Conquest of Bakla

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Conquest of Bakla" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (May 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Conquest of Bakla
Part of Mughal conquest of Bengal
Date December 1611 Location Chandradwip Result Mughal victory Territorial changes Chandradwip Kingdom formally annexed to Mughal Bengal
Belligerents
Mughal Empire	Chandradwip Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Islam Khan I Commander-in-chief Syed Hakim Syed Kasu Mirza Nuruddin Islam Quli Ulfat Ghazi	Ramchandra Basu Jiban Krishna Roy Ram Mohan Mal
Strength
Large fleet, 3,000 infantry and 20 elephants	Unknown

Part of a series on the
History of Bangladesh
Etymology Timeline Traditional Urheimat
Ancient Neolithic, c. 7600 – c. 3300 BCE Bronze Age, c. 3300 – c. 1200 BCE Iron Age, c. 1200 – c. 200 BCE Janapada, c. 1200 – c. 600 BCE Northern Black Polished Ware, c. 700 – c. 200 BCE Pundra kingdom, c. 700 – c. 200 BCE Bengal in Mahabharata, c. 400 – c. 325 BCE Gangaridai kingdom, c. 350 – c. 325 BCE Mauryan Empire, c. 325 – c. 185 BCE Samatata kingdom, c. 232 BCE – c. 800 AD Shunga–Kushan Period, c. 185 BCE – c. 75 AD Southwestern Silk Road, c. 114 BCE – c. 1450 AD Indo-Roman trade relations, c. 30 BCE – c. 600 AD
Classical Gupta Empire, c. 240 – c. 550 AD Harikela kingdom, c. 600 - c. 650 Gauda Kingdom, c. 590 – c. 626 Gour (Sylhet), c. 600 – c. 1303 Khadga dynasty, c. 650 – c. 750 Pala Empire, c. 750 – c. 1100 Arrival of Islam, c. 800 – c. 1050 Candra dynasty, c. 900 – c. 1050 Sena dynasty, c. 1070 – c. 1320 Deva dynasty, c. 1100 – c. 1250
Mediaeval Bhulua (Noakhali), c. 1203 – c. 1600s Delhi Sultanate, c. 1204 – c. 1338 Mamluk Dynasty Khalji Dynasty Tugluq Dynasty Sonargaon Sultanate, c. 1338 – c. 1352 Bengal Sultanate, c. 1352 – c. 1576 Ilyas Shahi dynasty Hussain Shahi dynasty Karrani dynasty Suri Dynasty, c. 1540 – c. 1556 Twelve Bhuyans, c. 1550 – c. 1620 Porto Grande de Bengala, c. 1528 – c. 1666 Chittagong-Arakan Kingdom, c. 1530 – c. 1666 Mughal Empire, c. 1576 – c. 1717 Bengal Subah
Modern Nawabs of Bengal, c. 1717 – c. 1757 Company Raj, c. 1757 – c. 1858 Bengal famine of 1770 Faraizi Movement, c. 1818 – c. 1884 The Great Rebellion, c. 1857 – c. 1858 British Raj, c. 1858 – c. 1947 Bengal Renaissance Partition of Bengal (1905) Eastern Bengal and Assam Bengal famine of 1943 Prime Minister of Bengal Noakhali riots East Bengal, c. 1947 – c. 1955 Partition of Bengal (1947) East Bengali refugees Bengali Language Movement East Pakistan, c. 1955 – c. 1971 1964 East Pakistan riots Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Six Point Movement 1969 uprising in East Pakistan Pakistani general election, 1970 Non-cooperation movement, 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, c. 1971 Declaration of Independence Provisional Government of Bangladesh 1971 Bangladesh Genocide (Rape) Bangladesh Forces Surrender of Pakistan
Contemporary Post-independence years, 1972 – 1975 Bangladesh famine of 1974 Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Jail Killing Day Military rule, 1975 – 1990 Military coups in Bangladesh Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict 1990 Mass Uprising Transition to democracy, 1991 – 2008 Caretaker government of Bangladesh Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord 2006–08 Bangladeshi political crisis Hasina era, 2009–2024 Vision 2021 and Digital Bangladesh Bangladesh Rifles revolt 2013 Shapla Square protests 2013 Bangladesh quota reform movement International Crimes Tribunal 2015 Bangladeshi political crisis 2018 Bangladesh road-safety protests 2018 Bangladesh quota reform movement 2021 Bangladesh Communal Violence Smart Bangladesh Bangladesh protests (2022–2024) Student–People's uprising Interim Government era, 2024–present Yunus ministry
Related articles Timeline of Bangladeshi history Bangladeshi art Bengali literature
Bangladesh portal
v t e

The Conquest of Bakla (Bengali: বাকলা বিজয়, romanized: Bakla Bijôy) refers^{[by whom?]} to the Mughal conquest of the Chandradwip Kingdom, which covered much of the present-day Barisal Division of Bangladesh. The campaign was led by Syed Hakim, under the orders of Islam Khan I, against Raja Ramchandra Basu.

