A forgotten history: The Prince who dethroned Dhaka as a capital

Illustration: Maisha Syeda

When we look back into Mughal subahdar, Shah Shuja's life, it is exciting to note that he was the son of the great Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. The curious mind asks, what was the prince like in Dhaka, and what did he do for it? 

His tenure in Bengal began in 1639, and a curious footnote would be that he actually stripped Dhaka of its status as a Mughal capital, shifting the seat of government to Rajmahal (a place now in India).  

That, however, did not stop Dhaka's prosperity as our city continued to undertake administrative activities. We also see today a number of notable buildings that were constructed during his reign -- landmarks without which Dhaka seems incomplete, such as Boro Katra and the Eidgah in Dhanmondi.

Source: Glimpses of Old Dhaka by Syed Muhammed Taifoor