Lesson 1/45 min
Mughal subahdars
In 1576 the Afghan ruler Daud Karrani was defeated in a Mughal–Afghan battle near Rajmahal, and Emperor Akbar established Mughal rule in Bengal. The great zamindars known as the Baro Bhuiyans did not accept it; only after they were crushed did subahdari rule take firm hold across Bengal.
The Mughals called a province a ‘suba’, and its chief governor was the subahdar (subadar), appointed by the emperor. Bengal was one of the Mughal subas. After Emperor Aurangzeb the Mughals weakened and the subahdars ruled almost independently.
Subahdars of Bengal and the emperor of the time
| Subahdar | Years | Emperor | To remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man Singh | Akbar's reign | Akbar | Failed to crush the Baro Bhuiyans |
| Islam Khan | 1608–1613 | Jahangir | Dhaka the capital in 1610; ‘Jahangirnagar’ |
| Shah Shuja | 1639–1660 | Shah Jahan | Shah Jahan's second son; Bara Katra |
| Mir Jumla | 1660–1663 | Aurangzeb | Assam campaign; Dhaka Gate |
| Shaista Khan | 1664–1678 and 1679–1688 | Aurangzeb | Conquest of Chittagong; Lalbagh Fort |
Islam Khan
- First subahdar of Bengal; finally crushed the Baro Bhuiyans
- Moved the capital from Rajmahal to Dhaka in 1610 and named it ‘Jahangirnagar’ after the emperor
- Dug the Dholaikhal canal in Dhaka and introduced boat races
Shah Shuja and Mir Jumla
- Shah Shuja: built the Bara Katra at Chawkbazar, Dhaka; gave the English duty-free trade
- Mir Jumla: brought the capital from Rajmahal to Dhaka in 1660; built Dhaka Gate and the Idrakpur Fort in Munshiganj
- Brought Assam and Cooch Behar into the Mughal empire; used the cannon now kept at Osmani Udyan in the Assam war
Shaista Khan
- Maternal uncle of Emperor Aurangzeb
- Took Chittagong in 1666 (and Sandwip), drove out the Portuguese and Magh pirates, and renamed Chittagong ‘Islamabad’
- Built the Lalbagh Fort, Saat Gombuj Mosque, Chawk Mosque and Chhota Katra in Dhaka
- The books say rice sold at eight maunds a taka in his time
Watch out: One book gives Shaista Khan's second term as 1680–1688; according to Banglapedia it ran from 13 October 1679 to June 1688.
Check yourself
Which subahdar made Dhaka the capital, and in what year?
At a glance
- 1
Islam Khan (1608–1613) was the first subahdar of Bengal; Dhaka became the capital in 1610 and was named Jahangirnagar.
- 2
Islam Khan dug the Dholaikhal in Dhaka and introduced boat races.
- 3
Shah Shuja (1639–1660), Shah Jahan's second son, built the Bara Katra.
- 4
Mir Jumla (1660–1663): Dhaka Gate and the conquest of Assam and Cooch Behar.
- 5
Shaista Khan, Aurangzeb's maternal uncle, took Chittagong in 1666 and renamed it Islamabad; the Lalbagh Fort.