Bengal: 1526-1857

On, 21st April 1526, the great Mughal Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the battle of Panipath. It was the first battle of the series. Another two battles were also taken place of this historical place of Panipath. Panipath is a small village near Delhi and present day it is an industrial town in Hariana. So far we know through the first battle of Panipath, the rules of Mughal emperor were established in the subcontinent.

The great Mughal Babur reigned from 1526-1530. Babur was a man of blue blood. He was the direct decendent of great Genghis Khan and Timur Lang. Babur’s mission was not completed through the battle of Panipath. But he has completed it through the battle of khanuwa (1527), a place near Agra. In this battle Babur with his great son Humayan who have become a great Mughal emperor after the death of his father defeated Rajputs and remaining Lodi warriors. After the battle of Khanuwa Mughal dynasty got its shape. But it experienced a great shock, after pre-mature death of the father of Mughal emperor Babur in 1530.

Humayan, the son of Babur started his reign in 1530 and continued till 1540. His reign severely interrupted by Suri dynasty. And finally in 1540 he was deposed by Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah Suri continued till 1545. And Islam Shah Suri came to the power. He continued till 1554. After his death two of his sons Sikander and Adil Shah came to the throne, but were eliminated by Humayan’s restoration. Humayan backed to the power and became able of unify the empire. But he died in 1556 after one year of restoration, and left a unified state to his immature son Akbar. He was only twelve at the time of his inauguration as an emperor. But he got a regent named Barium Khan. He and Barium Khan defeated Himu at the second battle of Panipath on November 5, 1556.

Akbar’s victories during the siege of Ranthombor made his power unparallel and helped him to establish the splendid Mughal emperor. During his reign Akbar established many institutions and promulgated “Din-I-ilahi” a sin created creed derived from Islam. Akbar died on 27th October 1605 and Jahangir came to the power.

During the reign of Jahangir British East India Company established their relationship with the emperor. Actually Jahangir was a reluctant emperor and his wife Empress Nurjahan became the centre of power. At the end of his reign his sons became rebels and competed for power against their emperor father. Jahangir died in 1627. And his competent son Shahjahan, the builder, came to the power.

Shahjahan established many architectural buildings like Taj Mahal, Delhi Jama Mosque, Red Fort, Shalimar Garden etc. Shahjahan finally deposed by his son Awrongojeb, in 1658 and died later in 1666 while living in captivation. Awrongojeb was a deeply practiced Muslim and a firm ruler. In the last 27 years of his ruling, he was engaged to subduing Marathas. Awrongojeb presented “Fatwa-E-Alamgir” and introduced Jijia, a non-muslim tax according to Islamic rule. Awrongojeb died in 1707. Actually this is the literal end of great Mughal emperor.

From Bahadur Shah 1, 1707 to Bahadur Shah II, 1857, an era of one hundred fifty years was ruled by 14 Mughal emperors. But their period was so volatile and highly affected by the rebel and challengers like Marathas, English and many of the local competitors. Ultimately they came to the verge of ruin by repeated wars, and finally removed by the British East India Company in 1857.

