Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan (died 1340), also known as Jalal al-Din Ahsan Shah,[1] was the first Sultan of Madurai Sultanate and father-in-law of the great traveller Ibn Batutah.
Declaration of independence
In 1335, Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan, the Tughlaq Governor of Madurai, declared his independence and established the independent sultanate of Madurai.[2] He claimed the whole of the Tughlaq province of Ma'bar which included the whole of the ancient Tamil country.[2] However, he scarcely had any authority beyond the realm of the Pandyas and the territory to the north of the river Kaveri was largely independent under the Cholas and the Hoysalas.[3]
Reign
Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan took over as the independent sultan of Madurai in 1335.[4] Ferishta, however, gives a date of 1341 for his assumption of the sultanate.[5] Ferishta refers to Ahsan Khan as Syed, Hasan and Husun.[5] Ahsan Khan was also the father-in-law of the Moorish traveller Ibn Batuta.[5] Immediately, Muhammad bin Tughlaq sent an army to reassert his control over the region. But Ahsan Khan easily defeated this army.[5] Tughlaq took his revenge by killing Ahsan Khan's son Ibrahim who was the purse-bearer of the Emperor. Ahsan Khan was killed in 1340 by one of his nobles after having ruled for a brief span of 5 years.
Notes
References
- Aiyangar, Sakkottai Krishnaswami (1921). South India and her Muhammadan Invaders. Oxford University.