1

Other Muslim Kings of Arakan

With a strong army they overran Chittagong and subdued
almost the whole of it. Muhammad Khan ordered his generals
to proceed farther south into Arakan. The generals, in obedience
to the kings command carried their victorious banner into Arakan
and forced the Arakanese king to submit to the authority of the
Bengal Sultan.
1
Dr. S.B. Qanungo.

After the death of Minbin his son Min Teikkha (1553-55) ascended the throne
of Arakan. At that time Mohammad Khan Sur, the Afghan Governor of Bengal
declared himself independence and became king with the royal title, Shamsuddin
Abu Muzafar Mohammad Shah. Min Teikkha was a weak and an inefficient king. He
could not retain Chittagong against Mohammad Shah who conquered Chittagong in
1554 and carried his victorious banner into Arakan and brought the Arakanese king
Min Teikkha as a vassal king under the Afghan Sultans of Bengal with the Muslim
name Dawood Khan. In commemoration his victory over Arakan Mohammad Shah
minted coins in his name in Persian scripts which include mint name reading Arakan
in 962 A.H. (1554). But it is unknown that whether Mohammad Shah appointed an
Afghan Governor in Arakan or he made any appreciable change in Arakan kingdom
or he was simply satisfied with the submission of the Arakanese king as vassal.



Coin of Mohammad Shah (1554-55) with Persian inscriptions which include mint
name reading Arakan and dated 962 AH.

Mohammad Shah was succeeded by his son Gyasuddin Bahadur Shah
(1555-60) who also struck coins in his name and mint name Arakan in 965 A.H.
(1558) which proved that Arakan was under the effective control of Afghan Sultans of
Bengal till 1560. It is strange that this conquest of Arakan by the Afghan Sultans of
Bengal has not been mentioned in Arakanese chronicles. Chittagong was held by
the Afghan Kings of Bengal till 1580 in which year the Tippera Raja Amar Manikya
occupied it.
2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Dr.S.B. Qanungo; A History of Chittagong, Vol: I, p. 1922.
2. Ibid, pp.192,193,194,200 + 201. Dr. Md: Yunus: A History of Arakan, Past+Present, p.45.






2


Coin of Bahadur Shah (1555-60)with Persian inscriptions which include mint
name reading Arakan and dated 965 AH.

Two more kings, Min Saw Hla (1555-64) and Min Sekkya (1564-71)sons of
Min Teikkha became kings with the Muslim names. But Min Saw Hlas Muslim title
was not found yet while Min Sekkyas Muslim designation was Ilahi Shah.


Coin of Min Sekkya (Ilahi Shah) 1564-71

After the death of Bahadur Shah the Afghan rule in Bengal was marked by
fratricidal wars, frequent changes on the throne and the consequent misrule which
greatly impaired the strength of the Afghan rulers of Bengal; and moreover the
Moghuls under Akbar were looming in the west which needed constant watch from
Bengal rulers who could not devote their attention to Arakan. These circumstances
gave the Arakanese a freehand to become independence again under their king
probably Min Sekkya.

Then Minphalaung (1571-93), the youngest and the worthy son of Minbin
ascended the throne in1571. He conquered whole of Chittagong and several parts of
Noakhali and Tippera in 1582. His Muslim name was Sikandar Shah.
3
He appointed
his son Minnala as governor of Chittagong. He excavated lakes and built causeways
across them for the protection of his capital from the surprised attacks made by the
Burmese and the hill tribes who raided the country plundering villages and carrying
off the villagers as slaves.
4
Since then Arakanese kings kept Chittagong for 84 years
till 1666 when it was finally annexed by the Moghuls.
5


Coin of Minphalaung (Sikandar Shah) 1571-93
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. R.B. Smart; Burma Gazetteer, Akyab District, Vol: A,p.25
4. Prabashi, Part XXII, Vol: II, No.5, February, 1923.
5. 50th Anniversary Publication No.2, BRSJ, P.494.

3

On the death of Minphalaung in 1593 his son Minyazagyi (1593-1612)
became king with the Muslim title Salim Shah I who had become powerful very
swiftly. Accepting the invitation of Minyethihathu the prince of Taungu, a cousin of
Pegu king Nandabayin (1581-99) Minyazagyi sent an expedition against Pegu. The
Arakanese occupied Syriam, and the allied forces of Arakan and Taungu besieged
Pegu in 1599 very easily because Nandabayins soldiers had abandoned him and
the city was undefended and almost deserted as the inhabitants had fled since the
fall of Syriam. The two allied armies simply walked into the city and devided the
loots. The Arakanese expedition had consisted of 50,000 Muslims. They conquered
up to Moulmein where they built a Mosque at Thantalin quarter. The Mosque is
Known as Yakkhaing Bali.