The Barisal region was historically known as Bakla and much of it was ruled by the Chandradwip Kingdom, an independent line of Hindu kings who enjoyed autonomy under the Sultanate of Bengal.^[1][2] The Mughal Empire defeated the Sultanate at the Battle of Rajmahal on 12 July 1576, formally establishing the Bengal as the easternmost province of the subcontinent-wide empire. However, the collapse of the Sultanate led to the formation of the Baro-Bhuiyans; a loose confederacy of independent chieftains across Bengal who continued to challenge Mughal domination.

During the reign of Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh I (1594–1606) was the appointed Subahdar of Bengal and responsible for warding off rebellious chieftains in the region. The Chandradwip Kingdom was then under the rule of Raja Kandarpa Narayan Basu. Kandarpa agreed to form an alliance with Singh and the Mughals. Kandarpa's son and successor Raja Ramchandra Basu broke this agreement in 1602, declaring Bakla's independence, just like Masnad-i-Ala Musa Khan of Sonargaon. Ramchandra was among the Baro-Bhuiyans of Bengal and was a close ally and son-in-law of Raja Pratapaditya of Jessore.^[3][4] His mother was against the idea of him breaking the agreement of his father and did not support warring with the Mughals. However, Ramchandra's Brahmin ministers publicly expressed their support to the resistance.^: 131

In 1608, Emperor Jahangir appointed Islam Khan Chishti as the Subahdar of Bengal, who continued his predecessors' campaigns to subdue the Baro-Bhuiyans and completely annex all of Bengal to the Mughal Empire. He sent a letter to Ramchandra requesting him to surrender and recognise Mughal subordination. Ramchandra rejected the letter and teamed up with Pratapaditya to develop a large army consisting of thousands of Bengalis and Afghans who were opposed to Mughal rule.^{[5][page needed][unreliable source?]}

In December 1611, Islam Khan dispatched two forces to South Bengal, one against Raja Pratapaditya of Jessore and the other against Raja Ramchandra of Bakla. He entrusted Syed Hakim with the command of a large army for the Bakla campaign. This was so the two Rajas could not come to each other's aid as they would be busy in their own battles. Hakim was joined by leading Mughal generals of Bengal including Syed Kasu, Mirza Nuruddin, Islam Quli and Raja Satrajit. Along with a large fleet, the army consisted of 3000 infantry armed with matchlocks and 20 renowned elephants.^{[citation needed]} The Brahmin ministers of Chandradwip advised Ramchandra to build forts opposite the Mughal forts to which he did so in Haludpur, Narayanpur, Kashipur, Nathullabad, Kagashura and Khudrakathi. Ramchandra appointed Jiban Krishna Roy as his naval chief and had hundreds of arks and boats constructed for his navy. The naval battle took place in the river around Shayestabad, Barisal town and Jahapur.^{[5][page needed][unreliable source?]}

Chandradwip had 100,000 soldiers fighting in total. João Geri, the army commander of his Portuguese allies, led 10,000 soldiers armed with heavy cannons and guns to assist Chandradwip. They were also joined by Nana Fernandes as well as the Dutch. The Chandradwip navy were prepared with their cannons on the banks of the river between Shujabad and Khudrakathi. The land battle took place in a village now referred to as Sangram which is close to Khudrakathi and Khanpura in Babuganj Upazila. The Mughals fought with Chandradwip and its allies for roughly a week, before they successfully entered Ramchandra's forts. The Baharistan-i-Ghaibi mentions how Ramchandra's mother wished to poison herself to show her disapproval of Ramchandra's activities. Ramchandra then arrived in front of them, and kissed the feet of his enemies as a symbol of the surrender of his naval forces. The incident was reported to Islam Khan I who ordered the Mughals to now join the forces at Jessore, and entrusted the surveillance of Ramchandra with Raja Satrajit of Bhusna during the remainder of the campaign.^{[citation needed]: 132}

Ramchandra was later brought by Raja Satrajit to Subahdar Islam Khan I in Jahangir Nagar. As a result of the surrender of his navy, the Subahdar reorganised Bakla, allowing Ramchandra to remain as a zamindar but assigning portions of Bakla to various jagirdars and karoris who participated in the conquest. Bakla was established as a sarkar of the Bengal Subah, and Syed Hakim and his brothers were appointed as its governors.^{[citation needed]: 144} Emperor Jahangir awarded parts of Chandradwip to Ulfat Ghazi for his participation, and these areas became the Nazirpur pargana of Bakla. Ghazi became the founder of the Miah family of Nalchira and his descendants continued to hold influential positions in the history of Barisal for several centuries.^{[6][page needed][verification needed]}

In present times, Barisalis holding the surnames of Dhali, Mal and Paik are identified as descendants of members of Ramchandra's army.^{[5][page needed][unreliable source?]} Surname Khan then appeared to Muslim barisalis who were identified as descendants of members of Islam Khan's Army.

• Kirtinarayan Basu, Ramchandra's son and successor
• Sabi Khan, faujdar of Bakla