Sultanate of Jaunpur (Sharqi dynasty) سلطنت جونپور
1394–1493
Jaunpur Sultanate, coin of Shams al-Din Ibrahim Shah, dated 1438
South-Asia 1475 CE DELHI SULTANATE (LODIS) TIMURID EMPIRE SHAH MIR SULTANATE PHAGMODRUPAS SAMMAS KALMAT GUJARAT SULTANATE BAHMANI SULTANATE RAJPU- TANA KHANDESH SULTANATE TOMARAS TRIPWA EASTERN GANGAS SUGAUNAS CHEROS AHOM KAMATAS CHUTIA BENGAL SULTANATE VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE MALWA SULTANATE GONDWANA ◁ ▷ Territory of the Jaunpur Sultanate ("Sharqis" dynasty) circa 1475, with neighbouring polities.[1]
Capital	Jaunpur (1394-1493) Kahalgaon[2] (capital-in-exile) (1494-1505)
Common languages	Persian (official) Hindustani,Bhojpuri,Awadhi,Nepali (common) Arabic (religious) Sanskrit (literature)
Religion	Sunni Islam
Government	Monarchy
Sultan
• 1394–1399	Malik Sarwar (first)
• 1458–1493	Hussain Khan (last)
History
• Established	1394
• Disestablished	1493
Preceded by Succeeded by Tughlaq dynasty Lodi dynasty Bengal Sultanate
Today part of	India Nepal

TheJaunpur Sultanate (Persian:سلطنت جونپور) was a late medieval Indian Muslim state which ruled over much of what is now the Indian states ofUttar Pradesh andBihar and southernNepal between 1394 and 1494.^[3] It was founded in 1394 byKhwajah-i-Jahan Malik Sarwar, an eunuch slave and formerwazir of SultanNasiruddin Muhammad Shah IV Tughluq, amidst the disintegration of theDelhi Sultanate'sTughlaq dynasty. Centred inJaunpur, the Sultanate extended authority over a large part of theGanges-YamunaDoab. It reached its greatest height under the rule of SultanIbrahim Shah, who also vastly contributed to the development of Islamic education in the Sultanate. In 1494, Sultan Hussain Shah Sharqi was defeated by the forces of the Afghan rulerBahlul Lodi, Sultan of theLodi dynasty of theDelhi Sultanate at Benares at which point Hussain fled toKahalgaon in modern-dayBihar where theSultan of Bengal assigned him apargana. Here he was allowed to mint his own coins and was promised help from Bengal in recovering his kingdom. He died in 1505.^[2]

The Sharqi dynasty was founded byMalik Sarwar, aeunuch slave of probablyAfrican origin.^[4][5][6] He was succeeded by his adopted son, Malik Qaranfal, who was previously a Hindu slave-boy and water-bearer ofFiroz Shah Tughlaq.^[7] However, according to a contemporary writer,Yahya Sarhindi, Malik Qaranfal was a member of theSayyid dynasty.^[8] Malik Qaranfal became the next sultan with the title of Mubarak Shah. He was succeeded by his brother,Ibrahim Shah.^[9]

In 1389,Malik Sarwar received the title ofKhwajah-i-Jahan. In 1394, he was appointed as the governor of Jaunpur and received his title ofMalik-us-Sharq fromSultanNasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq (1394–1413). Soon, he established himself as an independent ruler and took the title ofAtabak-i-Azam. He then suppressed the rebellions in Etawah, Koil andKanauj. He was also able to bring under his control Kara, Awadh, Dalmau, Bahraich and South Bihar. The Rai of Jajnagar and the ruler ofLakhnauti acknowledged his authority and sent him several elephants.^[10]

During the reign of Malik Sarwar, Jaunpur became embroiled in a 100-year war with the neighbouringUjjainiyas ofBhojpur in modern-dayBihar. The Ujjainiya chieftain, Raja Harraj was initially successful in the forces of Malik Sarwar however the Ujjainiyas were defeated in subsequent battles and retreated into the forests and resorted to guerrilla warfare.^[11]