Since the time of establishment of great Mughal Empire to their failure in Sepoy Mutiny, Bengal was ruled by many rulers. The first one was Hossain Shahi dynasty. The second ruler of Shahi Dynasty, Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah, was in power of Bengal. He ruled Bengal from 1518 to 1533. Then Bengal came under Suri Empire. Sher Shah Suri (1532–1538) is most famous ruler who defeated Mughals and became the ruler of Delhi in 1540. Then Khidr Khan (1538–1541), Qazi Fazilat (1541–1545), Muhammad Khan Sur (1545–1554), and finally,  Shahbaz Khan (1555) ruled Bengal for a short while. After him, Muhammad Shah dynasty (1554-1564) started. Muhammad Khan Sur (1554–1555) declared independence and styled himself as Shamsuddin Muhammad Shah. Then Khizr Khan Suri (1555–1561), Ghiyasuddin Jalal Shah (1561–1564), Ghiyasuddin Shah III ruled. After them, Karrani dynasty (1564-1576) started. Taj Khan Karrani         (1564–1566.), Sulaiman Khan Karrani (1566–1572), Bayazid Khan Karrani (1572) and Daud Khan Karrani (1572–1576) ruled lost the control to Mughal Subahdars (1565–1717). At this stage, during the reign of Akbar, Munim Khan          (1574–1575) (known as Khan-i-Khanan), Hussain Quli Khan (1575–1578), Muzaffar Khan Turbati (1579–1580), Mirza Aziz Koka (1582–1583), Wazir Khan Tajik (1583-1583), Shahbaz Khan Kamboh           (1583–1585), Sadiq Khan (1585–1586), Wazir Khan Tajik (1586–1587), Sa'id Khan (1587–1594) Raja Man Singh I (1597 – 1606) ruled this area. During the reign of Jahangir. Qutubuddin Koka (Sep 2, 1606 – 1607) was killed in a battle against Sher Afghan. (Local history of Burdwan, West Bengal, India says that Qutub-ud-din Kokah died in a battle against Ali Quli Istajlu alias Sher Afgan in 1610 AD. The tomb where both of them were burried is presently under the surveillance of Archeological Survey of India.). Jahangir Quli Beg            (1607–1608) (In early life, a slave of Akbar's brother, Mirza Muhammad Hakim), Islam Khan Chishti (1608–1613) (first governor to transfer the Bengal capital to Dhaka on April 1612), Qasim Khan Chishti (1613–1617) (younger brother of Islam Khan Chishti), Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang (1617–1624) (died in an attack by Prince Shahjahan). Mahabat Khan (1625–1626), Mukarram Khan (1626–1627), Fidai Khan (1627–1628). During the reign of Shah Jahan, Qasim Khan Juvayni (1628–1632), Mir Muhammad Baqir   (1632–1635), (Known as Azam Khan), Mir Abdus Salam (1635–1639 (Known as Islam Khan Mashadi), Prince Shah Shuja (1639–1647) again (1652–1660). During the reign of Aurangzeb, Azim-us-Shan (r. 1697–1712) (receiving the investiture of Khizr). Mir Jumla II (1660–1663), Shaista Khan (1664–1678), Azam Khan Koka (1678-1678) (Known as Fidai Khan II), Prince Muhammad Azam (20 July 1678 – 6 October 1679), Shaista Khan (1680–1688), Ibrahim Khan II (1689–1697). Prince Azim-us-Shan (1697–1712).   

 

Post Aurangzeb Subahdars includes Khan-i-Alam (1712–1713), Farrukh Siyar (1713–1717), Murshid Quli Khan 1717–1727. Then came the The Nawabs of Bengal from Nasiri dynasty. Murshid Quli Jafar Khan ( 1717– 1727), Mirza Asadullah. Sarfaraz Khan Bahadur (1727-1727), Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan (July 1727 – 26 August), Sarfaraz Khan Bahadur (13 March 1739 – April 1740). Then came Afshar Dynasty. Muhammad Alivardi Khan Bahadur (29 April 1740 – 16 April 1756), Mîrzâ Muhammad Sirâj-ud-Daulah (April 1756 – 2 June 1757). Then came Najafi Dynasty. Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan (1 June 1757 – October 1760), Mir Kasim Ali Khan Bahadur (1760–1763), Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan (25 July 1763 – 17 January 1765), Najimuddin Ali Khan (5 February 1765 – 8 May 1766), Najabut Ali Khan (22 May 1766 – 10 March 1770), Ashraf Ali Khan (21 March 1770 – 6 September 1793), Babar Ali Khan Bahadur (1739-28 April 1810), Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan (5 June 1810 – 6 August 1821), Ahmad Ali Khan (1810 – 30 October 1824), Mubarak Ali Khan (1824 – 3 October 1838), Mansur Ali Khan (29 October 1838 –1881 (abdicated).

 

Then came Nawabs of Murshidabad. They were from Najafi Dynasty. Hassan Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur (17 February 1882 – 25 December 1906), Wasif Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur (December 1906–23 October 1959), Waris Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur (1959 – 20 November 1969) Ashe had no clear successor; title was in dispute and got an end.