Mahmud Begada
Encyclopedia
Sultan Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, popularly known as Mahmud Begada (reigned May 25, 1458 –November 23, 1511) was the most prominent sultan of Gujarat
. He was the great-grandson of Ahmad Shah I
, the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty, and of the city of Ahmedabad
in the present-day state of Gujarat, India
. He was known to be quite religious. By his conquests, he expanded the territory of the Gujarat Sultanate to its maximum till its conquest of Malwa, and ruled for 43 years. He titled himself, Sultân al-Barr, Sultân al-Bahr, 'Sultan of the Land, Sultan of the Sea'.
Rajput
s who held the Pavagadh
fort. The young Sultan, after laying siege
for 20 months, conquered the fort on 21 November 1484. He then transferred his capital to Champaner
which he completely rebuilt at the foothills of the Pavagadh fort, calling it Muhammadabad. It took 23 years to build the town. The town finally succumbed to attacks from the Mughal
Emperor Humayun
in 1535.
The town derives its name from the Champa tree, or from Champaraj founder of the town, a contemporary of King Vanraj Chavda of Anhilwada. Champaner is today the site of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park, which is on UNESCO
's List of World Heritage Sites in Asia, and is situated about 47 km from the city of Vadodara
.
Sultan Begada also built a magnificent Jama Masjid in Champaner, which ranks amongst the finest architectural edifices in Gujarat. It is an imposing structure on a high plinth with two tall minaret
s 30 ft tall, 172 pillars and seven mihrab
s. The central dome, the placement of balconies and carved entrance gates with fine stone jali
s.
from the Koli (fisherman) tribe, before one of his descendants Bahadur Shah
, handed the island over to the Portuguese
in 1535.
) in 1479 A.D. Strong embankments were raised along the river, and the city was adorned with a palace
, handsome buildings and extensive gardens.
and the Sultan of Cairo
to obtain reinforcements for a Muslim conquest of India. It is during his reign that the famous Battle of Diu
took place.
One of his religious teachers was Imam al din `Abd al Raheem, also known as Sayyid Imam Shah, the founder of the Imam-Shahi faith.
Some Europe
an adventurers circulated popular tales about the him under the erroneous name Turk Mahmud Shah I ("Begada"), "the Poison Sultan," and those became the source for the English satirist Samuel Butler
's seventeenth-century lines: "The Prince of Cambay's daily food/ Is asp and basilisk and toad".
, about 8 km south-west of Ahmedabad in an elegant architectural complex.
Gujarat Sultanate
The Gujarat Sultanate was an independent kingdom established in the early 15th century in Gujarat. The founder of the ruling Muzaffarid dynasty, Zafar Khan was appointed as governor of Gujarat by Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad bin Tughluq IV in 1391, the ruler of the principal state in north India at the...
. He was the great-grandson of Ahmad Shah I
Ahmed Shah of Gujarat
Ahmed Shah of Gujarat was a sultan of Gujarat's ruling Muzaffarid dynasty from 1411 until his death in 1442. Today, he is famously known as Ahmed Shah Badshah of Ahmedabad....
, the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty, and of the city of Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
in the present-day state of Gujarat, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was known to be quite religious. By his conquests, he expanded the territory of the Gujarat Sultanate to its maximum till its conquest of Malwa, and ruled for 43 years. He titled himself, Sultân al-Barr, Sultân al-Bahr, 'Sultan of the Land, Sultan of the Sea'.
Champaner
One of his initial conquests was an attempt to quash the Khichi ChauhanChauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s who held the Pavagadh
Pavagadh
Pavagadh is a Hill Station, and a Municipality in Panchmahal district about away from Vadodara in Gujarat state in western India. It is known for a famous Mahakali temple which draws thousands of pilgrims everyday....
fort. The young Sultan, after laying siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
for 20 months, conquered the fort on 21 November 1484. He then transferred his capital to Champaner
Champaner
Champaner चंमपानेर شمبنر is a historical city in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It is located in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city of Vadodara. The city was briefly the capital of Gujarat....
which he completely rebuilt at the foothills of the Pavagadh fort, calling it Muhammadabad. It took 23 years to build the town. The town finally succumbed to attacks from the Mughal
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...
Emperor Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
in 1535.
The town derives its name from the Champa tree, or from Champaraj founder of the town, a contemporary of King Vanraj Chavda of Anhilwada. Champaner is today the site of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park, which is on UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's List of World Heritage Sites in Asia, and is situated about 47 km from the city of Vadodara
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
.
Sultan Begada also built a magnificent Jama Masjid in Champaner, which ranks amongst the finest architectural edifices in Gujarat. It is an imposing structure on a high plinth with two tall minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
s 30 ft tall, 172 pillars and seven mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
s. The central dome, the placement of balconies and carved entrance gates with fine stone jali
Jali
A jali is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy and geometry. Early work was performed by carving into stone, while the later more elegant used by the Mughals employed the technique of inlay, using marble...
s.
Mumbai
The Sultan is also credited with capturing the island of BombayMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
from the Koli (fisherman) tribe, before one of his descendants Bahadur Shah
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
Sultan Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah , who reigned 1526-1535 and 1536-1537, was a sultan of Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval independent kingdom in India.-Early years:...
, handed the island over to the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1535.
Mahmudabad
He laid the foundation of the city of Mahmudabad (now JunagadhJunagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
) in 1479 A.D. Strong embankments were raised along the river, and the city was adorned with a palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
, handsome buildings and extensive gardens.
Greater ambitions
The Sultan was ambitious and contacted the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and the Sultan of Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
to obtain reinforcements for a Muslim conquest of India. It is during his reign that the famous Battle of Diu
Battle of Diu (1509)
The Battle of Diu sometimes referred as the Second Battle of Chaul was a naval battle fought on 3 February 1509 in the Arabian Sea, near the port of Diu, India, between the Portuguese Empire and a joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Kozhikode...
took place.
One of his religious teachers was Imam al din `Abd al Raheem, also known as Sayyid Imam Shah, the founder of the Imam-Shahi faith.
Some Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an adventurers circulated popular tales about the him under the erroneous name Turk Mahmud Shah I ("Begada"), "the Poison Sultan," and those became the source for the English satirist Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler (poet)
Samuel Butler was a poet and satirist. Born in Strensham, Worcestershire and baptised 14 February 1613, he is remembered now chiefly for a long satirical burlesque poem on Puritanism entitled Hudibras.-Biography:...
's seventeenth-century lines: "The Prince of Cambay's daily food/ Is asp and basilisk and toad".
Death
The Sultan is believed to have died of natural causes in 1511, and is buried next to his Queen, in the Dargah at SarkhejSarkhej
Sarkhej or Sarkhej Roza is an architectural complex located 8 km south from Ahmedabad.-History:Mainly erected under Mahmud Begada's reign , it has been built on the location where the holy man and religious Muslim leader Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh lived and died...
, about 8 km south-west of Ahmedabad in an elegant architectural complex.