Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar (Bengali: শাহ্ সুলতান বলখী মাহিসাওয়ার )(also known as Hazrat Sultan Ibrahim Bin Adham Balkhi or Hazrat Sultan Balkhi Mahiuddin Mahi Sowar) was a 14th century Muslim saint.[1] He preached Islam in Bogra District or Pundravardhana.

Contents

[edit] Who was he

Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar was a ruler of Balkh in Central Asia)[2]. He was the son of Shah Ali Asgar, a ruler of Balkh in Tataristan of Central Asia. He was selected as ruler after the death of his father[3]. He left his kingship and became a dervish. He took lesson from Hazrat Toufique (R.) , and became Dervish. In 44 H.E. he came to Pundravardhana. He first reached at Sandwip of Bangla, he stayed there for few years and later he came here (Mahasthangarh the Capital of Pundravardhana )[4]

[edit] Conqueror

He conquered the fort of Pundravardhana after warring with Raja Parshuram in the fourteenth century.[1] Another source mentioned that, he defeated Raja Parshuram in 1043 C.E. [5], the last Hindu king of Mahasthangarh.[6]. According to legend, Shah Sultan of Balkh came to Mahastahan accompanied by his disciples dressed as a Faqir in a boat shaped like a fish. Initially Chilhon, the army chief of Porshuram and many others accepted the message of Islam and became Muslims but eventually there was conflict between Porshuram and Balkhi Mahisawar in which Porshuram was defeated and killed [7].

[edit] Muslim conquest of Mahasthan by Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar (C. 1043 A.D.)

A historian Provash Chandra Sen wrote in his book titled “Bogurar Itihash” that, ‘’Narshingh or Porshuram, the Hindu king of the Mahasthan Bhoj Garh dynasty, was defeated and killed by Shah Sultan Balki in the year 1043CE’’[8].

Babu Satish Chandra Sen stated a legend in his book Bogurar Itihas that, Shah Sultan of Balkh (Ancient Bactria) accompanied by Ibrahim-bin-Adham, another missionary, and some disciples arrived at Mahastan in the grab of a fakir, riding a fish-shaped barge in 1043 A.D. Here he succeeded in converting Chilhan, the General of King Parshuram and many local Hindus to Islam. This gave rise to the struggle between the Fakir and the King, In which the latter eventually was betrayed by one Harapal, defeated and killed. [9].

We thus get an idea that the Muslim rule was established in this district by the saint, Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar. But it is very difficult to accept Mr. Sen's Claim of Sultan Balkhi's conquest of Mahasthan in 1043 A.D., as it presupposes a major conquest of the invasion of Ikhtiyaruddin Muhammad-bin-Bakhtiyar Khalji. [10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "A fort among hundred forts", New Age, 4 January 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ Akhter, Fariduddin. Tajkeratul Aulia. Meena Book House, Dhaka. 2005. pp. 252
  3. ^ Saklayen, Golam. Bangladesher Sifi Sadhak. Islamic Foundation, Dhaka. 2003. pp. 84
  4. ^ Akhter, Fariduddin. Tajkeratul Aulia. Meena Book House, Dhaka. 2005. pp. 253
  5. ^ Bogra
  6. ^ Xila Devir Ghat. Banglapedia. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  7. ^ Bogra
  8. ^ Bogra
  9. ^ Mahastanm by Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed. p. 27
  10. ^ Bangladesh Disctrict Gazetteers: Bogra. Government of Bangladesh. 1979. p.31