Bhattasali (1922)
Bhattasali (1922)
Bhattasali (1922)
OF THE
BY
NALINI KANTA BHATTASALI, M. A.
Curator, Dacca Museum.
1922
:
DS
BHl
B57
Vubliihad In fndla by the Authoi>
, ,JN EUROPE BY
W. HRJFPBR
4, Pmtty Cury, Cambridge, Kitgland.
Printea by S. A. 9ui»ay
THE. ALEXANDRA S, M. PRESS,
DACCA.
To
My Teacher
And Friend In Need
Mr. F. C. Turner. M. A., I. E. S.
PREFACE
'The GoUectoi- of Dacca, No. 1440, dated the
in h!s letter
24th April 191 8, forwarded to me
and ttpUtt for examination
346 silver^ coins of the Bengal Saltans found in the wall of a
deserted house belonging to one Mahendra Kumar Das of the
village of Ketun, under the Rupganj Police Station of Dacca
District, From subsequent inquiry, I was able to ascertain thkt
the finders had quarrelled among themselves and the Police
had thus been able the whole of the find before' any
to seize
of the coins could be disposed of or concealed. After careful
iexaihination, these coins were acquired by Government under
the Treasure Trove Act and allotted to different Museums, The
best 54 have gone to the Indian Museum
have been allotted ; loi
to the.Dacca Museum and the rest have been divided as follows :—
the Royal Asiatic Society, the funds of the Society were then
;
so low that r woHld- have- had to-*ait some timebef ore."it could
CONTENTS.
COINS AND CHRONOLOGY
OF THE
'
* Col. H.ll. NeviH on *e KhuliYa Trove.
J. A. S. B. igie.
EARLY INDEPENDENT SULTANS OF BENGAL 5
sovereigns.
8- COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
obverse :
Reverse. In a cirqle :
^] j^li 4U)
Margin :
tARLY INDEPENDENT SULTANS OF BENGAL U
The cabinet of the Dacca Museum is rich in
the Shillong cabinet for inspection. Among them were two coins
of Mubarak Shah minted at Sonargaon and clearly dated 750 H.
Evidently these coins have been overlooked in the Supplementary
Catalogue, where the latest coin of Mubarak Shah described is of
749 H.
14 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
year 753H .
* It does not appear where Thomas met with this coin as all
the coins of Iliyas Shah in Col. Guthrie's collection, which was
Thomas's main source for his essay on the Initial Coinage of
Bengal, were of 758 H., as admitted by himself. Initial Coinage
P. 63, 2nd and 3rd lines.
—
dates.
26 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
attacked by
Iliyas Shah.
7th Rabi 'ul-Akhir, 755 H. Firoz Shah sets
the captives of
Gaur free.
27th Rabi 'ul-Akhir, 755 H. Peace between
Iliyas and Firoz
Shah, and the
latter's return
march to Dehli.
12th Sha'ban, 755 H. Firoz Shah reaches
Dehli.
iV^. B. He took three months and a half to
return to Dehli.
It stated by Shams-i-Siraj
is
Afif and
Badaoni that soon after Firoz Shah's
departure,
Iliyas hurried to Sonargaon, attacked
Fakhruddin
and him and occupied the
killed
country. We
baye already seen how it was certainly not
Sarly independent sultans of bengal 27
illuminating facts.
The identification of the site of the strong
fort of Ekdala must still be left an open
question. Zia Barni's statement that it was near
Pandua, practically confines the search for the
forgotten, site to the vicinity of Pandua. The
Biyaz expressly states that it was close to Gaur
—
I. M. 0. II.
No. 31b Sonargaon 768 H.
Shill. Sup.
Firozabad 758 H.
No. A
Shill. Sup.
759 H.
No. A
Shill. Sup.
No. A 760 H.
Initial Coin-
age P. 62. 758 H.
No. 16
Initial Coin-
age P. 64. Sonargaon 758 H.
No. 16 J
Blochmann's~
Contribu-
tions, I.
