Part-IV of VIII
Keeping in mind the celebration of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman or Mujib Barsha in 2020, The Independent took up a study to make a detour around Bengal’s political history from ancient period to the time when Bangladesh emerged as an independent state in 1971. The reason for undertaking this study is to find out 10 most influential rulers who ruled the geographical entity called Bengal during the time span of the last 14 centuries. To make this study successful, the newspaper’s Editorial Board talked to noted historians of Bangladesh namely Prof. Syed Anwar Husain, Prof. Mesbah Kamal, Prof Dr. Aksadul Alam and Associate Prof. Sania Sitara all of whom are history faculties of Dhaka University. After research and interviews, it was found really difficult to single out 10 most important rulers of Bengal because in the last 14 centuries, many rulers permanently shaped the history of Bengal. Many may find the names in the final list incorrect, but few would disagree with the fact that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first Bengali head of state—note the word Bengali—of an independent and democratic Bangladesh, notwithstanding the fact that in the different periods of Bengal history, the map of Bengal was much larger than the map of present Bangladesh. Our aim was not to make a historical research as historians would do on the topic, but we made an attempt to be factually accurate with available information in our hand. The 10 leaders in the study findings are: Shashanka, Gopala, Dharmapala, Vijaya Sena, Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, Sher Shah Suri, Murshid Quli Khan, Siraj ud-Daulah and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sher Shah Suri (1486-1545)
Historians agree that Sher Shah was one of the greatest administrator and rulers of the medieval India. Sher Khan was an ambitious person. He wanted to turn out the Mughals from India and establish the Afghan rule once again. His empire was broadly based upon the people’s will.
Sher Shah was wise enough to realize that if he wanted to be secure on the throne and leave a lasting legacy, he must win the loyalty and affection of his people and accord equal treatment to them irrespective of creed or religion. Although a strict Sunni, he was well- disposed towards other sects and religions. He had real care for the welfare of all his people. The Hindus were granted Waqfs for the encouragement of their education. Hindus were recruited in every department of tje government.
Sher Shah Suri was born in Sasaram, a city in the state of Bihar in present-day India into a Pasthun family from a village in what's now the Dera Ismail Khan district of Pakistan, back then under the rule of Mughal empire in north-western frontier region of Mughal empire. His nickname 'Suri' was taken from his Pashtun Sur tribe. He was honoured with the name Sher (means lion or tiger in the older pronunciation of Persian) for his courage, when as a young man he killed a tiger that suddenly attacked the king of Bihar. His grandfather Ibrahim Khan Suri was a landlord (Jagirdar) in Narnaul area and represented Delhi rulers of that period. Shrine of Ibrahim Khan Suri still stands as a monument in Narnaul.
Sher Shah was one of about eight sons of Mian Hassan Khan Suri, a prominent figure in the government of Bahlul Khan Lodi in Narnaul Pargana. His grandfather, Ibrahim Khan Suri, was a noble adventurer from Roh; he was recruited much earlier by Sultan Bahlul Lodi of Delhi during his long contest with the Jaunpur Sultanate. Sher Shah Suri first served as a private before becoming a commander in the Mughal army under Babur and then the governor of Bihar. In 1537, when Babur's son Humayun was elsewhere on an expedition, Sher Shah took control of the state of Bengal and established the Suri dynasty. Suri further developed Humayun's Dina-panah city and named it Shergarh and revived the historical city of Pataliputra, which had been in decline since the 7th century AD, as Patna. He extended the Grand Trunk Road from Chittagong in the frontiers of the province of Bengal in northeast India to Kabul in Afghanistan in the far northwest of the country. His innovations and reforms extended far beyond his brief reign.
In 1538, Sher Khan attacked Bengal and defeated Mahmud Shah. But he could not capture the kingdom because of the sudden expedition of Emperor Humayun. On 26 June 1539, Sher Khan faced Humayun in the Battle of Chausa and defeated him. Assuming the title Farid al-Din Sher Shah, he defeated Humayun once again at Kannauj in May 1540 and forced him out of India. In six years Sher Shah gave such stability to the structure of the empire that its foundations still survive. He had made India flourish in such a way that the king of Persia and Turan appreciated it. Akbar the great followed his administrative manual for fifty years and did not discontinue them.
Sher Shah introduced the system of tri-metalism which came to characterise Mughal coinage. While the term rupya had previously been used as a generic term for any silver coin, during his rule the term rūpee came to be used as the name for a silver coin of a standard weight of 178 grains, which was the precursor of the modern rupee. Gold coins called the Mohur weighing 169 grains and copper coins called Paisa were also minted by his government.
Sher Shah deserves credit for rebuilding and modernizing the Grand Trunk Road, a major artery which runs all the way from modern day Bangladesh to Afghanistan. He built inns, temples and mosques and planted trees along the entire stretch on both sides of the road to provide shade to tired travellers. He also dug wells, especially along the western section. He also established an efficient postal system, with mail being carried by relays of horse riders.
