Shah Ismail Ghazi

Shah Ismail Ghazi
Tomb of Syed Ismail Gazi at Gar Mandaran
Born	unknown Mecca^[citation needed]
Died	1474
Cause of death	Executed on the orders of Sultan
Burial place	Ghoraghat, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Shah Ismail Ghazi's shrine at Baradarga, Rangpur, Bangladesh

Shah Ismail Ghazi (Bengali: শাহ ইসমাঈল গাজী) was a 15th-century Sufi Muslim preacher based in Bengal.^[1] He came to Bengal in the mid-fifteenth century during the reign of Rukunuddin Barbak Shah, settling in the country's capital, Gaur.^[2]

Life

Shah Ismail Ghazi was born in Mecca into the Arab tribe of Quraysh,^[3] and was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.^[4] He settled in the city of Gaur. During this time Sultan Rukunuddin Barbak Shah was building a dam across the river Jhatiya-Bhatiya or Chutiaputia.^[3] All the engineers and craftsmen tried for long seven years but could not complete the dam. After hearing this Ismail approached the Sultan and suggested a scheme. After his solution proved successful, Ismail became one of the most important men in the Sultan's army,^[5] and many battles were won under his command.^{[citation needed]}

Battles

Main article: Conquest of Mandaran

Shah Ismail Ghazi's first campaign was against the confronting Kapilendra Deva of the Gajapati Empire on the south-western frontier.^[6] He defeated the Gajapati Empire, recovering Mandaran,^[7] where he constructed a fort.^[8][9] After defeat at the hands of Kameshwar, king of Kamatapur, Barbak Shah decided to send Shah Ismail. He was victorious; the king surrendered to the Sultan^[10][11] and converted to Islam.^[3]

Death

There are two theories regarding the death of Shah Ismail Ghazi. One is that he was slain in a war in 1474.^[12][6] Another theory says that after so many victories Bhandsi Rai, the commandant of Ghoraghat, was jealous of him and reported to the Sultan that Shah Ismail Ghazi was in collusion with the Raja of Kamrup. After hearing this the Sultan immediately ordered Ismail's execution in 1474 A.D(878 A.H).^[5] There are six shrines dedicated to the memory of the saint; one at Mandaran (in Jhanabad, west of Hooghly),^[13] one at Ghoraghat, and four in Pirganj in the district of Rangpur, one of those being in Baradarga.^[12]

References

1. "part1_06". www.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
2. Banu, U. A. B. Razia Akter (1992). Islam in Bangladesh. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-09497-0.
3. Singh, Surinder; Gaur, I. D. (2008). Popular Literature and Pre-modern Societies in South Asia. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-81-317-1358-7.
4. Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Shah Ismail Ghazi (R)". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
5. Hanif, N. (2000). Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis: South Asia. Sarup & Sons. pp. 117–118. ISBN 9788176250870.
6. Sengupta, Nitish K. (2011). Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib. Penguin Books India. pp. 79–80. ISBN 9780143416784.
7. "Gold Tanka of Bengal Sultan Rukn Al-Din Barbak Shah". Mintage World. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
8. Chattopadhyay, Bankim Chandra (2014-02-25). Durgeshnandini. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-5083-240-0.
9. "Bader Maqams or the shrines of Badr Al-Din-Auliya (Part II) - Kaladan Press Network". www.kaladanpress.org. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
10. Neog, Maheswar (1980). Early History of the Vaiṣṇava Faith and Movement in Assam: Śaṅkaradeva and His Times. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 47. ISBN 9788120800076.
11. "Bibliography - History Ancient Period". hozir.org. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
12. Bhattacharya, Asok K. (1999). Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-0848-3.
13. CENSUS 1961, DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK. "PLACES OF TOURISTS' INTEREST" (PDF). Retrieved 13 October 2021.