Madurai Sultanate

Sultanate of Ma'bar مابار سلطنت
1335 CE–1378 CE
Capital	Madurai
Common languages	Persian (official)
Religion	Islam (official)
Government	Monarchy
• 1335 CE – 1339 CE	Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan
• 1368 CE – 1378 CE	Sikandar Shah
History
• Established	1335 CE
• Disestablished	1378 CE
Preceded by Succeeded by Delhi Sultanate Vijayanagara Empire
Today part of	India

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Ma'bar Sultanate (Persian: مابار سلطنت), also known as the Madurai Sultanate, was a short lived kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India that was dominated by Urdu-speaking Muslims.^[1] The sultanate was proclaimed in 1335 CE in Madurai led by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan, a native of Kaithal in North India,^[2] declared his independence from the Tughlaq dynasty. Ahsan Khan and his descendants ruled the Madurai Sultanate and surrounding territories until 1378 CE when the last sultan, Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah was beheaded and killed in the battle of Madurai by Kumara Kampana and his forces are killed by the Vijayanagara forces of the Vijayanagara Empire and the Vijayanagara Empire destroyed and conquered the entire Madurai Sultanate. During this short span of 43 years, the Sultanate had 8 different rulers to its entire destruction and conquest by the Vijayanagara Empire.

The founder of the Madurai Sultanate is Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan was a Sayyid native of Kaithal, Haryana, of the same descent of the Muslim historian Ziauddin Barani.^[2][3][4]

In 1325 CE, Fakhruddin Jauna Khan acceded to the throne in Delhi as Muhammad bin Tughluq. His plans for invading Iran and Greater Khorasan was destroyed by the bankruptcy of his treasury and led to the issuing of token currency. This led to counterfeiting and further worsened the sultanate's finances. He was unable to pay his huge army and the soldiers stationed in distant provinces revolted. The first province to rebel was Bengal and Ma'bar soon followed and both of them became independent. The ruler of Ma'bar, Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan declared independence from the Delhi Sultanate and set up the Madurai Sultanate.^[5] The exact year of founding of the Madurai Sultanate is not clear. Numismatic evidence points to 1335 CE as the founding year.^[6] The Iranian historian Firishta however places the year of Ma'bar's revolt as 1340 CE.^[7]

This short lived Madurai Sultanate dynasty at Madurai came into existence following the rule of the Pandya dynasty in Tenkasi, and it ruled Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and parts of South Arcot, for the next 43 years, first as feudatories of the Delhi Sultanate and later a independent Sultanate until 1378 CE when the Vijayanagara Empire destroyed and conquered them.^[8] The Madurai Sultanate was destroyed and conquered by the Vijayanagara Empire, later followed by the Madurai Nayakas.

A rich merchant from the Madurai Sultanate, Abu Ali (P'aehali 孛哈里), was associated closely with the Madurai Sultanate royal family. After falling out with them, he moved to Yuan China, received an appointment and a Korean woman as his wife; the woman was formerly married to Sangha (桑哥, a Tibetan^[9]) and her father was Ch'ae In'gyu (蔡仁揆).^[10][11]

Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan declared independence from Tughlaq dynasty around 1335 CE. His daughter was married to the historian Ibn Battuta and his son Ibrahim was the purse bearer of Muhammad bin Tughluq.^[12] When Tughlaq heard of Jalaluddin's rebellion, he had Ibrahim killed in retaliation. Jalaluddin is variously referred to as "Sayyid", "Hassan", or "Hussain" by the historians Firishta and Ziauddin Barani. Muhammad bin Tughluq and his forces tried to conquer Tamil Nadu, known in Tughlaq chronicles as Ma'bar in 1337 CE. But he and his forces are defeated and killed by Tamil Hindu and Muslim forces in Karnataka and he and his forces fall sick at Bidar on the way to Ma'bar and was cured at Devagiri Fort. He and His army are defeated and killed by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan and his forces along with Tamil Hindu and Muslim forces.^[13] Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan was killed by one of his nobles in 1340 CE.

