Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah: The Barke Khan of Bengal
Introduction
Islam
is like a magical touchstone that instantly transforms anyone it touches. For
anyone who has tasted the sweetness of faith, the command of their one and only
Lord comes before all else. If fulfilling this command means going against
one's family or even the entire world, or even drawing swords against loved
ones, a true believer never backs down. Islamic history spanning 1,500 years
offers many such examples. On the battlefield of Badr, we witnessed fathers in
the Muslim camp while their sons fought for the disbelievers, or vice versa.
They fought against each other with the strength of faith alone.
Many
names come to mind of those who took up arms against their families to protect
Islam throughout history, such as Barke Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan. But do
we, Muslims of Bengal, know that someone from our region also took up arms
against his father to defend Islam and lovingly protected the Muslims of this
land? That individual was Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah of the Bengal
Sultanate.
Preliminary Background
In
1352 AD, Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah declared independence from the powerful Delhi
Sultanate, establishing an empire encompassing the entire Bengal region, known
as the “Bengal Sultanate.” He became the first independent Sultan of Bengal,
bearing the title "Shah-e-Bangala." Even after his death, his
successors ruled the Sultanate with authority for two generations, maintaining
justice as he had. The last powerful ruler of this dynasty was Ghiyasuddin Azam
Shah. His death marked the beginning of serious troubles.
The Beginning of the
Crisis
Sultan
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah was one of the most renowned, popular, and influential
rulers of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. His focus was more on establishing
diplomatic relations with various empires and strengthening the Sultanate's
administration rather than pursuing military campaigns. However, during his
reign, he appointed a significant number of Hindus to key state positions and
administrative roles.
At
the time, Hindu feudal lords and landlords in Bengal, descendants of the Sena
dynasty, had never accepted Muslim rule in the region. Though they did not
openly oppose it, they secretly longed for the reinstatement of Hindu rule.
Despite this sentiment, Muslims never subjected them to discrimination simply
because they were Hindu.
During
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah's reign, these Hindu feudal lords gained significant
administrative positions. They maintained a secret, strong network among
themselves, with Raja Ganesh emerging as their most powerful leader.
Who Was Raja Ganesh?
Raja
Ganesh Narayan was born into the Kashyapa lineage of the Barendra Brahmin
family, a branch of which had received the title "Rai" and another
"Khan" during the reign of Sultan Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah. According to
the famous historical text Riyaz-us-Salatin, Raja Ganesh was originally
the zamindar of Bhaturia in the Haripur area of present-day Thakurgaon district
in Bangladesh. Later, he was appointed the governor of northern Bengal's
Dinajpur.
Due
to his high-ranking position during Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah's reign, Ganesh
gained immense power and influence. After Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah’s death in
1411, he began to emerge as the key figure in the region. Some historians
believe that Raja Ganesh had a hand in the death of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam
Shah.
The Rise of Ganesh's
Power
After
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah’s death, his son Saifuddin Hamza Shah took the throne and
adopted the title “Sultan-us-Salatin.” However, following Raja Ganesh's
conspiracy, civil wars broke out across various regions of Bengal. Despite
Saifuddin Hamza Shah's best efforts to handle the situation, he was ultimately
assassinated by his own servant, Shihabuddin, on Ganesh's orders.
After
Saifuddin Hamza Shah's death, his son Muhammad Shah ascended the throne, but
within a year, he too was killed by a spy working under Raja Ganesh. In
essence, following the death of Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, both Saifuddin Hamza
Shah and Shihabuddin were merely puppets in Ganesh's hands.
Ganesh’s Seizure of Power
After
the death of Saifuddin Hamza Shah, Raja Ganesh installed Shihabuddin as the
ruler, giving him the title of Shihabuddin Bayazid Shah, while continuing to
rule from behind the scenes. A year later, he had Shihabuddin Bayazid Shah
murdered through a spy, and placed his son, Alauddin Firuz Shah, on the throne.
However, after a year, Ganesh had him killed as well and took the throne
himself, assuming the title of "Maharaja Ganesh Narayan Rai
Bhaduari."
Ganesh
could have seized power much earlier after Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah's death, but
he refrained from doing so due to the large Muslim population in Bengal at the
time, and the presence of Muslims in the army, royal court, and administration.
He was reluctant to take the risk of openly declaring himself ruler. Instead,
he placed puppet rulers on the throne, secretly consolidating his power.
Eventually, he saw an opportunity and took the throne for himself.
