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42-576: In the ancient period, Sunamganj was part of the Laur Kingdom . After the conquest of Sylhet (Kingdom of Gauiurh) in 1303 by Muslims under the spiritual guidance of Shah Jalal , Shah Kamal Quhafah established a capital in Shaharpara with the aid of his twelve disciples and his second son, Shah Muazzamuddin Qureshi, who also maintained a second sub-administration office at Nizgaon on the bank of

84-510: A thana , within greater Sylhet. Its area was 105.64 square metres, consisted of 305 estates and had a land revenue of £308 as of 1875. In one incident, hill tribes attacked the Laur thana , killing 20 people including the thanadar . In 1787, the Khasis of Laur also rebelled, plundering many parganas , such as Atgram, Bangsikunda, Ramdiga, Betal and Selharas, and killing up to 800 people. Before

126-625: A Hindu kingdom. In the late thirteenth century, Laur faced a number of attacks from the neighbouring kingdom of Gour ruled by the Hindu king Gour Govinda . A later Raja of Laur, Ramnath (descendant of Keshab Misra), had three sons with only one remaining in central Laur. Ramnath's second son, Durbar Singh became a Muslim and changed his name to Durbar Khan. Khan migrated to Jagannathpur to build his own palace. He later seized his youngest brother, Gobind Singh's, territory in Baniachong . After

168-578: A group of Jaintias kidnapped British subjects attempting to sacrifice them to Kali . A culprit was then found by the British who admitted that it was an annual tradition which the Jaintias have been doing for 10 years. The priest would cut off the victim's throat and then the Jaintia princess would bathe in his blood. The Jaintia believed that this would bless the princess with offspring. Upon hearing this,

210-408: A legend about how Yang, after being questioned for always leaving the palace by his wife, transformed his queen into a cursed bird which is still alive and inhabits the region as a sign of bad luck. Jayantak's heir, Joymalla is remembered as an athletic ruler. There are legends of him allowing an elephant to walk over his chest. He is said to have been killed after attempting to fight a rhinoceros. He

252-503: A stone image known as Kangsa-Nisudhana , an image of Krishna and Balaram murdering Kamsa , as well as Grivakali and Janghakali, and they put it on top of a hill in modern-day where they would worship it. During the British colonial period, this hill was also home to the Civil Surgeon's Bungalow. Guhak had three sons; Jayantak, Gurak and Ladduk, and two daughters; Sheela and Chatala. It is said that his eldest daughter, Sheela,

294-460: The Barak river Major Henniker led the first expedition to Jaintia in 1774. The quarries in their possession were the chief supplier of lime to the delta region of Bengal, but with the British, the contact was not very smooth, and they were attacked in the same year. Subsequently, the Jaintias were increasingly isolated from the plains via a system of forts as well as via regulation of 1799. In 1821,

336-599: The Bengal Subah of the Mughal Empire . Habib's grandson was Majlis Alam Khan, the father of Anwar Khan. A later zamindar of Laur, Abid Reza left Laur to establish Baniachong in the early eighteenth century, which would become the largest village in the world. Many followed Reza to Baniachong after Laur was burnt by the Khasi in 1744. The Nawab of Bengal Alivardi Khan is said to have granted 48 large boats to

378-689: The Brahmin ruling dynasty of Jaintia. In 1618, Dhan Manik conquered Dimarua leading to a war with Maibong Raja Yasho Narayan Satrudaman of the Kachari Kingdom . Dhan Manik, realising that he would need assistance, gave his daughter in hand to Raja Susenghphaa of the Ahom kingdom . The Ahoms then fought the Kachari allowing an easy escape for Dhan Manik and the Jaintians. Sometime after 1676,

420-586: The Jaintia Kingdom . He gave his second son, Gurak, the southern plains which would be named Gour Kingdom , and he gave his third son, Ladduk, the western plains which would become the Laur Kingdom. In 640, the Raja of Tripura Dharma Fa planned a ceremony and invited five Brahmans from Etawah , Mithila and Kannauj . Keshab Misra, a Brahman from Kannauj , migrated to Laur where he established

462-595: The Nartiang Durga Temple and a nearby site with many megalithic structures. Much of what is today the Sylhet region of Bangladesh and India was at one time under the jurisdiction of the Jaintia king. In ancient times, Austroasiatic tribal migrations from Southeast Asia during the Holocene period to what is now known as the Khasi and Jaintia Hills . The tribe split into two; modern-day Khasi which

