Muḥammad Shīrān Khaljī ( fa, محمد شيران خلجی), or simply Shiran Khalji ( bn, শিরাণ খলজী, Shiraṇ Kholjī), was the second governor of the

Khalji dynasty of Bengal The Khalji dynasty ( bn, খলজী খান্দান, fa, ) was the first Muslim dynasty to rule Bengal. The dynasty, which hailed from the Garmsir region of present-day Afghanistan, was founded in 1204 by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji, a ...

, based in Lakhnauti,

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

, from 1206 until 1208.

Early life

He was member of the Khalaj tribe,''the Khiljī tribe had long been settled in what is now Afghanistan ...'
Khalji Dynasty
''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

''. 2010. ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 23 August 2010. a tribe of Turkic origin that after migration from Turkistan had later settled in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

for over 200 years before entering

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

. Shiran was given the role as the administrator of

Nagaur Nagaur is a city and municipal council in Nagaur district of the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagaur District. The Nagaur city lies about midway between Jodhpur and Bikaner. Nagaur is famous for spices ...

. He was working under

Bakhtiyar Khalji Ikhtiyār al-Dīn Muḥammad Bakhtiyār Khaljī, (Pashto :اختيار الدين محمد بختيار غلزۍ, fa, اختیارالدین محمد بختیار خلجی, bn, ইখতিয়ারউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ � ...

during the latter's office as the administrator of the Bhagwat and Bhuili and joined him in the Muslim conquest of Lakhnauti. During Bakhtiyar Khalji's governorship of Bengal (Lakhnauti), Shiran was promoted to army commander.

Governor of Bengal

When Bakhtiyar set off for the expedition to Tibet, he entrusted Lakhnauti to Shiran to care of. Bakhtiyar and his soldiers returned to Bengal after failing the expedition.

Ali Mardan Khalji Rukn ad-Dīn ʿAlī Mardān Khaljī ( bn, রোকনউদ্দীন আলী মর্দান খলজী, fa, ركن الدین علی مردان خلجی) was a 13th-century governor of Bengal, a member of the Khalji dynasty of Bengal ...

, the administrator of Devkot appointed by Bakhtiyar, and those loyal to him then assassinated bed-ridden Bakhtiyar who was resting in

Devkot Bangarh is an ancient city situated in Gangarampur, West Bengal, India. Bangarh was the ancient city which was the administrative centre of Kotivarsha Vishaya (territorial division), itself part of the wider administrative unit of Pundravardha ...

. Upon hearing this, Shiran left his post as the acting Governor of Lakhnauti and set off to

to humble

and his supporters. However, Mardan had fled to

Ghoraghat Ghoraghat ( bn, ঘোড়াঘাট) is an upazila of Dinajpur District in the Division of Rangpur, Bangladesh. History Ghoraghat was established in the time of Bakhtlar Khilji (see Blochmanu's Contr., J.A.S,1873, p. 215, Tabaqat-i-Na ...

. Whilst at Devkot, the Khalji noblemen appointed Shiran as Bakhtiyar's rightful successor. Ascending as the next governor of Bengal, he invaded armies loyal to the rebel. Shiran managed to capture and imprison Mardan and appointed Baba Isfahani, the

kotwal The Kotwal also spelled as Cotwal, or Kotval was a title used in medieval India for the leader of a Kot or fort. Kotwals often controlled the fort of a major town or an area of smaller towns on behalf of another ruler. It was similar in function ...

, to take care of him. Shiran attempted to maintain the policies set by his predecessor, Bakhtiyar, and even reinstated the roles of the rebels to maintain peace.

Death

Ali Mardan later managed to flee to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, where he managed to persuade the

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

Qutb al-Din Aibak Qutb ud-Din Aibak ( fa, قطب‌الدین ایبک), (1150 – 14 November 1210) was a Turkic general of the Ghurid king Muhammad Ghori. He was in charge of the Ghurid territories in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's assassination in ...

to invade Devkot which was now under Shiran's rule. The Sultan then instructed Qaimaz Rumi, the Governor of

Awadh Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...

, to invade Devkot and dethrone Shiran. Rumi's army passed the

jagir A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...

of Kangori, southeast of Devkot, which was administered by

Iwaz Khalji Ḥusām ad-Dīn ʿIwaz bin Ḥusayn Khaljī ( bn, হুসামউদ্দীন ইওজ বিন হোসেন খলজী, fa, حسام الدین عوض بن حسین خلجی), later known by his regnal title as Ghiyāth ad-Dīn ʿ ...

. Shiran was defeated and fled to Dinajpur where he shortly afterwards died.Khilji Malik
/ref> Before returning to Awadh, Rumi then appointed Iwaz as the next Governor of Bengal. Shiran's tomb lies in Mahisantosh, Dhamoirhat in northwestern Bangladesh's

Naogaon District Naogaon District ( bn, নওগাঁ, Nôugã) is a district in northern Bangladesh, part of the Rajshahi Division. It is named after its headquarters, the city of Naogaon in Naogaon Sadar Upazila. Demographics According to the 2022 Census ...

(which was historically a part of Dinajpur District). The tomb is exceptionally 14 feet long, and beside an antique

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

. This site is around 25 kilometres northwest of the

Somapura Mahavihara Somapura Mahavihara ( bn, সোমপুর মহাবিহার, Shompur Môhabihar) in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Badalgachhi, Naogaon District, Naogaon, Bangladesh is among the best known Buddhist viharas or monasteries in the Indi ...

References

{{Naogaon District Governors of Bengal 13th-century Indian Muslims Turkic rulers Naogaon District People from Dhamoirhat Upazila

Early life

Governor of Bengal

Death

See also

References