|
The city of Jaunpur was founded by the Sultan of Delhi Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1359 and named in memory of his father, Muhammad bin Tughluq, whose given name was
Jauna Khan. After the death of Firuz in 1388, the Delhi Sultanate fell into disarray amidst factional fighting over the succession. Taking advantage of the unsettled situation, the
vazir Khwaja Jahan, also known as Malik Sarwar, who had been sent in 1393 to the east to establish order, instead set himself up as an independent sultan with his base at
Jaunpur. Thus was the Jaunpur Sultanate born. It was to last 100 years.
The Jaunpur Sultanate attained its greatest height under the younger brother of Mubarak Shah, the adopted son of Malik Sarwar, who ruled as Shams ud-din Ibrahim Shah
(1402-1440). To the east, his kingdom extended to Bihar, and to the west, to Kanauj; he even marched on Delhi at one point. Under the aegis of a Muslim holy man named
Qutb al-Alam, he threatened the Sultanate of Bengal under Raja Ganesha (Danujamarddana Deva).
During the reign of Husain Shah (1456-76), the Jaunpur army was perhaps the biggest in India, and Husain decided to attempt a conquest of Delhi. However, he was
defeated on three successive attempts by Bahlul Shah Lodi. Finally, under Sikandar Lodi, the Delhi Sultante was able to reconquer Jaunpur in 1493, bringing that sultanate to an
end.
|
|
|
