Latest / The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History / The Forgotten Bengal Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud and the Afghan Camel Cavalry
Transcript
- Lucas: So last time we talked about Prince Hasan choosing Bengal over the Mughal throne, but I want to go back even further, to another forgotten figure — Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, the Sultan of Bengal in the mid-15th century. He ruled from 1437 to 1459, and his reign was this remarkable period of cultural flowering and military defiance. Luna: Wait — is this the same Nasiruddin Mahmud who faced the Lodi invasion? Lucas: Exactly right. In 1453, while the Ottomans were besieging Constantinople, Bahlul Lodi — the Afghan ruler who later founded the Lodi dynasty in Delhi — marched into Bengal with a massive army. He was trying to bring Bengal back under Delhi's control. But Nasiruddin Mahmud had other plans. Luna: And he had an unusual weapon, didn't he? I remember reading something about camel-mounted guns. Lucas: Yes — that's the part that really stands out. Nasiruddin Mahmud's general, a man named Khurshid Khan, armed camels with small cannons strapped to their saddles. These 'camel artillery' units could move fast across the flat plains of Bengal and fire into enemy ranks with devastating effect. The Afghans had never seen anything like it. Lucas: The battle took place at Mandaran, near the Hooghly River. Nasiruddin also deployed Abyssinian slave soldiers — known as 'Habshis' — who were highly disciplined and loyal. They had been brought to Bengal through the Indian Ocean slave trade and often rose to high positions in the Sultanate. Luna: So Bengal was really a melting pot even then — Afghans, Abyssinians, local Bengalis, and even Chinese, I'd imagine? Lucas: Absolutely. The Ming Dynasty sent envoys to the court of Gaur — the Sultan's capital. Chinese records mention gifts exchanged, including a giraffe from Bengal to the Ming emperor. That's how connected Bengal was. Lucas: Under Nasiruddin Mahmud, Bengali literature also thrived. The poet Krittibas Ojha composed the 'Krittivasi Ramayan' — the first Bengali translation of the Ramayana — during his reign. That epic became a cornerstone of Bengali culture. Luna: It's amazing how much was happening here while Europe was in the Middle Ages. Lucas: Exactly. And this independence was hard-won. After the Battle of Mandaran, Bahlul Lodi retreated and never threatened Bengal again. Nasiruddin Mahmud minted his own coins, built mosques and madrasas, and maintained diplomatic relations as far away as Egypt and China. Luna: Why isn't this story more well-known? It's such a vivid chapter. Lucas: Partly because the Mughals later reshaped the historical narrative. They portrayed themselves as the rightful rulers, and earlier sultanates were downplayed. But also because Bengal's medieval history is often overshadowed by the Mughal and British periods. Lucas: You know, speaking of overlooked stories — that's exactly why we do this show. We deliberately don't run ads on these episodes, because we want to tell these histories without interruption or commercial pressure. Luna: Yeah, and it makes a real difference. It means we can go deep into a topic like Nasiruddin Mahmud's camel artillery without cutting away for a sponsor break. Lucas: If that kind of ad-free history matters to you, and you'd like to support it, there's a link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just a way for listeners who appreciate the show to help keep it going. Luna: And we really appreciate that. Now, back to the sultan — what happened to Bengal after Nasiruddin Mahmud? Lucas: After his death in 1459, the sultanate went into decline. His successors were weaker, and eventually, the Abyssinian slave generals took power — a period known as the Habshi rule. But that's a story for another episode. Lucas: For now, I think the key takeaway is that Bengal in the mid-15th century was a formidable, cosmopolitan state that defended its independence with innovation and grit. And much of that legacy is still visible in Bengali culture today. Luna: The camel artillery really sticks with me. It's such a clever adaptation. Lucas: It is. And it shows how local conditions shaped military technology. Bengalis didn't just copy what others did — they invented their own solutions.