J. A. B. S.
760 H.
1873. III.
P. 255.
^Footnote,
EARLY INDEPEtiDENT SULTANS OF BENGAL 33
return.
Behar.
—
well-received.
Sikandar Shah.
to Lakhnauti.
Lakhnauti.
46 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
760 H. Zul-ka'dah to
761 H. Jamadi Siege of Ekdala.
ul-Awwal. )
761 H. 20th Jamadi Firoz Shah starts for Jaun-
ul-Awwal. pur after concluding
peace with Sikandar.
Passes the rains at
Jaunpur.
opportunity.
At this juncture, news came that the old
peace,
— "as Sultan Sikandar was already-
inclined."
The ministers of Firoz Shah seem to haye
received this ministerial agent sent without
royal authority, and who could certainly have
produced none, if asked to do so, — with open
arms, and had no difficulty in persuading their
master to listen to peace proposals. Firoz Shah,
however, stipulated for the restoration of
support.
52 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF TtiM
SIKANDAR SHAH.
mint-names.
—
is absent.
3. Twenty of type D of the I. M. C, of
9
66 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
Down, left Uj
10
.
S. 108— 1-15.
(d). Date X/LiUJ } ^Ac = 810. Wt. 161'7.
S. 1-22— 115.
4. One coin of new type. Wt. 1558.
S. 1-15— 1-18. Date 809 H.
76
COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF ^^^^^
^ytkU)|
Margins ;
EARLY INDEPENDENT SULTANS OF BENGAL 77
(J.
R. A. S. 1895. P. 553-34.) that only one embassy was sen
out and that in 1409 A. D.
EARLY INDEPENDENT SULTANS OF BENGAL 79
standard in everything.
Babu Durga Chandra Sanyal, in a rather
bulky compilation in Bengali called 'Vanger
Samajik Itihash' or the Social History of Bengal,
has given a complete history of the rise and
fall of the Zemindars of Bhaturia. His account
appears to be mainly based on tradition, but
he affirms that many important documents
regarding the former greatness of the Zemindars
of Bhaturia are still to be found, Eor instance,
he mentions that a member of the Bhaturia
family was employed by Emperor Shah Jahan
to the Governorship of Malwa for sometime
and the appointment Farman is still in existence.
The anecdotes of the Bhaturia Zemindars, as
recorded by Mr. Sanyal, are extremely interesting
and though they are likely to contain exaggera-
tions and fables, being mainly based on tradition
u
S2 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
ever.
12
90 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
Hamza Shah.
1. Type A. Seven coins. All are large and
flat coins, varying in section from 1"20 to 1'26.
Reverse. In a circle,
on them.
(1) The coin alleged to be of 801 H. It
obliterated.
reaches China.
13
93 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF ^^T^^
coin.
No. 4,
mint Firozabad.
Type D is absent in the present find.
6. [^^^]
Reverse. In a circle,—
above.
Margin : — Obliterated in places, but possibly
like the above.
14
—
J Ui iXi I He
ui UaLoMj I
—
appearance.
819 H. A coin of Jalaluddin. (I. M. 0.
No. 94)
820 H. Coins of Danujamarddana appear
from Ohatgaon, Sonargaon and Pandua.
821 H. A coin of Danujamarddana from
Pandua.
821 H. Mahendra Deva's coins from Pan-
dua and Ohatgaon.
821 H. Jalaluddin's coins reappear.
'5
114 COINS AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE
Hinduism.
The name Danujamarddana was very appro-
priate for the new monarch to take, as he rose to
845 H.
The manner in which Shaikh Anwar and
Shaikh Zahid were oppressed, according to the
Riyaz, suggests that the powerful saint Nur-
Kutab 'Alam was no longer alive at that time.
Shaikh Anwar and Zahid could be banished
to Sonargaon with impunity and oppression exer-
cisedon them for revealing the hiding place of
the wealth of Nur-Kutab 'Alam (the father of
one and the grand-father of the other) only after
the death of the saint. The recall of Shaikh
Zahid
this direction.
