tribal confederation · South Asia
Baro-Bhuyans
Origins
When the Mughal Empire defeated Daud Khan Karrani in 1576 and ended Afghan rule in Bengal, many landholders in the eastern river delta refused to submit. Known as the Baro-Bhuyans, the twelve landlords, they gathered around Isa Khan, a chief of Afghan and Rajput descent based at Sonargaon.
Rule and society
The Bhuyans were Muslim and Hindu zamindars who controlled the waterways of Bhati, the low delta, with fleets of war boats and fortified river posts. They kept their own revenues and alliances, cooperating against Mughal armies. Isa Khan defeated a Mughal fleet in 1584 and fought Man Singh, the Mughal governor.
Decline and legacy
After Isa Khan's death in 1599 his son Musa Khan led the resistance. The Mughal governor Islam Khan moved the capital to Dhaka and defeated Musa Khan by 1611, absorbing eastern Bengal into the Mughal Empire.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- Baro-Bhuyans was conquered by Mughal Empire1611 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Baro-Bhuyans. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/baro-bhuyans
- MLA
- “Baro-Bhuyans.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/baro-bhuyans. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Baro-Bhuyans.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/baro-bhuyans.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Baro-Bhuyans’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/baro-bhuyans (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