English
A passage for editorial review. ZjoZj S~ Riyazu - s - Salatin ( A HISTORY OF BENGAL ) by GHULAM HUSSAIN SALIM Translated by ABDUS SALAM idarah-i adabiyat-i 2009 Qasimjan Street DELHI-110006 (India) DELL! 8YZV2 VT-H IAD ORIENTAL SERIES No. 26 First Published 1903 Reprint 1975 PRICE Rs. 60.00 Printed In India at Jayyed Press, Ballimaian, Delhi-110006 and Published by Mohammad Ahmad for Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli 2009 Qasimjan Street Delhi-1 10006 PREFACE. v* <iH) ** B) 1 ^ A * 4 /“■ W4 And now soaM India's paroquets on sugar revel all, In (his sweet Persian sugarcandy that is borne to far Bengal ” Hafir to Sultan Ghiaso-d-din. King of Bengal. The History of Bengal cannot fail to be of special interest not only to Hindus and Mnaelraans in Bengal, but also to Englishmen, in that Bengal formed the foundation-stone of tire glorious fabric of Empire in Asia that England was des¬ tined in subsequent years to rear on the wreck of the mighty Empire of the Great Mogul/ Yet Histories of Bengal are very few. From the Muhammadan side, though there are plenty of General Histones of India, Containing incidental references to Bengal, or dealing with particular periods of it, there is no general or comprehensive History of Bengal, save and except the Kiyazu-s Sal&tin. From th European side, the only standard Histo^- of Bengalis Stewart’s History, but this last, too whilst tnainly based on t he Riyaz, incorporates also the less reliable accounts from Ferishta. To appreciate the his¬ torical value, and position of the Riyaz I need only quote the opinions of two eminent Orientalists. “TheRiyazu-s-Salatin,” says the late Professor Blochmann who laboured so largely for the Asiatic Society of Bengal, “is much prized as being the fullest account in Persian of the Muhammadan History of Bengal, which the author brings down to his own time (1786- 38 ) i whilst Dr. Hoernle observes in a letter to me : “ The Wya^ is a Standard History of Bengal, is continually quoted by Mr. Blochmann in his ‘Contributions to the History and Geography of Bengal ’ in the Journals of the Asiatic Society Mr. Blochmann strongly recommended that it -should bo translated, and, therefore, the book is one which deserves being translated and published by the Asiatic Society.’’ Whilst fully sensible of the honour conferred upon me bv • • PBEFACt. 11 the Asiatic Society iu entrusting to me the duty of transla¬ ting with notes this Standard History of Bengal, I can¬ not help confessing to a sense of diffidence in presenting this volume to tho public under their auspices. Circumstan¬ ces over which I have had little control such as domestio troubles, difficulties of access to libraries or books of refer¬ ence m out o£-lh©-way mofussil stations, and Soanty snatches of leisure after by no means light daily official duties—have combined not only to retard the publication of 'this annotated translation, hot to interfere with my presenting it in the shape that lhad fondly aimed at. As it is, I venture to think, whilst fully conscious of its defects and flaws, that I have spared no pains to render the translation a faithful and literal representation of the original, consistently with lucid¬ ity and clearness in statement. To constantly eh cidafce the text, I have given ample foot-notes. These foot-rotes have been prepared by me by reference to original and generally contemporary Persian sources, and in some cases also embody results of the labours of European scholars and antiqua¬ rians, as well as my own personal observations. The prepara¬ tion of these foot-notes has involved considerable research and entailed much labour. For my labours, such as they have been, I shall, however, feel amply rewarded if these pages in any measure contri¬ bute to awaken amongst my co-religionists in Bengal an en¬ lightened consciousness of their historic past, coupled with ar earnest longing in the present to avail themselves of the op¬ portunity afforded by a progressive and beneficent Govern¬ ment for their "uture social and intellectual regeneration; and also if they widen the mutual sympathies of the two great nationalities in Bengal by infusing sentiments of closer and more cordial comradeship, in that they have been fellow- travellers over the same tract for many long centuries; and last, though not least, if they evoke the sympathetic interest of Englishmen in the fate of a great and historic Community that preceded them for six centuries in the Governmen ol this country PREFACE. 1,4 A respectful tribute of mournful acknowledgment is due to the memory of my lamented wife, Hyatunnissa Begum, who often sat up by me during progress of this work, and sustained me in my labours. ABDU8 SALAM. Orissa, Cottack : 23rd May, 1903. P.S.