Road to Muslim Rule- Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah & IBN BATUTA

Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah (1338 -1346)

Early Life –

Not much is known about the early life of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah.
Two historians namely Golam Hossain Selim and Nizamuddin Ahmad
observed that before he rose to power he was the Silahdar or Military

Officer of Kadar Khan of Laknauti. But it seems that this assertion is not
correct. For a more authentic authority Ziauddin Barani, a historian of
Delhi wrote in his work on Sonargaon that Fakhruddin revolted in
Sonargaon soon after the death of Baharam Khan,the ruler of
Sonargaon. Moreover it has been mentioned in Tariq-i-Mubarak Shahi
that he seized power in Sonargaon when he was the Siladar of
Baharam Khan.

Fakhruddin’s war against Laknauti – After the seizer of power

Fakhruddin attempted to extend his power and authority over Laknauti
and sent one very loyal follower Mukhlis as the ruler/governor of
Laknauti. But this was not accepted by Kadar Khan who sent his Ariz-i-
Laskar Ali Mubarak against Mukhlis. Mubarak defeated and killed
Mukhlis thereby retaining Laknauti for Kadar Khan. But the matter did
not end there for both were ambitious and wanted to extend their
domination. They fought between them for several times. Fakhrudin
had a powerful navy so he used to raid Laknauti in the rainy season
.Wheras Kadar Khan was strong in land battle , hence he used to attack
Sonargaon in the winter. However, despite attempts made several
times by both these adversaries none could win the battle.
Although he could not conquer Laknauti, Fakhruddin with his powerful
navy succeeded in extending his kingdom in the south east of the
country. It was during his time that Chittagong for the first time came
under the rule of the Muslims. Unfortunately we do not have any
details of his conquest of Chittagong. The seventeenth century Bengali
poet Muhammad Khan narrated briefly in the history of his family the
conquest of Chittagong by the Muslims. ShihabuddinTalish, another
Delhi historian in his work also mentioned the conquest of Chittagong
by Fakhruddin. He also observed that Fakhruddin built a road from
Chandpur to Chittagong part of which in Noakhali and Comilla still exist.
According to Ibn Batuta Fakhruddin ruled over Sadquan and
Sonargaon. Though previously there was a controversy as to the
identity of Sadquan, but now it is now agreed that Sadquan is the same
as Chittagong. It is now well established that Fakhruddin conquered
Chittagong in between 1338 and 1346 AD.

According to numismatic evidence Sultan Fakhruddin ruled for 11 years

(1338-1349). Some historians referred to a violent death of Fakhruddin
and remarked that Fakhruddin was murdered as a retaliatory action by
the contending military officials. However, numismatic evidence clearly
shows that he died peacefully in Sonargaon as a Sultan.

During Fakhruddin’s rule, the famous traveler of Morocco, Ibn Batuta

visited Bengal in 1345-46. From his travel accounts valuable
information of the then Bengal can be found. From his account it was
found that Fakhruddin used to show much respects and devotion to the
Fakirs and Dervishes. During his rule the Fakirs and Dervishes could
travel free of cost by boats. And when they entered into any town they
were received very warmly and given half a Dinar as a gift.

By seizing power at Sonargaon in 1338 Fakhruddin heralded the

beginning of independent Bengal and thereby launching independent
Sultani period in the history of Bengal. The independent Sultani period
lasted for two hundred years. He was a brave soldier and a competent
ruler. He started giving Khutba and minting coins in his own name. His
kingdom extended in the south-east as far as Chittagong. He made
significant changes in bringing prosperity to Sonargaon and developing
the city. As an enlightened Sultan he built in Chittagong and in other
cities of East Bengal many mosques, public buildings, roads and ghats
or landing places on the banks of rivers. As a result East Bengal became
a powerful and prosperous kingdom.
IbnBatuta
Ibn Batuta was a traveler from the town of Tanzier in Morocco. His full
name is Abu Abdullah Muhammad IbnBatuta. He came to Bengal during
the rule of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah at Sonargaon in 1346.

Batuta left his home in 1325 as a traveller and during the following 8
years he travelled through North Africa, Arabia, Levant ( East
Mediterranean Region ), Constantinople and Persia. Thereafter he
reached Delhi in 1334. At this time Muhammad bin Tughlaqwas the
Sultan. He appointed Batuta as the Qazior Justice of Delhi. He served
for four years in this post. Thereafter the Sultan sent him to China as
the Ambassador of India.

However, owing to ship-break his China visit did not materialize. But he
visited Maldives (1342 ), Sri Lanka ( 1345 ) and South India. Thereafter
through sea route he arrived in Bengal. His principal aim in visiting
Bengal was to meet Hazrat Shah Jalal.

