Who among the following rulers of medieval Gujarat surrendered Diu to Portuguese?
- Ahmad Shah
- Mahmud Begarha
- Bahadur Shah
- Muhammad Shah
Explanation
Option (c) is correct
- Bahadur Shah was a sultan of Gujarat from 1526 to 1535 and again from 1536 to 1537. He was the Sultan of the Muzaffarid dynasty who ruled the Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval kingdom of India.
- In 1532, Gujarat came under attack by the Mughal Emperor Humayun and fell. Bahadur Shah sought Portuguese assistance in regaining control over Gujarat and, in exchange, ceded Bassein, Diu, Daman, and Bombay to the Portuguese in 1534. Bahadur Shah regained the kingdom in 1536, but the relationship between Bahadur Shah and the Portuguese worsened. Finally, he was assassinated by the Portuguese aboard a ship while negotiating with them.
Option (a) is incorrect
- Ahmad Shah succeeded Muzaffar Shah (founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty) in 1411 CE. He is regarded as the true architect of the Gujarat Sultanate, having brought the nobility under control, established a stable administration, and successfully expanded and consolidated the kingdom. He imposed the jizyah tax in Gujarat but simultaneously demonstrated administrative inclusivity by appointing Hindus like Manik Chand and Motichand to key ministerial positions. In 1413 CE, he initiated the relocation of the capital from Patan to the newly founded city of Ahmedabad.
Option (b) is incorrect
- The most famous sultan of Gujarat was Mahmud Begarha (1459-1511).He was called Begarha because he captured two of the most powerful forts (garhs):
- Girnar in Saurashtra (now called Junagarh) and
- Champaner in south Gujarat.
- Many works were translated from Arabic to Persian during his reign. His court poet was the Sanskrit scholar, Udayaraja, who wrote a book called the Raja- Vinoda. Under his reign, the Gujarat Sultanate reached its zenith, encompassing vast territories bordered by the Arabian Sea, Malwa, Khandesh, Jalor, and Nagaur.
Option (d) is incorrect
- Muizz-ud-Din Muhammad Shah II, born Karim Khan was a ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1442 to 1451. He expanded and strengthened the Sultanate.
