival in the earlier period of
Muslim rule, continued under the Hussain Shahi rulers.
❖ The local elements, which found expression in

the architecture of the period, include the
curving of the cornice and the copy of the
Chauchala.
❖ The Hussain Shahi artists copied the terracotta
art on stones.
❖ In its rich ornamentation, the Hussain Shahi
style stands in strong contrast with the rather
ascetic style of the previous phase.
Administration during Sultan Period
Administration in Bengal during Sultani period
❖ Administration in Bengal during Sultani period

was the outcome of the development of
administrative institutions of the earlier period.
❖ The uniqueness of medieval administration lies

in the fact that despite frequent changes in
dynasties, it bore the main characteristics of
several centuries old institutions which the
Turko-Afghans carried with them to India.
❑ Inauguration of the Muslim principality

❖ After the inauguration of the Muslim principality in
Bengal by Ikhtiyaruddin Muhammad Bakhtiyar
Khalji in early 13th century ACE, it was ruled as a
province of the Delhi Sultanate till an independent
Sultanate was established over the major parts of
Bengal in 1338 ACE.
❖ Gaur or Lakhnauti, the capital, followed the broad

principles of the Delhi Sultanate, and the
administrative system was a copy of the House of
Iltutmish.
❖ Some improvements were made under the Iliyas

Shahi and the Husain Shahi rulers. With the Mughal
conquest of Bengal (1576 ACE), the kingdom of Gaur
turned again into a province of the vast Mughal
Empire.
❖ The Mughal system of administration, which was

more or less a continuation of the Sultanate period
with some alterations and improvements made
during the brief rule of the Afghan chief Sher Shah,
became operative in Bengal.
❑ Paucity of the sources
❖ In the absence of contemporary historical
literature on the details of administration, it is
difficult to build up a complete account of the
early medieval administrative institutions of
Bengal.
❖ The imperial chronicles do not provide much
information about the administrative set-up of
a distant region like Bengal, although the gap
has to some extent been filled in by travelers’
accounts and other sources.
❑ Contemporary numismatic and epigraphic sources provide important information.
❖ However, these sources can be used only to

capture the spirit and beliefs of the age and do
not produce the details of the system. On the
other hand, contemporary numismatic and
epigraphic sources provide important
information.
❖ All these pieced together give us an idea about

the structure of the medieval administration of
Bengal.
❑The Khalji Maliks: Iqtas

❖ Though the credit of establishing the first Muslim
kingdom in Bengal lies with Bakhtiyar Khalji, he did
not assume the title of sultan or strike coins in his
own name, for this was a entitlement he left to his
overlord, Muizuddin Muhammad-bin-Sam of Ghor.
❖ However, as Malik-ush Sharq (Lord of the East), he

divided the territory into Iqtas (provinces) most of
which were put under his fellow Turk and Khalji
fortune seekers in India.
❑The Khalji Maliks: Mukta

❖ Through the creation of governorships in
frontiers and the placement of leading
military personnel in them, he gave the
installed government the character of a
Khalji oligarchy.
❖ The Muktas (governs) were also assigned

with the civil administration of the Iqtas.
❑ Independent Sultanate Period

❖ An independent Sultanate was established in 1338 ACE. Two
dynasties (with a short interval between 1415 and 1442
ACE), namely the Iliyas Shahis and the Husain Shahis ruled
for 200 years until the Afghans overthrew them in 1538 ACE.
❑ Established United Bangalah

Under Shamsuddin Iliyas Shah, the founder
of the Iliyas Shahi dynasty, almost the
whole of Bengal was conquered and united
under a single authority for the first time. He was
called the Shah-i-Bangalah and Sultan-i-Bangalah and the
territory henceforth came to be known as Bangalah.
❑Under the Independent Sultans

❖ As the supreme head of the state the Sultans
assumed majestic titles such as Sultan-ul-
Azam, Sultan-ul-Muazzam and even Sikandar-
us-Sani (Alexander II).
❖ That the Sultans owed their loyalty to the

Khalifah, the spiritual head of the Muslims, is
apparent from the fact that some of them
struck coins in the names of the Khalifahs.

❖ Some ambitious sovereigns even went as
far as to use the nickname of Yamin-al-
Khilafat or Yamin-i-Khalifatullah etc.
❖ As the source of all powers, the sultan

used to appoint high officials and make
laws. The state was mainly run in
accordance with the principles of Islam.
❑Under the Independent Sultans: Darbars

❖ The sultans used to hold Darbars
(courts) in their protected palaces,
where they used to meet the
important nobles and officials,
confer titles, present robes and
give audience to foreign
dignitaries.
Darbars
❖ Several staff was necessary to maintain the majesty of the

court. In addition to a large number of troops, the royal
household included slaves.

❖ Proximity to the Sultan being a source of pride and
power, the court was full of dignitaries of the state.
The ability, hereditary, was composed of mixed
elements like Arabs, Pathans, Mughals and Bengalis,
and were given high-sounding titles.
❖ They played an important part in the
administration. It can be surmised that a section of
them were rent receiving agents enjoying Jagirs
(assignments of lands) like their there Indian
counterparts.

