English
Under Husain Shah* Ismail Ghazi iuvaded also Jajnagar or Orissa, sacked the capital Cuttack and successfully stormed the holy city, Puri (see J.A.S. 1874, p. 215 and do. 1872, p. 335). The complete defeat of the Hindus took place in 1567-68 A.C., when Salaiman Kararani, Kiug of Beugal, with a largo army under his famous General Kalapahar advauced into Orissa and defeated the last independent Kajah Makand Doo under the walls of Jajpftr and Katak. When subsequently in Akbar’s time the Afghan Kingdom of Bengal was supplanted by the Mughnls, tho Afghans in large numbers migrated into 0ri6sa. In 1575 A.C., a great battle took place betweeu Mnghuls and Afghans (at Bajlianra, Budamii p. 193) at Mughalmari, near Jaleswnr in Balasore, in winch Baud, the last Afghan king, was defeated, and Orissa practically shortly after (1592 A.C.) became a Mughal Province, administered by the Moghul Viceroy of Bengal. Iu the Ain, Abul Fazl mentions that the Hiudu rulers of Orissa had the title of Gajpati, or Lord of the Elephant. In the time of Nawab Ali Vardi Khan, Mughul Viceroy of Bengal, Orissa became the hunting-ground of Mnhratta free-booters. The struggles between Ali Vardi and the Mahrattaa are graphically described in the Siirul Mutakherin. See Tabaqat-i-Nasir i, Tarikh-i-Firuz Rhilii, Akbarnamah and Makhzan-i-Afghani. Jajnagar is mentioned by Badaoni I, p. 233, as having beon subdued by Ulugh KIjjui in 1323 A.C. or 723 A.H. f in Ghiasuddin Tughlak’s reign, and is mentioned as having been subdued in 1360A.C., by Firuz Shah Tnghlak, Bndaoni I, 248 and Tarikh Firuz Shahi by Shams Seraj, p. 115. Seraj mentions that the idol of Jagannath was carried off to Delhi by Firuz Shah fp. 119). I In the Seirul-Mutakherin it is called Barahbati. The fort of Barahbati is on the south bank of the Mahanadi river, opposite to the city of Cuttack ; it is now in ruius. The following description of it is translated and sum¬ marised by me from the Srir:—" The fort Barahbati with the city of Cuttack is situate on the strip of land lying between the rivers Mahanada and Kathajun... The fort is on the bank of the Mahanada, and the circumference of its en¬ closing rampart is about three Kroh. The rampart is built of stone, brick, lime and cement, and a wide moat tuns round the rampart. The city of Cuttack is situate on the banks of the Kathajuri river, aad the distance between the fort and the city is about two Krph...*' 17 proper forces for encountering the enemy, lie himself, according to his old habit, went to sleep. Kalapahar, by successive and numerous fightings, vanquished the Rajah’s forces, and brought to his subjection the entire dominion of Odisah (Orissa), so much so that he carried otf the Rani together with all household goods and chattels. Notwithstanding all this, from fear of be¬ ing killed, no one was bold to wake up this drunkard of the sleep of negligence, so that Kalapahar had his hands free. After com¬ pleting the subjugation of the entire country, and investing the Fort of Barahbati, which was his (the Rajah’s) place of sleep, Kalapahar engaged in fighting. The officers and employes of the Rajah 1 summoning his clarion-players communicated (lie news of the whole affair through the reed of the clarion. When (lie news about Kalapahar went to the ear of that fortune-sleeper on the bed of sleep, which is brother of death, considering this alfair as the event of the Day of Judgment, like the sleepers in graves, from the sound of the trumpet, sprang confounded from the sleep of oblivion, and making the movement of a slaughtered animal, devoted his head to the swords of the warriors of Islam. The country of Orissa and the fort of Barahbati being subjugated, wore added to the dominions under the sovereignty of the Musalman Emperors. The firm Muhammadan religion and the enlightened laws of Islam were introduced into that country. Before this, the 1 This was Rajah Mukimd Devn, Ilaricandara, who reigued from 1660 to 1568. Mokund Deva was a Telugu by birth. In 1561-65 A.C. a treaty was concluded between Emperor Akbur and the Rajah, preceded by mutual des¬ patch of ambassadors on both sides (see Badaoni p. 76, wherein it is stated that Hagan Khan Khazanohi and Mabaputir where sont by Akbar as ambassa¬ dors to the Rajah of Orissa). As mutual jealonsies prevailed between Mughuls and Afghnn3,this political measure was adopted by Akbar, in order to serve as a counterpoise to the ambition of the Musalman Afghan King of Bengal, Sulaiman Karrariim, who had planned to extend his Bengal Kingdom by annexing Orissa aud also to prevent the latter from helping Akbar’s rebellious Governor of Taunpur, named Khan Zatuan. Finding shortly after Akbar engaged in wara in tho west, Sulaiman K&rarnni, the King of Bengal, attaoked the Orissa Rajah, who had come close to the Ganges; the Rajah Bed to Fort Kotsama. The Bengal King detached a force under Kalapahar, his general, to Orissa across Maynrbhanja and thence southward by the Kaoabasa river. Kalapahar ravaged Orissa, defeated the Rajah’s deputy, and shortly after the Rajah himself was killed, and Muhammadans finally conquered Orissa in 1568 A.O. After conquering Orissa, Sulaiman Karrarani (who reigned from A.C. 1568 to A.C. 1572) loft his Vazir, Khan Jahan Lodi, as Viceroy of Orissa with headquarters at Outtack, aud t^utlu as Governor at Furl* (Badaoni II, 174). 