Malik Sarwar was succeeded by his adopted son Malik Qaranfal after his death, who assumed the title ofMubarak Shah, ruled for three years, and issued coins in his own name.^[12] After assuming power in 1399, Mubarak Shah struck coins in his own name and theKhutba was read in his name. During his reign, Mallu Iqbal tried to recover Jaunpur but failed. He was succeeded by his younger brother Ibrahim after he died in 1402,^[9] who took the title ofShams-ud-Din Ibrahim Shah.^[13]

The Jaunpur Sultanate attained its greatest height under the younger brother of Mubarak Shah, who ruled as Shams ud-din Ibrahim Shah (ruled 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 namedNur Qutb Alam, he threatened theSultanate of Bengal underRaja Ganesha.^[14]

Ibrahim Shah was a patron of Islamic learning and established several colleges for this purpose. A large number of scholarly works on Islamic theology and law were produced during his reign, which include theHashiah-i-Hindi, theBahar-ul-Mawwaj and theFatwa-i-Ibrahim Shahi. He constructed several monuments in a new regional style of architecture known as theSharqi. During his reign, Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah II Tughluq took refuge in Jaunpur to get rid of the control of Mallu Iqbal over him. But he did not treat Sultan Mahmud Shah well.^{[further explanation needed]} As a result, his relations with the Sultan became bitter and Mahmud Shah occupied Kanauj. In 1407, he tried to recover Kanauj but failed. His attempt to conquer Bengal also failed. He was succeeded by his eldest son Mahmud Shah after his death.^[9][13]

Mahmud Shah Sharqi was successful in conquering Chunar, but failed to capture Kalpi.^[9] He also conducted campaigns against Bengal andOdisha. The monarch of Odisha at that time was the legendary Kapilendra Deva Gajapati. The Odia forces defeated the Jaunpur Sultanate comprehensively. In 1452, he invaded Delhi but was defeated byBahlul Lodi. Later, he made another attempt to conquer Delhi and marched into Etawah. Finally, he agreed to a treaty which accepted the right of Bahlul Lodi over Shamsabad. But when Bahlul tried to take possession of Shamsabad, he was opposed by the forces of Jaunpur. At this juncture, Mahmud Shah Sharqi died and he was succeeded by his son Bhikhan, who assumed the title ofMuhammad Shah.^[15]

On assuming power in 1457, Muhammad Shah made peace with Bahlul Lodi and recognised his right over Shamsabad. He picked up a quarrel with his nobles.^[9] In 1458, after his brother Hasan was executed on his order, his other brother Hussain revolted and proclaimed himself as the sultan of Jaunpur, under the title of Hussain Shah. Muhammed Shah was soon killed by Hussain's army in Kanauj.^[13]

The last ruler Hussain Shah signed a four years' peace treaty with Bahlul Lodi in 1458.^[13] Later, in order to invade Delhi reached the banks of theYamuna with a very large army in 1478. Sultan Bahlul Lodi tried to secure peace by offering to retain only Delhi and govern it as a vassal of Hussain Shah but he rejected the offer.

As a result, Sultan Bahlul crossed the Yamuna and defeated him. Hussain Shah agreed for truce but again captured Etawah and marched towards Delhi with a huge army and he was again defeated by Bahlul Lodi. He was able to make peace this time also. In March 1479, he again arrived at the banks of Yamuna. He was again defeated by Bahlul Lodi and lost the Parganas of Kampil, Patiali, Shamsabad, Suket, Koil, Marhara and Jalesar to the advancing army of the Delhi Sultan. After the successive defeats in the battles of Senha, Rapri and Raigaon Khaga, he was finally defeated on the banks of the Rahab,^[15] after which Bahlul Lodi appointed Mubarak Khan to Jaunpur. Hussain Shah re-assembled his forces, expelled Mubarak Khan and re-occupied Jaunpur, until Bahlul drove him out again.^[16] As a result of the Sharqi's being pushed back by Bahlul Lodi's advance, the last Sharqi-dated inscriptions in the region of Uttar Pradesh are from 1476 and 1479 inKannauj andJaunpur respectively while Sharqi inscriptions inBihar continued until 1505.^[17]

He fled toKahalgaon in modern-dayBihar, where he was granted asylum by sultanAlauddin Husain Shah and spent his last days there.^[13] In 1486, Bahlul Lodi placed his eldest surviving son Barbak Shah Lodi on the throne of Jaunpur. It was during Hussain Shah' rule that a claimant to be themahdi of all Muslims,Muhammad Jaunpuri, appeared and Hussain Shah was an admirer of him.

