Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t29: Saifuddin Hamza Shah
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t29
- Language
- English
Saifuddin Hamza Shah
v2.c14.s4.t29.1
Saifuddin (Saifuddin Hamza Shah), reigned from 1411-1413 CE), was the fourth Sultan of Iliyas Dynasty (1342-1487 CE), the first independent Muslim dynasty in West Bengal region of India in the later medieval age. His father Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (being translated as Geus Ude Ding Adhamsah currently) was on the throne from 1390-1410 CE. Friendly communications between both of the father and son and China were recorded in detail in *History of Ming Dynasty* and other ancient books.
v2.c14.s4.t29.2
According to the item of “Bengala” in volume VII of ‘*Chronicles of the Realm by a Translator*’, in the second year of Yongle, Ming Dynasty (1404 CE), the King Ghiyasuddin sent an envoy to pay gifts to Ming Emperor and in the sixth year (1408 CE) he sent a letter written on a golden leaf as a gift. According to the volume 110 of ‘*Code of Great Ming Dynasty*’, in the third year of Yongle, Ming Dynasty (1405 CE), Emperor Yongle granted the King four respective webs of tiffany and leno, eight webs of silk, and the Princess three respective webs of tiffany and leno, six webs of silk. Those records above mentioned indicated that the relationship between Ming Dynasty and Bengala was very close and the communication between them was very frequent.
v2.c14.s4.t29.3
According to volume 326 of ‘*History of Ming Dynasty*’, in the seventh year of Yongle, Ming Dynasty (1409 CE), Ghiyasuddin sent an envoy to pay gifts to Ming Emperor once again with more than 230 attendants. Emperor Yongle granted the King a great reward. After that, Ghiyasuddin paid gifts every year in order to actively foster cordial relations between the two countries. “In the tenth year of Yongle, Ming Dynasty (1413 CE), when the diplomatic corps were coming soon, the Emperor sent an officer to welcome and entertain them in Zhenjiang. When they were going to have dinner, the envoy said their King had died. Therefore, the officer went to their country to hold a memorial ceremony for the King, and then the heir Saifuddin (Saifoding) was dubbed the new King. In the twelfth year of Yongle, Ming Dynasty (1415 CE), the heir king sent an envoy with a letter expressing his thanks and gave giraffes, famous horses and native products. The protocol officer asked for congratulation, but the Emperor did not permit him. The next year (1416 CE), Houxian was sent to give presents to the country. The King, princess and ministers were all granted. In the third year of Zhengtong, Ming Dynasty (1438 CE), giraffes were given as gift and officials of all ranks congratulated. The next year (1439 CE), the King gave gifts again, which did not happen from then on. That country had vast territory and abundant resources, and commercial intercourses were prosperous in every city, which made the country as flourishing as China. ” Official documents were conducted transmission and hand-over among different departments. A lot of technologies such as medicine, divination, yinyang, various handcrafts and skills were all spread from China in the previous years. The King respected the imperial court of China very much. Once upon he heard about the coming of an envoy from China,
v2.c14.s4.t29.4
A relief of Zheng He's Voyages
v2.c14.s4.t29.5
he sent an officer to welcome with ceremony staffs and thousands of cavalries.” Feixin, in his ‘*Vision in Triumph, Ships Sail Under Starry Sky*’, recorded the grand occasions and favourable treatments when Houxian served as an envoy to Bengala in the tenth year (1412 CE) and the twelfth year (1414 CE): “flannelette blanket was put on the floor of the audience hall, our envoy was treated, our officers and soldiers were entertained, and the reception was very magnificent.” It was absolutely not a trifle for Ming Dynasty that Saifuddin presented giraffes. In ‘*Picture of a Giraffe*’ by Shendu, a painter of Ming Dynasty, there is a giraffe pulled by a Muslim from foreign country, which recorded in vivid image the historical fact that the envoy of Bengala went to China to present giraffes. This picture is collected in National Museum of China. Yang Shiqi, a great officer of Ming Dynasty, highly praised giraffes presented by Bengala are auspicious signs, in his poem ‘*The Royal Poem about Giraffes Presented by Bengala*’.
v2.c14.s4.t29.6
The volume 304 of *History of Ming Dynasty* records, “There was a country called Zhaonapuer in the middle of India. It was an old country and once invaded Bengala. Saifuddin told this to the imperial court. In the September of the 18ᵗʰ year of Yongle (1420 CE), the Emperor sent Houxian to announce his instruction and grant the gold coins to the country, and then it withdrew its troops.” Actually, Saifuddin was killed in civil war on the second year of his being on the throne. Shihabuddin Bayazid Shah, his son, enthroned in 1413 CE as the fifth Sultan of Iliyas Dynasty who continuously pursued friendly policy towards China and sent envoy to present giraffes and a letter written on a
v2.c14.s4.t29.8
Huang Ming Xiang Xu Lu golden leaf. A senior called Ganesh usurped power and established his own court after Shihabuddin dying in 1414 CE. Therefore, Houxian was ordered to go to Bengala to mediate the conflict between Ganesh Dynasty and the kingdom of Zhaonapuer actually, which had nothing with Saifuddin and other Sultan of Iliyas Dynasty. In 1435 CE, Ganesh Dynasty doomed and Iliyas Dynasty restored and continuously pursued friendly policy with China, sending envoys and paying gifts in 1438 and 1439 CE. The government of Ming Dynasty was not aware of the alteration of Bengala dynasties and the monarchs, so the events happened after Saifuddin passing away were recorded as Saifuddin's deeds.
v2.c14.s4.t29.9
It is indicated in *History of Ming Dynasty* and other similar records that there was a close relationship between China and Bengala in prime period of Ming Dynasty. Saifuddin sent envoy to China with a huge party being up to 230 persons. Such a diplomatic corps can also be considered to be enormous in nowadays. Ming Dynasty was so powerful that the King of Bengala turned to ask for help when being invaded by neighbouring country, and meanwhile Bengala also offer great assistance for Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Seas. Zheng He's treasure ships has large volume and deep draft for which they could not march into interior of Bengala along the mouth of the Ganges River, which has many shoals. Therefore, they had to anchor in Chittagong which is located in southeast of Bangladesh. With the generous permission of Bengala, Ming Dynasty set up official base in Chittagong for Zheng He fleet. It can be said great contribution of Ghiyasuddin and Saifuddin to the favourable interaction between successive Sultans of Bengala and Ming Dynasty.
v2.c14.s4.t29.10
(*Liu Jian*)