Mughal conquest of Bengal

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Mughal conquest of Bengal
Part of Mughal conquests
Akbar's general informs him of the conquest of Bengal in 1576, from the History of Akbar (Akbarnama), by Abu'l-Fazl.jpg
Akbar's general informs him of the conquest of Bengal in 1576, from the "History of Akbar" ( Akbarnama ), by Abu’l-Fazl. Inscribed to `Inayat Khanazad, Agra, India, c.1603-1605
Date1572–12 July 1576, [1] 1611–1612 [2] [3] [4]
Location
Result Mughal–Koch victory [5]
Territorial
changes
Bengal Sultanate was divided between the Koch Kingdom and the Mughal Empire [6]
Belligerents
Flag of the Bengal Sultanate.svg Bengal Sultanate
Baro Bhuyans
Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Mughal Sultanate
Drapeau Cooch Behar.png Koch dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Bengal Sultanate Flag.gif Daud Khan Karrani
Bengal Sultanate Flag.gif Junaid Khan Karrani 
Bengal Sultanate Flag.gif Kala Pahad 
Bengal Sultanate Flag.gif Khan Jahan  [7]
Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Akbar the Great
Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Man Singh I
Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Munim Khan
Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Muzaffar Khan Turbati
Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Khan Jahan [1]
Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Raja Todar Mal [8]
Drapeau Cooch Behar.png Chilarai
Strength
Unknown 100,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

Mughal invasion of Bengal was an invasion of the Sultanate of Bengal, then ruled by the Afghan Karrani dynasty, by the Mughal Empire in 1572–1576. After a series of intense battles, the Mughals eventually defeated the Sultanate of Bengal in the Battle of Raj Mahal in 1576, and annexed the region into their empire as the province of Bengal.

Contents

Background

Before the Mughal conquest, Bengal was a flourishing region ruled by the Afghan Karrani dynasty. The dynasty had established its control over Bengal in the mid-16th century, after the decline of the Sur Empire. The Karrani rulers maintained a relatively strong hold over the region, fostering trade and cultural development. [9]

Bengal was known for its fertile land, which supported extensive agriculture, and its strategic location along the Bay of Bengal, which facilitated trade with various parts of Asia, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and China. [10] The region's wealth and prosperity made it a coveted prize for the Mughal Empire, which was expanding its territories under the leadership of Emperor Akbar. [9] [10]

However, the Karrani dynasty faced internal strife and political instability, weakening its ability to defend against external threats. This period of vulnerability provided an opportune moment for the Mughal Empire to launch its military campaigns and bring Bengal under its control.

First phase

The First phase was a strategic military campaign initiated by Emperor Akbar in 1572. The primary goal was to annex the prosperous and strategically important Bengal Sultanate.

Initial Campaigns (1572-1574)

The Mughals launched their first military expeditions into Bengal in 1572, encountering fierce resistance from the Karrani dynasty. Akbar appointed experienced generals to lead the campaign, including Munim Khan and Todar Mal. The early skirmishes were marked by tactical maneuvers and small-scale battles as the Mughals sought to weaken the Karrani defenses.

Battle of Tukaroi (1575)

One of the pivotal moments in the conquest was the Battle of Tukaroi, fought in 1575. The Mughal forces, led by Munim Khan, faced the army of Daud Khan Karrani, the last ruler of the Karrani dynasty. The battle was fierce, with both sides suffering significant casualties. However, the superior tactics and discipline of the Mughal army ultimately led to their victory, forcing Daud Khan to retreat.

