Mustafabad Tankaria- History Book
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MUSTAFABAD TANKARIA- HISTORY BOOK Second Edition: 2014 (First Edition published in 2007, on www.tankaria.wetpaint.com) Tankaria is the biggest village in the Bharuch Taluka and second biggest village in the Bharuch District of Gujarat State, India. The village has the highest rate of literacy in Bharuch District. Nearly to the mid of the twentieth century, the village was famous for its cotton growing farmers and its businesspeople. Many Tankarvis took an active part in the freedom movement of India. Tankaria has produced many Primary and High School Teachers, Doctors, Engineers, Pharmacists, Building Contractors, Skilled Technicians, Businessmen, Government Officials, Writers, Poets, Politicians and, Social Workers. Tankaria has also produced a remarkable numbers of Islamic Scholars. Tankaria has produced few University Professors, College Lecturers, Lawyers, Land Surveyors and Chartered Accountants. Tankarvis working as primary school teachers can find everywhere in cities and villages in Bharuch and its neighboring districts. Tankaria is widely known for its Primary School Teachers, Businessmen and, Poets. Among Bharuchi Vahora Patel Community, Tankarvis are famous for their best hospitality and friendly nature. Many Tankarvis settled in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Mumbai. Few Tankarvis also settled elsewhere in Gujarat. Outside India Tankarvis mainly settled in the UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Zambia and other African countries. Some Tankarvis also settled for employment or business in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Mauritius, Reunion Island, and New Zealand. The name of the village was Mustafabad, later on it was renamed as Tankaria. (After 1453 CE & Before 1583 CE. Please refer Page 05 for more details). Currently, Mustafabad Tankaria History Book is divided into 04 Parts. More parts and chapters will be added in the future editions with contributor’s name. Part 01. Recorded History: Edited By: Nasirhusen Ahmed Lotiya Part 02. Oral History (Oral Tradition): Edited By: Nasirhusen Ahmed Lotiya & Mustak Suleman Daula Part 03. Tankaria and Tankarvis: Edited By: Nasirhusen Ahmed Lotiya Part 04. Tankaria History (Another Perspective): Edited By: Shakil Abdullah Bha 1 (Notes from editors: Our pure intention of publishing Mustafabad Tankaria-History Book is to prevent our village history being destroyed physically and morally and lost forever. We have forgotten how to tell a story to our kids so there is a reason to afraid our village history will be forgotten forever. If you think our History will help somehow to our coming generations, please download, save and share the History of our beloved village with all our Mustafabadi-Tankarvis living all around the world. Tankarvis are invited to contribute and share their knowledge related to our History. All contributions will be published with contributor’s name). Part 01 : Recorded History Edited By: Nasirusen Ahmed Lotiya History of Mustafabad Jam-e-Masjid later known as Jam-e-Masjid Tankaria This masjid is in the centre of the village near the main marketplace (Bazaar). 2 There is an Epigraph/ Inscription affixed to the wall of the historical Jam-e-Masjid. The inscription is in the Arabic language. Inscription of Jam-e-Masjid happens to be the earliest record that has come so far to our notice related to our village history. This inscription translated in the Urdu language in October 1964. Translation wrote in Gujarati script on a piece of marble that also affixed to the wall of Jam-e-Masjid. Translation in English is as below. “Masjid is for the prayer to Allah so do not worship any other than Allah. The Prophet said, “Whoever builds a Masjid of Allah, Allah builds for him a house in paradise." Mustafabad Jam-e-Masjid built during the ruling period of the Emperor Qutub Abu’l Muzaffar Ahmed Shah, by the grace of Allah. Masjid built following the request of the leader of young Saiyyad Atau’llah Raja honoured with title Sharafu’l- Mulk and the efforts of Qaziyul- Mashaikh. Masjid was ready for the use on 09 Rabi- Al- Awwal, 857 Hijri.” Facts: (1) Construction of Jam-e-Masjid completed on Monday, 19 March 1453 CE corresponds to 9 Rabi-Al- Awwal, Hijri 857. Conversion of Hijri date to Gregorian date also verified with Islamic websites. There is a possibility of maximum 01 or 02 days difference. (2) Mustafabad Jam-e-Masjid built during the ruling period of Ahmed Shah-II. His personal name was Jalal Khan. He was the eldest son of Muizz-ud-Din (Karim Khan also Known as Muhammad Shah-II. Ruled from 1443 CE to 1451 CE) and grandson of Sultan Ahmed Shah-I (Ahmed Shah Badshah- Founder of Ahmedabad city as Capital. Ruled from 1411 CE-1442 CE). Qutb-ud-Din Ahmed Shah II was ruling Sultan (King) from 1451 CE until his death on 25th May 1458 CE (Rajab 12, 862 Hijri) of Muzaffarid dynasty. Jalal Khan Qutb-ud-din Ahmed Shah II, the