The Bara-Bhuiyans gained strength during the chaotic conditions prevailing in eastern Bengal following the disruption of the two-hundred-year old independent sultanate in 1538 AD. sher shah conquered gaur, the capital of Sultan ghiyasuddin mahmud shah and placed the city under his governors, but could not consolidate his power throughout Bengal. There are examples of at least three rebellions against him by the supporters of the supplanted ruling dynasty. In fact, the riverine tract of Bengal was always a headache to the central government. To solve the problem, Sher Shah divided Bengal into a number of smaller units, because, he thought, the rulers of smaller units would not have the power to rise against the central authority. The decentralisation had its demerits also. If the rulers of smaller units had not the power to rise against the central government, they had also no power to oppose the rebels. That Sher Shah’s policy of decentralisation had this bad effect is proved by the several rebellions in eastern Bengal against him. The Afghan historians described this state of affairs by using the term Muluk-ut-tawaif, which means disorder, chaos and disintegration.
The patriotic Bhuiyans, who resisted the Mughal conquest, were famous as Bara-Bhuiyans or twelve Bhuiyans, but in both the above lists, there are thirteen names. Actually they were thirteen including the leader, and in fact both Abul Fazl and Mirza Nathan, while referring to the Bara-Bhuiyans, wrote, ‘Isa Khan made the 12 zamindars of Bengal subject to himself’, and elsewhere Mirza Nathan wrote ‘Musa Khan and his 12 zamindar allies’.
The Bara-Bhuiyans were heirs to the two-hundred-year long independent sultanate of Bengal.
The Bara-Bhuiyans were not the scions of any royal family, they were zamindars or landholders. They were patriots who with courage and valour resisted the Mughal advance for long three decades. After 1612 when Islam Khan Chishti forced them to submit, the term Bara-Bhuiyans survived only in popular tales and ballads. [Abdul Karim]
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http://print.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/11/27/68010/print
A ballad of BaroBhuiyans of Bengal
The BaroBhuiyans were predominant and had ruled a vast land in Eastern Bengal prior to the arrival of Turkish noblemen who established the Sultanate in Bengal in the eleventh/twelfth century AD. It is believed that those Bhuiyans who had fought against the Mughal aggression in the sixteenth century were known as BaroBhuiyans. In fact, fighters against the moguls were many more than twelve. The BaroBhyiyans were Zamindars or landlords who had resisted the Mughal advance for three decades. After 1612 when Islam Khan forced them to submit, in consequence, the influence of Bhuiyans somewhat diminished. But their role was never wiped out. The BaroBhuiyans flourished during the chaotic period of Afghan rule. Following the conquest of Bengal by Mughal emperors Akbar and Jahangir, they received proper treatment from the Mughals and rose to power in Bhati. Bhati is a lowlying area of Bengal, encompassing whole stretches to Hijli, Jessore, Faridpur, Dhaka, Mymenshingh, part of Tripura (Comilla) and Noakhali (then known as Bhulua and Rouchnabad Parganas). Trace of Bhuiyans is also found in Sylhet district and Assam known as Uijan (upperstream region). Among the BaroBhuiyans, Isa Khan was the most famous in the medieval Bengal. He was the ruler of Bhati realm. He was born in 1529. His father Sulaiman Khan, a descendant of an Afghan chieftain, had settled in Bengal. The medieval Bengal had been under Sultanate rule for 200 years to 1538 AD. Then Sher Shah conquered Gaur, the capital of Sultan Ghiyas Uddin Mahmud. But there is no trace of Sher Shah’s influence in the revering tracts of Bengal. Sulaiman Khan had carved out an independent principality in the Bhati region comprising a part of greater Dhaka district and southern portion of greater Mymensingh. Sulaiman Khan had rebelled against Islam Shah Sur more than once and was killed in 1548. Isa Khan was in his teens at the time. He was brought up by his paternal uncle Qutub Uddin. Isa spent his childhood and youth in Bhati. During that period, Taj Khan, another Afghan chieftain, helped Isa obtain an estate in Sonergaon and Mymensingh Pargana in 1564 at the age of 35 as a vassal of the said chieftain. By winning the grace of the Afghan, he