Khalji dynasty of Bengal

The Khalaj were a tribe of Turkic origin that after migration from Turkestan had later settled in Afghanistan for over 200 years. Many of the members traced their origins to Garmsir and under the leadership of Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji, they desired to be employed by the provincial Delhi army of the Ghurid Empire.[8][9][10][11][12][13] After being refused rank by Delhi governor Qutb al-Din Aibak, the Khaljis proceeded eastwards where they commanded different platoons and were granted land-estates in North India.[14]

In a short amount of time, the Khaljis became established and Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji began to successfully carry out raids towards the east. After subjugating Bihar in 1200,[15] his forces entered Nabadwip in Bengal three years later. Khalji defeated Lakshmana Sena in 1203, marking the start of Muslim rule in Bengal.[16] Subsequently, Khalji went on to capture the capital and the principal city, Lakhnauti (Gaur),[17] and conquered much of Bengal.[18]

Early 20th-century illustration of Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji.

Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji had led his tribesmen to take control of Bengal as a response to rejection from the Ghurid dynasty and its provincial Delhi governors (who later formed the independent Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate). Given the considerable overland distance between Delhi and Bengal, the Khaljis had carved an independent territory of the own, establishing their own administration system. With Bakhtiyar as the dynasty's inaugural ruler, the conquered territory was divided into jagirs which were granted to other Khalji tribesmen. Iwaz Khalji was appointed to govern Kangori and Ali Mardan Khalji in Devkot.

Bakhtiyar initiated his Tibet campaign not long after, and so entrusted the capital, Lakhnauti/Gaur, to Muhammad Shiran Khalji. With the failure of the Tibet campaign, he returned to Bengal and died as result of illness. His death led to the start of an internal feud between the three Khalji governors and an invasion by the Mamluk Sultans of Delhi. Eventually, Muhammad Shiran was killed in battle with Delhi and Ali Mardan was assassinated by the Khalji nobles. This left Iwaz Khalji to return with popular support as the ruler of the dynasty.[19]

With the absence of conflict, Iwaz Khalji managed to significantly develop the territory as its ruler. He founded Bengal's first naval force, innovated flood defence systems and linked Lakhnauti with the Grand Trunk Road. He was the first Khalji ruler to officially declare independence, although he did fall into conflict several times with Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi and made to denounce his sovereignty. Khalji was eventually killed in battle by the Sultan's son Nasiruddin Mahmud in 1227 who established Bengal as a province of the Delhi Sultanate. A few years after the Delhi takeover, Alauddin Dawlat Shah bin Mawdud Khalji took back control for the Khalji tribe in 1229, followed by Malik Balkha Khalji who held the region for eighteen months before finally surrendering to Delhi in 1231.[20]

Aside from the initial battle against Lakshmana Sena and internal conflict, the Khaljis initiated numerous external campaigns and were often faced with attacks from neighbouring states. In 1206, Bakhtiyar gathered an army in an attempt to conquer Tibet and managed to gain the support of tribal chief Ali Mech on the way. However, the campaign was unsuccessful. In 1208, Qutb al-Din Aibak sent Governor Qaimaz Rumi of Awadh to dethrone Muhammad Shiran Khalji, at an attempt to reorganise the territory. During the reign of Iwaz Khalji, invasions were carried out across Vanga, Tirhut and Utkala and the Khalji territory was expanded to its greatest extent.[20]

The Khaljis were the first Muslim dynasty to rule Bengal, and played a role in influencing Muslim culture in the region. Iwaz Khalji was the most notable patron of Islamic education in Khalji Bengal, by establishing mosques and giving pension to the ulama (Islamic scholars and teachers). In 1221, a khanqah was constructed by Ibn Muhammad of Maragheh for Muslim preacher Makhdum Shah in Birbhum.[21] This contains the earliest known stone inscription mentioning a Muslim ruler in Bengal.[22] Khalji arranged for the arrival of Muslim preachers from Central Asia, such as Jalaluddin bin Jamaluddin Ghaznavi, to come to Bengal and give lectures in his court.[23][14]

• Silver shaded row signifies second term.

• List of rulers of Bengal#Delhi Sultanate era
• History of Bangladesh
• History of Bengal
• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties