- Shaista Khan
Mirza Abu Talib, better known by his title Shaista Khan _bn. শায়েস্তা খাঁ), was a "
subahdar " and general in thearmy of theMughal Empire . He served as the Mughal governor ofBengal from 1664 to 1688. Under his reign, the city ofDhaka and Mughal power in the province attained its greatest heights.Early life
Mirza Abu Talib's family was of Iranian descent and connected with the Mughal royal family. Mirza's father Asaf Khan and his grandfather Mirza Ghias Beg Itimaduddaula both served as "wazirs" (
prime minister s) to the Mughal emperorsShah Jahan andJahangir respectively. Emperor Shahjahan awarded the title of Shaista Khan to Mirza in recognition of his family's service and position in the Mughal court. Shaista Khan trained and served with the Mughal army and court, winning multiple promotions and appointed governor of various provinces. He also developed a reputation for being a successful military commander and grew close to the princeAurangzeb when the duo fought against the kingdom ofGolconda . After his accession to the throne, emperor Aurangzeb granted him a higher rank and conferred on him the prestigious title of "Amir-ul-Umara" ("chief of the nobles") in recognition of his support in the campaign against Aurangzeb's brother and rivalDara Shikoh . Shaista Khan was appointed "subahdar " of Bengal after the death of Mir Jumla in 1663 CE.Confrontation with Shivaji
In 1660, Aurangzeb sent Shaista Khan with a large army to defeat
Shivaji in theDeccan . Shaista Khan had camped inPune and taken residence in Lal Mahal, which was well guarded. NoMaratha was allowed in the city of Pune. One day a wedding party had obtained special permission for taking out a procession. Shivaji and his men disguised as the bridegroom's procession members entered Pune. After disposing of the guards of they entered the house by breaking a wall. Shivaji himself confronted Shaista Khan who fled by jumping out through a window, however with one blow of Shivaji's sword, he lost his thumb and two fingers and was eventually rendered unconscious. Shaista Khan was subsequently rescued and taken to a safe place by servant maids. Angered by the discomfiture in Pune, Aurangzeb transferred Shaista Khan to distant Bengal.Campaign against Arakan
Upon his arrival in Bengal, Shaista Khan was immediately engrossed in putting down the rebellions of hill tribes. Shaista Khan foresaw a potent threat from the
Arakan kingdom (in modernMyanmar ), which had developed its military and naval strength. He immediately began developing the Mughalnavy , increasing its fleet to as many as 300 ships within a year. He also made strenuous diplomatic efforts to win the support of theDutch East India Company as well asPortugal , which was supporting Arakan with resources and troops. With active Dutch military support, Shaista Khan led Mughal forces on an assault on the island of Sandwip, which lay in Arakanese control. Shaista Khan gained a considerable advantage when a conflict erupted between the Arakanese and the Portuguese. By promptly offering protection and support, Khan sequestered the aid of the Portuguese against the Arakanese and Mughal forces succeeded in capturing the island.In December 1665 CE Shaista Khan launched a major military campaign against
Chittagong , which was the mainstay of the Arakenese kingdom. There was a great naval battle in the sea and then in the river Karnafuli; the Mughals with the aid of the Portuguese came out successful. The Arakanese navy being defeated, their sailors fled and some of them took shelter in the fort. But the fort of Chittagong was besieged and captured on 26 January 1666. Khan also re-asserted Mughal control overCooch Behar andKamarupa .Governor of Bengal
Upon his victory against the Arakanese, he ordered the release of thousands of Bengali peasants being held captive by the Arakanese forces. As governor, Shaista Khan encouraged trade with
Europe ,Southeast Asia and other parts ofIndia . He consolidated his power by signing trade agreements with European powers. Despite his powerful position he remained loyal to Aurangzeb. Often mediating trade disputes and rivalries, Shaista Khan banned theBritish East India Company from Bengal after the British demanding greater trading rights and hostile military exchanges erupted between Mughal and British forces.Shaista Khan encouraged the construction of modern townships, public works in the capital of Dhaka, leading to a massive urban and economic expansion. He was a great patron of the arts and encouraged the construction of majestic monuments across the province, including
mosque s,mausoleum s and palaces that represented the finest inIndo-Sarcenic andMughal architecture . Khan greatly expanded theLalbagh Fort , theChowk Bazaar Mosque , theSatgumbad Mosque and theChhota Katra . He also supervised the construction of a majestic mausoleum for his daughter Bibi Pari, who had been betrothed to the Mughal princeMuhammad Azam but died at a premature age. Shaista Khan spent lavishly on the construction of the tomb of his beloved daughter, by importing costly building materials from north India. The tomb is a very fine specimen of the architecture of DhakaLegacy
In his late years, Shaista Khan left Dhaka and returned to
Delhi . His legacy was the expansion of Dhaka into a regional centre of trade, politics and culture; a thriving and prosperous city from a small township. TheShaista Khan Mosque is a massive standing monument to Shaista Khan, built on his palace grounds. Incorporating unique elements of Bengali and Mughal architecture, it is a major tourist attraction and a valued historical monument protected by theGovernment of Bangladesh today.ee also
*
Islam Khan
*Bengal
*History of Bengal
*History of Dhaka
*Mughal Empire References
*Sir
Jadunath Sarkar , "History of Bengal, II" (Dhaka, 1948)
*Abdul Karim, "History of Bengal, Mughal Period, I," (Rajshahi , 1992)
*Duff, Grant, "History of the Marhattas" Oxford University Press, (London )External links
* [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0279.htm Shaista Khan biography]
* [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0280.htm Shaista Khan Mosque]
* [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/D_0145.htm History of Dhaka]
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