Bangladesh Studies - Paper 1 : Topic 2(C)

After Iwaz Khalji's death

After his death, there was political instability in Bengal till the year 1287. 15 rulers of Turkish origin ruled Bengal during this period.

Arrival of Firuz

After the departure of Balban, his son Bughra Khan and grandson Kaikaus ruled Bengal virtually independently from Delhi. These two members of the family of Balban ruled Bengal until 1301, when Shamsuddin Firuz Shah took over.

What did he do after capturing Nadia

Bakhtiyar advanced towards Gauda (Lakhnuti), another capital of the Sena kingdom, conquered it and made it his capital in 1205. Next year, Bakhtiyar set out for an expedition to capture Tibet, but this attempt failed and he had to return to Bengal with poor health and a reduced army. Shortly afterwards, he was killed by one of his commanders, Ali Mardan Khalji.

Tughral Khan's time

It was during Tughral Khan's time that Balban, the Sultan of Delhi, invaded Bengal following Tughal's declaration of independence from Delhi. Tughral was defeated and Bengal now came firmly under the control of Delhi Sultanate.

The conquest of Nadia in Bengal

Khalji knew that the main route of Nadia would be heavily guarded by a strong army of Lakshmana Sena. So, he proceeded instead through the jungle of Jharkhand. He divided his army into several groups, and he himself led a group of horsemen and entered Nadia disguised as horse-traders. In this manner, Bakhtiyar had no problem in entering through the gates of the royal palace. Shortly afterwards, Bakhityar's main army also joined him and within a short while Nadia was captured.

Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji

Muḥammad Bakhtiyar Khalji was a military general who led the Muslim conquests of the eastern Indian regions of Bengal and Bihar and established himself as their ruler. In Bengal, his reign is responsible for the spread of Islam.

Notable among the rulers of Bengal of this period

Nasiruddin, son of Delhi Sultan Iltutmish, Jalaluddin and Tughral Khan.

The Turkish rulers during the Delhi rule

Some Turkish rulers were obedient to the Delhi rule however some wanted to get rid of it. The Delhi Sultans spent more time on fighting for the sultanate than on ruling/controlling Bengal. Hence, some Turkish rulers ruled their areas individually.

After Bakhtiyar's death

Three of his lieutenants had feud in which Iwaz Khalji won and he ruled Bengal from 1212 to 1227. he was killed while fighting an army sent out from Delhi by Sultan Iltutmish, who wanted to extend his authority on Bengal.

Muslim rule in northern India

Towards the end of the 12th 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 attacking surrounding areas.