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Ma'bar Sultanate (Persian: )مابار سلطنت, unofficially known as the Madurai Sultanate, was a short lived
independent kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. The sultanate was proclaimed in
1335 when the then viceroy of Madurai, Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan declared his independence from the Delhi
Sultanate. Ahsan Khan and his descendants ruled Madurai and surrounding territories until 1378 when the
last sultan, Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah fell in battle against the forces of the Vijayanagara Empire led by
Kumara Kampana. In this short reign of 43 years, the Sultanate had 8 different rulers.
Origins
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Madurai Sultanate
referred to as "Syed", "Hasan" or "Hussun" by the historians Firishta and Ziauddin Barani. Tughluq tried to
conquer the Tamil region, known in Muslim chronicles as Ma'bar back in 1337 CE. But he fell ill at Bidar on
the way to Ma'bar and had to return to Deogiri. His army was defeated by Jalaluddin.[10] Jalaluddin was
killed by one of his nobles in 1340 CE.[9]
Ala-ud-Din Udauji and Qutb-ud-Din Firuz
One day whilst the Kadhi (Kazi) and I were having our food with (Ghiyazu-d-din), the Kazi to
his right and I to his left, an infidel was brought before him accompanied by his wife and son
aged seven years. The Sultan made a sign with his hand to the executioners to cut off the head of
this man ; then he said to them in Arabic : 'and the son and the wife.' They cut off their heads and
I turned my eyes away. When I looked again, I saw their heads lying on the ground.
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Madurai Sultanate
I was another time with the Sultan Ghiyath-eddin when a Hindu was brought into his presence.
He uttered words I did not understand, and immediately several of his followers drew their
daggers. I rose hurriedly, and he said to me ; ' Where are you going ' ? I replied : ' I am going to
say my afternoon (4 o'clock) prayers. ' He understood my reason, smiled, and ordered the hands
and feet of the idolater to be cut off. On my return I found the unfortunate swimming in his
blood.[14]
Gangadevi's Madhura Vijayam declares the Muslim rule to be the pain to the three worlds:
O mighty and brave king! Go forth then, and without further delay uproot from my lands this
Kingdom of turuShkas, pain to the three worlds. Go forth my dear Lord, and securing your
victory, establish One Hundred Victory Pillars in middle of the famed rAma-setu![15]
In the highways which were once charming with the sounds of anklets of beautiful women, are
now heard ear-piercing noises of Brahmins being dragged, bound in iron fetters.
...The waters of Tambraparni which were once white with sandal paste rubbed away from the
breasts of charming girls are now flowing red with the blood of cows slaughtered by the
miscreants [16]
Gangadevi agrees with the Ibn Battuta on the prevalence of unnatural death:
The God of death takes his undue toll of what are left [of] lives if undestroyed by the Yavanas.
[19]
Decline
Between 1344 and 1357 CE, the Madurai Sultanate went into a decline due to infighting and the rise of
Vijayanagar in the North. This is inferred by the lack of any coinage issued during this period. However coins
from 1358 to 1378 bearing the names of three Madurai Sultans - Shams-ud-Din Adil Shah, Fakhr-ud-Din
Mubarak Shah and Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah - have been found. This indicates an interruption of the
Muslim power during 1344-57 CE and a brief revival during 1357-78 CE.[20]
Fall
The Vijayanagara Empire under Bukka Raya I made a series of efforts to conquer South India. There were a
series of Vijayanagaran invasions in the middle of the fourteenth century which succeeded in initially
restricting and finally ending the Madurai Sultanate's rule over South India. Vijayanagar's armies were led by
Bukka's son, Kumara Kampanna Udaiyar. Kampanna first subdued the Sambuvaraya dynasty in present-day
Kanchipuram district, then a vassal of Delhi Sultanate who refused to aid the Madurai conquest and then
conquered Madurai. Kampanna's invasion has been chronicled in the Sanskrit epic poem Madura Vijayam
("The Conquest of Madurai") or Vira Kamparaya Charithram ("History of Kampanna"), written by
Kampanna's wife Gangadevi. Kampanna's victory is symbolised by the restoration of the Srirangam temple
to its old glory in 1371 CE. Vijayanagara formally declared Madurai to be its possession during Harihara II's
rule in 1378 CE.[21]
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Madurai Sultanate
Shahs of Madurai
Personal
Titular Name Reign
Name
Independence from Tughlaq dynasty of Delhi Sultanate.
Jalal-ud-din
جالل الدینShah
1335–1339
Ahsan Khan
CE
شاہ
Ala-ud-din
عالء الدینShah Udauji 1339 CE
شاہ
Qutb-ud-din
قطب الدینShah Feroze Khan
1339–1340
CE
شاہ
Ghiyath-ud-din
غیاث الدینShah
Muhammad 1340–1344
Damghani CE
شاہ
Nasir-ud-din
ناصر الدینShah
Mahmud 1344–1356
Damghani CE
شاہ
Shams-ud-din
Shah
شمس الدین
1356–1358
Adil Khan
CE
شاہ
Fakhr-ud-din Mubarak 1358–1368
Shah
فخرالدین شاہ Khan CE
Ala-ud-din
Shah II
عالء الدین
Sikandar 1368–1378
Khan CE
شاہ
Conquered by Vijayanagar Empire.
Gallery
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Madurai Sultanate
• Coin of Fakhr-ud-Din Mubarak Shah, Sultan of Madurai Sultanate, 1358–1368 CE.
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