Bengal Subah
| Subah of Bengal | |||||
| Subdivision of the Mughal Empire | |||||
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| Capital | Dhaka Murshidabad Rajmahal Tandah |
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| Government | Viceregal | ||||
| Historical era | Early modern period | ||||
| • | Battle of Raj Mahal | 1576 | |||
| • | Battle of Plassey | 1757 | |||
| Today part of | Bangladesh India (West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa) |
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Mughal Bengal, officially the Subah of Bengal, was a state of the Mughal Empire encompassing modern Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was established following the dissolution of the Bengal Sultanate, when the region was absorbed into one of the largest empires in the world. The Mughals played an important role in developing modern Bengali culture and society. By the 18th century, Mughal Bengal emerged as a quasi-independent state.
Contents
Expansion and consolidation
After the defeat of Sultan Daud Khan Karrani at Rajmahal in 1576, Emperor Akbar announced the creation of the Subah of Bengal. By the 17th century, the Mughals subdued opposition from the Baro-Bhuyans landlords, notably Isa Khan. The region was integrated into a powerful and prosperous empire; and shaped by imperial policies of pluralistic government. The Mughals built a new imperial metropolis in Dhaka from 1610, with well-developed fortifications, gardens, tombs, palaces and mosques. It served as the Mughal capital of Bengal for 75 years.[1] The city was renamed in honour of Emperor Jahangir. Dhaka emerged as the commercial capital of the Mughal Empire, given that it was the centre for the empire's largest exports: cotton muslin textiles.[2]
In 1666, the Mughal armed and naval forces conquered Chittagong from the Portuguese and the Arakanese. The city was renamed as Islamabad.[3] The Chittagong Hill Tracts frontier region was made a tributary state of Mughal Bengal and a treaty was signed with the Chakma Circle in 1713.[4]
Between 1576 and 1717, Bengal was ruled by a Mughal viceroy. Members of the imperial family were often appointed to the position, with two Bengal viceroys becoming the Mughal Emperor themselves. In 1717, the Mughal Court upgraded the viceroy's position to the hereditary Nawab of Bengal, establishing the province as a quasi-independent state under imperial suzerainty.
Agrarian reform and Islamization
The Mughals launched a huge cultivation scheme in fertile Bengal delta that transformed the demographic makeup of the province.[5] The government cleared vast swathes of forest in the fertile Bhati region to expand farmland. It assigned Sufis as the chieftains of villages. Emperor Akbar readapted the modern Bengali calendar to improve harvests and tax collection. The region became the largest grain producer in the subcontinent.
Local Sufi leaders combined Islamic and Bengali cultural practices that developed the Bengali Muslim society. Mughal rule witnessed the largest expansion of the Muslim population in the region's history.[5]
Architecture
Mughal architecture proliferated Bengal in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, with the earliest example being the Kherua Mosque in Bogra (1582).[6] They replaced the earlier sultanate-style of architecture. It was in Dhaka that the imperial style was most lavishly indulged in. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, the old Mughal city was described as the Venice of the East.[7] Its Lalbagh Fort was an elaborately designed complex of gardens, fountains, a mosque, a tomb, an audience hall (Diwan-i Khas) and a walled enclosure with gates. The Great Caravanserai and Shaista Khan Caravanserai in Dhaka were centers of commercial activities. Other monuments in the city include the Dhanmondi Shahi Eidgah (1640), the Sat Gambuj Mosque (ca. 1664–76), the Shahbaz Khan Mosque (1679) and the Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque (1704).[6] The city of Murshidabad also became a haven of Mughal architecture under the Nawabs of Bengal, with the Caravanserai Mosque (1723) being its most prominent monument.
In rural hinterlands, the indigenous Bengali Islamic style continued to flourish, blended with Mughal elements. One of the finest examples of this style is the Atiya Mosque in Tangail (1609).[6]
Economy and trade
Bengal was the economic powerhouse of the Mughal Empire. It was described as the paradise of nations. 50% of the gross domestic product of the empire was generated in Bengal. It exported grains, fine cotton muslin and silk, liquors and wines, salt, ornaments, fruits, metals and pearls. European companies set up numerous trading posts in Mughal Bengal during the 17th and 18th centuries.[8][9]
- Economic scenes and products in Mughal Bengal
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A cotton weaver
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A woman draped in muslin, Dhaka, 1789
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A Dutch trading post in Hoogly, 1665
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European ships in Chittagong, 1702
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Ivory replica of a royal barge. Mughal Bengal was renowned for its shipbuilding
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Fort William, 1735
(Hendrik_van_Schuylenburgh,_1665).jpg)
Administrative divisions
In the revenue settlement by Todar Mal in 1582, Bengal Subah was divided into 24 sarkars (districts), which included 19 sarkars of Bengal proper and 5 sarkars of Orissa. In 1607, during the reign of Jahangir Orissa became a separate Subah. These 19 sarkars were further divided into 682 parganas.[10] In 1658, subsequent to the revenue settlement by Shah Shuja, 15 new sarkars and 361 new parganas were added. In 1722, Murshid Quli Khan divided the whole Subah into 13 chakalahs, which were further divided into 1660 parganas.