Sher Shah built several monuments including Rohtas Fort (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Pakistan), many structures in the Rohtasgarh Fort in Bihar, the Sher Shah Suri Masjid in Patna, the Qila-i-Kuhna mosque inside the Purana Qila complex in Delhi, and the Sher Mandal, an octagonal building also inside the Purana Qila complex, 
which later served as the library of Humayun. He built a new city, Bhera, in present day Pakistan in 1545, including within it a grand mosque named after him.
Sher Shah was killed on 22 May 1545 during the siege of Kalijar fort in Bundelkhand against the Rajputs of Mahoba. When all tactics to subdue this fort failed, Sher Shah ordered the walls of the fort to be blown up with gunpowder, but he himself was seriously wounded as a result of the explosion of a mine.
He was succeeded by his son, Jalal Khan, who took the title of Islam Shah Suri. His mausoleum, the Sher Shah Suri tomb (122 ft high), stands in the middle of an artificial lake at Sasaram, a town on the Grand Trunk Road.
Sher Shah Suri’s reign was a short chapter in a period dominated by the Mughals, but the greatness of the man lies in the fact that while he ruled for seven years he managed to leave a lasting impact. It is the currency that he used, Rupiya, that is followed in India and Pakistan even today. It is believed that it was Sher Shah who started the postal service in this region.
After Sher Shah the Suri Sultanate weakened and could not continue for long. Then the Karrani dynasty started its reign.. Sulaiman Karrani, from 1563 to 1572. He shifted the state capital to Tanda from Gauda as its weather and environment became adverse and unsuitable for human being as well as animals and birds. One of the most glorious and unique military achievements of Sulaiman Karrani was the victory of Orissa.
After Sher Shah Sulaiman Karrani is considered the most competent among the Afghan rulers of Bengal.
The later Afghan rulers were incompetent and weak. After the death of the last Afghan ruler Usman Lohani, his followers surrendered to the Mughal authority during the rule of subahdar Islam Khan Chisti. However it was a highly volatile period in Bengal’s history. There were a number of Mughal Subadars after Islam Khan.
However, no one could succeed in establishing their authority before Mir Jumla. Mir Jumla was made Subadar or Governor by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. As an efficient Subadar, he annexed Assam and Cooch Bihar to the Mughal Empire. He was succeeded by Dilir Khan and Daud Khan Abbasi after his death.
Shaista Khan (1664-1678 AD, September 1679-1688 AD) the maternal uncle of Aurangzeb, was a very efficient and farsighted administrator. He drove away the Portuguese pirates and occupied Chittagong. Towards the end of his reign, there was a dispute with the English East India Company. After a prolonged attempt he drove away the English from Bengal stopping the growth of their power.
However there were resistance by Afghan or Pathan chieftans against the Mughals for a long time. These, however, were no longer concentrated in the northwest, the site of Muslim power since 1204, but in East Bengal generally, the vast region known to the Mughals as “Bhati.” Wrote Abu’l-fazl, “The tract of country on the east called Bhati is reckoned a part of this province.” Yet in another passage he treated “Bangala” and “Bhati” as mutually exclusive regions, the distinctive feature of the latter beingits topography: the
word bhaṭi simply means “downstream direction.”
“Bhati,” wrote Abu’l-fazl, “is a low country and has received this name because Bengal is higher. It is nearly 400 kos in length from east to west and about 300 kos from north to south. East of this country are the ocean and the country of Habsha. West is the hill country where are the houses of the Kahin tribe. South is Tanda. North also the ocean and the terminations of the hill country of Tibet.” As used by the Mughals in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, “Bhati” included the entire delta east of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly corridor.
In fact, since its western boundary extended from Tanda down to present-day southwestern Khulna District, the frontier between Mughal “Bhati” and “Bangala” approximated the present frontier between Bangladesh and West Bengal. Hence the modern distinction between East and West Bengal dates at least from early Mughal times.
Anti-Mughal resistance now coalesced around a remarkable Bengali Muslim chieftain, ‘Isa Khan, whose seat of government lay deep within the delta’s eastern riverine tracts in the town of Katrabo near the ancient city of Sonargaon. In 1586 Ralph Fitch, a merchant then exploring the possibilities of opening up trade between England and India, traveled through Bengal’s eastern districts and wrote, “They be all hereabout Rebels against the King Zebaldin Echebar [Jalal al-Din Akbar]: for here are so many Rivers and Ilands, that they flee from one to another, whereby his Horsemen cannot prevaile against them.
The chiefe King of all these Countries is called Isacan and he is chiefe of all the other Kings, and is a great friend to all Christians.” Fitch’s “other Kings” were the “twelve chieftains” recorded in other European accounts and celebrated in Bengali lore.
Next part tomorrow