. — —
Mint Pandunagara.
—
^ 1^
Reverse. As in No. 1.
Margins, As in No, 1.
i6
— —
MAHENDRA DEVA.
Mahendra Deva appears to have been the
name under which Jadu succeeded his father on
the throne of Bengal.
He reigned for only a few months in 1340 S.
8. AJ l*i Uj J
8. AjLiLj .
Reverse. In a square :
1^
17
——
corner :
a«.ji
r
Date 818 H.
Obverse. In a circle, — in neat and elegaht
letters :
jAisJ] ,i 1
mad Shah.
818 H. 7th Zul-ka'dah Death of saint Nur-
Kutab 'Alam.
819 H. Jadu dethroned and reconverted.
Ganesh again ascends the throne.
821 H. Death of Raja Ganesh.
821 H. Jadu succeeds Ganesh on the throne
of Bengal under the Mahendra Deva, but
title of
soon turns Muhammadan again and resumes his
former title of Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah.
835 H. Death of Jalaluddin Muhammad
Shah.
.
APPENDIX I.
Shaikh Jalaluddin.
He was numbered amongthe principal saints, and was
one of the most singular of men. He had done
many
noteworthy acts, and wrought many celebrated
miracles.
He was a very old man. He told me that he had
seen
at Baghdad Khalif Mustasim Billah, the Abbaside, and
. .?.^.:A^JSI:^'1.I!^AY.?LS in bengal
^
jsq
met, the sailors of each struck the drum and the mariners
saluted each other. The Sultan Fakhruddin had ordered
that there should be no freight charges from Fakirs on
the river, and provisions for the journey should also
be supplied to those who had not any. When a Fakir
arrives in a village he is given a half dinar.
At the end of 15 days' sail on the river, as already
told, we came to the town of Sonarkawan. Tiie
inhabitants of the place had seized the Fakir Shayda,
when he took his refuge here. On our arrival at the
NOIES.
Ibn-Batuta visited Bengal on his way to China as an
envoy from Muh.immad Tughlaq to the Chinese
court. The nara'tives of Ibn-Batuta 's travels in Bengal
require clearing up in many particulars. The following
notes compiled from different sources may be found
useful.
Identification of Sadkawan.
—
be remembered that (i) the expression— ''have united
near it before falling into the sea" — is not applicable
in the case of Satgaon. The sea was far off from the
place of union ;
(ii) Even taking it for granted that
Jamuna which is an insignificant stream, a narrow
dried up canal, a yard or two wide at present, was
a river powerful enough five hundred years ago to
catch the notice of a foreign traveller, the arguers in
favour of Satgaon have overlooked one very important
fact. The Triveni (the three braids, meaning the three
rivers) at Satgaon is muktaveni (separated braids, i. e.
Lakhnauti.
The country with which Fakhruddin went to fight
appears to have been Tippera.
transcribed as Sadkawan.
The above discussion, hope, will make it clear
I that
Ibn-Batuta's Sadkawan represents Chittagong and not
Satgaon.
'
~
I..
J. A. S. B. 1870. P. 285-286.
2. J. A. S. B. 1909. P. 248.
—
20
—
past years ;
and for future years they agreed to pay
158 EARLY INDEPENDENT SULTANS OF B^^^
was about to fly from his body and from his cavalry and
infantry. He saw clearly his own death with his own
eyes in the mirror of experience and remained anxious
and restless at Ekdala. The exalted banners reached
Jakat from Gorakhpur, and from Jakat cast their
shadows in Tirhut as if in fun. The Raja of Tirhut ,
the army would cross the water and would plunder Ekdala
and capture the royal elephants, — in such a tumult, a
large number of men, guilty and not guilty, would be
put to the sword. In conquering the wicked Iliyas, much
blood of the innocent Mussalmans would be spilt and
the Zenana of the Sunni Mussalmans would fall into the
hands of the unrestrained mob,— the paiks and the
dhanuks, —idolaters and Non-Mussalmans. Outrages
would take place and the high, the wise, the sujis, the
students, the Dervishes, the hermits, the strangers and
the travellers would be ruined. The chattels and
property of the innocent, the
oppressed and the
weak would be seized by the army. And without
imperial elephants, in no other way would be
removed
PIROZ SHAJH^S FIRST EXPEDITION TO LAKHNA UTI 161
joy and made for the other station fixed on, with noise
and tumult.