Initially the capital of the Subah was Tanda. On 9 November 1595, the foundations of a new capital were laid at Rajmahal by Man Singh I who renamed it Akbarnagar.[11] In 1610 the capital was shifted from Rajmahal to Dhaka[12] and it was renamed Jahangirnagar. In 1639, Shah Shuja again shifted the capital to Rajmahal. In 1660, Muazzam Khan (Mir Jumla) again shifted the capital to Dhaka. In 1703, Murshid Quli Khan, then diwan (prime minister in charge of finance) of Bengal shifted his office from Dhaka to Maqsudabad and later renamed it Murshidabad.
The sarkars (districts) and the parganas (tehsils) of Bengal Subah were:[10]
| Sarkar | Pargana |
|---|---|
| Udamabar (Tanda) | 52 parganas |
| Jannatabad (Lakhnauti) | 66 parganas |
| Fathabad | 31 parganas |
| Mahmudabad | 88 parganas |
| Khalifatabad | 35 parganas |
| Bakla | 4 parganas |
| Purniyah | 9 parganas |
| Tajpur | 29 parganas |
| Ghoraghat | 84 parganas |
| Pinjarah | 21 parganas |
| Barbakabad | 38 parganas |
| Bazuha | 32 parganas |
| Sonargaon | 52 parganas |
| Sylhet | 8 parganas |
| Chittagong | 7 parganas |
| Sharifabad | 26 parganas |
| Sulaimanabad | 31 parganas |
| Satgaon | 53 parganas |
| Mandaran | 16 parganas |
Government
The state government was headed by a Viceroy (Subedar Nizam) appointed by the Mughal Emperor between 1576 and 1717. The Viceroy exercised tremendous authority, with his own cabinet and four prime ministers (Diwan). The three deputy viceroys for Bengal proper, Bihar and Orissa were known as the Naib Nazims. An extensive landed aristocracy was established by the Mughals in Bengal. The aristocracy was responsible for taxation and revenue collection. Land holders were bestowed with the title of Jagirdar. The Qadi title was reserved for the chief judge. Mansabdars were leaders of the Mughal Army, while faujdars were generals. The Mughals were credited for secular pluralism during the reign of Akbar, who promoted the religious doctrine of Din-i Ilahi. Later rulers promoted more conservative Islam.
In 1717, the Mughal government replaced Viceroy Azim-us-Shan due to conflicts with his influential deputy viceroy and prime minister Murshid Quli Khan.[13] Growing regional autonomy caused the Mughal Court to establish a hereditary principality in Bengal, with Khan being recognized as the Nawab. He founded the Nasiri dynasty. In 1740, following the Battle of Giria, Alivardi Khan staged a coup and founded the short-lived Afsar dynasty.
List of Viceroys
| Personal Name[14] | Reign | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Munim Khan Khan-i-Khanan منعم خان، خان خاناں |
25 September 1574 - 23 October 1575 | ||
| Hussain Quli Beg Khan Jahan I حسین قلی بیگ، خان جہاں اول |
15 November 1575 - 19 December 1578 | ||
| Muzaffar Khan Turbati مظفر خان تربتی |
1579 - 1580 | ||
| Mirza Aziz Koka Khan-e-Azam میرزا عزیز کوکہ،خان اعظم |
1582 - 1583 | ||
| Shahbaz Khan Kamboh شھباز خان کمبوہ |
1583 - 1585 | ||
| Sadiq Khan صادق خان |
1585 - 1586 | ||
| Wazir Khan Tajik وزیر خان |
1586 - 1587 | ||
| Sa'id Khan سعید خان |
1587 - 1594 | ||
| Raja Man Singh I راجہ مان سنگھ |
4 June 1594 - 1606 | ||
| Qutb-ud-din Khan Koka قطب الدین خان کوکہ |
2 September 1606 - May 1607 | ||
| Jahangir Quli Beg جہانگیر قلی بیگ |
1607 - 1608 | ||
| Sheikh Ala-ud-din Chisti Islam Khan Chisti اسلام خان چشتی |
June 1608 - 1613 | ||
| Qasim Khan Chishti قاسم خان چشتی |
1613 - 1617 | ||
| Ibrahim Khan Fateh Jang ابراہیم خان فتح جنگ |
1617 - 1622 | ||
| Mahabat Khan محابت خان |
1622 - 1625 | ||
| Mirza Amanullah Khan Zaman II میرزا أمان اللہ ، خان زماں ثانی |
1625 | ||
| Mukarram Khan مکرم خان |
1625 - 1627 | ||
| Fidai Khan فدای خان |
1627 - 1628 | ||
| Qasim Khan Juvayni Qasim Manija قاسم خان جوینی، قاسم مانیجہ |
1628 - 1632 | ||
| Mir Muhammad Baqir Azam Khan میر محمد باقر، اعظم خان |
1632 - 1635 | ||
| Mir Abdus Salam Islam Khan Mashhadi اسلام خان مشھدی |
1635 - 1639 | ||
