Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (Bengali: গিয়াসউদ্দীন আজম শাহ) was the third Sultan of Bengal and the Ilyas Shahi dynasty.[1] He was one of the most prominent medieval Bengali sultans. He established diplomatic relations with the Ming Empire of China, pursued cultural contacts with leading thinkers in Persia and conquered Assam.[2]
| Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah | |
|---|---|
| Sultan | |
 Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah in Sonargaon, Bangladesh | |
| 3rd Sultan of Bengal | |
| Reign | 1390–1411 |
| Predecessor | Sikandar Shah |
| Successor | Saifuddin Hamza Shah |
| House | Ilyas Shahi dynasty |
| Religion | Islam |
Reign
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah became the Sultan of Bengal after his own forces overthrew and killed his father Sultan Sikandar Shah at the Battle of Goalpara in 1390, despite Azam Shah ordering them not to kill his father.[3] During the early part of his reign, he conquered and occupied Kamarupa in modern-day Assam. His interests included establishing an independent judiciary and fostering Persianate and Bengali culture.
Diplomatic and regional affairs
The Sultan pioneered diplomatic relations with China by sending embassies to the Ming dynasty court in Peking. He exchanged envoys and gifts with the Yongle Emperor. Bengal was interested in establishing a strategic partnership with China to counter the influence of its neighbors, including the Delhi Sultanate. The Chinese mediated in several regional disputes. The Sultan also built strong relations with the Sultanate of Jaunpur in North India. He sent envoys to the Hejaz and financed the construction of madrasas in Mecca and Medina.[4][5]
ساقی حدیث سرو و گل و لاله میرود
Sāqī hadīth-e-sarv-o-gul-o-lālah mī-ravad
O Saqi (cup-bearer)! The tale of the cypress, the rose and the tulip is going on
وین بحث با ثلاثه غساله میرود
Vīñ bahth bā-thalāhta-e-ġhassālah mī-ravad
And with the three washers (of cups), this dispute is going on
شکرشکن شوند همه طوطیان هند
Shakkar-shikan shavand hamah tūtiyān-e-hind
All the parrots [poets] of Hind have become sugar-shattering [excited]
زین قند پارسی که به بنگاله میرود
Zīñ qand-e-pārsī kih bah-bangālah mī-ravad
That this Persian candy [ode], to Bengal is going [on].
حافظ ز شوق مجلس سلطان غیاث دین
Hāfiz ze shauq-e-majlis-e-Sultāñ Ġhiyāth-e-Dīñ
Of love for the assembly of the Sultan Ghiyasu-d-Din, oh Hafiz
غافل مشو که کار تو از ناله میرود
Be not silent. For, from lamenting, your work is going on
– A poem jointly penned by the Sultan and Persian poet Hafez.
Literary patron
Ghiyasuddin was a patron of scholars and poets. Among others, the Persian poet Hafez kept correspondences with him. Shah Muhammad Sagir, a Muslim Bengali poet, wrote his famous work, Yusuf-Zulekha, during Ghiyasuddin's reign. The Hindu poet, Krittibas Ojha, also translated the Ramayana in Bengali as Krittivasi Ramayan during his reign.
References
- Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
- Bangladesh: Past and Present - Salahuddin Ahmed - Google Books
- KingListsFarEast
- Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib - Nitish Sengupta - Google Books
- Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah - Banglapedia