Islam Khan I
Encyclopedia
Shaikh Alauddin Chisti was a Subahdar
and general of the army of the Mughal empire
in Bengal
, and the first governor of the city of Dhaka
, the capital of modern Bangladesh
. He was awarded the titular name of Islam Khan by Mughal emperor Jahangir
.
, Islam Khan was a childhood playmate of Jahangir
, then crown-prince to the throne held by emperor Akbar. He received formal education in the traditions of Mughal nobility, but apparently did not receive much military training. Despite this, he entered the service of the Mughal army. Prior to his coming to Bengal
he was subahdar of the province of Bihar
.
also sent a few missions to the province, but suffered failure. In 1608, he selected Islam Khan, then only 38 years old. Khan studied the politics of Bengal carefully and meticulously plotted his campaign. He sought to remove the Bhati of the Bara-Bhuiyans and the Afghan nobles under Khwaja Usman, believing them to be the chief obstacles to a Mughal takeover.
Reorganising the army and the navy, Islam Khan planned to march against the Bara-Bhuiyans first. He felt that the effective means of warfare in the low-lying, riverine Bhati area, was a strong fleet of war-boats. Appointing experienced and skilled officers, Islam Khan began a carefully organised military assault on the Bhati region, subjugating their allies such as the powerful Maharaja Pratapaditya of Jessore and Raja Satrajit of Bhusna first. Islam Khan also sent an army against the refractory zamindars of northwest Bengal. By June 1609 CE, Islam Khan's armies had progressed from Rajmahal
to Ghoraghat. He spent the first few months of 1610 fighting against the Bara Bhuiyans before reaching Dhaka in about June-July of the same year. The Bhuiyans were not subdued; they fortified their positions on both sides of the Lakhya river
. Islam Khan did not spare them any relief, but after fortifying Dhaka sent expeditions against all stations of the Bhuiyans and before the end of 1611 all the Bara-Bhuiyans including their chief Musa Khan
submitted to Islam Khan.
After his victory, Islam Khan turned his forces to attack the territories controlled by Khwaja Usman and his Afghan warlords. The Afghans fled to Uhar (in Maulvibazar) and continued their stubborn resistance. On Islam Khan's request, the emperor sent Shujaat Khan to lead the army against Usman. Although both armies clashed in a bloody stalemate, the sudden death of Khwaja Usman gave the Mughals an edge. Intensifying the offensive, Mughal forces destroyed their opposition and subjugated the Afghan forces under Bayazid Karrani
at Sylhet
. Islam Khan would also subsequently annex the Kamarupa kingdom.
region. Attacking his enemies one-by-one, he exploited their differences and rivalries to advance Mughal power. He did not allow the defeated zamindars, Bhuiyans and chiefs to go back to their respective territories; though their territories were returned to them, they were forced to join the Mughal army and their war-boats were confiscated. Joining the Mughal army, they had to fight against their fellow zamindars and Bhuiyans.
Following the defeat of the Bhuiyans, Islam Khan moved the provincial capital from Rajmahal, situated in western Bengal to the centre of the region in Dhaka
on April 1612. This strategic move gave the Mughal army permanent access to the heartland of Bengal and enabled them to respond speedily to political events. Occupying Dhaka, Islam Khan renamed it as "Jahangir Nagar
" and established a modern city.
and laid to eternal rest by the side of his grandfather Shaikh Salim Chishti. There is a large mosque
in Dhaka
dedicated to Islam Khan.
Subahdar
Subahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin...
and general of the army of the Mughal empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, and the first governor of the city of Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, the capital of modern Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He was awarded the titular name of Islam Khan by Mughal emperor Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
.
Early life
A son of Shaikh Badruddin Chisti and grandson of Shaikh Salim Chishti of Fatehpur SikriFatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is a city and a municipal board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Built near the much older Sikri, the historical city of Fatehabad, as it was first named, was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570...
, Islam Khan was a childhood playmate of Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
, then crown-prince to the throne held by emperor Akbar. He received formal education in the traditions of Mughal nobility, but apparently did not receive much military training. Despite this, he entered the service of the Mughal army. Prior to his coming to Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
he was subahdar of the province of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
.
Conquest of Bengal
Emperor Akbar had sent many missions to subjugate the Bengal region, but they largely failed owing to feudal rebellions. Upon taking the throne, emperor JahangirJahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
also sent a few missions to the province, but suffered failure. In 1608, he selected Islam Khan, then only 38 years old. Khan studied the politics of Bengal carefully and meticulously plotted his campaign. He sought to remove the Bhati of the Bara-Bhuiyans and the Afghan nobles under Khwaja Usman, believing them to be the chief obstacles to a Mughal takeover.