On hearing the noise of the people, Iliyas and his
followers thought that the army was perhaps retreating
towards the As the anger of God had overpowered
city.
31
162 EARLY INDEPENDENT SULTANS OF BENGAL,
When the time for the evening prayer came and the
victory narrated above took place with the help of God
and the effect of victory became evident, His Majesty
was pleased to come to his splendid court and issued a
Farman to the victorious army that they should retire
to their own places and should bring to the royal camp
the followers the members of the household, the Amirs
and the personal attendants of Iliyas, the Governor of
Lakhnauti, who had fallen into their hands, (some) with
their hands thrown on their necks, and (others) with hands
bound behind their backs, - with the umbrella, the staff and
the other royal insignia, —with the 44 elephants and the
horses with saddles and without saddles. Thereupon, the
elephants were made to pass before the throne and the
spectators were astonished at the sight of the elephants
looking like mountains. The old keepers of elephants
and Mahuts of the royal elephant-stable swore in
one voice before the throne that such huge elephants,
each of which was like an iron-mountain or a fort of
Dizhruin, had not at any time reached Dehli from
any place.
When the elephants were passing before the
exalted throne, the lord of the world, at the sight of
those elephants, was pleased to say to those kings
and Amirs who were present before him :
— "These
elephants put Iliyas, the governor of Lakhnauti, into
difficulty ; on the strength of these elephants the
pride of kingship rang loudly
in his head, and put into
his mind the idea of battle with the army of Dehli
'
lord of the world and praised him ; and the lord of the
the capital, who had been engaged day and night in the
prayer for conquest and divine help to the king, the
protector of religion. Through the favour of the king,
the conqueror of the world, presents were made to the
Uletnas of the town and gifts to the hermitages of
Shaikhs and offerings to the holders of Astanas and
hermits. The king of Islam, in gratitude for victory
and divine aid, paid a visit to the tombs of the saints
and bestowed gifts. On the arrival of the exalted
banners, victorious and divinely aided, with security
and booty, the hearts of the inhabitants of the capital
and the country, high and low, became pacified and
their breasts obtained ease. After the said conquest,
Uiyas, theGovernor of Lakhnauti, became submissive
and obedient, after having received a lesson at the
hands of the divinely aided army. He again
expressed sincerity and obedience and sent through
trusted persons two despatches of presents and ample
gifts as tokens of obedience to the Court and wrote
the petition of submission of an Amir.
APPENDIX III.
23
;
heads and wear white cloth turbans and a long loose robe
with a round collar, which they put on over their heads
and which is fastened in at the waist by a broad coloured
handkerchief. They wear pointed leather shoes. The
king and his officers all dress like Muhammadans
their head-dress and clothes are becomingly arranged.
The language of the people is Bengali ; Persian is also
spoken here,
The currency of the country is a silver coin called
Tang-ka which is two Chinese mace in weight, — is one
inch and two-tenths in diameter and is engraved on
either side. All large business transactions are carried
on with this coin, but for small purchases, they use
a sea-shell called by the foreigners /^^i?-// (cowri).
The whole year is hot like our summer. They
have two crops of rice a year They have three or
four kinds of wines, the cocoanut, rice, tarry and kadjang.
Ardent spirits are sold in the market places.
Not having any tea, they offer their guests the betel-
nut in its place. Their streets are well provided with
shops of various kinds, also drinking and eating houses
and bathing establishments
Among their manufactures are five or six kinds of cotton
fabrics. One like our Pi-pu has the foreign- name of
Pi-chih». This fabric is of a soft texture, three feet broad
and made up in lengths of fifty-six or fifty,seven feet.
