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22-567: The mausoleum was built in the early 15th century ( c.  1425 ). It houses three tombs. One tomb is believed to be that of Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah , the other two of his wife and son Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah . The orientation and the identification of these tombs is disputed. Jalaluddin was a son of Raja Ganesha and had later converted to Islam. He was one of the first native Muslim king of Bengal. Although during his reign Sonargaon

44-638: A devout and correct Muslim. Contemporary Arab sources hold that upon his conversion to Islam , Jalaluddin adopted the Hanafi legal tradition. Between 1428 and 1431, he also supported the construction of two Islamic institutions in Makkah and Madinah , known as Bangaliyah Madaris . The Sultan gained permission by establishing close ties with and presenting Barakat ibn Hasan , the Sharif of Makkah , with gifts and robes of honour. Jalaluddin also kept good relations with Barsbay,

66-632: A distinguished role in converting the Hindus of Bengal to Islam. Dr. James Wise wrote in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1894) that "the only condition he offered was either the Koran or death. Many Hindus fled to Kamrup and the jungles of Assam, but it is nevertheless possible that more Muslims were added to Islam during these seventeen years (1414–31) than in the next three hundred years." He maintained

88-502: A good rapport with non-Muslims in his kingdom. According to an interpretation of a Sanskrit sloka by D. C. Bhattacharya, Jalaluddin appointed Rajyadhar, a Hindu , as the commander of his army. He gained support of Muslim scholars – Ulama and the Shaikhs . He reconstructed and repaired the mosques and other religious architectures destroyed by Raja Ganesha. The 17th century Persian historian, Firishta applauded him by saying: He upheld

110-464: Is an ASI listed monument. The mausoleum is the earliest surviving square-shaped building with a single dome in Bengal. The brick structure has 4 m (13 ft) thick walls and an octagon-shaped interior, which together minimize the size of squinches required. The mausoleum has a smoothly curved cornice , terracotta ornamentation on the walls, and engaged towers at the corners. The cornice supports

132-665: The Mamluk sultan . According to Al-Sakhawi 's Al-Daw al-lami` li ahli al-Qarni al-Tasi , Barsbay once gifted the Bengali sultan with investiture, a robe of honour and a letter of recognition. Jalaluddin had died before his own gifts could be dispatched to Barsbay and this job was left for his son, Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah , to be completed. In 1427, Jalaluddin described himself in an inscription as Al-sultan al-azam al-muazzamin khalifat Allah 'ali al-makunin Jalal al-Dunya w'al-Din (the most exalted of

154-496: The kingdom of Tripura in 1464, thus precluding the possibility that Jalaluddin was following the kingdom's custom. Since the lion is seen as the vehicle of the Goddess as Chandi in whose name the Sena dynasty rebelled from 1416 to 1418, it is possible he attempted to appeal to the deeply-rooted sentiments of Goddess-worship. In 1427, he had described himself in a description on a mosque as

176-461: The Sultan. He patronized Sankritic culture by publicly showing appreciation for those scholars of classical Brahmanic scholarship. Many Brahmin poets were honored by Jalaluddin. According to a 19th-century chronicle written by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton , Jalaluddin compelled many Hindus to convert to Islam, resulting in many Hindus fleeing to Kamrup . He also maintained good diplomatic relations. He

198-399: The behest of a powerful Muslim holy man named Nur Qutb Alam , he appealed to the saint to call off his threat. The saint agreed on the condition that Raja Ganesha's son Jadu would convert to Islam and rule in his place. Raja Ganesha agreed and Jadu started ruling Bengal as Jalal al-Din in 1415 AD. Nur Qutb Alam died in 1416 AD and Raja Ganesha was emboldened to depose his son and accede to

220-684: The brick temples in pre-Islamic Bengal. As Jalaluddin was the first native Muslim king of Bengal, he may have built the mausoleum in typical Bengali style, highlighting his roots. The mausoleum's structure represents a thatched hut with a sloping roof forming eaves . It is the earliest example of the distinctive Bengali architecture which was popularised during the period of the Bengal Sultanate and later. Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah ( Bengali : জালালউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ শাহ ; born as Jadu / জাদু )

242-687: The great sultans, the caliph of Allah in the universe). Several undated issues of his silver coins and a huge commemorative silver coin minted in Pandua in 1421, bear the stylised figure of a lion. One theory says that they were issued to celebrate the arrival of a Chinese ambassador . Another theory says that they marked the withdrawal of Jaunpur 's threatening army. Asides from him, the lion-motif coins were also issued by Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah I and Jalaluddin Fateh Shah . Such type of coins were also issued by

