Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c14.25

c14.25

Earlier expeditions of the Muslim rulers of Lakhnautī against the country of Bang do not appear to have been successful. But Sulṭān Tughril Khān, who began to rule in 1268 A.D., is doubtfully said to have built a fort at Loricol about 25 miles due south of Dacca and to have invaded the kingdom of Hill Tippera.² In course of his Bengal compaign, Sulṭān Ghiyāṣuddin Balban claimed to have subdued Iqlim-i-Lakhnautī and ’Arsah-i-Bangāla while he advised his son Nāṣiruddīn Bughra Khān, whom he left as the governor of Muslim Bengal, to exert for the conquest of Diyār-i-Bangāla.³ It is probable that the dominions of Daśaratha or Danuj Rāi of Soṇārgāon in Bang were included in this Diyār-i-Bangāla.⁴ When exactly the Deva dynasty of Sonārgāon was overthrown by the Muslims is not known. Jalāluddīn, a son of Sulṭān Shamsuddīn Firūz Shāh (1301-22 A.D.) is known to have issued coins from the Lakhnautī mint ‘from the spoils of Bang’ while a coin of Shamsuddīn Firūz Shāh issued from his mint at Sonārgāon itself bears the date 710 A.H.=1310-11 A.D.¹ Thus the Deva dynasty of Sonārgāon seems to have been extirpated by the Muhammadans shortly after the reign of Daśaratha. A copper-plate grant issued by a ruler named Vīradharadeva in his 15th regnal year has been recently discovered at Maināmatī in the Tippera District of East Pakistan.² He seems to have been the successor of Daśarathadeva.