| Sultan Shah Shuja شاہ شجاع |
1639 -1660 | ||
| Mir Jumla II میر جملہ |
May 1660 - 30 March 1663 | ||
| Mirza Abu Talib Shaista Khan I میرزا ابو طالب، شایستہ خان |
March 1664 - 1676 | ||
| Azam Khan Koka, Fidai Khan II اعظم خان کوکہ، فدای خان ثانی |
1676 - 1677 | ||
| Sultan Muhammad Azam Shah Alijah محمد اعظم شاہ عالی جاہ |
1678- 1679 | ||
| Mirza Abu Talib Shaista Khan I میرزا ابو طالب، شایستہ خان |
1679 - 1688 | ||
| Ibrahim Khan ibn Ali Mardan Khan ابراہیم خان ابن علی مردان خان |
1688 - 1697 | ||
| Sultan Azim-us-Shan عظیم الشان |
1697 - 1712 | ||
| Others appointed but did not show up from 1712-1717 and managed by Deputy Subahdar Murshid Quli Khan. | |||
| Murshid Quli Khan مرشد قلی خان |
1717–1727 | ||
List of Nawabs
| Portrait | Titular Name | Personal Name | Birth | Reign | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 90px | Jaafar Khan Bahadur Nasiri | Murshid Quli Khan | 1665 | 1717– 1727 | 30 June 1727 |
| 90px | Ala-ud-Din Haidar Jang | Sarfaraz Khan Bahadur | ? | 1727-1727 | 29 April 1740 |
| 90px | Shuja ud-Daula | Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan | Around 1670 (date not available) | July, 1727 – 26 August 1739 | 26 August 1739 |
| 90px | Ala-ud-Din Haidar Jang | Sarfaraz Khan Bahadur | ? | 13 March 1739 – April 1740 | 29 April 1740 |
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| 90px | Hashim ud-Daula | Muhammad Alivardi Khan Bahadur | Before 10 May 1671 | 29 April 1740 – 9 April 1756 | 9 April 1756 |
| 90px | Siraj ud-Daulah | Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah | 1733 | April 1756 – 2 June 1757 | 2 July 1757 |
Decline
The authority of the Mughal Court rapidly disintegrated in the 18th century, especially after the invasion of Nader Shah. In Bengal, the system saw most wealth hoarded by the elites, with low wages for manual labour. The ruling class became increasingly embroiled in corruption. The Nawabs of Bengal entered into treaties with numerous European colonial powers, including officials and joint-stock companies representing Britain, Austria, Denmark, France and the Netherlands. By the late-18th century, the British East India Company emerged as the foremost military power in the region, defeating the French-allied Siraj-ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, that was largely brought about by the betrayal of the Nawab's once trusted general Mir Jafar. The company gained administrative control over the Nawab's dominions, including Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. It gained the right to collect taxes on behalf of the Mughal Court after the Battle of Buxar in 1765. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa were made part of the Bengal Presidency and annexed into the British colonial empire in 1793. The Indian mutiny of 1857 formally ended the authority of the Mughal court, when the British Raj replaced Company rule in India.
Other European powers also carved out small colonies on the territory of Mughal Bengal, including the Dutch East India Company's Dutch Bengal settlements, the French colonial settlement in Chandernagore, the Danish colonial settlement in Serampore and the Austro-Hungarian Ostend Company settlement in Bankipur.
See also
References
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- ↑ Saradindu Shekhar Chakma. Ethnic Cleansing in Chittagong Hill Tracts. p. 23.
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- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jarrett, H. S. (1949) [1891] The Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl-i-Allami, Vol.II, (ed.) J. N. Sarkar, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, pp.142-55
- ↑ Sarkar, Jadunath (1984). A History of Jaipur, c. 1503-1938, New Delhi: Orient Longman, ISBN 81-250-0333-9, p.81
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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