Qazi Fazilat Explained

Honorific Prefix:Qadi
Fazilat
Nickname:Qazi Fazihat
Honorific Suffix:Amin-i-Bangalah Shershahi
Office:Amin of Bengal
Term:1541-1545
Predecessor:Khidr Khan
Successor:Muhammad Khan Sur
Relatives:Qazi Yaqub of Manikpur (son-in-law)[1]

Qazi Fazilat Shershahi (Bengali: কাজী ফজিলত, Persian: قاضی فضیلت) was an army qadi for Sher Shah Suri and later a governor of Bengal under the Sur Empire from 1541 to 1545.[2]

Biography

The governor of Bengal, Khidr Khan, attempted to declare independence from the Sur Empire in 1541. However, his plan was unsuccessful and was dismissed from the office as governor by Emperor Sher Shah Suri. The Emperor then appointed Qazi Fazilat as the Amin of Bengal and superintendent of Rohtas Fort.[3]

Fazilat (meaning virtue) was said to have been an easygoing and lighthearted man. Satirically, people would refer to him as Qazi Fazihat (meaning infamy) and that became a very popular nickname of his.[4] This name has passed on as a humorous expression used in the Eastern Bengali dialects.[5]

His term ended at the death of Sher Shah Suri. Fazilat was succeeded by Muhammad Khan Sur in 1545 who would also declare independence.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Muntak̲h̲abu-t-tawārīk̲h̲, Volume 3. ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni. ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni. 126. The Asiatic Society.
  2. Web site: Kingdoms of South Asia – Indian Kingdom of Bengal. www.historyfiles.co.uk.
  3. Book: Agrawal, Ashvini. Studies in Mughal History. 1 Jan 1983. Motilal Banarsidass. The Mughals and the Afghans. 67.
  4. Book: Muntak̲h̲abu-t-tawārīk̲h̲, Volume 2. ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni. ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni. 104. The Asiatic Society.
  5. Book: Qanungo, Kalikaranjan. 307–308. Sher Shah And His Times. 1965.