Bhati was a large region of medieval Bengal, referred to by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak and by others until at least the 17th-century CE, during the period of the Mughal Empire. It encompassed the river delta area now lying within the borders of Bangladesh and often referred to as eastern Bengal.[1] The area of Bhati included the low-lying areas of the greater districts of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Tippera (Comilla) and Sylhet in the days of Akbar and Jahangir.[2]
Geography
[edit]Bhati was one of the forested areas that the Mughals began to turn into arable land.[3] The historian Richard Eaton says that:
A distinguishing feature of East Bengal during the Mughal period — that is, in "Bhati" — was its far greater agricultural productivity and population growth relative to contemporary West Bengal. Ultimately, this arose from the long-term eastward movement of Bengal's major river systems, which deposited the rich silt that made the cultivation of wet rice possible.[4]
Politics
[edit]At the end of the Karrani Dynasty (1564–1575), the nobles of Bengal Sultanate became fiercely independent. Sultan Sulaiman Khan Karrani carved out an independent principality in the Bhati region comprising a part of greater Dhaka district and parts of Mymensingh district. During that period Taj Khan Karrani and another Afghan chieftain helped Isa Khan to obtain an estate in Sonargaon and Mymensingh in 1564. By winning the grace of the Afghan chieftain, Isa Khan gradually increased his strength and status and by 1571, he had become the leader of the Baro-Bhuyans and a zamindar of Bhati region.[5]
Rulers
[edit]Administrative divisions
[edit]There were 22 parganas (administrative units) under the rule of Isa Khan.[8]
- Atia
- Kagmari
- Barabaju
- Sherpur (now Sherpur District)
- Jayan Shahi
- Alapsing
- Mymensingh
- Jafarshah
- Nasirujiral
- Khaliajury
- Gangamandal
- Paitkura
- Bardakhat
- Swarnagram (Now Sonargaon Upazila)
- Baradakhat Mandra
- Husainsahi
- Bhawal
- Maheswardi
- Katrar
- Kurikhai
- Jour Husainpur
- Singdha
- Darjibaju
- Hajradi
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Eaton (1996), pp. 145–148
- ^ "Bara-Bhuiyans, the - Banglapedia".
- ^ Eaton (1996), p. 150
- ^ Eaton (1996), p. 194
- ^ "A tale of Baro-Bhuiyans". The Independent. Dhaka. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ Khan, Muazzam Hussain (2012). "Dewan Munawar Khan". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ Eaton (1996), pp. 155–156
- ^ Sen, Dineshchandra (1988). The Ballads of Bengal. Vol. 2. Mittal Publications. p. 328.
Sources
[edit]- Eaton, Richard Maxwell (1996), The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760, University of California Press, pp. 145–148, ISBN 978-0-52020-507-9
Further reading
[edit]- Gommans, Jos (2002). Mughal Warfare: Indian Frontiers and Highroads to Empire, 1500-1700. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-23988-5.