gradually increased his strength and status. And by 1571, Mughal Court designated him as the ruler of Bhati. In 1576, Isa’s compatriot Afghan chieftain was defeated by the Mughals in Rajmahal, although Isa Khan played a leading role in the local resistance. As an astute and farsighted person, he realized it was next to impossible to face Mughal emperor Akbar the Great singlehanded. Hence, he established rapport with neighbouring Bhuiyans (landlords) and Afghan chieftains and forged an antiMughal politico military alliance with them. He also made friendship with Amar Manikya and Raghu Dev, the neighbouring Kings of Tripura Hilltracts and Kamrup respectively. In 1578, Mughal Subedar Khan Jahan invaded the Bhati region and encamped in Bhawal Isa’s heartland. Isa’s problem compounded following betrayal of two Afghan chieftains Karimdad Musazai and Ibrahim Naralwho sided with the Mughals. Undaunted, Isa Khan stood defiant. A large Mughal naval force under two commanders waged a fierce naval battle in Kastul, now in Kishoreganj district. But they suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Isa and his allied forces. The Mughal army took to flight, and the Subedar was compelled to quit Bhati. Thus Isa Khan thwarted Mughal expansion in East Bengal. The next Mughal Viceroy, Sahbaz Khan, led an army putsch while Isa Khan was in an expedition elsewhere and ravaged Katrabo, the home and capital of Isa, as well as Khizirpur, Sonargaon and Egarashindhur. Isa Khan hurried back from the expedition and with his ally Masum Khan Kabuli put up a stiff resistance and defeated the Mughals in the battle of Egarashindhur and Bhawal. The attackers were forced back to Tanda, the local headquarters of the Mughals. Shahbaz Khan again marched towards Bhati. Tired of constant battles, Isa Khan sent presents and proposed peace to the Mughal Viceroy and succeeded in forestalling the invasion. Then Isa remained undisturbed in his own territory for almost a decade. But the Mughals in Delhi were averse to seeing a rising hero in Bengal and they wanted to crush Isa Khan. In September 1597, the Mughals sent a large force by land and water under the overall command of General Mansingh and his son Durjon Singh. The battle took place 12 miles off Vikrampur. In this encounter Durjon Singh was killed. But in the following year, Mansingh himself with an enlarged Mughal army led an invasion and crushed the backbone of BaroBhuiyans, destroyed Sonargaon and other places of Isa Khan e.g. Jangle Bari, Eagarshindhur and Katrabo. Isa Khan died in September 1599 at the age of about 70. During his lifetime, Isa Khan had brilliantly maintained his independence against the Mughals for a quarter of a century. His independent domain comprised a vast chunk of land in Dhaka district, the whole of Mymensingh and a part of Tripura district. After his death his son Musa Khan reigned in some part of Bhati and did not excel. His period lasted some time during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir. Then Musa became obscure. Mughal historian Abul Fazl and Mirza Nathan acknowledge that Isa Khan was the Chief or Chieftain of 12 Zaminders or Bhuiyans of Bengal. Elsewhere, Mirza Nathan mentioned Musa Khan and his 12 Zamindar allies. In a recent year, a vernacular newspaper ran a feature on the ruins of Isa Khan’s Junglebari and traced a direct descendant of Isa Khan living in a dilapidated building. Following Isa Khan’s defeat by Mansingh and subsequent turmoil, a large number of dependants of the Bhuiyans dispersed to farflung Bhati regions spread over Dhaka district, Mymensingh, Tripura and Noakhali where they established their individual domains. They lived their life comfortably while the Mughals did not disturb any more as they found them helpful in matters of maintaining law and order, as also in the collection of tax and revenue. During the period starting from Sultanate (1200AD), Pathan dynasties, Mughal Empire and the British Raj, rural aristocracy, particularly in Bhati regions, belonged to these Bhuiyan families. It is said that Bhuiyans have lived in Bengal for more than nine centuries. Although Mughals had broken their backbone, they were not wiped out or annihilated. Bhuiyans had always remained active in rural Bengal and at the national level over these years and at present Bhuiyans are found wellestablished in different professions. Some milestones are found in the BengalBritish