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504-640: The Baniachong zamindars . A short while after, Reza built a fort in Laur which remains as ruins today. His son, Umed Reza, excavated much of Baniachong during his zamindari . Both Rezas were feudal under the Amils or Faujdars of Sylhet. With the establishment of the East India Company and later the British Raj , Laur continued to exist merely as a pargana or fiscal division, as well as

546-707: The British allowed the Jaintia king his rule north of the Surma River . The Jaintias kidnapped four British men in 1832. Three were sacrificed in the Great Hindu temple in Faljur , with one escaping and informing the British authorities of the atrocities. After the Jaintia Raja declined to find the culprits, the British finally marched to the Jaintia Kingdom and annexed it on 15 March 1835 The king

588-477: The British threatened the Jaintia Raja that they would invade his territories if this does not stop. The Raja made an agreement in 1824 with David Scott that they will only negotiate with the British. A year later, the Jaintias attempted to continue their annual sacrifice which they had previously agreed with the British that they would stop. After the conclusion of the First Anglo-Burmese War ,

630-724: The Faujdar of Sylhet that Jaintia was under his rule and that it is him that they will trade to. However, the Ahom rule in Jaintia was weak and short-lived. The Jaintias rebelled in their own land defeating the Ahom soldiers. Ram Singh, however, died as a captive to the Ahoms and his son, Jayo Narayan took over the Jaintia Kingdom. In 1757, the Nongkrem-Khynriam Khasi chief closed the Sonapur Duar, stopping trade between

672-767: The Jaintia Kingdom, Gour Kingdom and Laur Kingdom . It was annexed by the British East India Company in 1835. All the Pnar Rajahs of the Jaintiapur Kingdom are from the Syiem Sutnga clan, a Pnar clan of the Khasi tribe which claims descent from Ka Li Dohkha, a divine nymph. One theory says that the word "Jaintia" is derived the shrine of Jayanti Devi or Jainteswari, an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga . Another theory says that

714-599: The Jaintia Raja and bring the kingdom back under imperial control. In 1707, Jaintia king Ram Singh kidnapped the Kachari Raja . The Raja of Cachar then informed Ahom Raja Rudra Singh Sukhrungphaa which led to the Ahoms attack through North Cachar and Jaintia Hills. Jaintia was annexed to the Ahoms and its capital city, Jaintiapur , was then raided by the Ahoms and thousands of innocent civilians were put to death or ears and noses were cut off. Sukhrungphaa then informed

756-518: The Jaintia and Ahom kingdoms. An envoy of Jaintias assembled at Hajo where they informed the incident to Ahom Raja Suremphaa Swargadeo Rajeswar Singh who re-opened it for them. The British came into contact with the Jaintia kingdom upon receiving the Diwani of Bengal in 1765. Jaintiapur , currently in Bangladesh , was the capital. The kingdom extended from the hills into the plains north of

798-507: The Jaintia throne, he married a princess from Kamarupa. Guhak had a deep interest in Hinduism and migration of Brahmins from the Kamrup region to this area took place. Guhak had three sons; Jayantak, Gurak and Ladduk, and two daughters; Sheela and Chatala. He split the Jaintia Kingdom into three for his three sons. He gave his eldest son, Jayantak, the northern hills which remained known as

840-488: The King of Kamarupa who summoned him to his land never letting him return to Jaintia hills again. After the death of his mother, Krishak's son Hatak took over the throne. When Guhak ascended the Jaintia throne in 600 AD and married a princess from Kamarupa, just like his father Hatak. Guhak had a deep interest in Hinduism and migration of Brahmins from the Kamrup region to this area took place. On his way back, Guhak brought

882-633: The Raja of Jaintia attempted to rebel against the Mughal Empire . The Akhbarats note that the Raja had gathered 1500 infantry and began plundering the nearby region and led a siege against the fort in Sylhet. In response, the Mughals sent the general, Shaista Khan , the nobleman; Iradat Khan and Raja Tahawar Singh (also known as Kunwar Tahawurr Asad) of Kharagpur Raj in Bihar . Together, they were able to defeat