Minyethihathu had taken away the Ceylon tooth and begging bowl with the
treasure loaded in twelve caravans, and Nandabayin to Taungu where he was
executed. The Arakanese king went off with 3000 unhappy households of Pegu, with
the White Elephant, a pair of ruby ear-rings (Kyauk-na- gat) of fabulous value, a
princess, Nadabayins own daughter named Lady Htwe Naung, the brozen cannon,
and the gold statue of Tabinshweti together with other thirty brozen images of men
which had been brought by Bayinnaung (1550-81) after his successful expedition
against Siam in 1563.

Coin of Minyazagyi (Salim Shah 1) 1593-1612
All these jewels were seen by Manrique, the Portuguese friar when he visited
king Thirithudamma in 1630 when he gave five taslims ( five times of Salaams )
6
to
the king. In addition to these jewels he saw a great quantity of golden flasks and
ewers. The captured Muslims among the defenders of Pegu in 1599 were taken
away to Arakan
7
and settled at Urittaung and along the Mayu river together with other
prisoners of war.
8


Minyazagyi had married Nandabayins daughter. On his death in 1612 she
became Queen Dowager. She was not the mother of Minkhamaung,
Thirithudammas father. But as Queen Dowager her position was that of the first lady
at Court. On Thirithudammas accession in 1622 she became Grand Dowager. By
1630 she was about 55 years of age. Manrique had also paid a state call on her.

On this successful invasion Minyazagyi immediately struck coins bearing the
title Hsinpyu Shin. Possessing the white elephant and the Mahamuni image he had
called himself the champion of Buddhism. Arakan became the centre of the Buddhist
world. This invasion ruined Burma and it broke into petty states. All Bayinnaung glory
passed to him. Pegu was burnt, and the splendid palace of Bayinnaung went up in
flames. Minyazagyi retained Syriam which was left under the charge of Philip de
Brito one of the Portuguese mercenaries who distinguished himself in the campaign.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Maurice Collis; The fand of the Great Image, p.188. 7. Harvey; History of Burma,p.348.
8. U Aung Moe; Okka Pyan of Dinnyawaddy, The Working Peoples Daily dated 30th November, 1987,
p.5.
4

Philip de Brito improved the defences of Syriam by constructing a wall and a
moat around it. He built up a strong army by recruiting Mouns and the Muslims of the
delta. Then de Brito betrayed and expelling the Arakanese officers from Syriam
became the king of Syriam. Minyazagyi became so worried about de Britos joining
hands with the Portuguese pirates of Dianga, a Portuguese settlement opposite to
Chittagong, that in 1607 he put to death de Britos son and his other men in Myauk-
U. He also made a surprise attack on Dianga and killed six hundred Portuguese
there. De Brito could do nothing because Anaukpet Lunmin ( 1605-28), the grandson
of Bayinnaung was uniting again the greater part of Burma and was anxious to take
Syriam.

Minyazagyi also expelled the Portuguese from Chittagong and from other
lands given to them but a number of them escaped to the Islands at the mouth of the
Ganges, living by piracy.

Minyazagyi consolidated and extended Arakan. The extension was from
Sundarbans to Moulmein, and this dominion was built up with the help of a strong
mercenary army and navy of heterogeneous races organized by Minbin.

Minyazagyi was succeeded by his elder son Minkhamaung or Hussain Shah
(1612-22). At that time in Bengal after the death of Islam Khan in 1613 his brother
Kasim Khan (1613-18) was oppointed as the Governor of Bengal. During his rule
there was misarrangement and slackness in the government while the enemies were
on the alert. Abdul Wahid, the Thanadar, the head of Bhalua fort went to Dacca to
consult the Governor as he failed in obtaining the Governors wish by writing letters.
In the meantime his son was fighting in Tippera. So there were no soldiers and
generals in Bhalua. Having this opportunity the Arakanese king Min Khamaung
marched on to conquer Bhalua. Kasim Khan at once sent Wahid to Bahalua and he
himself came to Khijipur. He instructed Abu Bakir, the general to send him soldiers
from the boundaries of Rangamati and Assam, and ordered him to come to Dacca
with ships. He also called all officers from all military outposts and sent them to
Bhalua to help Wahid whose heroic son also joined him after coming from Tippera.