story. In 1793, Lord Cornwallis, GovernorGeneral of India, instituted a “Permanent Settlement” of the lands of Bengal. Earlier, using the Sunset Law, East India Company had given a death blow and grabbed lands of many Bhuiyains, Chieftains and others. By this measure, intermediaries who had collected revenue of the land taxes on behalf of the Mughals and later for the British Raj became owners of the lands on which they had gathered revenue. The new landlords were required to pay a fixed fee to government and were left to collect rents indiscriminately from the peasants/farmers who had now become their tenants. In the process, wings of the Bhuiyans were clipped and their undisputed status in rural Bengal was relegated next to the newlycreated class of Zamindars. But they maintained a pivotal role on their subjects. In the process, the East India Company had made the lands marketable and diverted Indians’ money to lands and they monopolized production and sale of opium, salt, tobacco and other essential household requirements. This practice had lasted till the midnineteenth century. Then, following the Sepoy mutiny of 1857 and the takeover by Crown (Queen Victoria) over the East India Company’s rule in India, in August 1858, the market opened up for the Indians. Since then, the Indians flourished in every sector of trade, commerce and industry. Finally, in the early 50’s of the last century, Zamindari system was abolished altogether and the intermediary role of Bhuiyans also came to an end. Since then, the term ‘Baro Bhuiyans’ has survived in popular tales. Regrettably, many other facets of Bhuiyans’ socioeconomic lifestyles have been uncovered largely because article’s size and the author’s range both have limits. Within those limits, however, it is hoped the article may have offered a flavour of an important part of the Bhuiyans ballad. ………………………………………………
Mr. ABM Ahsanullah is a retired government officer and a descendant of a Bhuiyan family who can be reached at email: ahsan_agencey@yahoo.com
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratapaditya
Navy[edit]
Being quite familiar with the terrain of his kingdom and the frequent raids by the Portuguese and Arakanese pirates along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, a military genius of the like of Pratapaditya could have ignored the need of a strong naval fleet only at his own peril. Most of the Bara Bhuiyans of the time were well equipped in naval warfare and Pratapaditya was no exception. Historian Radhakumud Mookerjee observed thus:
But by far the most important seat of Hindu maritime power of the times in Bengal was that established at Chandikhan or Saugor island by the constructive genius of Pratapaditya, the redoubtable ruler of Jessore. Numbers of men-of-war were always to be found ready for battle and in a seaworthy condition at that naval station. There were also three other places where Pratap built his shipyards and dockyards: these were Dudhali, Jahajaghata and Chakasri, where his ships were built repaired and kept.
These men-of-wars were usually made of timber, abundant in the mangroves of Sundarbans. Some of these vessels had more than 64 oars and most of them were equipped with artillery. There were several classes of vessels in the fleet, namely, Piara, Mahalgiri, Ghurab, Pal, Machoya, Pashat, Dingi, Gachhadi, Balam, Palwar and Kocha. According to Abdul Latif’s travelogue the Jessore fleet consisted of hundreds of war boats. According to Dutch historian Jos Gommans, the Mughal fleet consisted of, at maximum about 500 boats, whereas the fleet of Raja Pratapaditya had twice as many.[10] The fleet was initially under the command of Bengali officers, but later Portuguese officers were entrusted with the duty.
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http://www.sos-arsenic.net/english/intro/barobhuay.html
Bengal was always in political turmoil
The chronicle of Bangladesh starts in 1204 A.D. when a band of several hundred Turkish cavalry had ridden swiftly down the Gangetic plain in the direction of the Bengal delta led by a daring officer name Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji. Bakhtiyar was in the service of Muhammad Ghouri, the Sultan of Delhi. He quickly captured the royal city of Nudiya and inaugurated an era lasting over five centuries during which most of Bengal was dominated by the Sultanate. Bakhtiyar’s governorship was a brief one.
