Why Provincial Dynasties Arose
- After Tughlaq dynasty's decline — decentralization increased
- Sonargaon, Bengal: independent rule under Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah around 1338 CE
- Each province developed its own rulers, culture, architecture
5 Provinces at a Glance
| Province |
Founded |
Founder |
Capital |
Special Tag |
| Bengal |
United by 1352 CE |
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah |
Pandua |
Ilyas Shah united the main Bengal regions by 1352 |
| Jaunpur (Sharqi) |
— |
Malik Sarwar (Khwaja Jahan) |
Jaunpur |
Shiraz of India |
| Malwa |
1401 CE |
Dilawar Khan Ghori |
Mandu (later) |
— |
| Kashmir (Shah Mir) |
— |
Shah Mirza / Shah Mir |
Srinagar (Alauddinpur) |
Zain-ul-Abidin = Akbar of Kashmir |
| Gujarat |
1407 CE |
Zafar Khan (Muzzafar Shah I) |
Patan initially; Ahmedabad from 1411 |
— |
Key "Nicknames" — Must Remember
| Nickname |
Who / What |
| Shiraz of India |
Jaunpur (city) |
| Akbar of Kashmir |
Zain-ul-Abidin |
| Budshah (The Great King) |
Zain-ul-Abidin |
| Siraj-e-Hind |
Ibrahim Sharqi (Jaunpur) |
| Malik-us-Sharq (Eastern Ruler) |
Malik Sarwar (Jaunpur) |
| Begada |
Mahmud Begada (Gujarat) — for conquering 2 forts |
Bengal — Overview
Independence from Delhi
Sonargaon became independent around 1338 under Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah
Founder of the Ilyas Shahi Dynasty
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah
3 Parts of Bengal at Independence
- Eastern Bengal: Sonargaon
- North-western Bengal: Lakhnauti
- South-western Bengal: Satgaon
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah — Founder
- United Bengal into an independent state
- Campaigned into neighbouring Bihar and Nepal; raids do not imply lasting annexation
Key Sultans of Bengal
Sikandar Shah1357–1389
CE
- Built Adina Mosque — most famous mosque of Bengal
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah1389–1409
CE
- Maintained diplomatic contacts with Ming China
- Famous for justice
Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah1415–1431 CE
- Significant Bengal ruler of early 15th century
Other Sultans (Timeline)
| Sultan |
Period |
| Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah |
From 1433 CE; brief reign |
| Jalaluddin Fateh Shah |
1481–1487 CE |
| Nusrat Shah |
1519–1532 CE |
Literature — Bengal
- Book compiled: Shri Krishna Vijay
- Author: Maladhar Basu
- Title given to author: Gunaraj Khan
Jaunpur — Sharqi Dynasty
City Founded by
Firoz Shah Tughlaq
City Named after
Muhammad bin Tughlaq (Jauna Khan)
Founder (independent)
Malik Sarwar (Khwaja Jahan)
Merged back into Delhi
Bahlol Lodi’s victory in 1479; resistance continued
Architecture style
Sharqi Style
Key Rulers
Malik Sarwar (Khwaja Jahan)Founder
- Title: Khwaja Jahan → Malik-us-Sharq (Eastern ruler)
- Titles given by Muhammad Shah Tughlaq
Ibrahim Shah Sharqi1401–1440
CE
- Sought to expand Jaunpur’s influence towards Kannauj
- Title: Siraj-e-Hind
- Built Atala Mosque (1408 CE)
- Sharqi architecture flourished prominently during his reign
Hussain Shah SharqiLater
ruler
- Built Jama Masjid of Jaunpur (1470 CE)
Architecture — Sharqi Style
- Flourished prominently under Ibrahim Shah Sharqi
- Famous mosques: Atala Mosque (1408) and Jama Masjid (1470)
- Distinct style — large arched gateways, massive proportions
Malwa — Overview
Founder
Dilawar Khan Ghori
Shifted Capital
Mandu — by Hoshang Shah
Akbar's conquest
1561 CE — Ruler: Baz Bahadur
Key Rulers of Malwa
Hoshang ShahEarly Ruler
- Shifted capital from Dhar → Mandu
Mahmud Shah Khilji1436–1469
CE
- Founder of Khilji dynasty in Malwa
