Pandua, Malda

Coordinates: 25°08′24″N 88°09′11″E / 25.140°N 88.153°E / 25.140; 88.153
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Pandua
Mihrabs, arches and pillar remnants in Adina Mosque
Pandua, Malda is located in West Bengal
Pandua, Malda
Shown within West Bengal
Alternative nameHazrat Pandua, Firuzabad
LocationWest Bengal, India
Coordinates25°08′24″N 88°09′11″E / 25.140°N 88.153°E / 25.140; 88.153
TypeSettlement
History
Founded14th century
Abandoned16th century

Pandua, also historically known as Hazrat Pandua and later Firuzabad, is a ruined city in the

Sultanate of Bengal for nearly a century, until the capital was moved to nearby Lakhnauti in 1450.[1]

Geography

15km
10miles
none
B
A
N
G
L
A
D
E
S
H
B
I
H
A
R
J
H
A
R
K
H
A
N
D
Punarbhaba
River
Tangon River
Ganges River
Mahananda
River
Jagjivanpur
H
Jagjivanpur (H)
Pandua
H
Gazole
R
Gazole Town (R)
Samsi
R
Samsi, Malda (R)
Ratua
R
Ratua (R)
Pukhuria
R
Pukhuria (R)
Pipla Kasimpur
R
Pipla Kasimpur (R)
Mashaldaha
R
Mashaldaha (R)
Malatipur
R
Malatipur, Malda (R)
Kharba
R
Kharba (R)
Khanta
RV
Khanta (R)
Harishchandrapur
R
Harishchandrapur (R)
Daulatnagar
R
Daulatnagar (R)
Araidanga
R
Araidanga (R)
Singhabad
R
Singhabad (R)
Pakuahat
R
Pakuahat (R)
Maheshpur
R
Maheshpur, Malda (R)
Hatimari
R
Hatimari (R)
Habibpur
R
Habibpur, Malda (R)
Bulbulchandi
R
Bulbulchandi (R)
Old Malda
M
Old Malda (M)
Malda
M
Malda, West Bengal (M)
Sahapur
CT
Sahapur, Malda (CT)
Rangabhita
CT
Rangabhita (CT)
Kendua
CT
Kendua, West Bengal (CT)
Kachu Pukur
CT
Kachu Pukur (CT)
Jhangra
CT
Jhangra, Malda (CT)
Chhatinamor
CT
Chhatinamor (CT)
Bandhail
CT
Bandhail (CT)
Baksinagar
CT
Baksinagar (CT)
Aiho
CT
Aiho (CT)
Chanchal
CT
Chanchal (CT)
Map
Cities, towns and locations in the northern portion of Malda district (including Chanchal subdivision and Old Malda, Habibpur, Bamangola and Gazole CD blocks)
M: municipal town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, F: Facility, H: historical centre
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Pandua is located at 25°08′N 88°10′E / 25.13°N 88.16°E / 25.13; 88.16.[2]

Overview

Pandua is now almost synonymously known as Adina, a small town located about 18 km North of

Gaur. Pandua was described by travelers as a cosmopolitan administrative, commercial and military base, with a population of natives, royalty, aristocrats and foreigners from across Eurasia
.

Pandua was a lost city until it was rediscovered by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1808. A detailed study of the city was carried out by Sir Alexander Cunningham. An aerial survey was conducted in 1931 by the Archaeological Survey of India. The notable archaeological sites include the Adina Mosque, the largest mosque in the subcontinent; the Eklakhi Mausoleum; and the Qutb Shahi Mosque.

History

Coins of the

walled city
.

Over the course of 114 years, nine kings ruled Bengal from Pandua. All of them were from the Ilyas Shahi dynasty, with the exception of

Eurasian travelers and merchants who either settled or were a floating population along trade routes. Ma Huan wrote that "the city walls are very imposing, the bazaars well-arranged, the shops side by side, the pillars in orderly rows, they are full of every kind of goods". Pandua was a center of production and marketing. At least six varieties of fine muslin, as well as silk products, were found in Pandua's markets. There were four types of wine. High-quality paper was produced from the bark of mulberry trees in the area surrounding the capital. The paper resembled lightweight white cotton cloth.[5]

People from different parts of the known world were found in Pandua. The city generated significant

Hindus did not eat beef. Bengali was the common language. Courtiers and merchants often spoke Persian.[5]

The capital of Bengal was shifted from Pandua to Gaur in 1450. The reasons for the shift are yet to be ascertained but a change in the course of a river has been speculated.[3] Pandua continued to host mints that produced silver taka for the duration of the sultanate period. It was an important administrative center. The mints were known as Shahr-i-Naw and Muzzafarabad.[6] Pandua's decline began with the conquest of Sher Shah Suri. Pandua became part of the wilderness. Earthquakes damaged its buildings during the 19th century. The high humidity and monsoon seasons of Bengal also caused much of its architecture to crumble. Nothing remains of the former royal palace except for traces in raised mounds.

Architecture

The architecture of Pandua has elements of

Persian
and architecture.

  • Qutub Shahi Mosque

See also

Notes

External links