Battle of Raj Mahal – The Beginning of Mughal Rule in Bengal

Posted on July 12, 2015 Updated on July 12, 2015

On 12th July 1576, Raj Mahal in Bengal (Now in Bangladesh) witnessed a decisive battle between the Mughals and the Karrani dynasty of Sultanate of Bengal.

Mughal Emperor Humayun established his control over the capital city of Gaur after the fall of Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah in 1538. However, he soon lost the kingdom to Sher Shah in the Battle of Chausa in 1539.

Bengal managed to regain its independence under the rule of the Karrani dynasty. Daud Khan Karrani was the youngest son of Sulaiman Khan Karrani and he had high ambitions to conquer the entire Indian sub-continent. His Sultanate included the whole of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.

Daud Khan Karrani refused to accept the supremacy of Akbar and hence faced continuous assault from the Mughals. In 1575, he was defeated by Munim Khan in the Battle of Tukaroi and as a result signed the Treaty of Katak on 12th April 1575. According to the conditions of the treaty he had to surrender nearly all of Bengal and Bihar and was allowed to keep only Orissa under his rule.

However, with the death of Munim Khan, the treaty of Katak proved to be ephemeral. Soon Daud Khan succeeded in bringing the lost territories of North and West Bengal under his rule. Akbar appointed Husain Quli Beg to subjugate Daud and bring Bengal under the Mughal regime. Akbar also conferred the title of ‘Khan-i-Jahan’ on Beg.

Daud Khan with the alliance of other rebel Afghan leaders including Kalapahad, Junaid and Qutlu Khan was ready to face the Mughal Army under Husain Quli Beg. He took his position in the Raj Mahal hills while three thousand select Afghans were posted at Teliagarhi to defend the pass.

‘Khan-i-Jahan’ Beg came across the Afghans at Teliagarhi first. Despite a valiant effort the Afghans were defeated and the Mughal army proceeded towards Raj Mahal. However, the Afghan army at Raj Mahal proved difficult to defeat and Husain Quli Beg spent nearly four months there. Shortage of rations, on setting monsoon and most importantly the Shia-Sunni strife amongst the soldiers proved to the major impediments in the success of the Mughals. Then, on the orders of Akbar, Muzaffar Khan Turbati, governor of Bihar, joined Husain Quli Beg with provisions, ammunition and around 5000 soldiers.

On 12th July 1576, the battle of Raj Mahal commenced between the Mughals and the Afghans. Junaid and Kalapahad were in charge of the left and right wings of Daud’s army respectively. Daud Khan led from the centre while Qutlu Khan was at the forefront. In the course of the battle Junaid was killed by a cannon ball which demoralized the soldiers and they scattered and fled. Kalapahad and Qutlu Khan managed to escape capture but Daud Khan’s horse got stuck in the swamps and he was imprisoned by the Mughals. Daud Khan was considered as a constant source of political turbulence by the Mughals and hence following his capture he was immediately executed.

The defeat and execution of Daud Khan Karrani in the Battle of Raj Mahal marked the end of the Independent Sultanate in Bengal and launched the era of the Mughals.

Source: Banglapedia – The National Library of Bangladesh; World Public Library; IndiaNetzone