Musa Khan of Bengal
Musa Khan was a Bengali zamindar and the ruler of Bhati, a region in medieval Bengal that covered the greater districts of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Comilla, and Sylhet in present-day Bangladesh. He also served as the chief of the Baro-Bhuyans, a confederation of soldier-landowners who aimed to resist the Mughal invasion of Bengal and to continue the legacy of his father, Isa Khan.
Early life and family
Musa Khan was the eldest son of Isa Khan, probably by his first wife Fatima Bibi, who was the daughter of Ibrahim Danishmand. His great-grandfather, Bhagirath of the Bais Rajput clan, migrated from Ayodhya to serve as the Dewan of the Sultan of Bengal Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah. Khan's grandfather, Kalidas Gazdani, also served as Dewan and accepted Islam under the guidance of Ibrahim Danishmand, taking on the name Sulaiman Khan. Sulaiman Khan, married the Sultan's daughter, Syeda Momena Khatun, and received the Zamindari of Sarail which passed onto Musa Khan's father. Musa Khan had two younger brothers, Abdullah Khan and Mahmud Khan. Along with his maternal cousin Alaul Khan, the three of them assisted Musa Khan when he was fighting against the Mughals. He also had another brother called Ilyas Khan who later surrendered to the Mughals.Career
After the death of his father in 1599, Musa Khan inherited the throne of Sonargaon, gaining the vast territory of Bhati and becoming the chief of the Baro-Bhuiyan landlords of Bengal. Continuing his father's legacy, he resisted Mughal invasion for over a decade until he was forced to submit to the Mughal Emperor Jahangir on 10 July 1610. He was then dethroned and imprisoned by Islam Khan Chishti, the army general of Emperor Jahangir and Subahdar of Bengal Subah.During the office of Subahdar Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang , Musa Khan became loyal to the Mughal force and was freed. He actively participated in the conquest of Tripura and the suppression of revolt in Kamrup.