Everyone mentioned how fertile the land was, how plentiful the fields abound in seasonal crops, how trade between the known world flourished from the seaports of ancient Bengal but nothing good was said about its people. Ibn Batuta’s historical account of Bengal is perhaps the most descriptive, exhaustive. His famous description of Bengal, dozakh puri-e-niamat (hell crammed with [God’s] blessing) is sadly and unfortunately true. So by all accounts, we could conclude that our ancient land was something to be proud of. But what went wrong down the line? What curse befell on us, which god did we infuriate and for what? In spite of all the blessings –– fields filled with paddy, the gossamer muslin, the pink pearls, the spices, Bengal was always in political turmoil.
Rebellious governors, warlords like Isa Khan and his baro bhuiyans, claimants and counter-claimants to the throne of Bengal planted the seed of a destabilised Bengal. Religious differences were taken advantage of by the colonial powers and others whose interest was vested in their own prosperity. The common people were ever so wretched and deprived of dignity and an honourable livelihood…just as they are now.
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Bengal was always in political turmoil
The chronicle of Bangladesh starts in 1204 A.D. when a band of several hundred Turkish cavalry had ridden swiftly down the Gangetic plain in the direction of the Bengal delta led by a daring officer name Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji. Bakhtiyar was in the service of Muhammad Ghouri, the Sultan of Delhi. He quickly captured the royal city of Nudiya and inaugurated an era lasting over five centuries during which most of Bengal was dominated by the Sultanate. Bakhtiyar’s governorship was a brief one.
Bengal held a special fascination for visitors as throughout the thirteenth century governors of Bengal tried whenever possible to assert their independence from the parent dynasty in Delhi, as Delhi was distant and the temptation to throw off this allegiance proved irresistible. So, governors rebelled and each brief assertion of independence was followed by intervention from Delhi. In 1281 Giasuddin Balban, the powerful sovereign of Delhi, ruthlessly stamped out one revolt by hunting down his rebel governor and publicly executing him. Yet, within a week of Balban’s death in 1287, his own son, Bughra Khan, whom the father had left behind as his new governor, declared his independence.
It is said that the Vedas mention the land of Bengal as Vanga. So we can claim to be a part of an ancient land if nothing else. Many foreign travelers came and went and wrote something or the other about our Bengal.
Everyone mentioned how fertile the land was, how plentiful the fields abound in seasonal crops, how trade between the known world flourished from the seaports of ancient Bengal but nothing good was said about its people. Ibn Batuta’s historical account of Bengal is perhaps the most descriptive, exhaustive. His famous description of Bengal, dozakh puri-e-niamat (hell crammed with [God’s] blessing) is sadly and unfortunately true. So by all accounts, we could conclude that our ancient land was something to be proud of. But what went wrong down the line? What curse befell on us, which god did we infuriate and for what? In spite of all the blessings –– fields filled with paddy, the gossamer muslin, the pink pearls, the spices, Bengal was always in political turmoil.
Rebellious governors, warlords like Isa Khan and his baro bhuiyans, claimants and counter-claimants to the throne of Bengal planted the seed of a destabilised Bengal. Religious differences were taken advantage of by the colonial powers and others whose interest was vested in their own prosperity. The common people were ever so wretched and deprived of dignity and an honourable livelihood…just as they are now.
In 1342, a powerful noble, Shams-al-din Ilyas Shah, wrested Bengal free from Delhi’s grip and established the first of several dynasties that remained independent from North India for the next two and half centuries. The Muslim rulers followed a policy of religious tolerance and granted perfect freedom of belief to the people. There is no reference in the chronicles of any of the rulers having ever attempted to impose Islam by force on anyone of the conquered people. There is no evidence of the destruction of any Hindu temples or Buddhist’s monasteries. The Muslim rulers in fact identified themselves with the land, encouraged the cultivation of Bengali language and extended their patronage to both Muslim and Hindu writers and scholars. Although the Sultanate aligned itself ideologically to the Middle East, it was rooted politically in Bengal.
