Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar

Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar ( _bn. শাহ্ সুলতান বলখী মাহিসাওয়ার )(also known as Hazrat Sultan Ibrahim Bin Adham Balkhi or Hazrat Sultan Balkhi Mahiuddin Mahi Sowar) was a 14th century Muslim saint.cite news | url = http://www.newagebd.com/2008/jan/04/jan04/xtra_also2.html | publisher = New Age | date = 4 January 2008 | accessdate = 2008-01-31 | title = A fort among hundred forts] He preached Islam in Bogra District or Pundravardhana.

Who was he

Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar was a ruler of Balkh in Central Asia) [Akhter, Fariduddin. Tajkeratul Aulia. Meena Book House, Dhaka. 2005. pp. 252] . He was the son of Shah Ali Asgar, a ruler of Balkh in Tataristan of Central Asia. He was selected as ruler after the death of his father [Saklayen, Golam. Bangladesher Sifi Sadhak. Islamic Foundation, Dhaka. 2003. pp. 84] . He left his kingship and became a dervish. He took lesson from Hazrat Toufique (R.) , and became Dervish. In 44 H.E. he came to Pundravardhana. He first reached at Sandwip of Bangla, he stayed there for few years and later he came here (Mahasthangarh, the Capital of Pundravardhana ) [Akhter, Fariduddin. Tajkeratul Aulia. Meena Book House, Dhaka. 2005. pp. 253]

Conqueror

He conquered the fort of Pundravardhana after warring with Raja Parshuram in the fourteenth century. Another source mentioned that, he defeated Raja Parshuram in 1043 C.E. [ [http://bogra.info/history2.html Bogra ] ] , the last Hindu king of Mahasthangarh. [cite web | url = http://search.com.bd/banglapedia/HT/S_0386.htm | title = Xila Devir Ghat | publisher = Banglapedia | accessdate = 2008-01-31] . According to legend, Shah Sultan of Balkh came to Mahastahan accompanied by his disciples dressed as a Faqir in a boat shaped like a fish. Initially Chilhan, the army chief of Parshuram and many others accepted the message of Islam and became Muslims but eventually there was conflict between Parshuram and Balkhi Mahisawar in which Parshuram was defeated and killed [ [http://bogra.info/history2.html Bogra ] ] .

Muslim conquest of Mahasthan by Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar (C. 1043 A.D.)

A historian Provash Chandra Sen wrote in his book titled “Bogurar Itihash” that, ‘’Narshingh" or Parshuram, the Hindu king of the Mahasthan Bhoj Garh dynasty, was defeated and killed by Shah Sultan Balki in the year 1043CE’’ [ [http://bogra.info/history2.html Bogra ] ] .

Babu Satish Chandra Sen stated a legend in his book "Bogurar Itihas" that, Shah Sultan of Balkh (Ancient Bactria) accompanied by Ibrahim-bin-Adham, another missionary, and some disciples arrived at Mahastan in the grab of a "fakir", riding a fish-shaped barge in 1043 A.D. Here he succeeded in converting Chilhan, the General of King Parshuram and many local Hindus to Islam. This gave rise to the struggle between the Fakir and the King, in which the latter eventually was betrayed by one Harapal, defeated and killed. [Mahastanm by Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed. p. 27 ] .

We thus get an idea that the Muslim rule was established in this district by the saint, Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar. But it is very difficult to accept Mr. Sen's Claim of Sultan Balkhi's conquest of Mahasthan in 1043 A.D., as it presupposes a major conquest of the invasion of Ikhtiyaruddin Muhammad-bin-Bakhtiyar Khalji. [Bangladesh District Gazetteers: Bogra. Government of Bangladesh. 1979. p.31]

References