18 Musalman Sovereigns exercised no authority over this country.* Of the miracles of Kalapahar,* one was this, that wherever in that country, the sound of his drum reached, the hands and the feet, the ears and the noses of the idols, worshipped by the Hindus, fell off their stone-figures, so that even now stone-idols, with hands and feet broken, and noses and ears cut off, are lying at several places in that country. And the Hindus .pursuing the false, from blindness of their hearts, with full souse and knowledge, devote themselves to their worship ! It is known what grows out of stone : From its worship what is gained, except shame ? It is said at the time of return, Kalapahar left a drum in the jungle of Keonjhur, which is lyiug in an upset state. No one there from fear of life dares to set it up ; so it is related. And Jaggannath, which is a big temple of the Hindus, is in this Subah. It is said when the Hindus reach Parsutam, where Jaggannath is, in order to worship Jaggannath, first they shave their heads like Musalmans, and at the first door of the house of Shaikh Kabir, 1 * * * S * * 8 who was a great saint of his time and whose parents were weavers, they cat and drink his food and water, 1 This is not strictly correct. See note 7, p, 3 ante. ' .2 Professor Blochmann has surmised that Kdlupahiir wt\9 originally a Hindu who embraced Islam, from the circumstance that his proper name was Raju. Mr. Beveridge in his Analysis of Khurshid Jahan Numa has followed in Professor Blochmann’s wake. I see no warrant for this surmise. The Makhzan-i-Afghani and the Akbarnaumh, contemporary records, would not have failed to notice this fact, if it were so ; for it would have been a matter of additional exultation to the Musalman historians. The text describes him as one of tho “ Omrah of Babar"; and Babar never dreamt of the policy of his grandson. Akbnr, to employ Hindus in high military capacities or to make them his “ Omra.” Furthermore, the name Raju is current amongst Musalmans. (See Blochmann’s .-h'n, Vol. I, which mentions one Syed Raju of Bnrha and Bndaoni, p. 323, Vol. 2, and Ain, Vol. 2, p. 371): Badini, too, in the Muntakhibu-l-Tawarikh (p. 42. Vol. 1), mentions Kalapahar as a brother of Sikandar Shah (alius Ahmad Khan Sur of Sher Shah’s family) who occupied Bihar as tuyul under Akbar. (The Makhzan-i-Afghani gives a full description of Kalapuhar’s conquest. He was killed in 1582 A.C. in a fight with Aziz Kokah between Colgeng and Kajinahal. S Shaik Kabir flourished about the beginning of the 15th century daring the rale of Independent Musalman Kings in Bengal. He was the leader of a great theistic movement, the object in view being to harmonise Musalman and Hindu religions, and to teach votaries of both the great religions of India hat they were after all children aud worshippers of one God, that the Allah 19 which is called in the language of that country tartlnl. After having done so, they proceed to worship their God of Jaggannath. At Parsutam, Hindus unlike their practice elsewhere, cat together with Musalmans and other races. And all sorts of cooked fond sell in the bazar , and Hindus and Musalmans buy them and eat to¬ gether and drink together. SECTION II.— DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY OF BENGAL. Be it known to the appraisers of the pearls of past chronicles that most of the historians have narrated that when Ham, son of Noli (Noah) the prophet, (may he be in peace !), with the permission of his holy father, set himself to colonize the south, he girded up his loin for accomplishing this, and deputed his sons—the first of whom was Hind, the second Sind, the third Ha bash, the fourth Zanaj, the fifth Barbar, and the sixth Nubah—in all directions on colonizing expeditions. And the tract that each of them colo¬ nized was called after him. The eldest, son, Hind, having come to the country of Hindustan, it was so named after him. And Sind in the company of his elder brother, having set himself to colonize the tract of Sind established himself there, and that was named after him. But Hind had four sons, the first was Purab, the second was Bang, the third was Dakin, and the fourth was Nahar- wal. And every tract that was colonized by each, is still called after him. And Dakin, son of Hind, had three sons, and the coun¬ try of Dakin was parcelled between them.