Home Region:  Eastern India (South Asia)

Bengal Sultanate

1338 CE 1538 CE

SC EC PT EQ 2020  bd_bengal_sultanate / BdBengl

Displayed: 1344 CE








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Preceding Entity:
No Polity found. Add one here.

Succeeding Entity:
No Polity found. Add one here.

No General Descriptions provided.

General Variables
Identity and Location
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion
Social Complexity Variables
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Human Sacrifice Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequences Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Bengal Sultanate (bd_bengal_sultanate) was in:
Home NGA: None

General Variables
Identity and Location
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion

Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Population of the Largest Settlement:
100,000 people
1350 CE
Population of the Largest Settlement:
150,000 people
1450 CE
Population of the Largest Settlement:
200,000 people
1500 CE

Polity Territory:
144,000 km2
1500 CE

Hierarchical Complexity
Religious Level:
1
[1338, 1538]

Military Level:
8
[1338, 1538]

Administrative Level:
4
[1338, 1538]

Professions
Source Of Support:
land
[1338, 1538]

Bureaucracy Characteristics
Full Time Bureaucrat:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Law
Judge:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Formal Legal Code:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Court:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Irrigation System:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Utilitarian Public Building:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Symbolic Building:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Transport Infrastructure
Road:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Bridge:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Written Record:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Script:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Sacred Text:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Religious Literature:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Philosophy:
Present
[1338, 1538]

History:
Uncoded
[1338, 1538]

Information / Money
Paper Currency:
Absent
[1338, 1538]

Indigenous Coin:
Present
[1338, 1538]

Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Luxury Goods
[1338, 1538]
Luxury Precious Metal: Present
Place(s) of Provenance: foreign
Consumption by Ruler: Present
Consumption by Elite: Present

“The goldsmiths of Bengal were also famous as the manufacturer of various kinds of utensils, jewellery and ornaments of gold and silver, which was much in demand at local markets and foreign markets. In local markets, especially these items were much demanded in the noble classes of people and royal houses." [Shaikh 2016, p. 37] “For the conflict with Delhi administration, it was not easy for the Bengal sultans to import silver or gold from the sources of Afghanistan or Persia, on the other side Arakan (a part of Myanmar) was a friendly state of Bengal sultans, so it would be easier to import silver from Myanmar and China. So, the mints situated in eastern side of Bengal may be containing higher percentage of silver than the west” [Hasan 2013, p. 192] “Further mentioning to the gold and silver ornaments used by women of Bengal he states, “The ornaments in use were usually earrings of precious stones set in gold, pendants for the neck, bracelets for the wrists and ankles, and rings for the fingers and the toes.” foreign accounts and Bengali literature give a vivid description of women wearing gold ornaments of a fairly wide variety” [Shaikh 2016, p. 37]


[1338, 1538]
Luxury Spices Incense And Dyes: Present
Place(s) of Provenance: Bengal Sultanate
Great Ming
Vijayanagara Empire
Gujarati Sultanate
Kingdom of Jaffna
Sultanate of Maldives
Kingdom of Kochi

“The merchants of Bengal along with Gujaratis, Arabs and Persians dominated overseas trade. The main items of export from Bengal were rice, wheat, sugar, cotton and silk cloth, aloe-wood and spices like ginger and pepper[...] Bengal also had considerable links with Cochin and Bengali merchants imported from there minor drugs, spices and pepper and exported textiles”. [Shaikh 2020, p. 230] “Chinese exports to Bengal included gold, silver, satins, silk, blue and white porcelain, copper, iron, vermillion, quicksilver and grass mats. Return cargoes might include muslin, pearls, precious stones, horses, ornate horse saddles, engraved opaque vessels, broad cloths, woollens, cotton velvet, black coarse cotton cloth, sugar, rhinoceros horns, gharuwood, catechu, pepper and areca-nut”. [Shaikh 2020, p. 227] “Chittagong and Satgaon were the main port towns for Bengal’s coastal trade with these regions. Coastal trade was highly variable in size. At one end were large scale operations, comparable to oceanic voyages from Bengal with Gujarat to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, characterised by large vessels. This activity was conducted throughout the year except during the heavy monsoon months on either coast. Commodities like rice, sugar, cloth, indigo, cotton textile, saltpetre, pulses, fruits some kinds of spices, oil and butter were much in demand. Smaller boats typified trade with Coromandel, Gujarat and Malabar”. [Shaikh 2020, p. 229] “The merchants of Bengal along with Gujaratis, Arabs and Persians dominated overseas trade.[...] Bengal also had considerable links with Cochin and Bengali merchants imported from there minor drugs, spices and pepper and exported textiles”. [Shaikh 2020, p. 230]


[1338, 1538]
Luxury Manufactured Goods: Present
Consumption by Ruler: Present
Consumption by Elite: Present

" E.g. leather goods, high-quality footwear. “The Chinese accounts have references to shoes and slippers made of the skin of sheep and goat. The shoes of rich men and nobles were with golden lace. Barbosa has also referred to the leather shoes and sandals which were very well worked and sewn with silk”. [Shaikh 2016, p. 37]


[1338, 1538]
Luxury Glass Goods: Present
Consumption by Ruler: Present
Consumption by Elite: Present
Consumption by Common People: Inferred Absent