Ganesh’s Reign
Upon
taking the throne in 1414, Ganesh declared the end of the Sultanate and
proclaimed Bengal a “Hindu Empire.” He ruled under the title of Maharaja and
forcibly married the widow of the late Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, subjecting
her to continual rape. Many Muslim women were also turned into his concubines.
Under
his reign, the Muslims of Bengal faced extreme oppression. All mosques were
forcibly converted into cattle sheds and stables for horses. Public calls to
prayer (adhan) and prayers were banned, and Muslims were not allowed to perform
sacrifices. Forced conversions of Muslims were rampant during his reign.
Sufi
missionaries, who had come to Bengal to spread Islam, were also not spared from
Ganesh's cruelty. Many were massacred.
The Persecution of
Muslims and the Sufi Missionaries
An
incident during Ganesh’s reign highlights the persecution of Muslim Sufi
missionaries. Sheikh Moinuddin Abbas’s son, Sheikh Badr-ud-Din Islam, was
killed mercilessly by Raja Ganesh for not greeting him with a formal
salutation. On that day, all educated Muslims in the kingdom were taken to the
middle of the river in boats, where they were drowned.
As
the level of persecution against Muslims reached its peak, Sheikh Nur Qutub-ul-Alam,
a prominent Muslim figure, sent a letter to Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi of Jaunpur,
informing him of Ganesh's atrocities. Upon receiving this news, Sultan Ibrahim
sought the advice of his spiritual mentor, Dervish Shahabuddin Jaunpuri. The
Dervish advised him to wage a military campaign to protect his Muslim brothers
in Bengal.
As
soon as Sultan Ibrahim received his mentor’s approval, he set out with a
massive army to confront Raja Ganesh. Ganesh, realizing he was not capable of
facing such a powerful force, fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness when
Ibrahim’s army reached Firozpur.
Ganesh’s Attempt to
Convert to Islam
At
this moment, Sheikh Nur Qutub-ul-Alam said that Ganesh could save his kingdom
from the impending attack if he converted to Islam. Desperate to save his
reign, Ganesh sought to embrace Islam. However, his first wife refused to allow
him to do so.
Ganesh
then proposed to have his young son, Yadu Narayan, convert to Islam. In
response, Sheikh Qutub-ul-Alam initiated the conversion ceremony, giving Yadu
the name Jalaluddin. At this point, Ganesh stepped down from the throne and
placed his son, Jalaluddin, on the throne. The khutbah (sermon) was read in
Jalaluddin’s name, signaling his official rise to power as the Sultan.
The Reign of Sultan
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah
Jalaluddin
Muhammad Shah, unlike his father, was not superstitious or an extreme opponent
of Islam. Even before his conversion, he was an open-minded and thoughtful
person. After embracing Islam and ascending the throne, he gradually began to
learn more about the religion. During this time, he came into contact with
scholars and Sufis, gaining a deeper understanding of Islam. The beauty of
Islam and its peaceful way of life brought him a sense of tranquility, a peace
he had not known before. Initially, he governed his kingdom according to
Islamic law for a year, ensuring a peaceful and just rule.
However,
after a year of peaceful rule, Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi of Jaunpur passed away.
This opened up a significant opportunity for the cunning Raja Ganesh. He
deposed his son, Jalaluddin, imprisoned him, and forced him to undergo a ritual
conversion. A ritual called the Subarnadhenu Yajna was performed, in
which a massive golden cow was created, and Jalaluddin was passed through it,
symbolizing his forced conversion.
After
the ritual, the gold from the cow was distributed among the priests, and a
quarrel broke out among them over the gold. Witnessing this, Jalaluddin
realized that such a religion could not be true. He publicly expressed his
thoughts, which led to his father, Raja Ganesh, imprisoning him once again.
Ganesh’s Continued
Oppression
After
re-establishing his rule, Ganesh resumed his oppressive reign, which continued
from 1416 to 1418. During this time, the level of cruelty escalated, prompting
Jalaluddin, while still in prison, to plot his father’s assassination to save
Islam and the Muslims. In 1418, Jalaluddin’s spies carried out the plan, and
Raja Ganesh was killed.
Following
Ganesh’s death, his eldest son, Mahendra, ascended the throne, but Jalaluddin
deposed him as well and took the throne for himself. He again embraced Islam,
and Bengal was once again restored as a Muslim Sultanate.
The True Reign of Sultan
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah
The
true reign of Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah began in 1418. Over nearly two
decades of peaceful rule, the people of his empire lived in tranquility.