In Bangladesh he first set foot in Sadquan( Chittagong). From this port

he went straight to Sylhet and met Hazrat Shah Jalal. After spending
three days with the Dervish he reached the city of Habank( Habiganj)
on the bank of the river Nahar- ul- Azrak ( Blue River, Surma). From
there after a boat journey of fifteen days he reached Sonargaon, capital
of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah. At that time a large ship was anchored at
Sonargaon bound for Java. Ibn Batuta he took that ship and went to
Java. He toured around Bangladesh for about two months.

Ibn Batuta’s travels were recorded in a book called ‘’ Rehala-i- Ibn

Batuta .“ In this account some references can be found to the political,
religious, economic, social and cultural life of Bangladesh.
From his Rehala we come to know that Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah at
that ruled over Sonargaon and Sadquan. It is also known from his
account that in order to extend his authority over Laknauti , Fakhruddin
and Alauddin Ali Shah, ruler of Laknauti was engaged in a war for
several years. But the war has still remained undecided. Ibn Batuta
visited some places and areas which he described like this – ‘the big city
of Sadquan on the coast of a vast sea’, ‘ famous and beautiful city of
Habank’, ‘ well-fortified and impregnable city of Sonargaon . He also
gave a detailed geographical account of these places. He also gave
account of some rivers through which he travelled by boat. These rivers
are the Ganges ( Padma),Jamuna and Nahar- ul- Azrak. Ibn Batuta
visited many countries and cities like Cairo, Basra, Siraz, Isphan, Bokara,
Balkh, Heart, Delhi etc. But no-where he found rice and other food stuff
as cheap as in Bengal. He mentioned prices of some items of food and
other goods in the 14th century Bengal. He gave the weights and prices
of these goods in Ratal (in weight ) and in Dinar in prices as then
prevailed in Delhi. There has happened a lot of changes in prices of gold
and silver over the last few hundred years. Considering all these
Professor Nirod Bhushan Roy gave the following equivalent prices and
weights for goods in 1946 of prices and measures of goods given by
Batuta.

Batuta mentioned about the sale of slaves in the hats and bazaars of
Bangladesh. He observed that just in front of him in a bazaar a beautiful
woman slave was sold at the price of seven taka. He himself bought a
beautiful woman slave at a price of ten taka. One of his associates
bought a slave called Lulu at the price of taka twenty ( 2 Gold Dinar ). A
man called Muhammad Al Masudi, a Morrocan lived in Bangladesh for
some time with his wife and a servant. He told Ibn Batuta that in
Bangladesh he had to spend only seven taka for the entire food stuff
for his family for a month. It is very clear from the above statements
that the supply of food stuff in Bangladesh in those days was abundant
and the standard of life was also very simple. Batuta however also
mentioned that the economic condition of the people of Bangladesh
was not however very well. He added that the people of Bengal had
complained to him that the prices of goods were high. The sale of
slaves in hats and bazaars is just a reflection of the social system of the
country as well as the economy.

Some indications about the state of religion in Bangladesh during this

time can also be found in IbnBatuta’s narratives. He observed that at
that time Fakirs and Dervishes commanded much respect from the
people and they had great influence.Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah showed
much devotion to the Fakirs and Dervishes. As a result they enjoyed
various privileges and advantages in the country. For example, when
they travelled by public boats they did not have to pay any fair.
Eventhose who did not have any lodging or were not able to procure
food for them were provided with accommodation and food. Even
when they entered into a city they were welcomed with financial gifts.
Batuta also recorded the state of the Hindus. They were to pay half of
the produce from land as a rent to the government and also other dues.

In the narratives of IbnBatuta the internal and external trades of

Bangladesh have also been mentioned. Trade and commerce were
generally carried out through the river route. He saw many hats and
bazaars on both the banks of the river. He also noted great movements
of boats carrying all kinds of products and people on the river. He even
found that the boats in the river plied one after another in a disciplined
manner. Every boat had a drum and when it crossed another boat it
used to beat it as a gesture of exchanging greetings as well as giving
warning about the pirates.IbnBatuta saw many boats anchored in
Chittagong port. He remarked that FakhruddinUsed these boats in his
war against Lauknauti. But it seems that besides participating in war
these boats were also used in trade and commerce.Batuta also
mentioned about the international of Bangladesh with China, Java and
Maldives islands.

While travelling from Habanka to Sonargaon by boat Batuta saw human

settlements and bazaars at every turn of the river and also huge green
crop fields and irrigation plants for watering the crop fields. He was
beholden by the sights of beautiful gardens and villages. When he was
passing through villages and gardens on both sides of river he thought
he was going through a market. Although people were attracted by the
beauty of the country and the abundance and cheapness of
necessities of life, the foreigners did not like Bangladesh much. Thus
the outlanders called it as Dojak Puraj Niamat or ‘hell full of bread’.