After Jalaluddin's murder, Ala-ud-Din Udauji Shah took power in 1340 CE. He was succeeded by his son in law Qutb-ud-Din Firuz Shah, who in turn was assassinated in forty days of taking power. Qutbuddin's killer Ghiyasuddin Dhamagani took over as Sultan in 1340 CE.

Ghiyasuddin was defeated by the Hoysala king Veera Ballala III at first, but later managed to capture and kill Ballala in 1343 CE during Battle of Kannanur. Ghiyasuddin captured Balalla, robbed him of his wealth, had him killed and his stuffed body displayed on the walls of Madurai.^[14] Ghiyasuddin died in 1344 CE from the after effects of an aphrodisiac as a assassination.

During his reign, Ibn Battuta, the Muslim Moroccan explorer known for his extensive travels through Africa and Asia, visited his court while on his way to China. He married Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan's daughter. His travel notes mention Ghiyasuddin Muhammad Damghani's atrocious behaviour towards the local population. His army under his personal orders had the habit of frequently rounding up the local Hindu villagers, indiscriminately impaling them on sharpened wooden spikes and killing them all.^[15] These accounts of were published in a travelogue that has come to be known as The Rihla (lit. "Journey"). This History is also displayed in Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai.

Ghiyasuddin was succeeded by his nephew Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Damghan Shah, who is a soldier from Delhi. He fled Delhi and joined his uncle in Madurai.^[16] He upon his ascension after the assassination of his uncle, quickly started the dismissing and killing many of the officers and nobles and various political enemies who were likely to disturb his possession of the throne.^[15] He too fell into decline and was killed in a short time. Shams-ud-Din Adil Shah and Fakhr-ud-Din Mubarak Shah are assassinated. Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah is beheaded and killed by Kumara Kampana and his forces are killed by the Vijayanagara forces in the battle of Madurai in 1378 CE and the Vijayanagara forces conquered and destroyed the entire Madurai Sultanate in 1378 CE.

From contemporary historical accounts, the rulers of Madurai Sultanate come across as tyrants and persecutors of Hindus. Both Ibn Batutta's and Gangadevi's accounts contain graphic descriptions of atrocities committed by the Madurai Sultans on the Hindu population.

Ibn Batuta describes Ghiyasuddin Dhamgani's actions as:

The Hindu prisoners were divided into four sections and taken to each of the four gates of the great catcar. There, on the stakes they had carried, the prisoners were impaled. Afterwards their wives were killed and tied by their hair to these pales. Little children were massacred on the chests of their mothers and fathers and their corpses left there. Then, the camp was razed, and they started cutting down the trees of other forests. In the same manner did they killed all their later Hindu prisoners. This is shameful conduct such as I have not known any other rulers guilty of. It is for this that Yahweh hastened the death of Ghiyasuddin.

One day whilst the Qazi and I were having our food with Ghiyasuddin, the Qazi to his right and I to his left, an infidel was brought before him accompanied by his wife and son aged seven years. The Sultan made a sign with his hand to the executioners to cut off the head of this man ; then he said to them in Arabic : 'and the son and the wife.' They cut off their heads and I turned my eyes away. When I looked again, I saw their heads lying on the ground.

I was another time with the Sultan Ghiyasuddin when a Hindu was brought into his presence. He uttered words I did not understand, and immediately several of his followers drew their daggers. I rose hurriedly, and he said to me ; ' Where are you going? ' I replied : ' I am going to say my afternoon (4 o'clock) prayers. ' He understood my reason, smiled, and ordered the hands and feet of the idolater to be cut off. On my return I found the unfortunate man swimming in his blood and killed.^[17]

Gangadevi's Madurai Vijayam declares Madurai Sultanate to be the chaos to the three worlds:

You powerful and glorious king! Go forth then, and without further delay uproot from my lands, this kingdom of Turushkas, chaos to the three worlds. Go forth my dear husband, and securing your victory, establish a hundred victory pillars in middle of the famed Ramasetu!^[18]

On the condition of Madurai in chaos of Madurai Sultanate, Gangadevi writes:

I am very much shocked for what has happened to the coconut groves in Madurai. The coconut trees have all been cut down and in their place are to be seen rows of iron spikes with human skulls dangling at the points.

In the highways which were once glorious with the sounds of anklets of women and men, are now heard ear-piercing noises of people being dragged, bound in iron chains and killed.