Siege of Raj Mahal (1576)

The final and decisive battle of the conquest took place at Raj Mahal in 1576. Akbar's forces, having regrouped and reinforced, launched a full-scale assault on the Karrani stronghold. The siege was intense, with the Mughals employing various siege tactics to breach the fortress walls. Despite a valiant defense by the Karrani troops, the Mughals ultimately prevailed. Daud Khan Karrani was captured and executed, marking the end of the Karrani dynasty's rule in Bengal. [11]

Isa Khan's Resistance

Despite initial Mughal victories, the Baro-Bhuyans, led by Isa Khan, fiercely resisted Mughal control. Using guerrilla tactics and leveraging local knowledge, Isa Khan and his allies maintained significant autonomy, preventing the Mughals from fully consolidating their power over Bengal. Their resistance created a prolonged conflict that thwarted Mughal ambitions during Isa Khan's lifetime. [12]

It was not until Isa Khan's death in 1599 that the Mughals began to establish more comprehensive control over Bengal. Even then, the process was gradual, marked by ongoing efforts to integrate the region into the Mughal administrative framework. Isa Khan's legacy of defiance remains a significant chapter in Bengal's history, symbolizing the region's resilience and resistance to external domination. [13]

Second Phase

Between 1611 and 1612, the Mughals concentrated on consolidating their control over Bengal and subduing any remaining resistance. Under the leadership of Subahdar (Governor) Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang, the Mughal forces employed a mix of diplomacy and military strength to bring rebellious local chiefs and zamindars into submission. This phase was marked by significant campaigns aimed at ensuring comprehensive Mughal rule over the region. [1]

Military Campaigns and Diplomatic Efforts

Ibrahim Khan led a series of military expeditions to pacify the region, addressing pockets of resistance that persisted despite previous Mughal victories. His strategic use of force and negotiation helped in subduing many of the rebellious factions and securing the Mughal's authority over Bengal.

Capture of Chittagong

One of the key objectives during this phase was to secure the strategic port city of Chittagong, crucial for controlling trade and commerce. The Mughals faced stiff resistance from the Arakanese and Portuguese pirates who controlled the area. However, through a well-coordinated military campaign, Ibrahim Khan was able to capture Chittagong and establish Mughal dominance over the port. [1]

By 1612, the Mughals had successfully quelled most of the resistance in Bengal, bringing the region under their full control. This period marked the administrative and economic integration of Bengal into the Mughal Empire, leading to a period of relative stability and prosperity. [1]

The Struggle of the Baro-Bhuyans (1599-1612)

After the death of Isa Khan in 1599, the Baro-Bhuyans, a confederation of twelve independent chiefs and zamindars in Bengal, continued their resistance against the Mughal forces. The period from 1599 to 1612 was marked by persistent guerrilla warfare, strategic alliances, and defensive maneuvers by the Baro-Bhuyans to maintain their autonomy.

During this time, the Baro-Bhuyans faced increasing pressure from the Mughal Empire, which was determined to consolidate its control over Bengal. Despite their valiant efforts and localized victories, the Mughal military campaigns gradually weakened the Baro-Bhuyans' resistance. By 1612, the Mughals had successfully quelled most of the uprisings, bringing Bengal under more direct and comprehensive control.

Aftermath

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent</span> Era in South Asia characterized by Muslim rule

The Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent or Indo-Muslim period is conventionally said to have started in 712, after the conquest of Sindh and Multan by the Umayyad Caliphate under the military command of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim. It began in the Indian subcontinent in the course of a gradual conquest. The perfunctory rule by the Ghaznavids in Punjab was followed by Ghurids, and Sultan Muhammad of Ghor is generally credited with laying the foundation of Muslim rule in Northern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangash</span> Pashtun tribe

The Bangash, Bungish, Bangaš or Bangakh are a tribe of Pashtuns, inhabiting their traditional homeland, the Bangash district which stretches from Kohat to Tall in Hangu and Spīn Ghar, Kurram in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. They also live as a smaller population in Dera Ismail Khel, Bannu while also a smaller population of Bangash inhabit mainly Gardez, Paktia and around the Lōya Paktia region of Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isa Khan of Bengal</span> Chief of Baro-Bhuiyans of Bengal

Isa Khan was one of 16th-century Baro-Bhuiyan chieftains of Bengal. During his reign, he successfully unified the chieftains of Bengal and resisted the Mughal invasion of Bengal. It was only after his death that the region fell totally under Mughal control. He remains an iconic figure throughout Bangladesh as a symbol of his rebellious spirit and unity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonargaon</span> Historic city in central Bangladesh

