Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah ( Bengali শামসুদ্দীন ইলিয়াস শাহ ; * in Sīstān ; † 1358 in Bengal ) was a warlord in the service of the Sultanate of Delhi and in 1352 the founder of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty of the independent Sultanate of Bengal .
biography
Except that he came from a noble family and emigrated to India around 1330, next to nothing is known about his origins. For a while he was in the service of the Sultan of Delhi , but after a few years he turned to Bengal and entered the service of Izzuddin Yahya, the local governor of the Delhi-based, but increasingly weaker Tughluq dynasty . After the death of Izzuddin Yahya (1338) he occupied the rule of Satgaon and assumed the title of sultan. In the years 1339 to 1352 he undertook several campaigns that took him to the Kathmandu Valley , where he destroyed the sanctuaries of Pashupatinath and Swayambunath ; he also waged war against the other two quasi-independent rulers of Lakhnauti and Sonargaon until they were subjugated. Then he officially proclaimed the Sultanate of Bengal and made Pandua (also called Adina ) its capital. In the same year he turned to Orissa , where he destroyed several Hindu temples and from where he returned with rich booty. A year later he moved to Bihar and extended his dominion to Varanasi ; Assam too was subjugated.
Domination
Firuz Shah Tughluq (ruled 1351-1388), the Sultan of Delhi, wanted to put an end to Shamsuddin's activities and undertook a campaign to Bengal in November 1353, but ultimately had to withdraw without success. A peace treaty was signed and gifts were exchanged in the following years. Overall, the domestic side of Shamsuddin's rule is seen as comparatively liberal and fair. Larger buildings are not known of him, but he is considered the founder of the city of Hajipur in Bihar.
meaning
About 150 years after Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji, Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah is considered the unifier of Bengal. His extensive campaigns established his reputation as the second " Alexander ". Many Muslims consider him a “defender of the faith” and “leader of the believers”.
Succession
He was succeeded by his son Sikander Shah (r. 1358-1390).
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Muslim military leader and founder of the Sultanate of Bengal |
| DATE OF BIRTH | before 1330 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sīstān |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1358 |
| Place of death | Bengal |