1/n Several historians have glorified Sher Shar Suri as a “secular” king who built many roads & was a stellar administrator. But the facts paint a horrifying story of a ruler who was a murderous tyrant utilizing slaughter & enslavement of Hindus as a way to gain power & wealth.
2/n Sher Shah’s real name was Farid Khan, the son of Jagirdar Hasan at Sasaram, Bihar. They were Pathans from Afghanistan & devout Muslims - well versed scholars in Arabic & Persian. From a young age Farid Khan was ambitious & began his career by robbing travelers on the highway.
3/n He was in charge of his fathers Jagir & would plunder the wealth of Hindu villages to capture women and children & sell them in the lucrative slave markets. His uniquely devious method consisted of encircling the village, killing adult males & branding women & children slaves
4/n His court chronicler Abbas Hasan in his Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi, writes, “His horsemen were directed to patrol around the villages, to kill all men they meet and to make prisoners of the women and children, to drive in cattle to permit no one to cultivate the fields.”
5/n “to destroy the crops already sown and not to permit any one to bring anything in from neighbouring parts.” To describe how Farid Khan attacked and plundered the wealth of the Hindu zamindars, Abbas Hasan, in his Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi, writes:
6/n “Early in the morning, Farid Khan mounted & attacked the criminal zamindars, and put all the rebels to death, & making women and children prisoners, ordered his men to sell or keep them as slaves & brought his people (Afghan Muslims) to the village and settled them there.”
7/n His fearsome reputation as a killer earned him the name of “Sher Khan“. He became a local criminal warlord with his riches & raised a large private army. He married the widow of Sarang-Khani, Governer of Ibrahim Lodi & to magnify his power & gain possession of Chunar Fort.
8/n Records show that far from being secular he was incredibly cruel & treacherous in treating Hindus . His court chronicler, Abbas Khan, in his Tariq-i-Sher Shah, says that in 1543, Sher Shah invaded the kingdom of the Hindu king, Puran Mal, and put Raisen fort (MP) under siege.
9/n This forced the Hindu army to surrender. When Puran Mal surrendered - all Hindus were massacred . Abbas Khan writes, “While the Hindus tried to save honor by putting their women and families to death, Sher Shah’s soldiers on all sides commenced slaughtering of the Hindus.
10/n Puran Mal & his commanders, like pigs at bay, failed to exhibit valour & gallantry, and within the twinkle of an eye, all were slain. Such of their wives and families, as were not slain, were captured. Puran Mal’s daughter & nephews were taken alive & rest were all killed. “
11/n Sher Shah gave the daughter of Puran Mal to some itinerant minstrels (bazigars) that they might make her dance in the bazaars, and ordered the boys to be castrated, so that the race of the oppressors (i.e. the Hindus) might not increase.”
12/n In another instance, Hindus paid bitterly for trusting such criminals. Sher Shah’s fort in Chunar was attacked by Humayun. Sher Shah turned to the Hindu ruler Hari Krishna Rai who owned the Rohtas fort, asking him for mercy to give protection to the 1000 women of his harem.
13/n When Sher Shah pleaded on the Quran, a foolhardy Raja Hari Krishna agreed out of pity. As soon as he agreed, Sher Shah hatched a plan to capture the fort. About 1,200 dolis (palanquins) were made ready overnight and two Afghan soldiers, clad in burqas, occupied each doli.
14/n Guards who checked the first few dolis were fooled & let the rest enter the fort. Suddenly Sher Shah’s 2,500 Pathan soldiers in disguise jumped out & started massacring Hindus to seize the Rohtas fort. King Hari Krishna barely escaped from the fort through a secret passage.
15/n It is shameful that so many Indian historians distort the character & actions of Sher Shar Suri - presenting him as an enlightened harbringer of progress. Whatever development he did only served his criminal & savage murderous ambitions to plunder, enslave & destroy Hindus.
16/n References R.C. Majumdar, Raychaudhury & Datta, An Advanced History of India, Macmillan & Co R.C. Majumdar - The History & Culture of the Indian People, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,Vol. 7 H.M. Elliot &J. Dowson, The History of India-As Told by Its Own Historians, Vol. 4
It's a combined ecosystem of Leftist scholars, Islamophile historians, motivated political activists, Hinduphobic media, & apathetic government policies. But with the Internet - we can finally research, disseminate & learn about the truth. Change is coming. 🙏