| Nuruddin Sikandar Shah | |
|---|---|
| as-Sulṭān Nūr ad-Dunyā wa ad-Dīn Sikandar Shāh | |
| 12thSultan of Bengal | |
| Reign | 1481 |
| Predecessor | Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah |
| Successor | Jalaluddin Fateh Shah |
| Born | Sikandar bin Maḥmūd Bengal Sultanate |
| House | Ilyas Shahi |
| Father | Mahmud Shah of Bengal |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Nuruddin Sikandar Shah (Bengali:নূরউদ্দীন সিকান্দর শাহ,Persian:نور الدین سکندر شاه) was theSultan of Bengal in 1481 CE for a brief number of days.[1]
Sikandar was born in the 15th-century into a ruling classBengali MuslimSunni family known as theIlyas Shahi dynasty, in theBengal Sultanate. His father, SultanNasiruddin Mahmud Shah,[2] was a descendant ofShamsuddin Ilyas Shah - the founder of the ruling dynasty as well as the nation. Hailing from what is now easternIran and southernAfghanistan, Sikandar's family was ofSistani ancestral origin.
Following the death of his nephew,[3]Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah, Sikander rose to the throne though he did not retain this position for long. HistoriansAbdul Karim,Nizamuddin Ahmad andGhulam Husain Salim indicate that Sikandar held the title for only a day or two, being removed almost immediately after his ascension because of his "lack of mental equilibrium".Banglapedia considers that Sikandar lost the confidence of the court nobles. Others suggest that his time as Sultan may have lasted for as long as two months.[1]
Not much was known about Sikandar Shah for centuries other than a brief mentions of him in texts such as theRiyaz-us-Salatin where he is incorrectly referred to as the son of his predecessor.[4] Recently, coins of Sikandar Shah minted fromDār ad-Darb (Treasury) were discovered in Mathanguri,Baksa,Assam. One coin is preserved inMünzkabinett,Dresden Castle,Germany while three can be found inBangladesh National Museum,Dhaka.[5]
Nuruddin Sikandar Shah | ||
| Preceded by | Sultan of Bengal 1481 | Succeeded by |
