The Rise of Muslim Power in Gujarat; a History of Gujarat From 1298 to 1442

  • 9 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Share
0 people shared the story
0
0
0
0
 
HISTORY OF THE GUJARAT KINGDOM
1458-1537 
This book deals with the the period of its climax of of the careers and achievem Muzaffar Shah II and reached the zenith of its though short, reign of Baha rulers of Gujarat with neigl in great detail. The death by a period of disintegra of Gujarat by Akbar in 15.
The Rise of Muslim Power  Gujarat from 1298 to 1442 New The author’s account is based on a study of originalsources and supplies a desideratum in the study of the poli- tical history of Gujarat. The volume presents a well-documented and highly informative study.
MUNSHIRAM MANOHARLAL PUBLISHERS PVT. LTD.
MERCHANTS AND RULERS IN GUJARAT
The Response To The Portuguese In The Sixteenth Century –  by  N. Pearson
Mr. Pearson’s discussion of the reaction of the rulers and merchants of Gujarat, in western India, to the trade-control measures imposed by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century makes two contributions to historical research. His analysis of the Portuguese attempt to control and tax Asian maritime trade provides the first comprehensive account of this policy. In addition, it makes clear how different the Portuguese impact on sixteenth-century India was from that of the Dutch and English in the next century.
Mr. Pearson argues that the Gujarati response to Portuguese attempts to control their sea tread-basically one of aquies- cence and of acceptance of Portuguese hegemony cannot be explained solely on military or economic grounds. The power- ful rulers of Gujarat could have exerted effective pressure on the Portuguese to end the system; they refrained from doing so because they did not consider that Portuguese activities threatened their interests. In the discrete political system that existed in medieval Gujarat communication between ruler and subjects was so slight that merchants could function autonomously and thus were free to accept Portuguese domi- nance of their maritime activities. These findings provide a fresh perspective on medieval Indian polity, and run counter to the accepted view of it as having been wholly autocratic or even despotic.
This study traces the history of Gujarat from the beginning of Muslim rule at the close of the thirteenth century to the end of the reign of Ahmad Shah in the middle of the fifcenth. The history of Gujarat is sketched against the background of the Turkish and post-Turkish rule in Delhi and the emergent kingdoms of Malwa, the Deccan and Rajputana.
The first part deals briefly with the changing patterns in Delhi since the beginning of Muslim rule, especially with the change in the structure of the ruling élite and their socio-political concepts. The second part sketches the history of Gujarat as a part of the Sultanate of Delhi, until it became independent. The third and last part sketches the history of the Sultanate of Gujarat from its foundation by Muzaffar Shah to the end of the reign of Ahmad Shah.
While mainly concerned with political history and institutions, this study also essays an examination of the cultural, socio-religious and economic structure on which these institutions functioned. Special attention has therefore been paid to the different patterns of authority evidenced in different zones, near and distant to the centre of Muslim power, and to the attitudes evinced by different groups and committees in relation to them. Not only Persian and Arabic literary, numismatic and epigraphic material has been used for this work, but also Rajput and Jain sources have been utilised to give a fuller picture of the age, from both the sides.
Satish Chandra Misra worked as a research student in the Banaras Hindu University and the Aligarh Muslim University and took his Ph.D. degree in 1950. He joined the staff of the Banaras University in 1947 as a lecturer and changed over to a Student Assistantship in Aligarh Muslim University in 1949. Between 1950 and 1952, he was a lecturer in the S.B.R. College, Bilaspur. He joined the M.S. University of Baroda as a Senior Lecturer in 1952 and became the Reader and Head of the Department of History in 1958. In October 1961, he went to Oxford on a British Council Scholarship for research in Indian history. During his stay in Oxford he carried out research on Sher Shah.
Dr. Misra has edited the Mirat-i-Sikandiri of Sikandar bin Manjhu in collaboration with Mr. M.L. Rahman of the M.S. University. He has to his credit contributions to learned journals dealing with Indian history. The two works prepared by him at Oxford are: Sher Shah and Muslim Communities in Gujarat.