❖ The Sultani administration in Bengal seems to have
continued the somewhat feudal character of
administration prevalent under the Palas and Senas.
For the proper working of the government
machinery, there were several departments such as
finance, correspondence, the police, judiciary and
military.
❖ Though the jurisdiction of these departments was

not properly defined, some ideas can be had of their
functions from existing documents.
❑ Wazir-the head of the civil administration
❖ Next to the Sultan was the Wazir, the head
of the civil administration. His special
domain was the financial organization and
administration.
❖ As the prime minister, the Wazir had, in

fact, controlling authority over all the
departments.
❑ The department of correspondence

❖ The department of correspondence was
perhaps an integral part of the central
secretariat.
❖ It was under the charge of Dabir-i-khas

(private secretary), who used to deal with all
the correspondence between the sultan and
his officials, tributaries, and also the rulers of
the foreign countries. There were several
Dabirs (secretaries).
❑The police department

❖ The police department or Diwan-i-Kotwali was
placed under the chief police officer or the Kotwal-
Bakali. There were a number of subordinate Kotwals
whose duties were to maintain peace and order and
also to watch the movement of strangers in the city.
❖ The police department was also connected with the
criminal court, which was presided over by a judge
or Munsif who used to try criminal cases. Records of
an well-organised intelligence system can also be
traced.
❑Judiciary Department
❖ From the scanty information extant about the
judiciary, it can be surmised that the Sultan was the
highest judge and justice was dispensed in
accordance with the Sharia. There were
Qazis (judges) in towns and villages to carry out
routine justice.
❖ A learned man -the chief lawyer and an expert on
traditions - called malik-ul-umara wal-wazara settled
the complicated legal cases and Muslim traditions.
Beating and exile were the two common modes of
punishment.
❑ Judiciary Department
❖ The village Panchayets played an important
role in the administration of justice in rural
areas. The Hindu population used to get justice
in matters relating to social affairs in
accordance with Hindu laws and tradition.
❖ Since the very existence of Muslim rule in

Bengal, as elsewhere in India, depended
heavily on military strength, the Sultans had an
well-organised army.
❑ The military department: Sar-i-Khail

❖ The Sar-i-Khail was the chief of the
cavalry, which was probably the weakest
component of the Bengal army.
❖ The artillery was an important section and

the Mughal ruler Babur characterised it as
a very effective part of the Bengal army.
❑ The military department: Sar-i-Khail

❖ Elephants seemed to have played an
important part in the Bengal army. Apart
from carrying war materials, elephants
were also used to transship armed
personnel.
❖ In riverine Bengal the elephants were

especially useful.
❑ Naval department
❖ The navy too was of prime necessity in riverain
Bengal. In fact, the cavalry could ensure the hold
over this country only for a period of about six
months, whereas the boats backed by the Paiks
could command supremacy over the other half of
the year.
❖ Since the time of Iwas Khalji, the war boats had

been playing an important role in the political
affairs of the country. The chief of the admiralty,
Mir Bahar, had different responsibilities.
❑Naval department
❖ The Paiks formed the vital part of the
Bengal infantry. There were occasions
when the Paiks also tackled political
situations.
❖ The special battle array of the foot

soldiers that used bows, arrows and guns,
attracted the attention of Babur.
❑ Built water forts

❖ Apart from the maintenance of well-
trained armed forces, the Sultans
depended heavily for their defence on
their forts.
❖ Unconquerable fortresses like

Ekdala fort at Gajipur
Ekdala and Basankot played
important roles in protecting the
sovereignty of the Bengal kingdom
from the repeated attacks of
Delhi.
❑ Built water forts

❖ The hurriedly built mud-walled fort
was a common defence stratagem in
Bengal.
❖ The soldiers were paid salaries, and

meals were provided. The paymaster
was called Ariz-i-Laskar.
❑ The revenue administration

❖ Though the details of the revenue
administration of Medieval Bengal are lacking,
it can be distinguished that it was based on
the system developed by the Delhi Sultanate.
❖ The Sultans of Delhi followed the system of

bringing the newly conquered territories
under proper control by carving those out
among military and civil personnel.

❖ It appears that the rulers of Bengal also
adopted such an assignment system with
modifications as and when needed.
❖ However, the indigeus practice of collection

of state dues through local chiefs and village
heads were left almost undisturbed as a
measure of expedience.

❖ Ganimah (war-booty) land revenue, tolls and
other taxes formed the main source of
revenue during the Sultani period.
❖ Of these, land rent constituted the major part

of the revenue. Abul Fazl’s account about the
pre-Mughal system reveals that the annual
demands were paid in eight monthly
installments.

