TOPIC 2 (C) THE
ESTABLISHMENT AND
CONSOLIDATION OF MUSLIM
RULE IN BENGAL (1204--1342)
BANGLADESH STUDIES
PAPER-1
LET US LEARN FOLLOWING ASPECTS OF
ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSOLIDATION
OF MUSLIM
RULE IN BENGAL
• THIS SECTION COVERS MUSLIM RULE IN BENGAL FROM 1204 TO 1342.
• MUHAMMAD BAKHTIYAR AND THE TURKISH CONQUEST
• THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BAKHTIYAR KHILJI.
DAY-1 DYNASTY IN INDIA
• MAURYA DYNASTY(4TH CENTURY)
• THE EMPIRE OF SHASHANKA
• PALA DYNASTY
• SENA DYNASTY
• MUHAMMAD GHURI(GHURID EMPIRE)12TH-13TH CENTURY
• BAKHTIYAR KHALJI 13TH &14TH CENTURY
PRE-SESSION TASK
• SHARE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ANCIENT BENGAL
• WHERE WAS BAKHTIYAR KHALZI BORN AND RAISED IN?
• WHERE IS NADIA & GAUR?
• WHO WAS REIGNING RULER IN BENGAL DURING BAKHTIAR’S EXPEDITION ?
• WHAT WAS THE TENURE OF BAKHTIAR RULING IN BENGAL?
ANSWERS
2.GARMSIR IN PRESENT-DAY AFGHANISTAN
3.BENGAL(NORTH-EASTERN)
4.LAKHSMANA SENA
5. BAKHTIYAR KHILJI RULED BENGAL FROM 1203 TO 1206, WITH HIS TENURE
LASTING APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS.
MAP DESCRIPTION
• HERE IS THE MAP OF BENGAL DURING THE 12TH CENTURY, HIGHLIGHTING
KEY HISTORICAL FEATURES SUCH AS THE SENA DYNASTY'S TERRITORY,
MAJOR CITIES, RIVERS, AND THE ROUTE TAKEN BY BAKHTIAR KHALJI. THIS
SHOULD BE USEFUL FOR YOUR LESSON ON THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF
BENGAL AND BAKHTIAR KHALJI'S CONQUEST.
KEY WORDS
Animosit Vandalis Expeditio
y m n
Equality
Sufism/
& social
Baul
justice
THE ESTABLISHMENT AND
CONSOLIDATION OF MUSLIM
• IN 1204, THE FIRST MUSLIM RULER, BAKHTIYAR, A TURK, CAPTURED NADIA AND
ESTABLISHED MUSLIM RULE.
• AFTER HIS DEATH, THE SULTAN OF DELHI EXTENDED HIS AUTHORITY INTO
BENGAL.
• HOWEVER, IT WAS A PERIOD OF INSTABILITY AND THERE WAS IN-FIGHTING
AMONGST RIVALS FOR THE DELHI SULTANATE, SO THE TURKISH RULERS OF
BENGAL WERE ALMOST INDEPENDENT.
• THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN BENGAL WAS ALSO ENABLED BY MUSLIM SAINTS CALLED
SUFIS.
MUHAMMAD BAKHTIYAR KHALJI AND
THE TURKISH CONQUEST
• THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF ISLAM BEGAN TO SPREAD IN BENGAL WITH THE CONQUEST OF NADIA, THE
CAPITAL CITY OF THE SENA RULER LAKSHMANA, BY MUHAMMAD BAKHTIYAR KHALJI IN 1204 AD.
MUSLIM RULE IN NORTHERN INDIA
• BAKHTIYAR KHALJI'S ARRIVAL IN THE BENGAL FRONTIER WAS PART OF THE SAME TURKISH ADVANCE THAT SAW
THE EXPANSION OF ISLAM INTO INDIA.
• TOWARDS THE END OF THE TWELFTH CENTURY, MUHAMMAD GHURI HAD CAPTURED DELHI AND ESTABLISHED
MUSLIM RULE IN NORTHERN INDIA.
• HE WAS SUCCEEDED BY HIS GENERAL, KUTUBUDDIN AIBAK.
• DURING THE TIME OF KUTUBUDDIN, BAKHTIYAR WAS GRANTED A SMALL TERRITORY NEAR BIHAR, FROM
WHERE HE STARTED INVADING SURROUNDING AREAS.