—l had hoped to add to this work an Appendix deal¬ ing with the social, economic and political condition of the people in Bengal under each period of Moslem Rule ; but for this (though I have collected some materials) at present I com¬ mand neither the requisite leisure nor the full critical apparatus. The foot-notes will, however, it is hoped, give the reader some idea of the culture and civilisation that pre¬ vailed in Bengal under the Moslems, of their system and methods of administration, of their policy in adding to the physical comforts of the people, and in improving their in¬ tellectual, social and ethical ideals. A. S. Barisal, Backergonje : 17th November, 1903. RIYAZLJ-S-SALATIN, OR a HISTORY OF BKNGAIj. CONTENTS. • •• Preface by the Translator Contents Ghulam Husain Salim’s Preface Introduction : Section I •• ••• ••• ••• Boundaries and environs of Bengal—Frontiers of Moslem Bengal —Revenue—Standing army—Tiprah—Knch Behnr—Kamrup- Arrakan—Pegu—Orissa. Introduction: Section II Certain features of Bengal—Mythological traditions—Origin of tho name of ‘ Bangalah ’—Physical aspects—Produce—Character of tho people—Land-Revenue—Food of tho people—Their dress—Modo of living—Modes of travelling—Manufactures—Natural resources —Frnitery—Rivers. Introduction : Section III Towns and Cities in Bengal-City of Lakhnanti or Gnur or Jinnata- bad—Mint-towns in Bengal daring the early Moslem Kings- City of Murshidabad-Ports of Ungli and Satgaon-City of Calcutta—Chandanagore, Chinsurah and Seramporc—City of Purmah—City of Dacca or Dhaka, or Juhangirnagar—City of Sunargaon—Qliittagong or Qhatgaon or Islamabad—Sarkar Bogla -Rangpur and Ghoraghat—Sarkar MahmGdabad-Sarkar Bar- bakabad—Sarkar Bazuha—Sarkar Silhat or Sylhct—Sarkar gharifabad—Sarkar Madaran—Akbarnagar or Rajmnhal—Maldah —Shrine of Shah Jallal Tabrisi—Mausoleum of tho Saint, Nnr Qutbu-l*Alam English silk aud cotton factory in Maldah— English Indigo factory at Goamalti near Gaur-Noto on tho Sarkars or Districts of Bengal by tho Translator. Introduction : Section IV ® ® • • • Rule of the Hindu Chiefs or Raiin over Bengal-Rajah Bhagirat of the Khatri caste-Naj Gouriah of the Kyesth epsto-Adisur Kyesth—Bhupal Kyesth-Sukh Sen Kyesth-Snkh Son Boido -Ballal Sen-Lakhmau Son-Madhn 8en-Kaisu Sen-Sada Sen—Nauj—Rajah Lakhmania, sou of Lakhman-Nadia, tho Hmdn scat of Government in Bengal, under Rajah Lakhmania Charnotcr of Rajah Lakhmania—Domination of certain Hindu llais or Chiefs in Bengal-Rajah Suraj-Hindns originally Page. i to 111 v to xxiii 1 24 •47 worshippers of one God—I d the time of Rai Mahraj (probably, Rai Babdaj), son worship introduced into Hindustan by a Persian—Idol-worship introduced into Hindustan by a Dravi- dian Brahmin from the mountains of Jharkand (Oljutia Nag¬ pur)—Fire-worship introduced into Hindustan by Ibrahim Zardasht (or ZoraBter) of Persia—Shangaldip, and his vic¬ tory over Kedar—India subject to the Scythian Emperors of Persia, the Afrasiabs—Near Ghoraghat and Rangpur, battle be¬ tween the Scythians and the Hindus under ghangaldip— Afrasiab defeats the Hindus under Shangal—Flight of SJiangal to Lakhnanti, and tbenco to the hills of Tirhut—The Soythians or Mongols ravage Bengal—Shangal surrenders to Afrasiab, who carries him to Turan—Shangal killed at the battle of Hamadan, at the hands of Rustam—Rajah Jaioljand—Rajahs of Bengal become independent^Fur (or Porus) subdues Bengal—Poms killed by Alexander—Rajah Madio Rathor oonquers Lakhnanti —Rajahs of Bengal subsequently become independent again. Chapter I ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• Rule of the Musalman rulers who ruled over Bengal, as Vioeroys of the Musalman Emperors of Delhi—Bengal conquered for Islam by Muhammad Bakhtiar Khilji in 594 A.H. or 1198 A.C.—In the time of Bakhtiar {Oiilji, South Behar inoluded in the Bengal Viceroyalty—Note by the Translator on the successive inclusion and separation of South Behar in, and from, the Bengal Vice¬ royalty—Bakhtiar Khilji*s antecedents and adventures—Conquest of Behar by Bakhtiar Khilji—Conquest of Bengal by Bakhtiar Khilji — Bakhtiar Khilji’s prowess, though slender in physique — Bakhtiar Khilji storms Nadiah, the Hindu Capital, with eighteen troopers—Rajah Lakhmania’s flight—Bakhtiar Khilji re-builds the City of Lakhnanti, and establishes it as the Moslem Capital of Bengal—Character of Bakhtiar Khilji—Bakhtiar Khilji estab¬ lishes mosques, colleges, students’ hostels, travellers’ rest-houses, and military out-posts; introduces coinage of money, and con¬ structs other public works, such as embankments, roads bridges etc.