The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.486

v3.c20.486

Bengal had for some years ceased to acknowledge the authority of Delhi. In 1338 Mubārak, styling himself Fakhr-ud-dīn Mubārak Shāh, had established himself in Eastern Bengal, and had been succeeded in 1349 by Ikhtiyār-ud-dīn Ghāzī Shāh; and in 1339 ‘Alā-ud-dīn ‘Alī Shāh had assumed independence in Western Bengal. In 1345 Hājī Iliyās, styling himself Shams-ud-dīn Iliyās Shāh, had made himself master of Western Bengal, and in 1352 had overthrown Ghāzī Shāh and established his dominion over the whole of Bengal. Emboldened by success, and by the indifference of Fīrūz, Iliyās had rashly invaded Tirhut with the object of annexing the south-eastern districts of the now restricted kingdom of Delhi, but Fīrūz was now free to punish this act of aggression, and in November, 1353, marched from Delhi with 70,000 horse to repel the invader. Iliyās retired before him into Tirhut, and thence to his capital, Pāndua, but mistrusting the strength of this stronghold, continued his retreat to Ikdāla, a village situated on islands in the Brāhmaputra and protected by the dense jungle which clothed the river’s banks, whither Fīrūz followed him. Fīrūz failed to reduce Ikdāla and Iliyās endeavoured to detain the invaders in Bengal until the advent of the rainy season, in the hope that the unhealthiness of the climate and the difficulty of communicating with Delhi would place them at his mercy, but Fīrūz preferred an undignified retreat to almost certain disaster. Iliyās followed and attacked him, but was defeated with some loss and Fīrūz continued his retreat without further molestation and on September 1, 1354, entered Delhi.