Reorganising the army and the navy, Islam Khan planned to march against the Bara-Bhuiyans first. He felt that the effective means of warfare in the low-lying, riverine Bhati area, was a strong fleet of war-boats. Appointing experienced and skilled officers, Islam Khan began a carefully organised military assault on the Bhati region, subjugating their allies such as the powerful Maharaja Pratapaditya of Jessore and Raja Satrajit of Bhusna first. Islam Khan also sent an army against the refractory zamindars of northwest Bengal. By June 1609 CE, Islam Khan's armies had progressed from Rajmahal
Rajmahal
Rajmahal is a city and a notified area in Sahibganj district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Rajmahal is the only sub-divisional town in Sahibganj district. It is one of the most historic place in Jharkhand...
to Ghoraghat. He spent the first few months of 1610 fighting against the Bara Bhuiyans before reaching Dhaka in about June-July of the same year. The Bhuiyans were not subdued; they fortified their positions on both sides of the Lakhya river
Shitalakshya River
Shitalakshya River is a distributary of the Brahmaputra. In its initial stages it flows in a southwest direction and then east of the city of Narayanganj in central Bangladesh until it merges with the Dhaleswari near Kalagachhiya. A portion of its upper course is known as Banar River...
. Islam Khan did not spare them any relief, but after fortifying Dhaka sent expeditions against all stations of the Bhuiyans and before the end of 1611 all the Bara-Bhuiyans including their chief Musa Khan
Musa Khan (Bengal Ruler)
Musa Khan was the leader of Bara-Bhuiyans of the Bhati region. He was the son and successor of Isa Khan.-History:After the death of his father in 1599, Musa Khan took power of Bengal as the chief of the Bara-Bhuiyans...
submitted to Islam Khan.
After his victory, Islam Khan turned his forces to attack the territories controlled by Khwaja Usman and his Afghan warlords. The Afghans fled to Uhar (in Maulvibazar) and continued their stubborn resistance. On Islam Khan's request, the emperor sent Shujaat Khan to lead the army against Usman. Although both armies clashed in a bloody stalemate, the sudden death of Khwaja Usman gave the Mughals an edge. Intensifying the offensive, Mughal forces destroyed their opposition and subjugated the Afghan forces under Bayazid Karrani
Bayazid Khan Karrani
Bayazid Karrani was the third ruler of the Karrani dynasty of Bengal. He ascended the throne after his father Sulaiman Khan Karrani died in October 1572. After assuming power he broke allegiance with the Mughals and declared independence.-Short Lived Ruling:...
at Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
. Islam Khan would also subsequently annex the Kamarupa kingdom.
Governor of Bengal
Islam Khan had established Mughal domain over all of Bengal save the ChittagongChittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
region. Attacking his enemies one-by-one, he exploited their differences and rivalries to advance Mughal power. He did not allow the defeated zamindars, Bhuiyans and chiefs to go back to their respective territories; though their territories were returned to them, they were forced to join the Mughal army and their war-boats were confiscated. Joining the Mughal army, they had to fight against their fellow zamindars and Bhuiyans.
Following the defeat of the Bhuiyans, Islam Khan moved the provincial capital from Rajmahal, situated in western Bengal to the centre of the region in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
on April 1612. This strategic move gave the Mughal army permanent access to the heartland of Bengal and enabled them to respond speedily to political events. Occupying Dhaka, Islam Khan renamed it as "Jahangir Nagar
Jahangir Nagar
Jahangir Nagar is the former name of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was named after Mughal Emperor Jahangir.To show respect to this name, a fully residential public university was established in Dhaka in 1970 as Jahangirnagar University....
" and established a modern city.
Death
Islam Khan governed Dhaka and Bengal from 1608 to 1613. While hunting he died mysteriously and unexpectedly at Bhawal about 25 miles north of Dhaka towards the end of 1613. He was first buried at Badshahi Bagh (old High Court premises), Dhaka, but later his coffin was taken to Fatehpur SikriFatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is a city and a municipal board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Built near the much older Sikri, the historical city of Fatehabad, as it was first named, was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570...
and laid to eternal rest by the side of his grandfather Shaikh Salim Chishti. There is a large mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
dedicated to Islam Khan.
See also
- DhakaDhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
- History of DhakaHistory of DhakaThe history of Dhaka begins with the existence of urbanised settlements in the area that is now Dhaka dating from the 7th century CE. The city area was ruled by the Buddhist kingdom of Kamarupa before passing to the control of the Sena dynasty in the 9th century CE.The name "Dhaka" derived from a...
- Mughal EmpireMughal EmpireThe Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
- History of BengalHistory of BengalThe history of Bengal includes modern day Bangladesh and West Bengal, dates back four millennia. To some extent, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers separated it from the mainland of India, though at times, Bengal has played an important role in the history of India.- Etymology :The exact origin...
- Islam KhanIslam KhanIslam Khan may refer to:*Islam Khan I - also known as Islam Khan Chisti *Islam Khan II - also known as Islam Khan Mashhadi *Islam Khan III - also known as Islam Khan Badakhshi...
- Islam Khan VIslam Khan VIslam Khan V was one of the prominent Emir and nobleman during the Mughal empire. He was entitled 'Islam Khan' and ‘Barkhurdar Khan’ by Emperor Bahadur Shah I and remained in many important posts during the successive rules of Bahadur Shah I, Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi ud Darajat, Shah...