Thread with interesting historical tidbits about Sher Shah Sur
1- I will start by pointing out that the correct spelling of Sher Shah's tribal surname is Sur (سور), not Suri (سوري). This error was originally made by early European writers and repeated by others.
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2- The above portrait of Sher Shah Sur belongs to the richly illustrated manuscript of "Tarikh i Khandan-i-Timuriya", prepared by the court painters of Mughal emperor Akbar. It is placed in Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna.
It is published by A. S. Beveridge in
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her English translation of Humayun-nama.
3- Long before he became king, Sher Shah Sur built a big madrassa in Narnaul (in modern Haryana state of India) in 1520 A.D :
Farid Khan Sur (Sher Shah) had interest in promotion of education long before his ascendency to power. In 1520 AD, when he was a young man in his 30s, he built a gigantic madrassa at Narnaul (Mahendragarh district, Haryana state, India), called the Sher Shahi madrassa.
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4- Sher Shah Sur was the first and only ruler in Indian history who imposed conscription :
Sher Shah Sur imposed conscription on ethnic Pashtuns during his campaign to overthrow the Mughals. Those Pashtuns who refused to join his army, were liable to be executed. In Indian history, this was the first and last time that any ruler imposed conscription.
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5- Zaman Shah Durrani (the grandson of Ahmad Shah Durrani) once got offended by the words of Sher Shah Sur inscribed on the Rohtas fort in Punjab :
Zaman Shah Durrani (grandson of Ahmad Shah Durrani) got offended by an inscription of Sher Shah Sur (c1486– 1545) and had it erased.
English explorer William Moorcroft visited Rohtas fort (Jehlum, Punjab) in 1823. He writes: "There was formerly a Persian inscription over one
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6- The legendary Baloch figure Mir Chakar Rind had allegiance to Sher Shah Sur :
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7- The muzzles of Sher Shah's cannons were shaped like tiger's head.
Tiger-mouthed light cannons of Sher Shah Sur. Varendra Research Museum, Bangladesh.
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8- The celebrated Yousafzai chief Gaju Khan at one point served under the banners of Sher Shah Sur In India. When Gaju Khan became the leader of his tribe, he refused allegiance to his former overlord :
The celebrated Yousafzai leader Gaju Khan (ګجو خان) at one point served under the banners of Sher Shah Sur (شیر شاه سور) In India.
This information is provided by Tarikh-i-KhanJahani wa Makhzan-i-Afghani (تاریخ خان جہانی و مخزن افغانی) as follow.
"Kara had one son, called
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9- Sher Shah Sur's father was born in Pakhtunkhwa so he was born a second-generation Pashtun in India.
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10- The tomb of Sher Shah Sur's grandfather was built under the supervision of a Kundi Pashtun. Kundis live in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts of KP.
The tomb of Ibrahim Sur (grandfather of Sher Shah Sur) in Narnaul (Haryana, India). It was constructed under the supervision of Aba Bakar Kundi, a Niazi Pashtun. Persian inscriptions on the mausoleum provide following historical information :-
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11- The achievements of Sher Shah Sur can be gleaned from the letter of a high ranking Mughal noble :
A rare instance of a high-ranking Mughal acknowledging the achievements of Sher Shah Sur !
Mirza Aziz Koka (c.1542-1624), foster-brother and childhood playmate of Mughal emperor Akbar, praised Sher Shah Sur in a letter written to Emperor Jahangir (dated to 1611) as follow :
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12- Sher Shah Sur had plans to conquer Safavid Persia in alliance with Ottomans :
The Ottoman-Afghan alliance against Safavid Iran!
"In 1544 the first Ottoman-Afghan alliance against Safavid Iran was concluded when Sher Shah Suri (1486-1545), the founder of the second Afghan Empire in India, dispatched an envoy to Istanbul proposing a joint Afghan–Ottoman
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13- Sher Shah Sur was a Pashto speaker :
Sher Shah Sur was a Pashto speaker. Pashtuns in 15th century India were settled as tribes so they were able to maintain Pashto for many generations.
To encourage the preservation of mother tongue, Sher Shah gave higher salary to those soldiers who could speak it fluently.
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14- Sher Shah built a caravanserai at Mecca for Pashtun pilgrims :
According to Zubdat al-Tawarikh, Sher Shah Sur built a caravanserai at Mecca for Pashtun pilgrims.
Ahmad Shah Abdali also built a caravanserai at Mecca for Pashtun pilgrims. It was known as "Rabat i Suleimani" (Suliemani=Pashtun). It was demolished by Saudis in 20th century.
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@Pashz7
Can you elaborate more on the tribal name Sur and Suri , was It just a simple mistake or it had more implications as well ?
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@Pashz7
Work & Ideology should be promoted more amongst Pushtuns. Modern Pushtuns need to follow the legacy of sher shah not Amnaullah, Mullah omar Najib, Hotaks even Abdali.
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