• AT ONE POINT, HE THOUGHT OF CAPTURING BENGAL AND IN 1204 HE ATTACKED THE SENA CAPITAL, NADIA.
THE CONQUEST OF NADIA IN BENGAL-
AN USUAL WAY OF CAPTURE
• BAKHTIYAR CAPTURED NADIA IN A UNIQUE WAY. SENSING THE PRESENCE OF A STRONG
ARMY OF LAKSHMANA SENA ON THE MAIN ROUTE TO NADIA, BAKHTIYAR PROCEEDED
INSTEAD THROUGH THE JUNGLE
OF JHARKHAND.
HE DIVIDED HIS ARMY INTO SEVERAL GROUPS, AND HE HIMSELF LED A GROUP OF
HORSEMEN AND ADVANCED TOWARDS NADIA IN THE GUISE OF HORSE-TRADERS. IN THIS
MANNER, BAKHTIYAR HAD NO PROBLEM IN ENTERING THROUGH THE GATES OF THE ROYAL
PALACE.
SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, BAKHTIYAR'S MAIN ARMY ALSO JOINED HIM AND WITHIN A SHORT
WHILE NADIA WAS CAPTURED.
MUHAMMAD BAKHTIYAR AND THE
TURKISH CONQUEST
Approach
Birth and Kutubuddi
to India in
raised in n Aibak
1193
Husam Al Muhamma
Din d Ghuri
MUHAMMAD BAKHTIYAR AND THE
TURKISH CONQUEST
The conquest
of Nadia in
Bengal
Advanced
towards
Gauda
Tibetan
expedition
ATTITUDE TOWARDS BUDDHISM
Caused
damaged to
Murdered Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhist Monk institution
Example-
Vikramashala
Responsible for
Islamic rule
displacement
begin in
of Buddhism to
Bengal
Islam
EXIT TASK
• WHERE WAS BAKHTIYAR KHALZI BORN AND RAISED IN?
• WHY IS HE BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR DISPLACEMENT OF BUDDHISM?
• WHO ASSASSINATED HIM? WHO TOOK THE VENGEANCE?
• HOW DID HE PROCEED TOWARDS LAKHSMANA SENA’S KINGDOM?
• WHAT WAS HIS NEXT EXPEDITION AFTER CAPTURING NADIA?
DAY-2
• WATCH THE VIDEO-HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=7G0PRERDCYK
• ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS-
• WHAT WAS UNUSUAL ABOUT THE WAY THAT BAKHTIAR CAPTURED NADIA?
• HOW MANY SOLDIERS ACCOMPANIED HIM IN HIS NADIA EXPEDITION?
• WHY DID HIS TIBETAN EXPEDITION FAIL?
• WHO ASSASSINATED HIM? WHO TOOK THE VENGEANCE?
• WHICH SENA RULER GOT INTIMIDATED BY HIS PRESENCE
KEYWORDS
Vulnerabl Commander
Expedition
e s
ACTIVITY
• ACTIVITY 1: ROLE PLAY (20 MINUTES):
• DIVIDE STUDENTS INTO GROUPS: ONE REPRESENTING BAKHTIAR KHALJI AND
HIS TROOPS, AND THE OTHER REPRESENTING LAKSHMANA SENA’S COURT.
• HAVE STUDENTS REENACT THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE CONQUEST,
FOCUSING ON THE STRATEGIES USED BY BOTH SIDES.
EXIT TASK
• WHAT WERE THE KEY REASONS BEHIND BAKHTIYAR KHILJI'S VICTORY IN THE
NADIA EXPEDITION?
LATER LEARNING
MINI RESEARCH (BREAKOUT ROOM
ACTIVITY)
• YOU ARE A MESSENGER FOR THE SULTAN OF DELHI IN 1204. HE HAS HEARD
THAT BAKHTIYAR HAS CAPTURED NADIA IN A VERY CLEVER WAY. HE LIKES TO
HEAR HEROIC STORIES TOLD IN A DRAMATIC WAY AND HAS PICKED YOU AS
HIS BEST STORY TELLER. HE WANTS YOU TO TELL HIM WHAT HAPPENED.
• SO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH AND PREPARE TO GIVE YOUR ACCOUNT IN THE
MOST DRAMATIC WAY POSSIBLE!
DAY-3
SPREAD OF SUFISM
• LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• THE ROLE OF SUFIS AND SUFISM
• • THE ROLE OF SUFIS AND SUFISM IN RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL LIFE.
