History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c6.101

c6.101

⁴¹ Shams-al-Din Firuz, according to Blochmann, died in 717-18 (1317-18 A.D.) and was succeeded by his eldest son Baghra Shah who was defeated and expelled by Bahadur Shah. But this does not seem to be correct, for there are silver coins of Shams-al-Din Firuz issued from Lakhnauti, bearing the dates 720 and 722 A.H. Blochmann's Geography and History of Bengal, J. A. S. B., 1874, p. 289; Thomas, Chronicles, p. 140. Thomas, Initial Coinage of Bengal, p. 45. J. A. S. B. 1922, XVIII, p. 420. Ibn Batūṭah (III, pp. 209-10) after narrating the rebellion in the Deccan in 721-22 A.H. says, that the fugitive Amirs (who had deserted Sultan Muhammad) fled to Shams-al-Din, son of Sultan Nāsir-al-Din, son of Sultan Ghiyas-al-Din Balban and established themselves at his court at Lakhnauti. Stewart's statement, (p. 75) that Bahadur was appointed to Eastern Bengal by 'Ala-el-Din Muhammad in 709 A.H. is not supported by numismatic evidence.' That Bahadur issued coins even in the life-time of his father is beyond doubt. There are coins Bahadur struck at Lakhnauti, Ghiyaspur and Sonargaon during 710-31 A.H.—a fact which shows that Bahadur was master of Lakhnauti during the years 720 and 728 A.H. There was a break in 725 A.H. when Bahadur was brought as a captive to Dihli by Tughluq Shah, but he was restored again by Muhammad on his accession to the throne. Lane-Poole, Catalogue of Indian Coins, p. 27. The coins of Shams-al-Din are also issued from Lakhnauti bearing dates 720-22 A.H. and Bahadur's coins are also issued from the same place. This anomaly may be explained in the words of Thomas by supposing that Bahadur in the early days used the name of Lakhnauti as a geographical expression for a portion of the dominions ordinarily administered from that capital. Thomas, Chronicles, p. 201. J. A. S. B. 1874, p. 84, Yule, Cathay and the Way Thither IV, Series II, p. 86.