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264-402: The hemispherical dome on square squinches. The mausoleum is 75 feet (23 m) wide and 25 feet (7.6 m) in height. The diameter of the dome is 46 feet (14 m). A doorway is present at each of its facades . Each doorway has a pointed arch. The interior chamber measures 47 feet (14 m) and has no window. Historian Perween Hasan writes that the architecture may have been inspired by

286-460: The kingdom's domestic administrative centres. He pursued relations with the Timurid Empire , Mamluk Egypt and Ming China . Bengal grew in wealth and population during his reign. He also combined Bengali and Islamic architecture. According to Goron and Goenka, Raja Ganesha seized control over Bengal soon after the death of Sultan Bayazid (1412–1414). Facing an imminent threat of invasion at

308-542: The most exalted of the great sultans, the caliph of Allah in the universe . Having tested this, in 1430 he took a bolder step by including "Caliph of Allah" ( Khalifat al-Allah ) as one of his titles on his coins. In 1431 AD he issued a new coin inscribing Kalema-tut-shahadat . Thus he reintroduced on his coins the Kalimah, which had disappeared from Bengal Sultanate coins for several centuries. He died in Rabi 2, 837 AH (1433 AD) and

330-680: The principles of justice and equity and became the Naushirwan of the age. According to the Padachandrika , a commentary on the Amarakosha in Sanskrit, Brihaspati Mishra, a Brahmin from Kulingram (present-day Bardhaman district ), was promoted by Sultan Jalaluddin to the position of the Sarvabhaumapandita (court scholar). And Vishvasrai, son of Brihaspati Mishra, was also appointed a minister by

352-473: The southern Bengal. During his reign Firuzabad Pandua became a populous and flourishing town. It is recorded in the Ming shi that a Chinese explorer, Cheng Ho , visited the city twice in 1421–22 and 1431–33. He later transferred the capital from Pandua to Gaur . The city of Gaur began to be re-populated during his reign. Jalaluddin himself constructed a number of buildings and sarais there. Jalaluddin played

374-522: The throne himself as Danujamarddana Deva . Jalaluddin was reconverted to Hinduism by the Golden Cow ritual . After the death of his father he once again converted to Islam and started ruling his second phase. Jalaluddin maintained a peaceful kingdom during his second phase. His authority stretched to eastern Bengal Moazzamabad (present-day Sunamganj ) and south-eastern Bengal (present-day Chittagong ). He also conquered Fathabad (present-day Faridpur ) and

396-527: Was a 15th-century Sultan of Bengal and an important figure in medieval Bengali history. Born a Hindu to his aristocratic father Raja Ganesha , the patriarch of the Ganesha dynasty , he assumed the throne of Bengal after a coup which overthrew the Ilyas Shahi dynasty . He converted to Islam and ruled the Bengal Sultanate for 16 years. As a Muslim king, he brought Arakan under Bengali suzerainty and consolidated

418-605: Was disputably buried in the Eklakhi Mausoleum at Pandua. Sunamganj Sunamganj ( Bengali : সুনামগঞ্জ , is a town in the Sylhet Division of northeastern Bangladesh . It is the administrative headquarters and largest town of Sunamganj District . It is located on the banks of the Surma River , approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) west-northwest of Sylhet , the divisional headquarters. The municipality

440-524: Was formed in 1960. Nader Bakht was elected to a second consecutive term as mayor of Sunamganj in January 2021, as an Awami League candidate. Days later, a warrant was issued for his arrest on allegations that in 2019 he supplied fake birth certificates to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh . He obtained bail on 21 January. According to the 2022 Bangladesh census , Sunamganj city had a population of 74,570 and

462-597: Was in correspondence with the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh of Herat , Yung Le of China and al-Ashraf Barsbay , the Mamluk ruler of Egypt . Ibrahim Sharqi attacked his kingdom but censure from Yung Le and Shah Rukh caused him to withdraw. Jalaluddin helped Meng Soamun Narmeikhla, King of Arakan , to recover his kingdom from Burma ; in return he became the overlord of Arakan. He, at some point, also ruled over parts of Tripura and southern Bihar . Jalaluddin tried to legitimise his rule by publicly displaying his credentials as

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484-410: Was the de jure capital of the sultanate , Jalauddin Muhammad Shah frequently ruled from Pandua and eventually believed to have died there, making him the last Sultan of Bengal to rule from Pandua . According to tradition, the construction of the mausoleum cost one lakh rupees ( ₹100,000 ). The mausoleum received its name "Eklakhi" ( lit.   ' of One Lakh ' ) from this amount. The mausoleum

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