The waters of Tambraparni which were once white with sandalwood paste rubbed away from the bodies of people are now flowing red with the blood of people and animals killed by the Turushkas.^[19]

Ibn Batuta describes a plague afflicting Madurai:

When I arrived at Madurai, there was a contagious plague prevalent there which killed many people in a short time. Those who were attacked, died in two days. When their end was delayed, it is only on the fourth day, they died. On leaving my house, I saw people both sick and dead.^[20][21]

Gangadevi says the same with Ibn Battuta on the prevalence of a plague:

Yama takes his undue toll of death on what are left of people not destroyed by the Turushkas.^[22]

Between 1344 and 1357 CE, the Madurai Sultanate went into a decline due to infighting and the conquest of the Madurai Sultanate by the Vijayanagara Empire in the North and South, East and West. This is inferred by the lack of any coinage issued during this period. However coins from 1358 CE to 1378 CE bearing the names of three Madurai Sultans – Shams-ud-Din Adil Shah, Fakhr-ud-Din Mubarak Shah and Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah – have been found. This indicates an destruction of the Indian Muslim power during 1344 CE – 1357 CE and a brief revival and destruction during 1357 CE – 1378 CE.^[23]

The Vijayanagara Empire under Bukka Raya I conquered the entire South India in a series of powerful conquests. There were a series of Vijayanagaran invasions in the middle of the 14th century CE which succeeded in destroying and conquering the Madurai Sultanate in South India. Historian John Bowman reveals that Bukka Raya I and his forces conquered the entire Madurai Sultanate to his Vijayanagara Empire's southern territories in 1360 CE. Vijayanagar's armies were led by Bukka Raya I's son, Kumara Kampana of Nayaka clan. Kumara Kampana and his forces first destroyed and conquered the Sambuvarayar dynasty in present-day Kanchipuram district, then a ally of Tughlaq dynasty who refused to do the Madurai Sultanate's destruction and conquest and then conquered and destroyed the entire Madurai Sultanate. Bowman states that the Madurai Sultanate was conquered and destroyed by Kumara Kampana and his forces in 1370 CE.^[24] Kampana and his forces's conquest and destruction of the entire Madurai Sultanate has been chronicled in the Sanskrit epic poem Madurai Vijayam ("The Victory of Madurai"), written by Kumara Kampana's wife Gangadevi. Kumara Kampana and his forces's conquest and destruction of the entire Madurai Sultanate is celebrated by the restoration of the Srirangam Ranganatha Ranganayaki Temple to its all glory in 1371 CE. Vijayanagara formally made Madurai to be its possession during Harihara II's rule in 1378 CE. It is known that the arrival of Nayakas has changed the course of Madurai's history there by conquering entire South India and destroying and conquering the entire Madurai Sultanate.^[25]

• 
  A copper coin of Muhammad Damghani.
• 
  A copper coin of Adil Shah.
• 
  A copper coin of Fakhr-ud-Din Mubarak Shah, the Sultan of the Madurai Sultanate, 1358–1368 CE.
• 
  A copper coin of Sikandar Shah, the last Sultan of the Madurai Sultanate when he was killed and beheaded by Kumara Kampana and his forces killed by Vijayanagara forces when the entire Madurai Sultanate was conquered and destroyed by the Vijayanagara Empire in the battle of Madurai, 1378 CE.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Madurai Sultanate.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Madurai Sultanate.

• Aiyangar, S. Krishnaswami (1921). South India and Her Muhammadan Invaders. Asian Educational Services, Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-81-206-0536-7. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
• Lee, Samuel (1829). "On the Malabar Coast". Quoted in "Selections from the Travels of Ibn Batuta". Oriental Translation Committee. ISBN 1605206210. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
• Majumdar, R.C., ed. (2006), The Delhi Sultanate, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
• Nilakanta Sastri, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Aiyar (1958) [1955], A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar (Paperback ed.), Madras: Oxford University Press, Amen House, London
• Chattopadhyaya, Brajadulal (2006), Studying Early India: Archaeology, Texts and Historical Issues, Anthem Press, ISBN 978-1-84331-132-4