Sonargaon is a historic city in central Bangladesh. It corresponds to the Sonargaon Upazila of Narayanganj District in Dhaka Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Tukaroi</span> 1575 battle in eastern India

The Battle of Tukaroi, also known as the Battle of Bajhaura or the Battle of Mughulmari, was fought between the Mughal Empire and the Bengal Sultanate on 3 March 1575 near the village of Tukaroi in present-day Balasore District of Odisha. It resulted in a Mughal victory and greatly weakened the Bengal Sultanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baro-Bhuyan</span> Medieval petty rulers of Assam and Bengal

The Baro-Bhuyans mean twelve landlords, were confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the Medieval period. The confederacies consisted of loosely independent entities, each led by a warrior chief or a landlord. The tradition of Baro-Bhuyan is peculiar to both Assam and Bengal. In Assam, this phenomenon came into prominence in the 13th century when they resisted the invasion of Ghiyasuddin Iwaj Shah and in Bengal when they resisted Mughal rule in the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulaiman Khan Karrani</span> Sultan of Bengal from 1565 to 1572

Sulaiman Khan Karrani was an Afghan Sultan of Bengal. He ascended to the throne after the death of his brother Taj Khan Karrani. According to the Riyaz-us-Salatin, he shifted the seat of government from Gaur to Tanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daud Khan Karrani</span> Last Sultan of Bengal (1572–76)

Daud Khan Karrani was the last ruler of Bengal's Karrani dynasty as well as the final Sultan of Bengal, reigning from 1572 to 1576. During the reign of his father Sulaiman Khan Karrani, Daud commanded a massive army of 40,000 cavalry, 3,600 elephants, 140,000 infantry and 200 cannons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hussain Shahi dynasty</span>

The Hussain Shahi dynasty was a family which ruled the late medieval Sunni Muslim Sultanate of Bengal from 1494 to 1538.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khan Jahan I</span>

Hussain Quli Beg was a Mughal military vassal (mansabdar) with the rank of 5000 soldiers. He was later entitled as Khān-i-Jahān by Emperor Akbar.

Hambir Malla Dev was the forty-ninth king of Mallabhum. He ruled from 1565 to 1620 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengal Subah</span> Subdivision of the Mughal Empire

The Bengal Subah, also referred to as Mughal Bengal and Bengal State, was the largest subdivision of Mughal India encompassing much of the Bengal region, which includes modern-day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and some parts of the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha between the 16th and 18th centuries. The state was established following the dissolution of the Bengal Sultanate, a major trading nation in the world, when the region was absorbed into the Mughal Empire. Bengal was the wealthiest region in the Indian subcontinent.

The Karrani dynasty was founded in 1564 by Taj Khan Karrani, an ethnic Afghan from the Karlani tribe, hailing from Bangash district. It was the last dynasty to rule the Sultanate of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Rajmahal</span> 1576 battle during the Mughal invasion of Bengal

The Battle of Rajmahal took place between the Mughal Empire and the Karrani Dynasty that ruled the Sultanate of Bengal in the 16th century. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the Mughals. During the battle, the last Sultan of Bengal, Daud Khan Karrani, was captured and later executed by the Mughals.

Khawāja Uthmān Khān Lōhānī, popularly known as Khwaja Usman, was a Pashtun chieftain and warrior based in northeastern Bengal. As one of the Baro-Bhuyans, he was a zamindar ruling over the northern parts of Bengal including Greater Mymensingh and later in South Sylhet. He was a formidable opponent to Man Singh I and the Mughal Empire, and was the last of the Afghan chieftains and rulers in Bengal. His defeat led to the surrender of all the remaining Pashtuns as well as the incorporation of the Sylhet region into the Bengal Subah. He is described as the most romantic figure in the history of Bengal. His biography can be found in the Baharistan-i-Ghaibi, Tuzk-e-Jahangiri as well as the Akbarnama.

