372 THE INDIAN EMPIRE [CHAP.
independent (r 279), this ruler twice defeated the Delhi generals;
whereupon Balban took the field in person, and in a vigorous
campaign pushed his way as far east as Jfjnagar, in Eastern
Bengal, and Sonargaon. Tughril was pursued relentlessly, until
finally he was shot down, and his head cut off.
The next five rulers (1282-I331) were scions of the house of
Balban, commencing with his son, Nasir-ud-din, Bughra Khan,
who preferred obscure independence in Bengal to a laborious
struggle for the Delhi throne, his right by inheritance. One of
Bughra Khan's sons, of whom little is known, ruled for about
eleven years; and his second son ended in I3I8 a prosperous
reign of sixteen years. This last king's sons fought together
for supremacy in Bengal, and the defeated competitor appealed
to Muhammad son of Tughlaq, at Delhi, who was quite ready to
seize the pretext. The end of the struggle was the reannexation
of Bengal to Delhi (I33I). The province had been divided
about I297 into two parts, the eastern portion having its capital
at Sonargaon, the western, as before, at Lakhnauti. This
division continued to exist up to 1352. In the interval, the
governor of Sonargaon had declared himself independent, under
the title of Fakhr-ud-din, Mlubarak Shah (1338). An officer of
the Lakhnauti government, who claimed to be king with the
title of AI Shah, defeated the Sonargaon ruler, put him to death,
and annexed his territory, only to be himself assassinated a few
months afterwards by Ilyas, his foster-brother. His son was
placed on the throne, but two years afterwards was supplanted
by Ilyas.
Ilyas Shah and his descendants ruled Bengal up to the year
I406, the divided province having been reunited in I352.
Bengal was at this period entirely independent of Delhi; a new
capital was founded at Pandua, a little to the north of Lakh-
nauti, where the second king, Sikandar, erected some fine
buildings. During thirty-nine years (I407-46) the house of
Ilyas was set aside; a local Hindu Raja called Kans, suc-
ceeded by his son and grandson, taking its place. The son of
Kans became a Muhammadan. This line of Rajas ended
with a slave, who, after a usurpation of eight days, was replaced
by a descendant of Ilyas Shah. A son, a grandson, and a great-
grandson of this king ruled in succession. The last of them
occupied the throne for only two and a half days, when he was
superseded by his uncle, who reigned for seven years. On the
murder of the latter, an Abyssinian (Habshi) eunuch ascended
the throne for eight months, being followed by another Abys-
sinian, also a slave, for three years, when he was assassinated.
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