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924-462: The ambassador to Kamarupa . They had a daughter called Ka Urvara who married Krishak, another Kamarupi ambassador. Krishak claimed he was of the lunar dynasty and descended from Parikshit , as he was the offspring of a Kachari damsel . Other sources claim Krishak was a prince of the Tibetan kingdom of Hotik. Krishak changed the inheritance law from youngest daughter to eldest son. This angered

966-528: The death of Laur Raja Durbar Khan, his younger brother Gobind Singh took over his land. Durbar Khan's sons then informed the Nawab of Bengal of this incident. Gobind was summoned to Delhi for a short time where he also accepted Islam. He changed his name to Habib Khan. As a reward, he regained Laur in 1566 but as a feudal ruler. Laur lost its independence and became a mahal/mahallah of the Sylhet Sarkar in

1008-735: The east of the Shillong Plateau of present-day Meghalaya in north-east India , into the plains to the south, and north to the Barak River valley in Assam , India . The winter capital located at Jaintia Rajbari , Jaintiapur , now ruined, was located on the plains at the foot of the Jaintia Hills ; it appears there may have been a summer capital at Nartiang in the Jaintia Hills, but little remains of it now apart from

1050-446: The late British colonial period , Sunamganj was a subdivision and contained six thanas ; Sunamganj Sadar, Tahirpur, Chhatak (inc. Duarabazar), Derai, Jagannathpur and Dharmapasa. According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh , Sunamganj District had 528,550 households and a population of 2,695,496 with an average 5.09 people per household. Among the population, 614,526 (22.80%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density

1092-408: The member of political party that is in power at the time of appointment and endorsed by the central government. The deputy commissioner is appointed from amongst career civil servants and administers all subordinate branches of the administration such as upazillah parishad Mr.Black was the first district commissioner of Sunamganj. Sunamganj District comprises 12 sub-districts or upazila s: During

1134-478: The middle of 2000 square mile lake to the south of the kingdom. After Sheela's death at a young age, Guhak gave up his kingdom to also lead a more ascetic life. This port-area around the lake, which was the largest centre in the Jaintia Kingdom for trade, was named Sheela haat (or Sheela's marketplace) in her honour. Sources such as the Hattanath Tales mention Sheelachatal was named after both daughters for

1176-469: The name is derived via Pnar (the language of the rulers) from Sutnga , a settlement in the modern day Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. The Pnars (also called Jaintia) and War , speak Mon-Khmer languages that are related to Khasi . On the other hand, in the past, the word Jaintia was used as a synonym for "successful" and "victorious." Therefore, the state was referred to as Jaintia to signify its reputation and accomplishments. In ancient Persia, this state

1218-621: The region. This is one of many theories of how Sylhet got its name. Xuanzang of China mentions that he visited Sheelachatal in the 630s in his book, the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions . He split the Jaintia Kingdom into three for his three sons. He gave his eldest son, Jayantak, the northern hills which remained known as the Jaintia Kingdom. He gave his second son, Gurak, the southern plains which would be named Gour Kingdom , and he gave his third son, Luddak,

1260-486: The river Surma , present day Shologhar (there is now Shologhar Masjid and madrasa) in Sunamganj town, which was administered by one of his descendants. Between the latter part of 1300 CE and 1765 CE, the present-day Sunamganj district was a part of Iqlim-e-Muazzamabad, i.e., the state of Muazzamabad, which was an independent state until 1620 when it was conquered by the mighty Mughal of Delhi. The last sultan of Muazzamabad

1302-509: The troops of the Collector of Sylhet, Robert Lindsay , could arrive, the Khasis retreated back to their mountains. Jaintia Kingdom The Jaintia Kingdom was a kingdom in present-day some parts of Bangladesh 's Sylhet Division , India 's Meghalaya state and Nagaon , Morigoan district of Assam . It was partitioned into three in 630 AD by Raja Guhak for his three sons, into

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1344-546: The western plains which would become the Laur Kingdom . Jayantak built his own Kamakhya Bama Jangha Pitha temple in the southeast of his kingdom on top of a hill near modern-day Kanaighat . It supposedly contained the left thigh of a Hindu goddess. He had a son called Yang who he dedicated the Phaljur area to. In modern times, there is a hill in the village of Baildara that continues to be known as Yang Rajar Tila (King Yang's hillock). The locals of this village continue to share