Bayazid of Sylhet, also called Bayazid Karrani II, was a ruler in Sylhet during the early 17th century, in what is present-day Bangladesh. A prominent member of the Baro-Bhuiyan, Bayazid led military opposition against the Mughal Empire's expansion into eastern Bengal. His surrender following a sanguineous battle in 1612 ultimately resulted in their annexation of Sylhet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conquest of Bhulua</span>

The Conquest of Bhulua refers to the 17th-century Mughal conquest of the Bhulua Kingdom, which covered much of the present-day Noakhali region of Bangladesh. The campaign was led by Shaykh Abdul Wahid, under the orders of Islam Khan I, against Raja Ananta Manikya in 1613. The conquest of Bhulua allowed the Mughals to successfully penetrate through southeastern Bengal and conquer Chittagong and parts of Arakan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mughal–Afghan Wars</span> 1526–1752 wars between the Mughal Empire and Afghans

The Mughal–Afghan wars were a series of wars that took place during the 16th and 18th centuries between the Mughal Empire of India and different Afghan tribes and kingdoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mughal conquest of Jessore</span> Mughal conquest of Bengal state Jessore

The Mughal conquest of Jessore in 1611-1612 was a military campaign by the Mughal Empire against the rebellious Zamindar of Jessore, Pratapaditya. Jessore was a vassal of the Mughal Empire, and the campaign against Pratapaditya was prompted by his refusal to support the Mughals in suppressing the rebellion of the Zamindars in Bengal.

The Bengal sultanate conquest of Orissa in 1568 was a military campaign led by the Karrani dynasty of the Bengal Sultanate under Sulaiman Khan Karrani. The objective was to overthrow the Chalukyan rule of Orissa under Mukunda Deva and the rebellion led by Sarangagarh feudatory Ramachandra Bhanja. The Bengal forces achieved victory, resulting in the annexation of Odisha into the Sultanate. Odisha remained part of the Bengal Sultanate until its eventual annexation by the Mughal Empire in 1592.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Richards, John F. (1996). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. p. 33. ISBN   978-0-521-56603-2.
  2. Nair, P. Thankappan (1986). Tercentenary History of Calcutta: Calcutta in the 17th century. Firma KLM. p. 39.
  3. Roy, Atul Chandra (1968). History of Bengal: Mughal Period, 1526-1765 A.D. Nababharat Publishers. pp. 77–85.
  4. Chatterjee, Kumkum (2009-02-11). The Cultures of History in Early Modern India: Persianization and Mughal Culture in Bengal. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-908801-0.
  5. Choudhary, Dr. Subhrajit (21 February 2024). The Koch Dynasty and Charismatic Bir Chilarai. Shashwat Publications. pp. 120–121. ISBN   9789360877538.
  6. Acharyya, N.N. (1966). The History of Medieval Assam, from the Thirteenth to the Seventeenth Century. New Delhi: Omsons Publ. p. 205.
  7. Bengal District Gazetteers Santal Parganas. Concept Publishing Company. 1914. pp. 26–.
  8. Ahmed, Salahuddin (2004). Bangladesh: Past and Present. APH Publishing. p. 63. ISBN   978-81-7648-469-5.
  9. 1 2 Mughal conquest of Bengal at Banglapedia
  10. 1 2 MD. ABUL, BASHAR (2024-05-30). "Topography of Bengal's Prosperity: A Historical Analysis". Bangladesh Historical Studies. 26. doi:10.59815/bhs.vol2601. ISSN   2959-9741.
  11. Jaques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: P–Z. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 837. ISBN   978-0-313-33539-6. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  12. Karim, Abdul (1992). "History of Bengal: From the fall of Daud Karrani, 1576 to the death of Jahangir, 1627". Institute of Bangladesh Studies, University of Rajshahi. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  13. Bhattasali, Nalini Kanta. Bengal Chiefs' Struggle. p. 12. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2023.