Nawab Hussain Shah - The Muslim King of Bengal
The history of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is deeply intertwined with the political landscape of sixteenth-century India. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently recounts the complex relationship between the powerful Muslim ruler Nawab Hussain Shah and his two brilliant prime ministers, who would later become the great Vaiṣṇava saints Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.
The Rise of Nawab Hussain Shah
The material world is characterized by sudden, unpredictable shifts in power. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains how Hussain Shah began his life as a poor, menial servant, but through political maneuvering and assassination, he eventually ascended to the absolute, independent throne of Bengal.
- The point is that this Nawab had been an ordinary menial servant of Subuddhi Raya but was somehow or other able to occupy the supreme post of Nawab of Bengal. This is the material world.
- Formerly he (Nawab Hussain Shah) was the servant of the cruel Nawab of the Habsi dynasty named Mujahphara Khan, but somehow or other he assassinated his master and became the King.
- Patasaha (of CC Adi 17.195) refers to the king. Nawab Hussain Shah, whose full name was Ala Uddin Saiyad Husen Sa, was at that time (A.D. 1498-1521) the independent King of Bengal.
- After gaining the throne of Bengal (technically called Masnada), he (Nawab Hussain Shah) declared himself Saiyad Husen Ala Uddin Seriph Mukka.
The Appointment of the Gosvāmīs
To manage his vast kingdom, the Nawab required men of exceptional intellect. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Hussain Shah appointed the brilliant brothers Rūpa and Sanātana as his chief ministers, an act that unfortunately caused them to be ostracized from their aristocratic Hindu community.
- Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the elder brother of Srila Rupa Gosvami, was a most important minister in the government of Hussain Shah, the ruler of Bengal, and he was considered a most brilliant gem in that assembly.
- He (Rupa Gosvami) and his brother Sanatana were then named Dabira Khasa and Sakara Mallika respectively, and they held responsible posts as ministers of Nawab Hussain Shah.
- Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami belonged to a very respectful family, but because they engaged in the service of Nawab Hussain Shah - not even as ordinary clerks, but as ministers - they were ostracized from brahminical society.
- Nawab Hussain Shah entrusted the whole kingdom in Sanatana Gosvami's hand, "You manage, whatever you like." Because he knew that, Here is a trustworthy man. He'll do very nicely.
The Transcendental Rebellion
After meeting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sanātana Gosvāmī lost all interest in mundane politics. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Sanātana feigned illness to avoid his governmental duties, choosing instead to study the scriptures at home, which deeply agitated the dependent Nawab.
- Sanatana Gosvami even engaged some ten or twenty learned brahmanas and began an intensive study of Srimad-Bhagavatam in their company. While he was thus engaged, he submitted sick-leave reports to his employer, the Nawab.
- The Nawab received information of this (Sanatana Gosvami was studying Srimad-Bhagavatam with brahmanas at home he is not actually sick) through a royal physician, and he immediately went to see Sanatana Gosvami to discover his intentions.
- The Nawab told Sanatana Gosvami: Since I did not know why you were submitting sick reports and not attending to your service, I have personally come to see you. Frankly, I am much perturbed by your behavior.
- Since the Nawab was principally engaged in conquering different parts of the country and also in hunting, he depended largely on Sanatana Gosvami for government administration.
The Confrontation and Arrest
The tension between material duty and spiritual calling culminated in a direct confrontation. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how Sanātana Gosvāmī flatly refused to assist the Nawab in his destructive military campaigns, prompting the angry ruler to order his immediate imprisonment.
- The Nawab requested Sanatana to accompany him on an expedition to Orissa, but when Sanatana Gosvami refused, the Nawab ordered that he be imprisoned.
- Sanatana Gosvami replied, "You (Nawab Hussain Shah) are going to Orissa to give pain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For this reason I am powerless to go with you."
- Sanatana Gosvami replied, "You can no longer expect any service from me. Please arrange for someone else to tend to the management."
- The Nawab was intelligent, and he understood Sanatana Gosvami's purpose. He left the house in an angry mood, and shortly afterward he went off to conquer Orissa. He ordered the arrest of Sanatana Gosvami and commanded that he be held until he returned.
The Great Escape
Imprisonment could not stop the divine mission of the Lord's pure devotee. Śrīla Prabhupāda recounts how Sanātana Gosvāmī brilliantly utilized diplomacy and financial resources left by his brother to bribe his way out of the Nawab's jail and join Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
- Upon learning that his elder brother (Sanatana) had been arrested by the Nawab, Rupa Gosvami sent information that ten thousand coins were being held in the custody of a grocer in Gauda (Bengal) and that this money could be used as ransom for his brother.
- Sanatana Gosvami, after resigning his ministership, was thrown in jail, and he bribed the attendant of the jail so he could leave the clutches of the Nawab and live with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
- It appears from this (CC Madhya 20.6) statement that Sanatana Gosvami, who was formerly a minister of the Nawab, was trying to cheat the Muslim superintendent.
- Sanatana replied, "There is no danger. The Nawab has gone to the south. If he returns, tell him that Sanatana went to pass stool near the bank of the Ganges and that as soon as he saw the Ganges, he jumped in."
The Fate of Subuddhi Rāya
The Nawab's cruel nature was also directed toward his former master, Subuddhi Rāya. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains how, to appease his vengeful wife, the Nawab forcefully converted his former master to Islam, demonstrating the unpredictable dangers of associating with materialistic leaders.
- The Nawab was being massaged, and his wife saw, there is a stripe on the back. So she asked the Nawab, "What is this?" So he stated that - When I was a poor boy, I was servant of Buddhimanta Khan, and I committed some wrong, so he whipped me with a cane.
- Later, when the wife of Nawab Saiyada Hussain Khan saw the whip marks on his body, she requested him to kill Subuddhi Raya.
- This became a perplexing problem for him because his wife kept requesting him to kill Subuddhi Raya. Finally the Nawab sprinkled a little water on Subuddhi Raya's head from a pitcher that had been used by a Muslim.
- Taking the Nawab's sprinkling water upon him as an opportunity, Subuddhi Raya left his family and business affairs and went to Varanasi.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the historical narrative of Nawab Hussain Shah powerfully illustrates the supreme, overriding nature of pure devotional service. Despite possessing absolute political power, vast opulence, and a ruthless military disposition, the Nawab was ultimately powerless to retain his greatest assets—the brilliant prime ministers Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. Upon receiving the causeless mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sanātana Gosvāmī recognized that serving a mundane, meat-eating king was a trivial waste of human life compared to studying the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Neither familial affection, political dependence, nor the threat of imprisonment could deter him. By utilizing his diplomatic intelligence to escape the Nawab's jail, Sanātana proved that a pure devotee can expertly navigate and conquer the most dangerous material circumstances. Furthermore, the Nawab's capricious treatment of his former master, Subuddhi Rāya, serves as a stark warning about the treacherous nature of material power and alliances. Ultimately, all three great souls—Rūpa, Sanātana, and Subuddhi Rāya—were liberated from the political entanglements of Nawab Hussain Shah, abandoning their worldly prestige to embrace the supreme perfection of unalloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
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