Sind, Bengal, Mewar, Khandesh & Bahmani Kingdom: Provincial Dynasties of North India & Deccan | SSC CGL Tier 2 - Study Material, Online Tests, Previous Year PDF Download

Sind, Bengal, Mewar, Khandesh, and the Bahmani Kingdom

Sind

• In 1010 A.D., Mahmud Ghazni conquered Sind. As the Ghaznavid power declined, the Surmas, a Rajput clan, became independent in the southern parts.
• Iltutmish captured Sind and from then the sultans of Delhi considered it as a part of their Sultanate.
• The Surmas were later succeeded by the Samma tribes in lower Sind. The Sammas converted to Islam and claimed lineage from the ancient Iranian king Jamshid, adopting the title Jam.
• The Jam kings are not well-documented, but Jam Nizam-ud-din, also known as Nanda, was a prominent ruler. He was a scholar and poet who supported Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Asad, the author of the Akhlaq-i-Jalali. After Nanda, Jam Firuz took over as ruler.
• In 1591 A.D., Akbar sent Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana to invade Sind, leading to its incorporation into the Mughal Empire.

Bengal

• After Tughril's revolt in 1282 A.D., Balban's son Bhugra Khan founded a dynasty in Bengal, ruling mostly independently from Delhi.
• By 1297 A.D., Bengal divided into two kingdoms, with Sonargaon and Lakhnauti as their capitals.
• In 1342 A.D., Illyas, an officer under Ali Shah of Lakhnauti, proclaimed himself the independent ruler of Bengal, taking the title Shamsuddin Illyas Shah.
• Sikandar Shah from this dynasty constructed grand buildings in the new capital, Pandua, between 1358-89 A.D..
• For a short time, this dynasty was replaced by a Hindu prince, Raja Ganesh, and his descendants, who later converted to Islam.
• An Abyssinian dynasty then ruled until 1493 A.D., when they were overthrown.

Hussain Shah

• Hussain Shah ruled from 1493 to 1519 A.D., and his time is remembered for significant public works and for supporting Bengali literature. The notable Hindu reformer Chaitanya received his support.
• He was followed by his son Nushrat Shah, who was a contemporary of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. During his reign, a Bengali version of the Mahabharata was commissioned by Nushrat Shah.
• Mahmud Shah, son of Nushrat Shah, was overthrown in 1538 A.D. by Sher Khan Suri and sought refuge with Humayun. Humayun later captured Gurbut Sher Khan.

Points To Be Remembered

• Malik Muhammad Jaysi, the author of the famous Hindu work Padmavat, lived in Jaunpur.
• Sikander Lodi chose the location for the city of Agra in 1506.
• Zainul Abidin is still referred to as Bud Shah (the Great Sultan) by the people of Kashmir.
• The most remarkable engineering feat of Zainul Abidin was the creation of Zaina Lanka, an artificial island in Woolur Lake, where he constructed his palace and mosque.
• Humayun, son of Ala-ud-din, ruled from 1457 to 1461 A.D. and was known as the Nero of the Deccan.
• It is important to mention the contributions of two significant administrators of the Bahmanis. they were both ministers, not kings:
  (a) Saif-ud-din Ghuri, who served under the first five Bahmanis, and
  (b) Mahmud Gawan, who worked under the last three true rulers of the dynasty.

Historical Background

• Hindus revered Husain Shah as an incarnation of Krishna, Nripati Tilak (crown of kings), and Jagat Bhushan (Adornment of the universe).
• The Ekalinga-mahatmya describes Rana Kumbha's military victories over neighbouring Rajput princes.
• Rana Kumbha authored commentaries on Jayadeva's Gitagovinda and Chandisataam.
• Rao Biks founded the Rathor dynasty of Bikaner and established Bikaner as the capital.

Independence of Bengal

• He played a significant role in the battle of Chausa, where he successfully regained the independence of Bengal.
• Khidr Khan, the son of Muhammad Khan, declared himself an independent ruler and established the Suri dynasty, which lasted until 1564 A.D.
• Sulaiman Karrani seized control of Bengal, and his son Da’ud Karrani was defeated by Akbar, leading to Bengal's annexation to Delhi in 1575 A.D.