Over the course of the fourteenth century, the Jaunpur Sultanate appeared to have been numerically superior to its neighbours when it came number of troops. It has been posited that this was because Jaunpur had manyRajput vassals under the sultans who paid tribute with levies of peasant war-bands. Among the contemporary Rajput clans who were situated in the territory or the peripheries of the Jaunpur Sultans, were the Baghelas ofRewa, the Bachgotis of Sultanpur in Uttar Pardesh, Ujjainiyas of Bhojpur as well as the Tomars of Gwalior.^[18]

The support of these Rajput levies were what allowed the last sultan, Hussain Shah, to continue to challenge theSultans of Delhi. One contemporary source, which may have exaggerated, advises of Juga, the chief of the Bachgoti clan of Rajputs, who is said to have assembled a huge band of army consisting of 200,000 infantry and 15,000 cavalry to support the Sultan.^[18]

The Sharqi rulers of Jaunpur were known for their patronage of learning and architecture. Jaunpur was known as theShiraz of India during this period. Most notable examples of Sharqi style of architecture in Jaunpur are theAtala Masjid, theLal Darwaza Masjid and theJama Masjid. Though the foundation of the Atala Masjid was laid by Firuz Shah Tughluq in 1376, it was completed only during the rule of Ibrahim Shah in 1408. Another mosque, the Jhanjhari Masjid was also built by Ibrahim Shah in 1430. The Lal Darwaja Masjid (1450) was built during the reign of the next ruler Mahmud Shah. The Jama Masjid was built in 1470, during the rule of the last ruler Hussain Shah.

• 
  Atala Masjid
• 
  Entrance interior, Atala Masjid, Jaunpur.

The last ruler Hussain Shah assumed the title ofGandharva and contributed significantly in the development ofKhayal, a genre ofHindustani classical music. He also composed several newragas (melodies). Most notable among these areMalhār-śyāma,Gaur-śyāma,Bhopāl-śyāma,Hussaini- orJaunpurī-āśāvari (presently known asJaunpuri) andJaunpuri-basant.

The coin hoards of the Jaunpur Sultan's have mainly been found in the territory of the modern states ofUttar Pradesh andBihar in India indicating the circulation of Sharqi coins in these regions.^[21]

The first two rulers of the Sultanate, Malik Sarwar and Mubarak Shah did not declare their independence from theDelhi Sultanate hence neitherstruck coins in their own name.Ibrahim Shah of Jaunpur was the first of the sultans to issue his own coins when he came to rule in 1402. The known coins were issued ingold,silver andcopper. On the obverse of the coins is written:^[21]

"Fi zaman al-Imam nai'b Amir al-mominin Abulfath khulidat Khilafatahu"

English translation: "In the time of the Imam, the Deputy of the Commander of the faithful, the father of victory, may the caliphate perpetuate".

His successors, Mahmud Shah and Hussain Shah also continued to mint coins in their own names withbillon andcopper.^[21]

Part ofa series on the
Jaunpur Sultanate سلطنت جونپور
Rulers Malik Sarwar 1394-1399 Mubarak Shah 1399-1402 Ibrahim Shah 1402-1440 Mahmud Shah 1440-1457 Muhammad Shah 1457-1458 Husayn Shah 1458-1479
Architecture Atala Mosque Jama Mosque, Jaunpur Jhanjhari Masjid Lal Darwaza Mosque
Warfare Bhojpur (1389-1489) Bengal (1415-1420)
Historiography Tarikh-i-Dawudi
v t e

• Coin Gallery - Jaunpur Sultanat
• Coins of Jaunpur Sultanate
• History of Jaunpur Sultanate

• Shia dynasties
• Jaunpur Sultanate
• States and territories disestablished in 1493

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