Bengal–Jaunpur confrontation explained

Conflict:	Bengal–Jaunpur confrontation
Date:	1415-1420
Place:	Bengal
Territory:	Unknown.
Result:	Jaunpur victory at first invasion. House of Ganesha Victory at second invasion. Jaunpur accepts formation of new dynasty Ilyas Shahi insurgency continues until 1436 Raja Ganesh became the king of the Bengal and established the Ganesha dynasty
Combatant1:	House of Ganesha Supported by: Oiniwar Dynasty Diplomatic support: Timurid Empire Ming China
Combatant2:	Jaunpur Sultanate Supported by: Bengal Sultanate (Ilyas Shahi dynasty)
Commander1:	Raja Ganesha Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah Shiva Simha Singh---- Shah Rukh Yongle Emperor
Commander2:	Ibrahim Shah---- Nur Qutb Alam (until 1416)

The Bengal–Jaunpur confrontation was an early 15th-century conflict that stemmed from the Jaunpur Sultanate's opposition to the overthrowing of the Bengal Sultanate's founding dynasty, the Ilyas Shahi, by Raja Ganesha. After diplomatic pressure from the Timurid and Ming empires and direct combat support of Shivasimha, the Brahmin King of Mithila. Jaunpur's sultan Ibrahim Shah Sharqi was convinced to abstain from attacking Bengal.^[1]

Background

The Jaunpur Sultanate challenged the rule of Raja Ganesha who usurped the throne of Bengal after the overthrowing the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. Raja Ganesha was later removed as a result. But his son later took the throne and converted to Islam.

Conflict

Ibrahim Shah of Jaunpur continued to attack the Bengal Sultanate under Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah.

Foreign mediation

A diplomat in the court of Shahrukh Mirza recorded that the Timurid ruler of Herat intervened during the Bengal-Jaunpur conflict after a request from the Sultan of Bengal. The record speaks of Shahrukh Mirza "directing the ruler of Jaunpur to abstain from attacking the King of Bengal, or to take the consequence upon himself. To which the intimation of the Jaunpur ruler was obedient, and desisted from his attacks upon Bengal".^[2] Records from Ming China state that the Yongle Emperor also mediated between Jaunpur and Bengal after the Bengali ambassador in his Peking court complained of the conflict.^[3]

He was also directly supported by a Mithila Brahman King who was also his friend, Shiva Singh of Oiniwar Dynasty in his battle against Ibrahim Sharqi of Jaunpur Sultanate. The mention of this battle is stated in both Arakanese accounts and Mithila accounts.^[4]

Aftermath

The conflict resulted in peace between Bengal and Jaunpur.

See also

• Jaunpur-Bhojpur War

Notes and References

1. Mishra . Vijayakanta . 1953 . Chronology of the Oiniwara Dynasty of Mithila . Proceedings of the Indian History Congress . 16 . 200–210 . 44303873 . 2249-1937.
2. Book: Richard M. Eaton. The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760. 1996. University of California Press. 53. 978-0-520-20507-9.
3. Book: Chung . Tan . Tan Chung . Yinzeng . Geng . 2005 . India and China: Twenty Centuries of Civilizational Interaction and Vibrations . History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization . III Part 6 . Centre for Studies in Civilizations . 361 . 978-81-87586-21-0 . The Bengali envoy complained at the Ming court ... The 'Zhaonapuer'/Jaunpur troops withdrew from Bengal. (Here is a unique episode of China's mediating in the conflict between two Indian states. - Tan).
4. Web site: History of Muslim Rule in Tirhut (1206-1765 A.D.) . 2023-10-13 . INDIAN CULTURE . 67–74 . en.