The reigns of Sultan Hussain Shah (1493 – 1519) and his son Nusrat Shah (1519 – 1532) are generally regarded as the Golden Age of Bengal Sultanate. Secure in power, these kings now presented themselves to all Bengalis as indigenous rulers. They had become Bengali kings. The Mughal period in Bengal starts with the overthrow of the last independent Sultan Daud Karani in 1575 by Akbar’s governor Khan Jahan. Soon after the advent of the Mughals there was the rise of an illustrious noble Isa Khan. He virtually ruled Bengal for fifteen years as the Mughal governors failed to subdue him. This period also saw the rise of the twelve Bhuiyans which was a sort of a joint venture among the Bengali and Afghan nobles. In fact I find Isa Khan as one of the most colourful personalities in the history of Bengal. Akbar finally had to send his most powerful General Man Singh to bring Bengal under Mughal rule. To achieve his objective in 1602 Man Singh shifted his capital to what is today Dhaka. The conquest of the Baro Bhuiyans took several years and their resistance led by Musa Khan, son of Isa Khan, is a glorious chapter for the Bengalis.
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the Ghazi Family in Bhowal on Dhaka which consisted Fazl Ghazi with his son and inheritor, Bahadhur Ghazi(who possessed large Naval fleets which was the main factor of Isa Khan’s resistance against Mughal forces[16]) along with Sona Ghazi and Anwar Ghazi.
Rise to power[edit]
With the help of Taj Khan, a Karrani ruler during 1564-1566, Isa obtained an estate in Sonargaon and Maheswardi Pargana in 1564 as a vassal of Karrani dynasty of Bengal. He gradually increased his power. In 1573 he helped Daud Khan Karrani in his expedition to Chittagong against Udaya Manikya, the king of Tripura.[1] He also helped Kala Pahar, Daud Khan’s General,[5] in driving out the Mughal’s Navy from the vicinity of Sonargaon in 1575. Isa’s services to Daud Khan earned him the title of Masnad-i-Ala of Khizirpur.[6]
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Egarosindur[edit]
Egarosindur (Bengali: এগারসিন্ধুর) is a village in Kishorganj. The village is situated on the east side of the river Brahmaputra. The name of this village is found in the Akbornama by the historian Abul Fazal. There is a debate among historians about the history of Egarosindur. Some engraved silver coins, iron-axes, lances and bows and arrows were discovered there presumed to be from the 10th century BC. Historians also believe that Egarosindur was inhabited since 1000 BC, i.e. the time of the Murza. There lived many tribals named Choch and Hajong. Egarosindur was a centre of trade and commerce.
In 380 AD Egarosindur was under the reign of Dobak state. After that this region was reigned by the King of Kamarupa. Another historical analyses prove that in the 8th century Egarosindur was an important river port where Muslim traders exported and imported their product with Rome and Paris. In the 10th century Egarosindur was under the control of Azhaba, a king of Hazradi. Azbaha triumph over this land by defeated King Botong. But after some years Azbaha was beaten by Bebuid Raza and Bebuid Raza was the first popular king of this land. In his time, Egarosindur was reborn again. He built spectacular palaces, forts, big canals, temples etc.
In the second part of the 10th century King Srishochandra controlled this land. After that this area might be governed by Shen king and then it is included with the land of Kamarupa. In the beginning of 14th century the king of Goura, Firoz Shah succeed to win Egarosindur. In 1338 Sultan Fakruddin Mubarak Shah take the authorization of this ancient land. It was seemed that when Sultan was in a critical position, he took shelter in Egarosindur. In 1577 Isa Khan declared Egarosindur a sovereign state. In his age this place appeared as a remarkable place of trade and commerce. In the fort of Egarosindur there held a massive battle between Isa Khan and Mansingh, the general of Akbar. But in the battlefield Mansingh was greatly impressed by the boldness and hospitality of Isa Khan. In one stage when they carried out a duel, Mansingh’s sword broke down. Isa Khan did not take his life and most surprisingly he offered his own sword to Mansingh. He said, “I could not kill any helpless person”. And then they made an agreement in the battlefield. Akbar granted Isa Khan a jaigir lease over 22 pargonas. After Isa Khan, Egarosindur as a distinct entity was again lost to history. In the reign of Shahjahan in 1638, the king ofAssam attacked Egarosindur. Though he was not competent to defeat the warrior of Shahjahan, he destroyed this land ruthlessly when he fled from the battlefield.
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