[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Bengal, Orissa and the North-East](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east) › [Riyāẓ al-salāṭīn](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin) › [The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam) › 65 # Riyaz al-salatin 65: THE REIGN OF 'ALAU-D-DIN SYED HUSAIN SHARIF MAKI. The Riyazu-s-salatin (Abdus Salam) 65 - **Language:** English ### THE REIGN OF 'ALAU-D-DIN SYED HUSAIN SHARIF MAKI. ### [65.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.1) Syed Husain Sharif Maki, during the period of his Vizarat, used to treat the people with affability. He used to tell them : "Muzaffar Shah is very stingy, and rude in behaviour. Although I advise him to attend to the happiness of the army and the independent kings had its adopted home, because Husain Shah first obtained power in the adjacent district of Faridpur or Fathahabad (which latter at the time was included in, or rather included portions of, Jessore), where his first coins were struck in 899 A.H. (Marsden's pl. XXXVIII, No. DCCLXXIX), and also because Husain Shah's son, Nasrat Shah, erected a mint at the neighbouring place of Khalifatabad (or Bagerhat, formerly in Jessore district) and minted there coins in the lifetime of his father in 922 A.H. (see p. 297, J.A.S.B. for 1873 and pl. IX, No. 10). Another circumstance which also supports the above theory of Professor Blochmann about the locale of Alau-ddin Hussain Shah's adopted home, appears to be this, that the names of Husain Shah, his brother Yusuf Shah, and his sons Nasrat Shah, and Mahmud Shah, are found in connection with several parganas of Jessore (Jasar) district (as formerly constituted, before its being split up into Pabna, Khulna and Faridpur districts), such as parganas Nasratshahi and Mahmudshahi and Yusufshahi, and Mahmudabad (a whole Sirkar including Northern Jessore or Jasar and Bosnah). In regard to Alauddin Husain Shah, Professor Blochmann observes (J.A.S. for 1873, p. ### [65.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.2) 291) that "of the reign of no king of Bengal — perhaps of all Upper India before the middle of the 10th century — do we possess so many inscriptions. Whilst the names of other Bengal kings scarcely ever occur in legends, and remain even unrecognized in the geographical names of the country, the name of 'Husain Shah the Good' is still remembered from the frontiers of Orissa to the Brahmaputra." This great and good king extended his empire into Orissa, into Assam, into Chittagong, and reigned over all north Behar, and all south Behar up to the western limits of Sarkar Monghyr, where his son Danyal erected a vault over the shrine of Peer Nafa. (See Tabaqat-i-Akbari and also Badaoni, Vol. I, p. 371). A cathedral mosque amongst his other edifices was erected by this king, in 907 A.H. at Machain, opposite to Faridpur in Dhakah; the inscription of this mosque appears in J.A.S. for 1873, p. 293. The Husain Shahi dynasty consisted of four sovereigns: (1) Alauddin Husain Shah who reigned from 899 to 929 A.H. (2) Alau-d-din's son, Nasiru-d-din Abul Muzaffar Nasrat Shah (929 to 939). (3) Alau-d-din Firuz Shah (939), a son of No. 2, and (4) Ghiasu-d-din Mahmud Shah, (940-945 A.H.) the last independent king of Bengal, who was defeated by Sher Shah's army at Gaur under Jalal Khan and Khwas Khan in 944 A.H. or 1538 A.D. That is, for forty-four years, this Husaini dynasty consisting of four kings, reigned over Bengal. (See J.A.S.B. for 1872, p. 332). ### [65.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.3) The Tabaqat-i-Akbari's notice of Bengal closes with an account of the reign of Nasrat Shah, the second king of the above Husaini dynasty. The fourth king of the Husaini dynasty, it may be of interest to remark, is the "El Rey Mamud de Bengala" of the Portuguese, who described Gaur, the capital at the time, as being "three leagues in length, well-fortified and with wide and straight roads, along which rows of trees were planted to shade the people." This Mahmud Shah died in 945 A.H. at Colgong (Kahalgaon), where he lies buried. nobility, and dissuade him from evil pursuits, it is all in vain ; for he is simply bent on hoarding wealth." In consequence, the nobles looked upon Husain as their friend, patron and sympathiser. As his virtues and Muzaffar Shah's vices were known to the public and to the elite, on the day that Muzaffar Shah was slain, all the nobles held a council for the purpose of electing a king, and favoured the installation of Syed Sharif Maki, and said, "If we elect you king, in what way will you conduct yourself towards us ?" Sharif Maki said : "I will meet all your wishes, and immediately I will allot to you whatever may be found over-ground in the city, whilst all that is under-ground I will appropriate to myself." The patricians as well as the plebeians fell in with this tempting offer, and hurried out to pillage the city of Gaur, which at this time eclipsed Cairo (in point of wealth). ### [65.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.4) In this way, a city was pillaged : You might say, it was swept by the broom of plunder. Syed Sharif Maki by this easy contrivance, seized the umbrella of sovereignty, and introduced the Khutba and the coin in his own name. Historians write that his name was Syed Sharif Maki, and that when he ascended the throne, he styled himself 'Alau-d-din. But I note that throughout the kingdom of Bengal and in the neighbourhood of Gaur, his name as Husain Shah is on the lips of the elite and the mass. Since I did not find the name of Husain Shah in history, I was in doubt. After much research, by deciphering wordings of inscriptions which exist up to this day, and are engraved on the ruins of the City of Gaur, on the stone of the large gate-way of the Qadam Rasul building, and on the Golden Mosque, and also on some other shrines, which are amongst the edifices erected by Sultan Husain Shah and his sons Nasrat Shah and Mahmud Shah, it appears that Syed 'Alau-d-din Abul Muzaffar Husain Shah is the son of Syed Ashrafal-Husaini. In regard to the months and years of Syed Sharif Maki's period, all these inscriptions tally, and thus all doubts are set at rest. It appears that apparently his venerable father — Syed Ashrafal Husaini — was Sharif of Makka; hence the son also was known as Sharif-i-Maki; or else, his name was Syed Husain. In a pamphlet, I have noticed that Husain Shah and his brother Yusuf, together with their father, Sayyid Ashrafal Husaini, were residents of the town of Tarmuz. ### [65.