Lesson 4/55 min
The Mughal subahdars of Bengal
After the Battle of Rajmahal in 1576 Bengal became a suba (province) of the Mughal empire. After the Baro Bhuiyans were put down, Subahdar Islam Khan brought the capital from Rajmahal to Dhaka in 1610 and named Dhaka ‘Jahangirnagar’ after the emperor.
A Mughal province was a ‘suba’ and its chief governor a ‘subahdar’, appointed by the emperor. Bengal's first subahdar was Islam Khan. The table lists the subahdars named in the two books, in order.
The subahdars in order
| Subahdar and years | Emperor | To remember |
|---|---|---|
| Raja Man Singh (1594–1606) | Akbar | Ruled from Rajmahal; campaign against Isa Khan; failed to subdue the Baro Bhuiyans |
| Islam Khan (1608–1613) | Jahangir | First subahdar; put down the Baro Bhuiyans; Dhaka capital in 1610 as Jahangirnagar; dug the Dholaikhal; all Bengal under Mughal rule in 1612 |
| Shah Shuja (1639–1660) | Shah Jahan | Shah Jahan's second son; built the Bara Katra at Chawkbazar in Dhaka; gave the English trading privileges |
| Mir Jumla (1660–1663) | Aurangzeb | In 1660 moved the capital from Rajmahal back to Dhaka; Dhaka Gate; Idrakpur fort at Munshiganj; campaigns against Cooch Behar and Assam (Assam war in 1663) |
| Shaista Khan (1664–1678 and 1679–1688) | Aurangzeb | Aurangzeb's maternal uncle; conquered Chittagong in 1666 and named it Islamabad; eight maunds of rice per taka |
| Prince Muhammad Azam (1678–1679) | Aurangzeb | Between Shaista Khan's two terms; began work on the Lalbagh fort (1678) |
Watch out: Khandokar gives 1680 for the start of Shaista Khan's second term, Banglapedia 1679 (a break of a little over a year); the end, 1688, is the same everywhere. The first term was 1664–1678.
Watch out: The books give no years for Man Singh; Banglapedia's list gives 1594–1606. Both books say Mir Jumla ‘annexed Assam’; only the campaign is kept here. Banglapedia has Mir Jumla restoring the capital to Dhaka in 1660, a separate event from the one in 1610.
Did you know?: Other subahdars served between Islam Khan and Shah Shuja, such as Qasim Khan Chishti, Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang and Islam Khan Mashhadi. Capital: Rajmahal → Dhaka (1610) → back to Rajmahal under Shah Shuja → Dhaka (1660).
Check yourself
Which subahdar conquered Chittagong and renamed it Islamabad?
At a glance
- 1
Bengal's first subahdar was Islam Khan (1608–1613); Dhaka became the capital in 1610 as Jahangirnagar; he dug the Dholaikhal.
- 2
Order of subahdars: Man Singh → Islam Khan → Shah Shuja (1639–1660) → Mir Jumla (1660–1663) → Shaista Khan (1664–1678, 1679–1688).
- 3
Mir Jumla: Dhaka Gate, Idrakpur fort, Assam campaign 1663.
- 4
Shaista Khan conquered Chittagong in 1666 and renamed it Islamabad; in his time rice was eight maunds per taka.
- 5
Suba Bangla = Bengal, Bihar, Orissa; the term dates from Akbar's time.