Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t30: Jalaluddin
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t30
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Jalaluddin
v2.c14.s4.t30.1
Sultan Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad (r. 1415-1432) was a ruler of Bengal who had diplomatic relations with the court of the Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty in China. Jalal-ud-Din was the son of a local Hindu chief, Raja Ganesh, but he converted to Islam even though he continued to follow many local Hindu practices. He inherited the throne from his father in 1415.
v2.c14.s4.t30.2
Jalal-ud-Din was embroiled in a dispute with the sultan of the neighbouring state of Jaunpur, Ibrahim Sharqi. He was probably aware of the power of the Ming empire and the pro-active foreign policy of the Yongle emperor who ruled China at the time. He, therefore, in 1420 complained to the Chinese emperor about raids on his territory conducted by Ibrahim Sharqi, and appealed to the emperor to intervene in the dispute. In response, the Ming emperor sent the envoy Hou Xian, accompanied by a retinue of Chinese soldiers and carrying gifts for the sultan and other members of his court. The mission carried a significant message from the Chinese emperor expressing the hope that the warring rulers 'would both cultivate good relations with their neighbours and would each protect their own territory'. The Chinese mission was received with great fanfare by Jalal-ud-Din, who presented them with, among other things, a huge commemorative silver coin minted specially for the occasion. After visiting Jalal-ud-Din's kingdom, Hou Xian's mission proceeded to visit the rival state of Jaunpur. It appears that this mission may have helped to prevent more large-scale hostilities between Jaunpur and Bengal.
v2.c14.s4.t30.3
The appeal from Jalal-ud-Din to the Ming emperor and the emperor's response show the extent of contacts between China and Bengal in eastern India at this time. Hou Xian's mission of 1420-21 was one of several missions exchanged between Bengal and the Chinese empire in the early 15ᵗʰ century. Regular commercial interaction between these two regions underlay the development of these political contacts. The missions exchanged between Bengal and China ceased some time in the middle of the 15th century, probably on account of the change in the attitude of the Ming emperors thereafter towards developing relations with places overseas.
v2.c14.s4.t30.4
(*Madhavi Thampi*)