Firuz Shah Tughlaq

Firuz Shah Tughlaq the sultan of Delhi from 1351 to 1388. On the death of muhammad bin tughlaq, in a state of confusion and anarchy, the nobles selected Firuz as the next sultan.

As a sultan and as a man Firuz was immensely religious and peace loving. He was weak in nature and lacked marshal spirits. During his long reign he fought no serious battles and made no great conquests. Still, he invaded Bengal twice. The first invasion was against Shamsuddin iliyas shah, the first great sultan of Bengal. Iliyas shah had incurred the displeasure of Firuz by exacting tributes from Orissa and Tirhut and advancing up to Benares. Firuz marched towards Bengal in 1353-54. The Bengal sultan took shelter in the fortress of ekdala, near pandua. Firuz Shah failed to capture the fort and was obliged to retreat.

After the death of Iliyas Shah his son sikandar shah ascended the throne and against him Firuz made his second expedition in 1359-60 on the pretext of helping Zafar Khan. But Sikandar also, like his father, shut himself up in the fort of Ekdala. The imperialists besieged the fort for sometime, were unable to take it by force and ultimately withdrew after concluding a peace with Sikandar Shah. Firuz had virtually recognised the independence of Bengal. [MA Taher] [Taher, MA  Department of Islamic History and Culture, Titumir Government College, Dhaka]