On hearing the news that the Arakanese king crossed Barra Feni and Chota
Feni with a large number of soldiers Wahid, in fright, left Bhalua which was easily
occupied by the Arakanese who followed Wahid up to Dakotia Khal. At this moment
Kasim Khan sent a letter to Wahid instructing him to check the advance of the
Arakanese and wait there for the arrival of Sheik Faid and Abdul Nabi who were
coming soon with many soldiers.

During this time Gonzales betrayed and invited all the Arakanese captains of
the fleet on board his ship and murdered them all, and capturing the Arakanese
ships sailed to Sandwip where he sold the surviving Arakanese into slavery in the
open auction. A party of the Portuguese brought these news to the Moghuls. Then a
sudden tide of joy rose up in Wahid who settled to fight and in the next morning he
mobilized his soldiers and advanced to Bhalua where the Arakanese were spending
their time in idle pleasures taking the Moghuls to be coward for an attack. When
Wahid and his soldiers rushed the Arakanese king and the Arakanese armies left
Bhalua. Then the Moghuls reoccupied Bhalua and defeated the Arakanese not once
but several times, and pursued them up to the walls of Chittagong. Wahid was
honoured with the title of Shahad Khan.

3


Coin of Minkhamaung (Hussain Shah) 1612-22

In this expedition innumerable soldiers followed the Arakanese king, but less
than 1000 survived who took refuge in the forest of Tippera, and 500 were captured
and taken away as slaves by the Moghuls. Seizing the opportunity of the weakness
of the Arakanese the Tippera Raja refused the suzerainty of the Arakanese king and
rose up in arms against him and killed many chiefs and nobles. The king saved
himself with great difficulty. Arriving at Myauk-U , the capital of Arakan the king
impaled Gonzales nephew who was given as hostage during the reign of
Minyazagyi, and killed other Portuguese there.

In 1616 with the assistance of the Goa Viceroy Gonzales plundered the coast
of Arakan and Chittagong which was left unprotected due to the capture of the
Arakanese navy, and he even attacked Myauk-U. This expedition was defeated by
the Arakanese with the help of the Dutch. This defeat proved the ruin of Gonzales
who took to his heels to Sandwip.

In 1617 Minkhamaung invaded Sandwip, defeated Gonzales, and occupied
other islands which became the stronghold of the Arakanese. Then the unfortunate
Gonzales hid himself and no further account of his subsequent activities is found
anywhere. The Arakanese king was thinking to pay back the ignominy of his first
defeat at the hands of the Moghuls. So he brought again the surviving Portuguese
into his service with their fleet instead of destroying them; and he also mobilized his
own army and navy and accumulated war materials. Then the Arakanese king
advanced to Bhalua where Wahids son and Mirza Nuruddin checked the onrush of
the Arakanese and defeated them. The Arakanese then took shelter in a marsh, and
later on they fled away to their country crossing the shallow part of the marsh while
the king and his nephew (brothers son) Ba Maung (Ali Manik) were stuck in the
deep part of the marsh.

At night fall the Moghuls surrounded the marsh. Minkhamaung sent a
messenger to Wahid to request him for making a way for him by the side of Wahids
division. The king also promised to give him all his wealths and elephants. The next
morning Wahid entered into the marsh with a great pomp and he secretly made a
way to the Arakanese king and captured Ali Manik and the remaining soldiers. How
treacherous was Wahid !. He could easily capture the Arakanese king and conquer
Arakan, and bring the white elephant for the Delhi Emperor.
9
Says Sarkar.

On the death of Minkhamaung his son Thirithudamma (1622-38) assended
the throne of Arakan with the Muslim name Salim Shah II whose coronation
ceremony was performed in 1635 because the Royal astrologers said that he would
die within a few years after the coronation.
10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Prabashi, Part XXII, Vol: II, No.5, February, 1923.
10. U Myo Min; Old Burma, p.29.
6

In 1625 the Imperial General and the governor of Bengal Mohabbat Khan was
recalled from Bengal and was ordered for a march against Kabul. This recall
interrupted the entire administration of Bengal, which gave the opportunity to the
Arakanese and the Portuguese pirates who in the same year entered into Dacca and
set fire to the city. They plundered and carried off the inhabitants of the city as
prisoners.
11
Kamzad Khan (1625-26), the new governor of Bengal then confined his
energies to the defence of Dacca and the prevention of coming of the pirate fleet to
the city. He stretched some iron chains across the river just below the city and set up
some bamboo bridges on the stream of the city.
12


