TheBangaliyyah Madrasah (Arabic:المدرسة البنغالية,romanized: al-Madrasah al-Bangāliyyah), refers to themadrasas constructed inHejaz during the 14th-15th century by theSultans of Bengal.[1] Part of a history of interactions between theBengal Sultanate andSharifate of Makkah, an account of these can be found in theTarikh Makkah Sharif ("History of Makkah Sharif").[2]
SultanGhiyathuddin Azam Shah founded two institutes inMakkah andMadinah during his reign in Bengal from 1390 to 1411.[3] The Madrasah as-Sultaniyyah al-Ghiyathiyyah al-Banjaliyah (Arabic:المدرسة السلطانية الغياثية البنغالية) of Makkah was located near the gate ofUmm Hani ofMasjid al-Haram. Construction began inRamadan 1411 CE and was completed in 1412 CE. It was the first madrasa in Makkah to teach all fourmadhhabs. TheHanafi andShafiʽi school had twenty students each, while theHanbali andMaliki schools had ten students each.[4] The contemporary Arab scholarTaqi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Fasi worked in this madrasa as teacher of Malikifiqh and other teachers, included Jamal ad-Din Qarshi, Shihab ad-Din Saghani,Muhy ad-Din Fasi, Abul Hasan al-Haskafi and the Shibi family.[5]
The Ghiyathiyyah of Madinah Tayyibah was situated near Bab as-Salam inAl-Masjid an-Nabawi. The Sultan also commissioned money to buy property for establishing and to maintain both of these institutes. He sent a lot of money to repair the Arafat Stream. However, theSharif of Makkah,Hasan ibn Ajlan, decided to use the money given by the Sultan for another project instead.[6] The madrasas were said to be the best institutions in the region during this period.[1]
A later Bengali sultan,Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, had good relations withBarakat ibn Hasan, the Sharif of Makkah, sent him presents and robes of honour.[6] The Sultan gained permission from the Sharif to construct a madrasah in the city of Makkah. He is also said to have constructed a madrasah in Madinah between 1428 and 1431.[7][5]
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