Here I will collate all of my knowledge about India and attempt the help the devs to represent India in as accurate a manner as possible. However, most of my expertise is about Bengal so others are welcome and encouraged to contribute.
BENGAL IN 1337
Background:
Bengal (and Tirhut) had been reconquered by the Delhi Sultanate under the Tughluqs from Bahadur Shah by 1325, and Nasiruddin had been reinstated on the throne of Lakhnauti while Satgaon and Banga (Sonargaon) were placed under the loyal general Bahram Khan alias Tatar Khan, who was given the task of directly annexing the two provinces into the Delhi Sultanate. Unfortunately for Bahram, he was the adopted son of Ghiyasuddin Tughluq, who had been assassinated by Muhammad bin Tughluq - thus, he and Nasiruddin (proteges of Ghiyas) were seen as a threat by the Sultan. Muhammad released Bahadur Shah and made him the governor of Sonargaon which he was to rule in cooperation with Bahram Khan. He also appointed Qadar Khan Khilji as the feudatory of Lakhnauti - and while Nasiruddin nominally remained Sultan, all the power rested with Qadar Khan; a fact made official with Nasiruddin's death post 1328. Furthermore he appointed Izzuddin Yahya as the feudatory of Satgaon.
Post-1337:
By 1337, Bengal was partitioned in three - Sonargaon under Bahram Khan (Bahadur Shah had attempted to rebel and in 1328 and had been killed), Satgaon under Izzuddin and Lakhnauti under Qadar Khan. Bahram died in 1338 and was succeeded by his right-hand man Fakhruddin, self-titled Mubarak Shah, who rebelled the next year and was expelled by the combined army of Lakhnauti and Satgaon. Sonargaon came under Qadar Khan's rule. His armies had looted a large amount, and he was advised to send most of it to the Imperial Treasury after distributing some of it among his soldiers. He decided to do neither; hence, instigated by Fakhruddin, his soldiers rose up and slew him. Fakhruddin regained Sonargaon - the independent Sultan did not receive any repercussions from Muhammad bin Tughluq, who was by then supposed by many to be half-mad. Lakhnauti fell to Ali Mubarak, Qadar Khan's paymaster. By then, all three of the Bengali substates were basically independent.
The Ilyas Shahis:
In 1342 Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah ascended the throne of Lakhnauti. The heartland of the Delhi Sultanate was in turmoil - the Rajas of Gorakhpur, Champaran and Tirhut had thrown off the shackles of vassalage and declared their independence. Shamsuddin relocated the capital to Pandua - then he attacked Tirhut, which was being fought over by Shakti Sinh, based out of Simraon; and Kamesvara, based out of Sugaon near Madhubani. He went on raids to pillage the holy sites in Kathmandu Valley and Puri in Odisha. Gorakhpur and Champaran agreed to shift their allegiances to Shamsuddin, and in 1353 he conquered Sonargaon. A larger threat was on the horizon, however: Muhammad bin Tughluq had been succeed by Firuz Shah Tughluq, who was determined to bring back Bengal to the fold. Although Firuz slew up to 180,000 Bengalis and even temporarily dislodged Shamsuddin from his capital , he failed to reannex Bengal. Six years later, Firuz made another attempt to restore the delta to Delhi’s authority, but he was again rebuffed, this time by Shamsuddin's son and successor, Sikandar Shah (r. 1357–89). Post 1359, Delhi left Bengal alone for nearly two centuries; the Ilyas Shahis had won Bengal's freedom.
Sources: A History of Bengal (Vol. II) by Sir Jadunath Sarkar
The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier by R. Eaton
LOCATIONS IN BENGAL
The most important cities in Bengal were usually mint towns, and luckily we have a list of them ordered by first mention - although some of their names have no basis in history and are completely modern.
Sources: The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier by R. Eaton
For other minor locations or non-mint cities, we have to refer to Ain-i-Akbari and select the most likely ones. However, this will take me some time - so I'm not posting it now. I will post it along with my suggestion for resources and cultures in Bengal. After that, onto Assam!