During the reign of Thirithudamma there were settlements of merchants of
various nationalities, most of whom were Muslims.
13
It is worthy of note that Muslims
fulfilled official tasks in the royal court throughout the Myauk-U era in the
administration, in the army, and in various economic activities. Hence the Arakanese
king Thirithudamma had appointed a Muslim counsellor. Muslim poets and writers
were famous at the court of the Arakanese kings. Subsequently, Muslim civil
servants were also employed by the kings, as an example controllers of Muslim
quarters called Kaladan that is foreign dewellings were Muslims bearing the title of
Kalawun.
14


Coin of Thirithudamma (Salim Shah II) 1622-38

There were Muslim doctors in the Royal Court of Arakan. One of them who
was the possessors of magical secrets was well-established in Thirithudammas
confidence. The Arakanese called him Saragri. He came to Myauk-U during the fine
season of 1634. Mauricc Collis states, It seems that during the fine season a
Mohammedan had visited Myauk-U, a man who declared that he had made the
pilgrimage to Mecca and passed himself off as a doctor and the possessor of occult
secrets. He effected a number of cures and acquired the reputation of a master of
magic. News of what claimed to be able to do reached the kings ears and was
summoned to court . the doctor, as we shall call him , for we may be quite sure
that the Arakanese referred to him by their term Saragri, was well established in the
Kings confidence.
15


One day when he was summoned to Court he said to the king that he could
make him invisible and invincible, and could save him from death which would follow
after the coronation; and he also assured the king that he (the king) could obtain
large part of the Moghul Empire and the kingdom of Burma and Siam by means of
elixir which must be made of two thousand hearts of white doves, four thousand
hearts of white cows and six thousand hearts of human being
16
at which the king
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Prabashi, Part XXII, Vol : II No.5, February, 1923.
12. Chittagong Gazetteer, p.30. Harvey; History of Burma, p-143.
13. Old Burma, p.35.
14. A Nation within a Nation, UNHCR, Report, June, 1998, p.38.
15. The land of the Great Image, p.246. 16. Ibid, pp.248 + 249
7


became very surprised because he was a Buddhist king and it was not easy to find
six thousand human hearts while the hearts of doves and cows could be found
easily. But later he made up his mind to kill six thousand human beings to get their
hearts, for he wanted to become the lord of India. He secretly ordered the police to
seize six thousand human beings and deliver their hearts to the doctor by killing
them. The police delivered the required human hearts within a few weeks by taking
widows, orphans, labourers, slaves and kidnapping the villagers. The elixir was
prepared by the doctor
17
. Then it was officially proclaimed that the coronation would
take place after the monsoon had come to an end; and 23
rd
January 1635 was fixed
for crowning after consultation with the Board of Astrology.
The coronation ceremony was witnessed by Sabaistan Manrique, the
Portuguese friar who came to Arakan from the Moghul India in 1630. He recorded a
long and detailed account of his travels. According to his statement in Myauk-U there
were many settlements of Muslim merchants,
18
and a body of Muslim, Pathan
Cavalry Escort and Swordsmen in the Royal Guard from Northern India.

When the coronation ceremony was started there came first the Muslim
general,
19
Ashraf Khan of the Cavalry Escort and Swordsmen, who dressed in green
velvet ornamented with plaques of silver and mounted upon a magnificient white
horse from Arabia,
20
and he was the commander in chief of six hundred horsemen
in three squadrons namely Pathans, Peguans and Burmese.
21


The coronation ceremony was performed in a splendid and Muslim style. But
no elixir could save the king from death which followed him after the coronation. He
was killed in 1638 by his queen, Naf Shin Mai, the Mistress of Paradise by the action
of Yattara squares and with the connivance of Kuthala ( Narapatigyi) who was in love
with the queen.
22-
The murder of Thirithudamma was the beginning of the ruin of
Arakan.

The obverse of their coins bear their Arakanese names in Burmese legends
while the reverse bear their Muslim names in Persian and Nagri scripts. These kings
kept Muslim names by the influence of the Muslim ministers and for the satisfaction
of Muslims in Chittagong.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Ibid, p.252.
18. Old Burma, p.35.
19. Ibid, p.47.
20. Ibid, p.48.
21. Ibid, pp.47+48
22. The land of the Great Image, pp.288-296.





The End

29-7-2007




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