1904.] Abdul Wali— Antiquity and Traditions of Shahzadyur . 263 
Commissionership of Bengal. 1 Shahzadpur lies on the Rarasagar river 
in N.L. 24' 0 " and E. Long 89° 39 ) '20, " is famous for a superb Masjid* 
the mazars of Makhdum Shah Daula “ Shahid,” and other Muhamma¬ 
dans, and an annual fair. There is no written account of the early 
colonists. The deeds and papers are said to have suffered loss on 
account of the climate, fire, or carelessness. They are not, however, 
forthcoming. 
1 .—The Traditions. 
Hazrat Mu‘azz-’ibn-Jabal, the King of Yaman in Arabia, and a 
companion of the Prophet, had two sons and a daughter. One of these 
two shahzadas (princes) Makhdum Shah Daula, with the permission of 
his father, left his native land, on a religious expedition, for the spread 
of Islam, consisting of three of his nephews (sister’s sons)—Khwaja 
Kalan Danishmand, Khwaja Nur, and Khwaja Anwar, his sister, 
twelve renowned Darvishes, and a large number of followers. They 
sailed in ships 7 or 40 in number, on their expedition. Arriving at 
Bokhara. Shah Jalalu-d-Din Bokhari—a saint of the place—welcomed the 
pilgrims, and presented a few ash-coloured (khalci) pigeons to the 
Makhdum Sa^ib. After a long and circuitous voyage, the missionaries 
arrived at a place, now called Potajia, two miles south of Shahzadpur. 
The whole country at that time was underwater and appeared as a vast 
ocean. The ships struck on a sandy bed, and consequently the expedi¬ 
tion could not proceed up. The Bokhara pigeons used, as usual, to 
leave the ships, in the morning, and return to them by the evening-tide. 
After a few days’ halt, the people on board noticed in the feet of the 
birds fresh clay and sand. On the following day a dinghi (boat) was 
sent towards the flight of the birds, and a newly forming car , subse¬ 
quently named Shahzadpur. was discovered. The ships being disen¬ 
tangled and removed, the party landed upon the cur-land. Little by 
little when the water subsided, the little car was transformed into an 
extensive one. On this spot—to commemorate the landing—a mosque 
was built by order of the Makhdum Sahib. 
At that time, the country was under the Hindu Baja of Suba-i- 
Bihar, who would not allow a foreign colony to be established in his domi¬ 
nion, and sent a large army to drive the colonists away. Then ensued 
a life-and-death struggle between the little band of foreign Muslims on 
one side, and the vast army of the native king on the other. Three 
bloody battles were fought, in two of which, the devoted followers of 
the Makhdum Sahib were victorious. In the third, the saintly prince 
was killed. Two of his nephews, the Darvishes, as well as a large 
1 There is another Shahzadpur in the Barisal District of Bengal, 