BENGAL IN 1337
Background:
Bengal (and Tirhut) had been reconquered by the Delhi Sultanate under the Tughluqs from Bahadur Shah by 1325, and Nasiruddin had been reinstated on the throne of Lakhnauti while Satgaon and Banga (Sonargaon) were placed under the loyal general Bahram Khan alias Tatar Khan, who was given the task of directly annexing the two provinces into the Delhi Sultanate. Unfortunately for Bahram, he was the adopted son of Ghiyasuddin Tughluq, who had been assassinated by Muhammad bin Tughluq - thus, he and Nasiruddin (proteges of Ghiyas) were seen as a threat by the Sultan. Muhammad released Bahadur Shah and made him the governor of Sonargaon which he was to rule in cooperation with Bahram Khan. He also appointed Qadar Khan Khilji as the feudatory of Lakhnauti - and while Nasiruddin nominally remained Sultan, all the power rested with Qadar Khan; a fact made official with Nasiruddin's death post 1328. Furthermore he appointed Izzuddin Yahya as the feudatory of Satgaon.
Post-1337:
By 1337, Bengal was partitioned in three - Sonargaon under Bahram Khan (Bahadur Shah had attempted to rebel and in 1328 and had been killed), Satgaon under Izzuddin and Lakhnauti under Qadar Khan. Bahram died in 1338 and was succeeded by his right-hand man Fakhruddin, self-titled Mubarak Shah, who rebelled the next year and was expelled by the combined army of Lakhnauti and Satgaon. Sonargaon came under Qadar Khan's rule. His armies had looted a large amount, and he was advised to send most of it to the Imperial Treasury after distributing some of it among his soldiers. He decided to do neither; hence, instigated by Fakhruddin, his soldiers rose up and slew him. Fakhruddin regained Sonargaon - the independent Sultan did not receive any repercussions from Muhammad bin Tughluq, who was by then supposed by many to be half-mad. Lakhnauti fell to Ali Mubarak, Qadar Khan's paymaster. By then, all three of the Bengali substates were basically independent.
The Ilyas Shahis:
In 1342 Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah ascended the throne of Lakhnauti. The heartland of the Delhi Sultanate was in turmoil - the Rajas of Gorakhpur, Champaran and Tirhut had thrown off the shackles of vassalage and declared their independence. Shamsuddin relocated the capital to Pandua - then he attacked Tirhut, which was being fought over by Shakti Sinh, based out of Simraon; and Kamesvara, based out of Sugaon near Madhubani. He went on raids to pillage the holy sites in Kathmandu Valley and Puri in Odisha. Gorakhpur and Champaran agreed to shift their allegiances to Shamsuddin, and in 1353 he conquered Sonargaon. A larger threat was on the horizon, however: Muhammad bin Tughluq had been succeed by Firuz Shah Tughluq, who was determined to bring back Bengal to the fold. Although Firuz slew up to 180,000 Bengalis and even temporarily dislodged Shamsuddin from his capital , he failed to reannex Bengal. Six years later, Firuz made another attempt to restore the delta to Delhi’s authority, but he was again rebuffed, this time by Shamsuddin's son and successor, Sikandar Shah (r. 1357–89). Post 1359, Delhi left Bengal alone for nearly two centuries; the Ilyas Shahis had won Bengal's freedom.
Sources: A History of Bengal (Vol. II) by Sir Jadunath Sarkar
The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier by R. Eaton
LOCATIONS IN BENGAL
The most important cities in Bengal were usually mint towns, and luckily we have a list of them ordered by first mention - although some of their names have no basis in history and are completely modern.
Sources: The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier by R. Eaton
For other minor locations or non-mint cities, we have to refer to Ain-i-Akbari and select the most likely ones. However, this will take me some time - so I'm not posting it now. I will post it along with my suggestion for resources and cultures in Bengal. After that, onto Assam!
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