Jignasa Journal Of History Of Ideas And Culture Part 01

Author(s): Vibha Upadhyaya and Others
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 91

Jaunpur as a Seat of Bhakti Tradition and Hindi Love Lores/53
9. Jaunpur as a Seat of Bhakti Tradition and Hindi Love Lores
Syed Ejaz Hussain
Decline of the Tughlaq rule under the Delhi Sultanate led to the emergence of some independent provincial sultanates at the close of the 14th century. The Bahmani Sultanate came into existence in 1347 under 'Ala-ud Din Bhaman, the Faruqi dynasty in Khandesh was founded in 1382, Malwa Sultanate assumed an independent position from 1392 under Delawar Khan Ghori and the Sultanate of Jaunpur was established in 1394 by Malik Sarwar, the Khwaja-sura or eunuch of Firuz Shah Tughlaq. Among these provincial Sultanates, Jaunpur occupied a very significant position. During the period of a century of their rule six rulers occupied the throne of Jaunpur. Malik Sarwar (1394-99) and his adopted son Mubarak Shah (1399-1402) ruled for a short period respectively. But Ibrahim Shah (1402-1440), Mahmud Shah (1440-1457) and Husain Shah (1458-1479) ruled for longer periods. Muhammad Shah (1457-58) also ruled for a brief spell. The reign of Ibrahim, Mahmud and Husain covers a period of nearly eight years during wbich Jaunpur rose to prominence in northern India. Its rulers had to fight not only with the neighbourly tiny kingdoms like Kalpi but they led military campaigns, to Delhi, Malwa, Tirhut, Bengal and even to Orissa. In spite of all these wars and military engagements the Sharqi rulers found time for peaceful pursuits. They encouraged education, patronized artists and musicians, scholars and sufis, and erected magnificent buildings some of which are still extant, some are in ruins. Jaunpur also emerged as one of the most renowned seats of Muslim learning in the East.
Jaunpur was well known as a seat of learning and culture during the Sultanate as well as the Mughal periods. Several educational centres and madarsahs were founded at several places in the kingdom of Jaunpur. Scholars and sufis of different places from India and abroad like Persia and Syria visited Jaunpur. Even after the decline of the Sharqi kingdom Jaunpur remained significant as a seat of learning and culture. Sher Shah, the founder of the Suri dynasty was sent by his father Hasan Khan Sur for the purpose of education from Sasaram in Bihar to Jaunpur. Islamic religious education particularly the Quran, hadith, tafsir, fiqh, usul-i-fiqh, nahv, mantiq and several other subjects were taught in the centres of learning. Bibi Raji, the first and favourite queen of Ibrahim Sharqi, established some madarsahs for the female education. The name and fame of the scholars of Jaunpur reached far and wide, and even abroad. When Humayun migrated to Persia in exile the then Safavid ruler Shah Abbas enquired from him about the state of the scholars and sufis of Jaunpur. Humayun was much impressed to know the fame of the Jaunpur scholars in Persia. When he regained power in India after his victory at the second battle of Panipat, he attempted to restore the glory of Jaunpur that was