KEY WORDS
preache
Spiritual
d
disciples
THE SUFIS AND THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
IN BENGAL
• SUFIS WERE MUSLIM SAINTS WHO WERE CONSIDERED TO POSSESS THE BLESSING OF GOD AND
SPIRITUAL POWER.
• SUFIS DERIVE THEIR INSPIRATION FROM HAZRAT MUHAMMAD (PBUH) WHO FORMS THE SOURCE
OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE AND TEACHINGS IN ISLAM.
• SUFIS LED A VERY SIMPLE LIFE AND PREACHED ISLAM THROUGH THEIR WORDS AND DEEDS.
• WHEN IN DANGER, THE SUFI LEADER (PIR) AND HIS DISCIPLES (MURIDS) TOOK UP ARMS AS WELL.
• MOST SULTANS OF BENGAL TRIED TO KEEP GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE SUFIS. IN BENGAL, THE
SUFIS WERE NUMEROUS AND THEY PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE IN DELIVERING THE ISLAMIC
MESSAGE OF EQUALITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THUS DREW PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS
TOWARDS ISLAM.
SUFIS ARRIVAL IN BENGAL
• SUFIS ARRIVED IN BENGAL FROM THE MIDDLE EAST OR CENTRAL ASIA AS
EARLY AS THE TIME OF THE ARRIVAL OF BAKHTIYAR KHALJI.
• ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST REVERED SUFIS OF BENGAL WAS SHAH
JALAL (DIED 1346), WHO ARRIVED AND SETTLED IN SYLHET WITH HIS 313
DISCIPLES. IT IS SAID THAT HIS SIMPLE LIFE, LOVE OF ORDINARY PEOPLE OF
DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND CASTES AND HIS KERAMATI
• (POWER OF MAKING MIRACLES) ATTRACTED THE PEOPLE OF SYLHET TO
ISLAM.
WIDER INFLUENCE OF SUFISM
• IT APPEARS THAT SUFISM NOT ONLY HELPED THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN BENGAL, BUT IT ALSO INFLUENCED
THE
LOCAL RELIGIONS.
• THE IDEAL OF SUFISM, ATTAINING THE LOVE OF GOD THROUGH LOVE OF HIS CREATION, HAS GREATLY
INFLUENCED THE DEVOTIONAL DOCTRINES OF VAISHNAVISM AS WELL AS THE MYSTICISM OF THE BAULS.
• AT TIMES, SUFISM IN BENGAL HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A FOLK RELIGION WITH MANY OF THE SUFIS
BEING REGARDED AS SAINTS OR FOLK DEITIES.
• DURING A MARITIME JOURNEY, FOR EXAMPLE, ESPECIALLY IF A STORM ARISES, SAILORS PRAY TO PIR BADAR,
REPEATING HIS NAME, 'BADAR BADAR’.
• THE NAMES OF DIFFERENT SUFI SAINTS ARE INSCRIBED ON THE BODIES OF BUSES, TRUCKS, LAUNCHES, AND
STEAMERS TO ENSURE SAFE JOURNEYS.
FEEDBACK QUESTIONS
• WHAT PROMINENT ROLE WAS PLAYED BY SUFIS OF BENGAL? WHAT WAS
THEIR ROLE DURING THE PERIOD OF CRISIS?
• WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MOST REVERED SUFI OF BENGAL HAZRAT SHAH
JALAL ?
• CAN YOU SHARE THE IMPULSIVE STORY OF HAZRAT BAYAZID BOSTAMI WHICH
HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON PEOPLE’S MIND?
• SHARE SOME EXAMPLE WHICH EXHIBITS THAT SUFIS IN BENGAL WERE
REGARDED AS SAINT OR FOLK DEITIES?
MINI RESEARCH
• YOU ARE A MESSENGER FOR THE SULTAN OF DELHI IN 1204. HE HAS HEARD
THAT BAKHTIYAR HAS CAPTURED NADIA IN A VERY CLEVER WAY. HE LIKES TO
HEAR HEROIC STORIES TOLD IN A DRAMATIC WAYAND HAS PICKED YOU AS
HIS BEST STORY TELLER. HE WANTS YOU TO TELL HIM WHAT HAPPENED.
• SO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH AND PREPARE TO GIVE YOUR ACCOUNT IN THE
MOST DRAMATIC WAY POSSIBLE!