Kashmir History

• Kashmir remained under Hindu rule until 1339 A.D., despite earlier Muslim advances into Hindustan.
• The first Muslim dynasty in Kashmir was founded by Shah Mir in 1339 A.D., who became known as Shamas-ud-din.
• After Shah Mir ’s death in 1342 A.D., his son Jamshid succeeded him but was soon overthrown by his brother Alisher, who ascended the throne as Ala-ud-din in 1343 A.D.
• Ala-ud-din ruled until 1354 A.D., when he was succeeded by his son Shirashamk, later known as Sultan Shihab-ud-din.
• Sultan Shihab-ud-din was succeeded by his brother Hindal, who became king as Qutb-ud-din and ruled until 1389 A.D.
• Qutb-ud-din was followed by his son Sikandar, whose strict policies made him a controversial figure.
• Sikandar faced a demand from Timur for a large tribute, but the crisis was averted when Timur had to leave for Samarqand.
• Sikandar died in 1413 A.D., and his successor Zain-ul-Abidin (1417-67 A.D.) is remembered as the greatest ruler of the dynasty for his religious tolerance and promotion of culture.
• Zain-ul-Abidin was dedicated to one wife and supported literature, painting, and music, facilitating translations of various works from Sanskrit, Arabic, and other languages, including the Mahabharata and Rajatarangini translated from Sanskrit into Persian.

The Rulers of Mewar and Khandesh

Mewar

• Rana Kumbha (1433-68 CE) was the ruler who elevated Mewar to a significant power.
• His reign was marked by ongoing conflicts with Gujarat and Malwa.
• Marwar was initially under Mewar's control, but it later gained independence through a successful struggle led by Rao Jodha.
• Kumbha was both a patron of scholars and a learned individual himself.
• The remains of his palace and the victory tower ( kirti stambha. at Chittor indicate his passion for construction.
• Tragically, Kumbha was assassinated by his own son Uda.
• Rana Sanga, Kumbha's grandson, became the ruler of Mewar in 1508 CE and achieved a notable victory over Mahmud II in 1517 CE.
• The Lodi ruler Ibrahim Lodi attempted to invade Mewar but faced a significant setback at the hands of Rana Sanga at Ghatoli.
• Ultimately, Rana Sanga was defeated by Babur in 1527 CE at the battle of Khanua.

Khandesh

• Khandesh was established by Malik Raja during the reigns of Ala-ud-din Khalji and Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq.
• In 1370 CE, Firuz Tughlaq granted Malik Raja the districts of Thalner and Kuronde on the Deccan borders.
• Claiming descent from Khalifa ‘Umar Faruq, Malik Raja's dynasty became known as the Faruqi dynasty.
• His son Nasir expanded the dynasty's reach by capturing the hill-fortress of Asirgarh.
• However, Ahmad Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, defeated Nasir, forcing him to accept Ahmad's suzerainty.
• Nasir died in 1437 CE, and his successors were weak until Adil Khan II became a strong ruler.
• After Adil Khan II, Da’ud Khan, Ghazi Khan, Adil Khan III, and Bahadur Khan ruled successively.
• The dynasty ended when Akbar annexed Khandesh into the Mughal empire in 1601 CE.

The Bahmani Kingdom

• Abdul Fath Nisir-ud-din Ismail Shah was the first king of independent Deccan.
• Zafar Khan, the son of the new sultan, successfully resisted Muhammad Tughlaq 's attempts to reclaim the Deccan.
• Muhammad Shah I (1358-1375), his successor, introduced administrative reforms by dividing the kingdom into four sections called tarafs, each governed by a Tarafdar.
• His reign involved conflicts with Telangana and Vijayanagar, primarily over the wealthy Raichur doab.
• Muhammad Shah I managed to capture Golkonda from the Hindu ruler of Warangal.
• Mujahid Shah and Muhammad Shah II followed, with Muhammad Shah II known for his love of poetry and philosophy, earning him the title of the second Aristotle.
• Firuz Shah, who ascended in 1397, had mixed success against Vijayanagar, losing the Raichur doab in 1417.
• Ahmed Shah Wali moved the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar around 1424, achieving victories against Vijayanagar and repelling invasions from Malwa and Gujarat.
• Mahmud Gawan, a foreigner and skilled general, was appointed Prime Minister by Humayun (1438-1461) and played a vital role in promoting peace and justice.
• After Gawan's execution by Sultan Shams-ud-din Muhammad (1463-1482), Hassan Nizam-ul-Mulk Bahri took control but was killed by the Abyssinian governor of Bidar, leading to the kingdom's decline.
• In June 1490, Ahmad declared himself an independent king, prompting other governors to follow suit and leading to the fragmentation of the kingdom into five Sultanates: the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the Qutb Shahis of Golconda, the Nizam Shahis of Ahmadnagar, the Barid Shahis of Bidar, and the Imad Shahis of Berar.