Person · r. 1358 – 1367

Sikandar Shah (Bengal)

Eldest son of Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, he sent Firuz Shah Tughlaq fifty elephants to conciliate him, but when that gift failed to stop a Delhi invasion he entrenched in the Fort of Ekdala near Panduah and bought peace with forty elephants and an annual tribute, began the Adina Mosque in the jungles of Panduah in AH 766 without living to finish it, and after a reign of nine years and some months was killed in battle at Goalpara by a commander of his rebel son Ghiyasu-d-din, who had mobilised an army from Sunargaon and succeeded him.

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Two gifts to Delhi, one bought peace

"And the generals, his eldest son, Sikandar Shah, ascended the throne of Bengal" (p. 104) — Riyaz-us-Salatin's page opens mid-sentence on the succession; the clause naming the nobles' consent is on the preceding page, not opened for this pass. Sikandar Shah opened his reign by sending Firuz Shah Tughlaq "fifty elephants with sundry rareties" to conciliate him (p. 104), but the gift did not stop the Delhi army: "Firuz Shah, Emperor of Delhi, in the year 760 A.H. marched to subjugate the kingdom of Bengal" (p. 104). Sultan Firuz Shah then marched on Lakhnauti, and when he "encamped in the environs of Panduah, Sikandar Shah feeling that he was no match for the Sultan followed his father's tactics, and entrenched himself in the Fort of Ekdalah" (p. 105). With the garrison "reduced to straits," he bought peace this time, "sending forty elephants together with other goods and presents and numerous rareties, and agreeing to pay an annual tribute" (p. 105), and "Firuz Shah accepting these returned to Delhi" (p. 105).

The Adina Mosque, and a son's rebellion

Free of Delhi, "Sikandar Shah with absolute independence gave full rein to enjoyments. And in the year 766 A.H., he built the Adina mosque; but before he could finish it, death overtook him, and the mosque remained half finished" (p. 105); "some trace of the mosque still exists in the jungles of Panduah" (p. 105). His son by his second wife, Ghiasu-d-din, "one day on the pretext of hunting escaped towards Sunargaon, and in a short time mobilising a large army, demanded the throne from his father" (p. 107), then "marched with a large army from Sunargaon, and encamped at Sunargadhi" (p. 107) before meeting him in the field: "on the next day, on the battlefield of Goalpara, both sides marshalling their forces prepared to fight" (p. 107), and there "Sikandar Shah was unknowingly killed at the hands of one of the commanders of Ghiasu-d-din" (p. 107). "The reign of Sikandar Shah lasted nine years and some months" (p. 108) before Ghiyasu-d-din succeeded him.

What they built

built · 1364Adina Mosque — Adina Mosque, Pandua (contested) · p. 105

Written about at length

Five Unrelated Dynasties: The Bengal Sultanate, 1352–1576 — 15 sources

Where this sits

Everything else the archive holds on the topics this entry belongs to.

Bengal Sultanate

Sources

p. 104 · read as page image his eldest son, Sikandar Shah, ascended the throne of Bengal ... And deeming it expedient to conciliate Sultan Firuz Shah, he sent, in the shape of presents, fifty elephants with sundry rareties. In the meantime, Firuz Shah, Emperor of Delhi, in the year 760 A.H. marched to subjugate the kingdom of Bengal.
p. 105 · read as page image When the Sultan encamped in the environs of Panduah, Sikandar Shah feeling that he was no match for the Sultan followed his father's tactics, and entrenched himself in the Fort of Ekdalah. Firuz Shah pressed the siege hard. When the garrison was reduced to straits, Sikandar Shah sending forty elephants together with other goods and presents and numerous rareties, and agreeing to pay an annual tribute, sought for peace. Firuz Shah accepting these returned to Delhi. After this for some years, Sikandar Shah with absolute independence gave full rein to enjoyments. And in the year 766 A.H., he built the Adina mosque; but before he could finish it, death overtook him, and the mosque remained half finished. Some trace of the mosque still exists in the jungles of Panduah, at a distance of one karoh from the town.
p. 106 · read as page image It is said that Sikandar Shah had seventeen sons by his first wife, and by his second wife he had one son, named Ghiasu-d-din, who, in polish of manners and other qualities, was superior to his other brothers, and was proficient in the art of government.
p. 107 · read as page image one day on the pretext of hunting escaped towards Sunargaon, and in a short time mobilising a large army, demanded the throne from his father. Shortly after, in order to wrest the kingdom, he marched with a large army from Sunargaon, and encamped at Sunargadhi. From the other side, the father also with a powerful army advanced. On the next day, on the battlefield of Goalpara, both sides marshalling their forces prepared to fight ... Sikandar Shah was unknowingly killed at the hands of one of the commanders of Ghiasu-d-din.
p. 108 · read as page image The reign of Sikandar Shah lasted nine years and some months. He was a contemporary of the saint 'Alaul Haq.