Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah


Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah was the last Sultan of the Hussain Shahi dynasty of Bengal. The dynasty was founded by Alauddin Husain Shah in 1494.

History

assesses him as a "weak, pleasure loving and easy-going ruler" who "...had neither diplomatic foresight, nor any practical approach to the political problems which beset Bengal during his reign." His reign was marked by rebellions, including those by Khuda Bakhsh Khan, his general and governor of the Chittagong area, and Makhdum Alam, the governor of Hajipur.
During his reign the Portuguese arrived in Chittagong in 1534, and were captured and sent to Gaur as prisoners on charges of mischief. But, in the face of enemy superiority he reconciled with them and permitted them to establish factories and commercial stations at Chittagong and Hughli. Later, with the help of the Portuguese, the Sultan held the Teliagarhi pass avoiding the invasion. Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah and his Portuguese allies were defeated by Sher Shah Suri on 6 April 1538, as his appeals to the Mughal Emperor Humayun went unanswered.