Pichchhila ?
'
t. Malrnal. 2. Fauzdar ?
>
172 EARLY INDEPENDENT SULTAI^S^^^^
NOTES.
Measure of li.
about 5i U.
Kingdom of Bengala.
735
176 EARLY INDEPENDENT SULTAN'S OF BENGAL.
783
; — —
GENERAL INDEX.
Astanas — 168.
Abaninath — 85. Atrai. R— 87.
Abbaside— 138. A'zam Shah. Vide Ghiyasuddin
Adina mosque — 53, 72. A'zam Shah.
Afif. Vide Shams-i-Siraj Afif. —
Azim 85, 86.
Ahmad Shah— 8. B.
Ahmed. Maulvi Tasaddaqe— Badaoni — 17, 26, 42, 43.
23
—
Dacca Review —'68, lOO, 121, Ferishta— 31, 42, 43, 48, 112.
123, 129, 150, 153, Finances and Revenue of Bengal:
Dacca University — 135, 155. Grant's Analysis of — 88.
Dakshin Shahbazpur — 146. Firozabad— 9. 10-4-5, 21, 32, 33,
Danujamarddana Deva— 7, 109, 55. 63, 69, 7J-3-4-S. 92, 102-
I io-3-4-5-6'7-8, I20-I-2-3, 134, 3-9, 114, 118, 124, 128, 173.
Danuj Roy— 152, 133 Firoz Shah : Vide 'Alauddin
Dara— 86. Firoz Shah,
Defremery. Mr. — 135. Firoz Shah. Shamsuddin :
Dinar— 12,S, 136, 143. '44- '32. 133. 'SS. 156. 16,8.
Kans, Raja— 60, 67, 78, 79. Lo-pu— a cotton fabric— 171.
—
Kansaram 83, 84. Lotah — 6, 8.
— 167. —
Tabakat-i-Nasiri 5. '54- ;
—
Tangan. R.— 30. Yung-lo -65-6.7, 78.
Tangka,currency of Bengal— 170.
Tarash— 121
Tarikh-i-Ferishta— 5. Zafarabad— 37, 46, 48.
Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi— 5,17, 155. See Jafarabad.
Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi 42, 43, — Zafar Khan— 30-1-5, 41-4-5-7. SO.
81.
— 167. —
Zafar Khan Conqueror of Tri-
Tatar, horses
Tazuddin— 35, 45.
veni— 151-2-3.
Zafarpur — 36.
Thomas. Mr.— 2, 3,4,9,12-3- Zagirs— 81. See Jagirs.
4-5-6-8-9, 20-I-2-2f-3-7.9, 40, Zahid, Shaikh— III.
52-4-6-7-8-9, 60, 6g, 72, 144. Zia Barni-25.6r8-9, 42, 43, 81,
Tibet— 138.
Tirhut— 131, 149, 153. Zimmis — 156.
PLATE I.
>-j
741 H.
PLATE II.
Sikandar Shah
?oc J-\.
'7)
CO
CO
A'zam Shah
PLATE III.
1
^'^^^ .
ip% y^^^^ ^^¥h.
ll"
ac
^^ ^'^^^s-V-
/-
v^;-*
* . >
(
'viM.:t4t;:?%i/'
'-\) : -
V "- 6 a
^^ri-
Sikandar Shah.
PLATE IV.
X^l"^'-
*'*
4 A
2 a
,r,\ .11'
-^S^:vV^^
Haxa2;a _i*
Saifuddin Hamza Shah.
PLATE VI.
K'4% '^&M
^'-'^
K-3 HaQJia
Bayazid
^W
$&m':^^^^''^ Immir^^i
mM^>,.^ '^^^'
"Bayazid
'-111 .\i
"u-,A\
I ,
^;!:!^:i. ^mm
^'^
"'ba ^^':^^*'
PLATE X,
'&j:j>1^,^^ so mUes.
iyeHlBftS
NKtH^