- Medini Rai served the later Mahmud II, not Mahmud I
- Contemporary of: Ahmad Shah of Gujarat and Rana Kumbha of Mewar
- Title of Sultan confirmed by Caliph of Egypt
- Received recognition from the Abbasid Caliph in Cairo as an independent sovereign
Baz BahadurLast Ruler
- Defeated by Akbar in 1561 CE
- Later accepted Akbar's suzerainty; granted mansab of 2000
Kashmir — Overview
Simhadeva’s Reign Began
1286 CE — Ruler: Simha Dev
Shah Mir Dynasty founded by
Shah Mirza / Shah Mir
Major Expanding Shah Mir Ruler
Shihabuddin; Butshikan refers to Sikandar
Capital renamed
Srinagar → Alauddinpur
Key Rulers
Sikandar Shah (Butshikan)1389–1411 CE
- Butshikan = idol-breaker; Shah Mir founded the dynasty
- Taimur's invasion: 1398 CE
- Banned Sati practice
- Accounts associate his reign with religious persecution and temple destruction
⭐ Zain-ul-Abidin (Budshah)1420–1470 CE
- Title: Budshah (The Great King)
- Also called "Akbar of Kashmir"
- Known for tolerance and liberal rule
- Banned cow slaughter and Jizya tax
- Revoked the ban on Sati practice (set by Sikandar)
- Wrote Persian poetry under pen name: Qutub
- Noted source: Rajatarangini by Kalhan (written in Sanskrit)
Economic Development of Kashmir
- Constructed Zaina Lank, an artificial island in the natural Wular Lake
- Promoted Paper making industry
- Promoted Polishing crafts and stone carving
- Promoted Goldsmithing
- Built Zaina Lanka Mosque
Gujarat — Overview
Founder
Zafar Khan (Muzzafar Shah I)
Major Consolidator
Ahmed Shah (1411–1443 CE)
Capital
Ahmedabad (founded 1411 CE)
Key Rulers
Ahmed Shah (Consolidator)1411–1443 CE
- Founded Ahmedabad (1411 CE) — capital
- Levied Jizya on liable non-Muslim subjects
- Built Jama Masjid
⭐ Mahmud Begada1459–1511
CE
- Original name: Abul Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I
- Title Begada — because he conquered 2 major forts:
→ Girnar Durg (1469 CE)
→ Champaner Durg (1484 CE)
- Renamed Junagadh as Mustafabad
Bahadur Shah (Powerful Late Sultan)1526–1537 CE
- Later rulers followed him, including Muzaffar Shah III
- Defeated Portuguese in 1531 CE
- Died in an encounter with the Portuguese near Diu in 1537
Foreign Visitors in Gujarat Court
⚠️ Exam Traps
Trap #1 — Sonargaon Autonomy vs Unified Bengal
Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah ruled independently at Sonargaon around 1338 CE. Ilyas Shah later united Bengal’s principal regions by 1352; Bengal also had earlier phases of autonomy.
Trap #2 — Jaunpur City — Founded by vs Named after
Firoz Shah Tughlaq founded Jaunpur, but named the city in memory of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, also known as Jauna Khan. Thus, the founder and the person commemorated were different.
Trap #3 — Zain-ul-Abidin — Sati ban
Sikandar Shah, known as Butshikan, banned Sati. Zain-ul-Abidin revoked the ban. Their policies were opposite: Zain was liberal, while Sikandar was orthodox.
Trap #4 — "Akbar of Kashmir"
Zain-ul-Abidin, a liberal ruler, is called the “Akbar of Kashmir”. His title Budshah means “the Great King”. Remember both his name and title.
Trap #5 — Gujarat Founder vs Consolidator
Muzaffar Shah I established the independent Sultanate in 1407, initially centred at Patan. Ahmad Shah I consolidated it and founded Ahmedabad in 1411.
Trap #6 — Reason for Mahmud Begada’s Title
The epithet Begada is traditionally linked to Mahmud’s conquests of Girnar/Junagadh in 1469 and Champaner in 1484.
Trap #7 — Adina Mosque vs Atala Mosque
Adina Mosque in Bengal was built by Sikandar Shah of Bengal. Atala Mosque at Jaunpur was built by Ibrahim Shah Sharqi in 1408 CE. They belong to different provinces and builders.