Shaista Khan

Confrontation with the Marathas

After Aurangzeb's accession to the Mughal throne in 1659, he appointed Shaista Khan as viceroy of the Deccan with a large army to enforce the treaty the Mughals had signed with the Adilshahi of Bijapur. Through the treaty, the Sultanate of Bijapur had ceded territory that it had previously captured from the Ahmadnagar Sultanate to the Mughals. However, the territory was also fiercely contested by the ruler of the Shivaji Maharaj, who had acquired a big reputation after him killing of Adilshahi general Afzal Khan in the Battle of Pratapgarh. In January 1660, Shaista Khan arrived at Aurangabad and quickly advanced, seizing Pune, the centre of Shivaji's realm. He also captured the fort of Chakan and Kalyan and north Konkan after heavy fighting with the Marathas. The Marathas were banned from entering the city of Pune, and Mughal distance from the locals turned out to be an error. Shaista was responsible for heavily mass destruct pune city and its innocent civilians.

Attack by Shivaji Maharaj on Shaista in Pune

On the evening of 5 April 1663, a wedding reception had obtained special permission for holding a procession. Maharaj Shivaji and many of his men disguised as the bridegroom's procession members and some as Mughal soldiers entered Pune where in the Lal Mahal Shaista Khan was residing. Others entered in small parties dressed as labourers and soldiers of Maratha generals serving under Shaista Khan. After midnight, they raided the Nawab's compound and then entered the palace in an attempt to assassinate him. Maharaj Shivaji himself faced Shaista Khan directly, Shaista Khan in fear to save his life jumped out of a window in an attempt to escape but during this Shivaji Maharaj cut off 3 fingers of Shaista Khan. Though Shaista escaped this event, it heavily damaged his reputation and was humiliating for him

After this event Aurangzeb angrily transferred Shaista Khan to Bengal, refusing to give him an audience at the time of the transfer, as per custom.

Subahdar of Bengal

On the death of Mir Jumla II in 1663, Shaista Khan was appointed the Subahdar of Bengal. As governor, he encouraged trade with Europe, Southeast Asia, and other parts of India. He consolidated his power by signing trade agreements with European powers. Despite his powerful position, he remained loyal to Aurangzeb, often mediating trade disputes and rivalries. In 1666, Shaista Khan led the campaign to Chittagong and expelled the Portuguese and Magh defenders with 300 flotillas. The Mughal forces even forced the Portuguese in Sandwip Island to relinquish their bases to be used as Mughal naval operation. Later, he banned the East India Company from Bengal in 1686, beginning the Anglo-Mughal War. In 1678, Muhammad Azam Shah was appointed the Subahdar of Bengal. In 1680, Shaista Khan was again appointed as the Subedar of Bengal. He served his first term from 1663 to 1678 and his second term from 1680 to 1688.

Construction projects

Shaista Khan encouraged the construction of modern townships and public works in Dhaka, leading to a massive urban and economic expansion. He was a patron of the arts and encouraged the construction of majestic monuments across the province, including mosques, mausoleums, and palaces that represented the finest in Indo-Saracenic and Mughal architecture. Khan greatly expanded Lalbagh Fort, Chowk Bazaar Mosque, Sat Gambuj Mosque, and Choto Katra. He also supervised the construction of the mausoleum for his daughter Pari Bibi.

Conquest of Chittagong

Upon his arrival in Bengal, Shaista Khan was faced with putting down the Arakanese pirates. He began by rebuilding the Mughal navy, increasing its Bengal fleet to 300 battle-ready ships within a year. He made diplomatic efforts to gain the support of the Dutch East India Company as well as Portugal. With the direct support of the Dutch army, Shaista Khan led the Mughals in an attack on the Arakanese held Sandwip under the command of Ibn Husain, which lay in Arakanese control. The previous Siege of Hooghly by Shaishta Khan was considered by Saugata Bhaduri, a professor from Jawaharlal Nehru University, as an attempt by the empire to threaten the Portuguese settlers in Bengal to assist them in the conquest of Chittagong.

Mughal forces succeeded in capturing the island in November 1665.

Shaista Khan gained a considerable advantage when a conflict erupted between the Arakanese and the Portuguese. The Portuguese, led by Captain Moor, set fire to Arakanese fleets and fled to Bhulua, where Thanadar Farhad Khan gave them refuge. Farhad then sent them off to Shaista. By promptly offering protection and support, Shaista secured the aid of the Portuguese against the Arakanese.

In December 1665, Shaista Khan launched a major military campaign against Chittagong, which was the mainstay of the Arakanese kingdom. The imperial fleet consisted of 288 vessels of their own and about 40 vessels of the Firingis (Portuguese) as auxiliaries. Ibn Hussain, Shaista Khan's admiral, was asked to lead the navy, while the subahdar himself took up the responsibility of supplying provisions for the campaign. He also ordered Farhad Khan and Mir Murtaza to take the land route. The overall command was given to Buzurg Ummed Khan, a son of Shaista Khan. The Mughals and the Portuguese held sway in the following naval battle. The conquered territory to the western bank of Kashyapnadi (Kaladan River) was placed under direct imperial administration. The name of Chittagong was changed to Islamabad, and it became the headquarters of a Mughal faujdar. Khan also reasserted Mughal control over Cooch Behar and Kamarupa.

Personal life

According to Shaista Khan's vasiat-nama (a document registered before his death), he had seven sons and five daughters at the time. Among his daughters were Iran Dukht Begum known as Bibi Pari, Turan Dukht Begum known as Bibi Biban and Shamshad Banu Begum. His oldest son, Buzurg Umed Khan, served as the governor of Allahabad. Another of Shaista Khan's sons, Khuda Banda Khan was married to a daughter of the grand vizier Asad Khan. He served as a general for Muhammad Azam Shah, and fell in battle fighting Bahadur Shah I. Khuda Banda's son, who was also entitled Khuda Banda Khan, was made the Diwan of Asaf Jah I, the Nizam of Hyderabad. One of his daughters was married to Ruhullah Khan, son of Khalilullah Khan of Yazd in 1660. Another daughter was married in 1678 to Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung, son of Asad Khan and Mihr-un-Nissa Begum, daughter of Asaf Khan. Another daughter was married to Itiqad Khan and died in 1688.

Legacy

In his late years, Shaista Khan left Dhaka and returned to Delhi. His legacy was the expansion of Dhaka into a regional centre of trade, politics and culture; a thriving and prosperous city from a small township. It is said that he made currency of Bangladeshi taka so strong that eight 'mon' (around 295 kilogram) processed rice or 'chaal' could be bought with one taka. The Shaista Khan Mosque is a massive standing monument to Shaista Khan, built on his palace grounds. Incorporating unique elements of Bengali and Mughal architecture, it is a major tourist attraction and a valued historical monument protected by the government of Bangladesh today.