Sack of Kathmandu
| Sack of Kathmandu | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Unification of Bengal | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Bengal Sultanate | Malla Kingdom | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah | Jayarajadeva | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 20,000 | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Heavy | ||||||||
The Sack of Kathmandu is also known as Bengal Sultanate—Nepal war.
Background
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah was the first Sultan of the Bengal and unified the three city-states into what is now known as the Bengal Sultanate. He was the first to lead a Muslim army into Nepal.[2] His army likely entered via Hariharpur, Sindhuligadhi, and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu's prosperity, admired by travelers, drew the sultan far from his Pandua capital to plunder the valley.[3] He began his expedition with the occupation of Tirhut which he divided into north and south. Ilyas kept the southern part for himself stretching from Begusarai to Nepal Terai and restored the northern part of Tirhut, north of the Budhi Gandaki River to the ruler of the Oiniwar dynasty, Raja Kameshwar. Its headquarters was situated in the village of Ukkacala (later known as Hajipur in his honor),[4] where Ilyas had constructed a large fort and urbanised the area.[5] Ilyas then thrust through the Terai plains with his army, into the Kathmandu Valley ruled by Jayaraja Deva. His army sacked the temple of Swayambhunath and looted Kathmandu city for three days, returning to Bengal with plentiful spoils.[2]
Afthermath
Kathmandu experienced its first Muslim invasion under Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, the sultan of Bengal. The valley was attacked, looted, and devastated, with temples and monuments, including Swayambhu and Pashupati, plundered. The invasion lasted seven days, sparing only the Changunarayan Temple, which the invaders failed to locate.[6][7]
Later on during the period of the Hussain Shahi dynasty under Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah, the Sultanate pushed into the Mithila region and annexed the ruling Oiniwar dynasty in 1526 with the ruler of the Oiniwars, Laksminathasimha, being killed in battle.[8][9]
References
- ^ "History on canvas". 10 June 2023.
- ^ a b Sirajul, Islam. "Ilyas Shah". Banglapedia Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 2 December 2024.
- ^ "The Sultan's siege of Kathmandu - OnlineKhabar English News". 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Prajñā-bhāratī. Vol. 6. K.P. Jayaswal Research Institute. 1992. pp. 175–178.
- ^ Hussain, Syed Ejaz (2000). Numismatic Digest. Vol. 21–22. Numismatic Society of Bombay. pp. 63–64.
- ^ Times, Nepali (2023-06-10). "History on canvas". nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Times, Nepali (2023-06-10). "History on canvas". nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Schwartzberg, Joseph (1992). A Historical Atlas of South Asia. University of Chicago Press. p. 40. ISBN 9780195068696.
- ^ Mishra, Vijaykanta (1953). "Chronology of the Oiniwara Dynasty of Mithila". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 16: 200–210. JSTOR 44303873.