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.5) By chance, they came to Bengal, and stayed in the mouza of Chandpur in the zilla of Radha, and both the brothers took their lessons from the Qazi of that place. On knowing their noble pedigree, the Qazi married his daughter to Husain Shah. After this, he entered the service of Muzaffar Shah, and reached the office of Vizier, as has been related before. When he ascended the throne in the city of Gaur, after some days, he forbade the people from the pillage of the city, and when they did not cease, he slaughtered twelve thousand plunderers; then these stayed their hands from the work of pillage. And making search, he found much of the hidden treasures including thirteen hundred plates of gold. From ancient times, the custom in the country of Lakhnauti and East Bengal was that rich people preparing plates of gold, used to take their food thereon, and on days of carnivals and festivities, whoever displayed a large number of golden plates, became the object of pre-eminence. And this custom up to this time prevails amongst the rich and high-ranked people. Sultan 'Alau-d-din Husain Shah, since he was a wise and sagacious sovereign, shewed considerateness towards the influential nobles, and raised his select officers to high positions and trusty offices. And he prohibited the Paiks — whose faithlessness and regicides had become characteristic — from guarding the Palace, and totally disbanded them, so that no harm might befal him. ### [65.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.6) And in place of the Paiks, in the Guard-room and on the Band-stand, he appointed other body-guards. And he also expelled totally the Abyssinians from his entire dominions. Since these Abyssinians were notorious for their wickedness, regicides and infamous conduct, obtaining no footing in Jaunpur and Hindustan, they went to Gujrat and the Dakhin. Sultan 'Alau-d-din Husain Shah, girding up the waist of justice, unlike other kings of Bengal, removed his seat of government to Ekdala, which adjoins the city of Gaur. And excepting Husain Shah, no one amongst the kings of Bengal made his seat of government anywhere, except at Pandua and the city of Gaur. As he was himself of noble descent, according to the saying, "Every thing turns back to its origin" he took the Syeds, Mughals and Afghans by the hand, and sent efficient District Officers to different places, so that peace in the country being secured, anarchy and revolutions which had occurred during the period of the Abyssinian kings, etc., vanished, and all disloyal elements were reduced to order. And subjugating the Rajas of the environs and conquering up to Orissa, he levied tribute. After this, he planned to conquer Assam, which is north-east of Bengal. With an overwhelming army consisting of infantry and a numerous fleet, he marched towards that kingdom, and conquered it. ### [65.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.7) And conquering the whole of that country up to Kamrup, Kamtah and other districts which were subject to powerful Rajas, like Rup Narain, and Mal Kunwar, and Gasa Lakhan and Lachmi Narain and others, he collected much wealth from the conquered tracts; and the Afghans demolishing those Rajas' buildings, erected new buildings. The Raja of Assam not being able to oppose him, relinquishing his country, fled to the mountains. The king, leaving his son with a large army to complete the settlement of the conquered country, returned triumphant and victorious to Bengal. After the withdrawal of the king, his son devoted himself to the pacification and defences of the conquered country. But when the rainy season set in, owing to floods, the roads and tracks became closed ; and the Rajah with his adherents issued from the hills, surrounded the Royal army, engaged in warfare, cut off supplies of provisions, and in a short time put all to the sword. And the king, erecting a fort on the bank of the river Bhatah, bestowed great efforts on the improvement and advancement of the Kingdom of Bengal. And erecting and establishing Mosques and Rest-houses at different places in every district, he conferred numerous gifts on saints and recluses. ### [65.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65.8) And for the maintenance of the Rest-house in connection with the eminent saint, Nur Qutbu-l-'Alam, he endowed several villages, and every year, from Ekdala, which was the seat of his government, he used to come to Pandua, for pilgrimage to the bright shrine of that holy saint. And because of his meed-worthy courteousness and affable deportment, and owing to the exuberance of his good sense and wisdom, he ruled for a long period with complete independence. In the year 900 A.H., Sultan Husain Sharqi, ruler of the Jaunpur kingdom, on being defeated and pursued by Sultan Sikandar, proceeded to Colgong (Kahlgaon), and took shelter with Sultan 'Alau-d-din Husain Shah. The latter, paying regard to the refugee's rank, provided him with means of comfort, so that relinquishing anxieties and cares of sovereignty, Sultan Husain Sharqi passed the rest of his life at the above place. Towards the end of 'Alau-d-din's reign, Muhammad Babar the Emperor invaded Hindustan. Sultan Husain Shah, in the year 927 A.H., died a natural death. His reign lasted 27 years, and according to some, 24 years, and according to others, 29 years and 5 months. Amongst the sovereigns of Bengal, none has been equal to 'Alau-d-din Husain Shah. And traces of his beneficence in this country are well-known to all. He had eighteen sons. Nasrat Shah, after his father, became king of Bengal. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.east.riyaz-al-salatin~en-abdus-salam.65) · Pramāṇa