FOREWORD

I HAVE very great pleasure in writing a short preface to Dr. Misra’s book on the “Rise of Muslim Power in Gujarat” till the death of Sultan Ahmad Shah. It covers the period from 1297 A. D. to 1441 A. D. The history of Gujarat has not received as much attention from scholars of history as that of the Deccan. To the best of my knowledge, there is no well-written connected history of Gujarat from the earliest times for which we have historical evidence till today.
Forbes in his Rasmala has dealt largely with the early history of Gujarat dealing chiefly with the Hindu Rajput rule in the region. Mirat-i-Sikandiri and Mirat-i-Ahmadi have dealt chiefly with the history of the Sultanate in Gujarat. There has been considerable addition to our sources of knowledge about the history of Gujarat in recent years. Prof. Commissariat has done very useful work in connection with the history of Gujarat. Dr. Misra in this book has covered a part of the field already dealt by him. He has, however, made use of more varied sources and his approach has been more critical. He has availed himself of all the available sources both Persian and Arabic and also the Hindu and Jain sources. The Present volume only takes us from the conquest of Gujarat by ‘Ala-u’d-din Khalji to the death of Sultan Ahmad Shah. Apart from a very clear picture of political forces during this period in Delhi and Gujarat, it also gives the reader an idea of the social life of the time and the economic conditions of the people. It gives one a very comprehensive picture of life in Gujarat during the early Muslim rule. I hope that this volume will be followed by others dealing with the history of Gujarat till modern times. Dr. Misra deserves our congratulations for this very scholarly work.
Baroda-2
24 July, 1962
                                  M. MEHTA Vice-Chancellor
The M. S. University of Baroda

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

THIS study was undertaken as a part of the M. S. University Research Project, “History of Gujarat under Muslims: 1298-1750”. Under this Project, a critical Edition of the Mirat-i-Sikandiri of Sikandar bin Manjhu, was issued last year by the M. S. University, under the joint editorship of the present author and Mr. M. L. Rahman, Lecturer in Persian, the M. S. University.
It is with great pleasure, therefore, that I take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to the authorities of the M. S. University of Baroda, for their unfailing help and generosity in the cause of research. To Dr. Jyotindra M. Mehta, M.A. (OXON), PH.D (LONDON), Bar-at-Law, my debt is indeed great. Dr. Mehta himself is a keen student of history and, therefore, his interest in this study, as also in historical research, is deep and critical. It is this love for history that made him go through the typescript and very kindly agree to contribute a Foreword to it.
I am also thankful to Shrimati Hansaben Mehta, former Vice- Chancellor, the M. S. University, who was the Vice-Chancellor when work on this Project was begun. To Dr. C. S. Patel, MS. C. (BOM.), PH.D. (LEEDS), I am deeply grateful for the constant help and guid- ance, so generously afforded by him.
I have also to express my thanks to Prof. Shaikh Abdur Rashid, M.A., former Professor and Head of the Department of History, Muslim University, Aligarh, now Professor and Head of the Depart- ment of History, and, Director, Historical Research Institute, Uni- versity of the Panjab, Lahore, for reading this work in the typescript and making some valuable suggestions. To late Prof. Subba Rao, M.A., PH.D., Professor and Head of the Department of Archaeology, the M. S. University of Baroda, I am indebted for the excellent map, attached to this book.
Oxford July 31, 1962
S. C. MISRA

