The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v2.c41.s2: II. Conquest of Sylhet
The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v2.c41.s2
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II. Conquest of Sylhet
v2.c41.s2.1
The tragic end of the war of independence waged by ‘Usmān ultimately determined the fate of the struggle led by Bāyizid Karrāni against the Mughal expeditionary force commanded by Shaikh Kamāl. This general on reaching the outskirts of Bāyizid’s domain, began a series of plundering raids in order to terrorise the inhabitants into submission.
v2.c41.s2.2
Islām Khan decided to strengthen the force against Bāyizid by sending to Shaikh Kamāl a large body of reinforcements received from Bihār with the necessary equipment and rations. That general had in the meantime, reached the bank of the river Surmā, at some distance from the fort of Sylhet, the capital of Bāyizid.
v2.c41.s2.3
Apprised of the rapid advance of the imperialists, Bāyizid sent his younger brother Ya’qub at the head of a large number of Afghan chiefs to make a fort on the bank of the Surmā outside the environs of his fortified capital, and check the further progress of the enemy.
v2.c41.s2.4
At this news, Shaikh Kamāl despatched Raja Satrajit, with other vassals, to make a fort on the bank of the Surmā, opposite the fort of Ya'qub, and ‘in front of Kadamṭālā (unidentified) which was outside the town of Sylhet’. The Raja crossed the Surmā under cover of the artillery and fell upon the fort of Ya'qub, and after a week's fighting, captured this fort. When the first rumour of ‘Usmān's discomfiture was found to be baseless, Bāyizid and Ya'qub renewed the operations with greater vigour. The position of the Afghans was at this time strengthened by the arrival of a large force from the Raja of Kachār.
v2.c41.s2.5
Raja Satrajit, who had to bear the brunt of this renewed attack failed to cope with it. After a feeble resistance, he gave up the captured fort, and fell upon the fortifications on the other side of the Surmā. At last after some more fighting in which the imperialists were sorely pressed, the news of the fall of ‘Usmān and of the final victory of Shujā'at Khan came as a fatal blow to Bāyizid and his men. Their resistance collapsed and they begged for peace. Bāyizid handed over all his elephants to Shaikh Kamāl, and arranged to accompany the latter, with Ya'qub and the leading Afghan chiefs and his whole family, to Dacca for tendering submission to the subahdar.
v2.c41.s2.6
Leaving a trusty officer for the administration of Sylhet, and placing Mubāriz Khan in charge of the imperial forces, Shaikh Kamāl proceeded to Dacca with the Afghan vassals and the elephants, reaching the capital after Shujā'at Khan's arrival there.
v2.c41.s2.7
Islām Khan received the new vassals with greater pomp, and treated them with greater severity than in the case of ‘Usmān's sons and brothers. Sylhet was formally annexed to the Bengal subah, and the administrative arrangements made tentatively by Shaikh Kamāl were approved. Bāyizid, his brother, and the leading Afghan chiefs were deprived of their personal liberty and kept in close custody. (Baharistan, 63a-64b, 66b-67a, 75a-76a, 98a : Tuzuk and Iqbālnāmah are silent on the Sylhet war).