]894.] .Sliastri, H. P. — A^in'mt BfiigaJ! TAfemfnre. 119 



of Narottom Das I'ose to eminence during Lis I'eign. He tolerated tlie 

 Hindu religion. Chaitanyaism flourished and s])read during his time. 

 Sanskrit learning rcvivtMl during the prosperous period of Ihe rule 

 of his dynasty. 



Following the example of their Noble Master, the Provincial 

 Governors and Cicnei'als also assumed a conciliatory policy towards 

 their Hindu subjects. This enabled Husain to make extensive conquests 

 in every direction. He conquered a portion of Tripura, and the greater 

 part of Chattagriim. He destroyed the powei'ful dynasty of Kamtapur, 

 in the north, and led several expeditions against the King of Orissa. 

 He afforded an asylum to the last fugitive King of Jaunpur, and thei'cby 

 risked the displeasure of the powerful Lodi King of Delhi. All this 

 he was enabled to do because the Hindus were friendly towards him, 

 and he had nothing to fear at home. 



One of the means by which he and his Generals conciliated the 

 Hindus, was the encouragement of their Vernacular literature. Before 

 Husain's time the Bengalis ]KJSsessed a Vernacular literature. The Ra- 

 niayana had been translated by Kirttivasa and the Bhagavat by Gunarfij 

 Khan. There Avere innumei-able popular versions of the stories of j\Ia- 

 nasa, Mangalcandl, and Dharmaraj. The Manasa Mangal, by Bipra 

 Das, was composed in 1495. But it appeai-s that as yet the Mahfdjharat 

 had not been ti'anslated. It was a great desideratum. Popular 

 Hinduism can scarcel}' do without a Bengali version of the Mahabharat, 

 and a Muhammadan General of Husain Shah undertook to have it 

 translated under his own partronage. His name was Paragol Khan. 

 I do not know how the name will spell in Persian. Paragol was the 

 Laskar or General of Husain Shah, and held his Court at Chittagong. (^) 

 He employed a native bard Parame^var, who was dignified with 

 the title of Kaundya. ( ^) The Mahabliarat that was translated was 



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