- Source: Hussain Shahi dynasty
The Hussain Shahi dynasty was a family which ruled the late medieval Sunni Muslim Sultanate of Bengal from 1494 to 1538.
History
The dynasty's founder, Alauddin Husain Shah was possibly of Sayyid Arab, or even Afghan origin. He is considered as the greatest of all the sultans of Bengal for bringing a cultural renaissance during his reign. Known as the Akbar of Bengal, Husain Shah was known by the Hindus of Bengal as Nripati Tilak and Jagatbhusan. He encouraged the translation of Sanskrit literature into the Bengali language and built the Chota Sona Masjid. He conquered Kamrup-Kamata and Orissa and extended the Sultanate all the way to the port of Chittagong, which witnessed the arrival of the first Portuguese merchants. His supposed heir, Shahzada Danyal, who he had appointed as the governor of Kamata, was executed by rebellious chieftains in Assam.
Husain Shah's son and successor, Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah, gave refuge to the Afghans during the invasion of the Timurid warlord Babur, though he remained neutral in the conflict. Nasrat Shah's reign is marked by a period of political instability as he had to deal with the Afghans and the growing Mughal threat. Nasrat Shah's treaty with Babur saved Bengal from a Mughal invasion, which was a diplomatic proposition brought forth following Nasrat Shah's defeat at the Battle of Ghaghra. The construction of the Baro Shona Masjid was completed during the reign of Nasrat Shah, which was originally initiated by Husain Shah. A notable manuscript was also completed during Nasrat Shah's reign, a copy of Nizami's Iskandar Nama.
The last Sultan of the dynasty, Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah, who continued to rule from Sonargaon, had to contend with rising Afghan activity on his northwestern border. Eventually, the Afghans under the Sur Empire broke through and sacked the capital in 1538 where they remained for several decades, successively establishing two independent dynasties (Muhammad Shahi and Karrani). However, the Bengal Sultanate collapsed not long after, transforming Bengal into a confederacy of chieftains known as the Baro-Bhuiyans. This loose confederacy of Bengal was ruled by Isa Khan, one of Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah's grandsons through his daughter Syeda Momena Khatun. Khan was subsequently succeeded by his son, Musa Khan, though his grandson, Masum Khan, was a mere zamindar.
Rulers
See also
List of rulers of Bengal
History of Bengal
List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Mariam-uz-Zamani
- Hussain Shahi dynasty
- Danyal (Hussain Shahi dynasty)
- Shahi
- History of Bengal
- Bengal Sultanate
- History of Bangladesh
- Habshi dynasty
- Prataparudra Deva
- Ahmadnagar Sultanate
- Ilyas Shahi dynasty