Justice was firmly established in every corner of his realm. During his reign,
he established control over the entire Bengal region, including East Bengal
(Muazzamabad) and Chittagong. He also expanded his territory by conquering
Fatehabad (Faridpur) in South Bengal.
During
Jalaluddin’s reign, the Mrauk-U Kingdom of Arakan, which had been attacked by
the Burmese king, sought his help. After being dethroned by the Burmese, King
Naramekhla of Arakan came to Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah for refuge,
requesting his assistance to reclaim his kingdom. Jalaluddin sent a large army
to aid Naramekhla, and with their help, Naramekhla was able to restore his
kingdom. In return, the Mrauk-U Kingdom (Arakan) became a tributary of the
Bengal Sultanate. From this point, the kings of Mrauk-U, despite being
Buddhists, adopted Islamic names and practiced Islamic culture.
This
period saw extensive trade between Bengal and Arakan, and many Bengali Muslims
began traveling to Arakan. The Arakanese were introduced to the superior
Islamic civilization, leading many in Arakan to embrace Islam. These people are
considered the ancestors of the present-day Rohingya population. During this
period, Muslims held significant positions in Arakan’s royal court and
military.
Jalaluddin’s Devotion to
Islam
In
his personal life, Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah was a follower of the Hanafi
school of thought and gained widespread support from scholars and religious
leaders. He took steps to rebuild the many mosques destroyed during Raja
Ganesh’s reign. Under his leadership, numerous mosques, madrasas, ponds, and
inns were built. During his reign, even non-Muslims lived peacefully under
Islamic law, enjoying full rights.
Protection of the People
from Brahmanical Oppression
After
the Aryans arrived in India, the people were divided into four castes:
Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. The Brahmins held immense power in
society, effectively ruling the state. They not only controlled religious
practices but also subjected the Vaishyas and Shudras to severe oppression in
the name of religion. The Kshatriyas, who governed the state, served as the
enforcers of the Brahmins' oppressive policies.
Even
under Muslim rule, Brahmins did not lose their control over society and the
common people. When Raja Ganesh took power, Brahmins once again received state
patronage and intensified their oppressive actions.
Sultan
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, being a Barendra Brahmin himself, was familiar with
the worst forms of Brahmanical oppression. Upon ascending the throne, he
immediately took steps to reduce the power of the Brahmins. Since he was a
Muslim and believed in equality, he abolished the power of man over man in the
Bengal Sultanate.
Jalaluddin’s Foreign
Policy
Sultan
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah established friendly diplomatic relations with various
contemporary empires. He maintained cordial relations with the Mamluk Sultanate
of Egypt, the Yuan dynasty of China, and Timur's successors, including Amir
Shah Rukh Mirza. He also maintained good ties with the Abbasid Caliphate.
In
recognition of his contributions to Islam, the Abbasid Caliph acknowledged him
as a legitimate Sultan and awarded him a prestigious title and honor. From
1431, Sultan Jalaluddin began using the title Khalifatullah (the Caliph
of God) on his coins, and the shahada (Islamic testimony of faith) was
inscribed on them.
The Passing of Sultan
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah
In
1433, during the month of Rabi-ul-Sani in the year 837 AH, this great hero of
Islam passed away. Had he not taken up arms against his own father and brother
to protect the Ummah during its time of need, perhaps Bengal, like Baghdad or
Spain, would have been reduced to ruins. May Allah grant this great hero of the
Ummah a place in Jannat al-Firdaus. Ameen.
References
- Bangalar
Itihas –
Rakhaldas Bandopadhyay
- Riyaz-us-Salatin – Ghulam Hossain
- Tabqat-i-Akbari
- Tarikh-i-Firista
- Journal
of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1875
- Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh
- Social
History of Bengal
– DC Sanyal
- Hindu-Muslim
Relations in Bengal: Medieval Period – Jagadish Narayan Sarkar
- History
of the Muslims of Bengal
- The
Delhi Sultanate
– Ramesh Chandra Majumdar
- The
Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760 – Richard Maxwell Eaton
- Banglay
Islamer Abirbhav o Bikash Ebong Ekti Nutun Dharar Goropottan – Mohammad Yusuf Siddique
- History
of Medieval India (Muslim Rule in India) – V.D. Mahajan
- Bangali’r
Itihas –
Nihar Ranjan Ray
- Banglar
Itihas –
Ramesh Chandra Majumdar