1386-564: Was 5,308, of which 2,003 were Garo and 1,506 Hudi. University Medical College The district has 12 government hospitals and 22 health centers. The infant mortality rate is 62 per 1000 child births. The average lifespan of the district's residents is 62 years. Laur Kingdom The Laur kingdom was one of the many petty kingdoms of the Sylhet region . Others included the Gour Kingdom , Ita Kingdom, Taraf Kingdom , Pratapgarh Kingdom and Jaintia Kingdom . The kingdom

1428-514: Was 719 people per km. The literacy rate (age 7 and over) was 64.92%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and the sex ratio was 96.43 males per 100 females. Approximately, 14.92% of the population lived in urban areas. Muslims make up 88.20% of the population, while Hindus are 11.69% of the population. There is a minority of 2,600 Christians in the district, mainly in Madhyanagar, Tahirpur and Sunamganj Sadar upazilas. The ethnic population

1470-500: Was Hamid Qureshi Khan, who was a descendant of Shah Kamal Quhafah and he was widely known by his appellation of Shamsher Khan. After the fall of Jalalabad (present-day Sylhet), Shamsher Khan accepted the post of Nawab -cum-Fauzadar and remained so until his death at the Battle of Giria on 29 April 1740 along with Sarfaraz Khan , Nawab of Bengal. The district administrator is appointed from amongst non-civil servants, usually from amongst

1512-492: Was bounded by the Brahmaputra river in the west, the Jaintia Kingdom in the east, Kamarupa in the north and Brahmanbaria in the south. It is considered that in the 7th century, the kingdom consisted of the modern-day Sunamganj District as well as parts of Habiganj and Mymensingh . Before the establishment of the Laur Kingdom, the area was a part of Jaintia in the greater Kamarupa Kingdom . When Guhak ascended

1554-660: Was called Sabantia. Due to the influence of language, nationality and distance, this region was later known as Saba ( Sheba ) in the Semitic regions of that time. Consequently, some historians and theologians believe that the Queen of Saba mentioned in the Bible and the Quran refers to the queen of Sabantia or Jaintia. Additionally, linguistic analysis supports this idea as quite logical and widely accepted. The Jaintia Kingdom extended from

1596-410: Was handed over his property in Sylhet along with a monthly salary of Rs 500. The British administered the plain areas directly and the hill region indirectly via a system of fifteen dolois and four sardars . The fifteen administrators were free to adjudicate on all but the most heinous crimes. Jaintia continued to exist though divided into pargana or fiscal division, within greater Sylhet such as

1638-476: Was once bathing in a lake south of the Kangsa-Nisudhana hill (which became the hillock of the Civil Surgeon's Bungalow during British rule) and she was kidnapped. After being rescued by Guhak, Sheela started to become more religious and live a secluded life. Chatala indulged herself in an unlawful relationship with one of the palace servants, leading to her being disowned and dumped in a distant island in

1680-492: Was succeeded by Kamadeva, a Sanskrit enthusiast who was close friends with Bhoja Varma Deva, a Sanskrit pandit from East Bengal. In 1090 AD, a Vijay Raghabia was composed in honour of Raja Kamadeva. Kamadeva was succeeded by his son Bhimbal. Bhimbal could not rule properly due to insurgencies amongst the hill rulers of the region. Jaintia was defeated in a battle and Bhimbal was either murdered or fled his kingdom out of disgrace. His minister, Kedareswar Rai, took over and began

1722-495: Was succeeded by his son, Mahabal, and then his grandson, Bancharu. Bancharu was interested in cultivation, and planted many trees and increased production of honey, tejpata , orange and agarwood . During his reign, Buddhist merchants came to this region through Sylhet. They promoted Tantric Buddhism and Bancharu gained an interest in it. Bancharu also began the practice of sacrificing humans at Jangha Kali, which would continue for centuries in Jaintia up until British rule. Bancharu

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1764-459: Was the religious class, and the modern-day Pnar which were the ruling class. According to the legend constructed by the Brahmin pandits, the hero of Hindu mythology , Arjuna travelled to the Jaintia to regain his horse held captive by a princess, a story mentioned in a Purana or Hindu epic known as the Mahabharata . The earliest known ruler, Ka Urmi Rani, married Sindhu Rai who was

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