eldest son of Muhammad Shah II, sit on the throne as a youth ruler only at the age of twenty in 1451 CE, and ruled up to his death on 25th May 1458 CE. He was honoured with titles of Qutb-ud-Din and Qutub Abu’l Muzaffar- Father of victories. He married to the daughter of Shams Khan from Nagor. Qutb-ud-Din Ahmed Shah II died on 25th May 1458 CE and buried in the royal mausoleum in the Manek Chok at Ahmadabad, by the side of his father and his Grandfather Ahmed Shah I. He was succeeded by popularly known Mahmud Begada within one month after his death. Mustafabad was under Muzaffarid dynasty. Muzaffarid dynasty was sultans of Gujarat, in western India from 1391 CE to 1583 CE, until the conquest of Gujarat by the Mughal Empire. The founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty was Zafar Khan Muzaffar also known as Muzaffar Shah-I. 3 (3) In the original epigraph/ inscription affixed to the wall of Jam-e-Masjid the name of the village is mentioned as Mustafabad only; Tankaria did not mention anywhere. It proves that name of the village was Mustafabad till 1453 CE. This Arabic epigraph/ inscription does not only provide the construction history of Jam-e-Masjid, but it also provides us the proof that the name of the village in 1453 CE was Mustafabad. This fact also recorded in the records of Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India. Dr Z.A. Desai, Director of Epigraphy, stated the facts related to a new naming of places. As mentioned, he found at least 05 places that are known through epigraphs to have received new names during the pre- Mughal period. These are (1) Tankaria alias (alias - Named at another time) Mustafabad in Broach (Bharuch) district of Gujarat. (2) Diyadar alias Mahmudabad in Sabar Kantha District of Gujarat. (3) Sanchor alias Muhammadabad in Jalor district of Rajasthan. (4) Malia alias Rasulabad in Rajkot district of Gujarat and (5) Khakharechi alias Ambiyabad in Rajkot district of Gujarat. Reference: Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India, EPIGRAPHIA INDICA – ARABIC AND PERSIAN SUPPLEMENT- 1975, page 30. History of Mustafabad Jam-e-Masjid also recorded in the below mentioned Government records. (1) Indian Archaeology 1972-73, Page 48. (2) Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India. Edition-1978, Page 48. (3) Epigraphic Resources in Gujarat- Page 19. It is recorded in the Archaeological Survey of India on page 48 of Edition- 1978 as below. “GUJARAT” “As Inscription of the Sultans of Gujarat, District Broach, a slightly damaged record from Tankaria, District Broach, records the construction of the Jami' mosque of the town of Mustafabad by Sayyid 'Atau'llah Raja Husaini, entitled Sharafu'l-Mulk at the instance of Qutbu'd-Din Ahmed Shah-II.” Jam-e-Masjid with beautiful, tall and distinguished architectural minaret, its beautiful arches and having a bigger prayer area also proves that there must be enough Muslims in this village in 1453 CE so that the ruling authorities shown their interest to build this beautiful historical Jam-e-Masjid. Also, name Mustafabad itself give us the confidence 4 to prove that the inhabitants of this village must be Muslims during the construction period of this masjid in 1453 CE. Below references also provide us evidence to confirm the fact that the name of the village was Mustafabad. (1) Archaeological Survey of India, EPIGRAPHIA INDICA – ARABIC AND PERSIAN SUPPLEMENT- 1975, page 30. (2) Studies in Indian place names, Volume 9, page 76. (3) Islamic India studies in history, epigraphy, onomastic and numismatics. (Now it needs to find out in which year the name of the village changed from Mustafabad to Tankaria and by whom? Hints: (1) As mentioned in the above reference books and Government records, including the Archaeological Survey of India, the name of our village in 1453 CE was Mustafabad (2) As per the statement of Dr Z.A. Desai, Director of Epigraphy working under Archaeological Survey of India, Mustafabad has received new names during the pre- Mughal period, means before 1583 CE. (3) In Heber’s Journal as mentioned below Reginald Heber stayed in Tankaria on April 09, 1825 CE, it means in 1825, CE the name of our village was Tankaria. Conclusion: New naming of our village from Mustafabad to Tankaria must be after 1453 CE and most probably before 1583 CE). History of Tankaria village as mentioned in the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency (Published in July 1899) The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume IX, Part II, Gujarat Population: Musalmans and Parsis published in July 1899. This volume on the People of Gujarat includes two parts. Among two parts, the first part, “THE MUSALMANS” contributed by Khan Bahadur Fazlullah Lutfullah Faridi, Assistant collector of customs, Bombay. In this part, it is mentioned that Captain Ovans in one of the notebooks of the first Broach Survey (1818 CE) given an account (Description of past events), which he had from Vahoras of Tankaria.