CONTENTS

FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION INTRODUCTION
Part I
The Sultanate of Delhi
CHAPTER I. FOUNDATION OF MUSLIM RULE IN DELHI
The Arab Invasion. Mahmud of Ghazna. Muhammad of Ghor. Albari Turks: the Oligarchy. Oligarchy: policies, internal and exter- nal. Oligarchy: its breakdown. Balban: his role. Balban: end of Albari rule.
CHAPTER II. KHALJI ABSOLUTISM
‘Ala-u’d-din’s coup. Changes in the ruling class during the century- old rule in India. ‘Ala-u’d-din’s policies: causes, success of. Alai expansion: its nature. Malik Kafur. Mubarak Shah and the Barwaris.
CHAPTER III. THE TUGHULUQS: THE APOTHEOSIS OF DESPOTISM
Ghazi Malik. Tughuluq Shah: his policy. Nizam-u’d-din Auliya: Dehli dur ast. Muhammad bin Tughuluq: collapse. Firuz Shah Tughuluq: the last. The Sultanate of Delhi: a post-script.
Part II
Gujarat as a Part of the Sultanate of Delhi
CHAPTER IV. THE BEGINNING OF TURKISH RULE IN GUJARAT 
Madhava: legend & history. The first invasion of Gujarat. The Second Invasion. Nature of conquest: Alp Khan’s policy. Alp Khan and the Jains. End of Alp Khan.
CHAPTER V. DEVAL DEVI: TRUTH AND FICTION
Gupta’s criticism of Khusrau. Modi and Kanungo. Munshi. Baini Prasad. A. K. Majumdar. Shrivastava and R. C. Majumdar. Khus- rau’s “anti-Indianism”. Kanwala devi: historicity of. Deval devi: historicity of. Fact of “second” invasion. Khusrau’s mathnawi: historicity of. The Age problem: conclusion.
CHAPTER VI. MUBARAK SHAH: THE BARWARIS AND THE RISE OF INTERNAL CONFLICTS
Rebellion in Gujarat. Its suppression. Hisam-u’d-din Barwari. Wahid-u’d-din Qureshi.
CHAPTER VII. MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHULUQ: THE ATTEMPT
AT DOMINATION AND ITS FAILURE IN GUJARAT Tughulng Shah’s rule in Gujarat. Muhammad bin Tughuluq: the first phase. Kaulambi affair in Khambhayat. The Afghan rebellion: beginnings. The rebels: their success. Defeat of Muqbil and Aziz Khimmar. Loyalist resentment in Khambhayat. Muhammad bin Tughuluq: his arrival in Gujarat. His measures. Taghi’s rebellion. Muhammad bin Tughuluq: return from Daulatabad. Stay in Patan: attempt to subdue Saurashtra. Rajput contacts: Piram and Juna- gadh. Rajput acknowledgement. The Sultan in Saurashtra. Depar ture from Gujarat. Muhammad bin Tughuluq: death in Sind.
CHAPTER VIII. GUJARAT UNDER FIRUZ SHAH
Gujarat before Firuz Shah’s arrival. Firuz Shah in Gujarat. Ar- rangements made. Zafar Khan I as governor. Shams-u’d-din Dama- ghani: his rebellion and death. Farhat-u’l-mulk Rasti Khan: the last before the last.
Part III
The Sultanate of Gujarat
CHAPTER IX. ZAFAR KHAN II AS GOVERNOR OF GUJARAT
Zafar Khan: his origin. As an amir in Delhi: his appointment to Gujarat. Arrival in Gujarat: Rasti Khan’s defeat. Consolidation of authority: Patan, Khambhayat, Asawal. Idar: the three attacks, Saurashtra: Khandesh. Jharand: Somnath: Rajasthan.
CHAPTER X. TATAR KHAN AND THE ASSUMPTION OF REGAL STATUS
Tatar Khan, the first Sultan of Gujarat: his accession and assassi- nation. Zafar Khan’s restoration. Assumption of royal rank by Zafar Khan. Muzaffar Shah: campaign in Malwa. Hoshang Shah’s restoration. Second March to the North: Kacchh. Ahmad Shah’s coup. Examination of several stories. Zafar Khan Muzaffar Shah: an appreciation.
CHAPTER XI. AHMAD SHAH, THE FIRST PHASE: VINDICATION OF AUTHORITY
Firuz Khan’s rebellion. The Campaign. Negotiations. Revival of trouble in north Gujarat. Rebellion of the Maliks. Campaign in Saurashtra. Imposition of the jiziyah. Khandesh: Hoshang Shah’s attack. Khandesh & Saurashtra.
CHAPTER XII. AHMAD SHAH: MALWA AND THE BAHMANIS
First Malwa campaign: battle of Ujjain. Rajput chieftains. Con- struction of forts in Gujarat. Second Malwa campaign. Battle of Sarangpur. Third Malwa campaign: Mahmud Shah Khalji. Return from Malwa. Preliminary contacts with the Bahmanis, Kanha of Jalor: his flight. Mahim and Thana: points of contact and con- flict. The duel between Ahmad Shah Gujarati and Ahmad Shah Bahmani.
CHAPTER XIII. RAJPUTS: THE POLITICAL ORDER OF AHMAD SHAH
Rajputs and Ahmad Shah: Idar. Campaign in Rajasthan. Nature of Relationship. Rajput states: within and without Gujarat. Rajput resistence. Patterns and features of the conflict. Rajput defence me- chanism. Administrative system. Land revenue. Central administra- tion. Justice. Ahmad Shah: an appreciation.
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF EVENTS
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

THE PRESENT work has long been out of print and there has, also been some demand for it. However, it might not have seen the light of the day, but for the initiative of Shri Devendra Jain, the publisher of the present reprint.
I considered for long the question of revising this study for a second edition but decided finally to publish it as it is. As I could see, no major revision is needed in the structure of facts, as it is presented here. In interpretation, it may be; however, if this exer- cise is undertaken, it may be necessary to rewrite the whole book and thereby blot out the awareness which prompted this study, nearly two decades back. I have not felt entitled to do this: this study therefore stands as it was first written and published two decades back.
My debt over the years to my friends and colleagues has mount- ed; I am deeply conscious of their contribution to this and other works both directly and otherwise. I should however like to make a special mention of Professor J.S. Grewal, Guru Nanak Dev Univer- sity, Amritsar, as this study is reprinted – for his interest, and appreciation in the present work when it first appeared.
                                                    C. Misra
Department of History,
M.S. University of Baroda. April 28, 1982.
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0

You May Also Like