The Fall of the Ilyas Shahi Dynasty: Raja Ganesha and the Hindu Interregnum in Bengal

In the early 15th century, Bengal's Muslim sultanate was upended when a powerful Hindu zamindar named Raja Ganesha seized control of the capital Pandua, installed his son on the throne as Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, and sparked a brief but pivotal Hindu interregnum. This episode explores how Raja Ganesha, a former court official, exploited a succession crisis after the death of Sultan Shihabuddin Bayazid Shah, manipulated rival factions including the Abyssinian Habshi slaves, and ultimately ruled Bengal for over a decade before his son's conversion to Islam secured a new dynasty. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of the Hindu minister Shadi Khan, the construction of the Adina Mosque, the rise of the Abyssinian slave-soldiers who later founded their own dynasty, and the enduring legacy of Ganesha's reign as a symbol of Hindu resistance and collaboration in medieval Bengal. They also touch on the contemporary chronicles of the Chinese admiral Zheng He, who visited Bengal during this turbulent period and left invaluable records of its society and politics.

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