Shah Sultan Rumi (R)

Shah Sultan Rumi (R) a saint, whose dargah is at Madanpur in the district of Netrakona. His life and activities in Bengal have been the subject matter of a tradition collected from the locality about a hundred years back. According to tradition, a certain Koch King was ruling in the area of Netrakona, when the saint came and settled there.

No Muslim was there except the saint and his followers, but when the saint settled there he attracted many people by his piety. It is said that whoever came in his contact accepted Islam by his miracles and became a devoted follower. When the fact was brought to the notice of the king, he called the saint to his presence and asked him to explain his activities. The saint said that God granted him spiritual power. The king ordered poison to be served to the saint and the latter took it uttering Bismillah (ie in the name of Allah) and the king to his great surprise found that the saint was safe and free from danger. Those present accepted Islam and the king granted the saint the village of Madanpur free of rent.

There is a big rent-free estate attached to the shrine of Madanpur. In 1829 AD when the east india company's government tried to resume the estate, the guardians of the shrine produced an old Persian document dated 1082 AH/1671 AD and the Madanpur Estate was confirmed to the holders of the document.

It appears that Shah Sultan Rumi was one of those saints who came to Bengal in the early period. Some scholars believe that he came to Madanpur before the Muslim conquest of Bengal, which, however, may not be true. [Abdul Karim]