Bengal under Independent Sultans (1338-1538 AD) 1) East Bengal at Sonargaon 1338-1357 AD
2) Ilias Shahi Dynasty1342-1412 AD
Later Ilias Shahi 1436-1487 AD
3) Raja Ganesh and his family 1412-1436 AD
4) Abisynian Period 1487-1493 AD
5) Hossain Shahi Piriod 1493-1538 A
The rule of the independent sultans (1338-1538) in BengalIn 1338 AD, Fakhruddin Mubarok Shah established himself as independent Sultan of Sonargaon. After his death in 1349 Sonargaon succeeded by his son Gazi Shah. In that time an army commander Ali Mubrak seized control and established an independent kingdom at Lakhnauti. In 1342 he was overthrown by Haji Iliyas. Sultan Iliyas Shah established the Iliyas Shahi Dynasty which ruled Bengal for the next hundred years.
Iliyas Shah
Haji Iliyas took control of Lakhnauti in 1342 and assumed the long title of ‘Sultan Shamsuddin Abul Muzaffar Iliyas Shah’. Some historians think that Iliyas was the first ruler who brought the three major geographical units of Satgaon, Sonargaon and Lakhnauti under a single authority. Because of that he called himself Shah-i-Bangala or the King of Bengal.
Haji Iliyas's rise as an independent ruler in Bengal offended the Sultan in Delhi. Sultan Firuz Tughluq invaded Bengal with an enormous army in 1353 A.D. But Firuz Shah could not crush Haji Iliyas who continued to rule freely. He also extended his authority in Bihar, Nepal, Orissa and Assam. Although Fakhruddin started the process of an independent Bengal in 1338 A.D Haji Iliyas was the real founder of Bengal.
Sikandar Shah
Sultan Iliyas Shah was succeeded by his son Sikandar Shah. Sikandar Shah ruled a prosperous and politically stable Bengal for about thirty years and died around 1390. Sultan Firuz of Delhi invaded Bengal again in 1359, but Sikandar, like his father, successfully faced the imperial army of Delhi. After this date, the Sultans of Delhi realised the growing strength of the Sultans of Bengal and they did not try to capture Bengal for quite a long time.
Ghiyasuddin Azam
Sikandar Shah was succeded by his son Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (1390--1410). Ghiyasuddin was an able ruler. He exchanged embassies with the Chinese Emperor and maintained correspondences with the famous poet, Hafiz of Iran. He also patronised several madrassa in Mecca and Medina.
Sultan Ghiyasuddin was also famous for his respect for law and justice. It is said that he once told the Chief Justice of his kingdom that though he was the Sultan, he was not above the law. Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah was one of the more widely known of medieval Sultans of Bengal. His tomb is situated in Narayanganj of current day Bangladesh.
Raja Ganesh
The death of Ghiyasuddin Azam was followed by political instability. His son Saifuddin Hamza Shah was murdered by his slave Shihabuddin. Taking advantage of the confusion, a Brahman noble of Vaturia, Dinanjpur, Raja Ganesh, assumed power in Bengal. Ganesh commanded great authority, he could not stay in power for long due to constant pressures from Muslim nobles. He is said to have appointed many Hindus in high posts and persecuted many Sufis. Sultan Ibrahim Sarki brought a force from Jainpur and Raja Ganesh was forced to abdicate the kingdom in favour of his son, Jadu, who agreed to embrace Islam and was named Jalaluddin Mohammad Shah. After Ibrahim Sarki left Bengal, Ganesh reassumed power and reconverted his son to Hinduism. Only after Ganesh's death in 1418 A.D. Jalaluddin return to Islam & rulled Bengal since 1432 as a pious Sultan.
Jalaluddin's son, Shamshuddin Ahmad Shah rulled as a just ruler. He was murdered by his slave and then Nasir Khan ascended the throne. After Nasir Khan the Nobels restored the Iliyas Shahi Dynasty by installing Nasiruddin Mahmood Shah who is a grandson of Haji Iliyas. He ruled for seventeen years (1433-1459), and during his reign the boundary of Bengal was greatly extended.
Nasiruddin was succeeded by his competent son Rukhunuddin Barbak Shah (1459-1574).
Ruknuddin had brought a large number of slaves of Ethiopean origin who became politically powerful over the time. Soon after Ruknuddin's death, the activities of some of these 'slaves' created political instability. Between 1487 and 1493, four of the slaves became Sultans and were killed by rivals.
1) Shahajada Barbak Shah
2) Saif Uddin Firuz Shah
3) Nasir Uddin Mahmud (2nd)
4) Shams Uddin Mozaffar Shah
A period of unrest was finally brought to an end when a noble of Arab origin named Sayid Hussain assumed power (1494) and entitled himself as Alauddin Hussain Shah. Thus the Hussain Shahi Dynasty was established.
Hussain Shahi Period
Sultan Alauddin Husain Shah occupied a significant place in the medieval history of Bengal. He extended the boundaries of Bengal by conquering Kamarupa and Kamta, annexing Comilla and Chittagong to his kingdom and sending expeditions to Orissa. He also repulsed an attack by Sikander Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi. His son Prince Nusrat Shah was a skilled administrator.
Nusrat Shah (1519--1532) ascended the throne of Bengal after the death of Hussain. Nusrat Shah was an able ruler like his father. He cleverly tried to avoid any confrontation with Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, who had appeared in the eastern Indian scene after his victory at Panipath (1526). Nusrat professed neutrality and avoided having any connection with the anti-Mughal confederacy that was formed by Mahmud Lodi with Afghan chiefs. When Babur sent an expedition to Bengal, Nusrat Shah concluded a treaty which made Bengal safe.
Sultan Nusrat Shah was killed by an assassin in 1532 and succeeded by Alauddin Feruz Shah and then Ghiasuddin Mahmud. But they could not reverse the trend of decline of the Husain Shahi Dynasty that had started after the death of Nusrat Shah. Meanwhile, the Afghans grew stronger under the leadership of Sher Shah, who posed a great threat to the Mughals in Delhi as well as the Sultans of Bengal. Sher Shah captured Gaur in 1538 and the independent status of Bengal was finally lost.
See the short notes on Independents Sultans of Bengal following attached file.