“Altogether nine sites have been plotted in this compartment from the surface survey yielding highest number of artefacts of all categories comprising the finest quality of porcelain sherds (47.26%), celadon ware (6.08%), sherds of buff-coloured ceramics (1.42%), coarse pottery (19.68%), decorated bricks (5.88%), glazed tiles (5.88%), glazed roof tiles (2.23%), cowrie-shells (0.81%), glass bangles and miniature glass bowls” 39 [Sinha 2013, p. 39] The following quote suggests use of "deluxe" glass goods in a royal palace. “The third compartment of the palace is traditionally known as the Zenana Mahal or Haremsara, the living apartment of the women. It was separated from the second compartment by a brick wall, though it can only be traced from the partly existing foundation of the wall beneath the surface. Entire wall has collapsed and a long hollow tunnel can be found as a result of continuous brick hunting even from the foundation. A stone paved tank on its eastern side marks this quarter. Only five sites have been identified from the cluster of artefacts and architectural fragments on the surface which yielded the usual assemblage of porcelain (48.42%), celadon (5.03%), coarse pottery (18.87%) and decorated bricks (9.43%) of deluxe quality whereas glass ware, glass objects occurred in higher number, i.e. 12.32%.”. [Sinha 2013, p. 40] The following quote suggests use of "deluxe" glass goods in a royal palace. “Only five sites have been identified from the cluster of artefacts and architectural fragments on the surface which yielded the usual assemblage of porcelain (48.42%), celadon (5.03%), coarse pottery (18.87%) and decorated bricks (9.43%) of deluxe quality whereas glass ware, glass objects occurred in higher number, i.e. 12.32%. Therefore the evidence of the surface findings neither denies nor supports the theory that this compartment was exclusively inhabited by the womenfolk of the Palace. Though one might raise a point that the occurrence of higher percentage of glass objects including miniature pots, glass bangles and other delicate objects is an indication of feminine occupation yet, this evidence is not strong enough to arrive at any conclusion”. [Sinha 2013, p. 40] "The surface findings of the former zone consist mostly of sherds of coarse pottery, pieces of porcelain and glassware, glass bangles and cowries of medium quality. This indicates that the area was occupied by common people.” [Sinha 2013, p. 45]


[1338, 1538]
Luxury Fabrics: Present
Place(s) of Provenance: Bengal Sultanate

" “Bengal imported silver from Malacca in exchange for high-quality cotton and silk textiles which were abundantly produced in the region. Every year about four or five big ships of Bengal touched the shores of Malacca. Bengal’s cloth fetched high prices in Malacca and was in great demand all over East Asia and Europe.” [Hussain 2013, p. 286] “Due to its several varieties of ine cotton textiles, rice, sugar and other minor items of trade, Bengal maintained a positive trade balance even with upper India.” [Hussain 2013, p. 286]


[1338, 1538]
Luxury Precious Stone: Present
Place(s) of Provenance: Bengal Sultanate
Great Ming
Consumption by Ruler: Present
Consumption by Elite: Present

“Chinese exports to Bengal included gold, silver, satins, silk, blue and white porcelain, copper, iron, vermillion, quicksilver and grass mats. Return cargoes might include muslin, pearls, precious stones, horses, ornate horse saddles, engraved opaque vessels, broad cloths, woollens, cotton velvet, black coarse cotton cloth, sugar, rhinoceros horns, gharuwood, catechu, pepper and areca-nut”. [Shaikh 2020, p. 227] “The merchants of Bengal along with Gujaratis, Arabs and Persians dominated overseas trade. The main items of export from Bengal were rice, wheat, sugar, cotton and silk cloth, aloe-wood and spices like ginger and pepper. On the other hand, Bengal imported gold, silver, copper, lead, precious stones, conch-shells, cowries, opium, salt, carpets, horses, slaves, sandalwood, camphor and many other items”. [Shaikh 2020, p. 230] “Further mentioning to the gold and silver ornaments used by women of Bengal he states, “The ornaments in use were usually earrings of precious stones set in gold, pendants for the neck, bracelets for the wrists and ankles, and rings for the fingers and the toes.” [Shaikh 2016, p. 37]


[1338, 1538]
Luxury Fine Ceramic Wares: Present
Place(s) of Provenance: Bengal Sultanate
Consumption by Common People: Inferred Absent

“Altogether nine sites have been plotted in this compartment from the surface survey yielding highest number of artefacts of all categories comprising the finest quality of porcelain sherds (47.26%), celadon ware (6.08%), sherds of buff-coloured ceramics (1.42%), coarse pottery (19.68%), decorated bricks (5.88%), glazed tiles (5.88%), glazed roof tiles (2.23%), cowrie-shells (0.81%), glass bangles and miniature glass bowls” [Sinha 2013, p. 39] “The excavation of Nilkuthidanga conducted by the team of archaeologists of Archaeological Survey of India, Kolkata circle from 2005-06 revealed existence of a wide habitational area which was occupied from almost second century AD to fifteenth century AD with a short gap after around eleventh-twelfth century AD. The upper layer of the site yielded timeless terracotta figurines, silver coins of Bengal Sultanate. Beads of terracotta, semi-precious stones, terracotta toys, iron objects were found here” [Majumdar 2019, p. 633] "The surface findings of the former zone consist mostly of sherds of coarse pottery, pieces of porcelain and glassware, glass bangles and cowries of medium quality. This indicates that the area was occupied by common people.” [Sinha 2013, p. 45]



Human Sacrifice Data
Human Sacrifice is the deliberate and ritualized killing of a person to please or placate supernatural entities (including gods, spirits, and ancestors) or gain other supernatural benefits.
Coding in Progress.
Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions