Bengal–Jaunpur confrontation

The Bengal–Jaunpur confrontation was an early 15th-century conflict that stemmed from the Jaunpur Sultanate's opposition to the overthrowing of the Bengal Sultanate's founding dynasty, the Ilyas Shahi, by Raja Ganesha. After diplomatic pressure from the Timurid and Ming empires and direct combat support of Shivasimha, the King of Mithila. Jaunpur's sultan Ibrahim Shah Sharqi was convinced to abstain from attacking Bengal.^[1]

Foreign mediation

A diplomat in the court of Shahrukh Mirza recorded that the Timurid ruler of Herat intervened during the Bengal-Jaunpur conflict after a request from the Sultan of Bengal. The record speaks of Shahrukh Mirza "directing the ruler of Jaunpur to abstain from attacking the King of Bengal, or to take the consequence upon himself. To which the intimation of the Jaunpur ruler was obedient, and desisted from his attacks upon Bengal".^[2] Records from Ming China state that the Yongle Emperor also mediated between Jaunpur and Bengal after the Bengali ambassador in his Peking court complained of the conflict.^[3]

He was also directly supported by the King of Mithila who was also his friend, Shiva Singh of Oiniwar Dynasty in his battle against Ibrahim Sharqi of Jaunpur Sultanate. The mention of this battle is stated in both Arakanese accounts and Mithila accounts.^[4]

See also

• Jaunpur-Bhojpur War

References

1. Mishra, Vijayakanta (1953). "Chronology of the Oiniwara Dynasty of Mithila". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 16: 200–210. ISSN 2249-1937.
2. Richard M. Eaton (1996). The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760. University of California Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-520-20507-9.
3. Chung, Tan; Yinzeng, Geng (2005). India and China: Twenty Centuries of Civilizational Interaction and Vibrations. History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization. Vol. III Part 6. Centre for Studies in Civilizations. p. 361. ISBN 978-81-87586-21-0. The Bengali envoy complained at the Ming court ... The 'Zhaonapuer'/Jaunpur troops withdrew from Bengal. (Here is a unique episode of China's mediating in the conflict between two Indian states. - Tan)
4. "History of Muslim Rule in Tirhut (1206-1765 A.D.)". INDIAN CULTURE. pp. 67–74. Retrieved 2023-10-13.