❖ The system of cash payments direct to the
Khalsa (exchequer) was prevalent. Though the
method of crop-estimation was generally
followed, survey and measurement of land
were not insisted upon.
❖ Abul Fazl also mentions that the people were

generally submissive and paid rents regularly.
❖ However, this could not have been the general
practice in Bengal. Side by side with cash
payments, crop sharing was prevalent in some
parts.
❖ Again, in view of the distinctive geographical

and climatic conditions of the region, especially
of the southern and eastern parts of the
country, the collection of revenue direct from
the peasants was not feasible.

❖ Hence, the mode of collection of revenues
through the intermediary agents, namely
Jaigirdar, Majumdar etc, was followed by the
Bengal rulers.
❖ Most of these intermediary revenue farmers

were brought under the generic term,
Zamindar (holder of land) during the Mughal
period.

❖ Custom duties were generally collected from
river ports and different market places. There
were customhouses at the ports, which were
placed under custom chiefs directly appointed
by the sultan.
❖ With the increase in the volume of external

trade, especially during the Husain Shahi rule,
Satgaon and Chittagong became flourishing

❖ The administrative units during the medieval
period were known by the names of Iqlim,
Mulk or Arsah, and Diyar. Each unit was placed
under an officer having the tittle of Sar-i-
Laskar Wa Wazir.
❖ From the title it appears that the unit governs
were both financial and military heads, there
were checks on them, and the Sultan could
dismiss them according to his will.

❖ For administrative convenience, the units
were divided into Mahals, Shiqs and villages.
Shiqdar and Jangdar, two important officers
of the Mahals, were in charge of collecting
revenues and controlling soldiers respectively.
❖ The civil affairs and the supervision of

religious endowments were preserves of the
provincial Qazis.
Thank You

11. Sultani Rule in Medieval Bengal Key Features of the Sultani Rule and Its Leadership, Especially Maintaining the Administration of Justice, Causes of Their Decimation.

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11. Sultani Rule in Medieval Bengal Key Features of the Sultani Rule and Its Leadership, Especially Maintaining the Administration of Justice, Causes of Their Decimation.

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Sultani Rule in Medieval

❖ The Arab invasion of Sindh in 712 ACE was a

Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf Muhammad-bin-Qasim Raja Dahir

❖Bakhtiyar was ungainly in appearance, and was offered

❖ After reaching the palace Bakhtiyar suddenly attacked, and

❖ After the conquest of Bakhtiyar, the Senas continued to rule

Map of Bengal during Bakhtiyar Khalji

❖ 1. Mosques for congregation,

❖ 2. Madrasas for the schooling of Muslim children, and Khanqah

❖ 3. Khanqahs for the Sufis to speak religion.

❑ Geographical location of Bakhtiyar’s

❖ The Tista-Brahmaputra-Karatoya river system is regarded as

❖ During the middle of the 14th century,

❑ Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah

❑Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah

❑ Iliyas Shahi Period:

❖ The Muslim administration was given a distinct shape in

❑ Sultan Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar Iliyas Shah

❖ Then Haji Iliyas ascended the throne of Lakhnauti with the

❑ Art and Culture During the Iliyas Shahi Dynasty

❖ The mosque was not only larger than the

❖ The mosque was not only larger than the

Tantipara mosque Darasbari Mosque Chapai Nowabgonj, 1479 ACE

❖ Under the patronage of Ghiyasuddin Azam

❖ It brought about a revolution in Bengali

❖ Ruknuddin Barbak Shah equally extended his

❑ Raja Ganesha dynasty

Later Iliyas Shahi dynasty

❖ Following the murder of

❖ The founder of the dynasty, Alauddin Husain

❑ Nasiruddin Nusrat Shah

❑ Suri interruption (1539–1564)

❑ Karrani dynasty (1564–1576)

❖This is why the Hussain Shahi era is considered

❑ Development of Bangla language

❖ Kavindra Parameshvara and Shrikara Nandi, the

❑ Development of Bangla literature

❖ The period also marked the growth of secular

❑ Development of graphic/pictoral art

❖ The building built outside the metropolis. The

The Bara Sona mosque

❖ The local elements, which found expression in

❖ Administration in Bengal during Sultani period

❖ The uniqueness of medieval administration lies

❑ Inauguration of the Muslim principality

❖ Gaur or Lakhnauti, the capital, followed the broad

❖ Some improvements were made under the Iliyas

❖ The Mughal system of administration, which was

❖ However, these sources can be used only to

❖ All these pieced together give us an idea about

❑The Khalji Maliks: Iqtas

❖ However, as Malik-ush Sharq (Lord of the East), he

❑The Khalji Maliks: Mukta

❖ The Muktas (governs) were also assigned

❑ Independent Sultanate Period

❑ Established United Bangalah

❑Under the Independent Sultans

❖ That the Sultans owed their loyalty to the

❑Under the Independent Sultans

❖ As the source of all powers, the sultan

❑Under the Independent Sultans: Darbars

❖ Several staff was necessary to maintain the majesty of the

❑Under the Independent Sultans

❑Under the Independent Sultans