The earlier name of Sujanagar in Pabna district was Gobindganj. Prince Shah Shuja fled to Arakan following a succession of disputes between his sons over the usurpation of the throne in the latter part of the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He stayed at Sujanagar for 3 nights on his way to Arakan. In order to keep this position of Yuvraj Shah Suja forever remembered, the people of this area named this town Sujanagar. Radharman Shah wrote in his book ‘History of Pabna District’, “During the Mughal period, Shah Suja once stayed here on the banks of the Padma for a few days while on his way to Dhaka, since then the name of this place has become Sujanagar.”
At the request of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, his childhood friend, close companion and chief commander Islam Khan moved the capital of Bengal and Bihar from Rajmahal to Dhaka in 1605. Islam Khan traveled from Agra to Dhaka as much as possible by land route and the rest via Yamuna, Ganga river and Padma river which flows by the side of Sujanagar area of Pabna district and reached the city of Dhaka on the bank of Buriganga. Officials, servants and courtiers of the Mughal emperor always followed this route for communication.
Islam Khan was the first person who was deeply attracted by the natural beauty of the Pabna region. On the way, he would often leave his tent somewhere in Sujanagar or nearby areas and enjoy rest for a few days. Islam Khan excavated the river named Ichamati which flows through Pabna and joins the Yamuna via Dulai, Chargobindopur and Kashinathpur. The natural beauty of this place called Sujanagar near the bank of Padma river was not a secret even in the royal palace of Agra. Most of the emperors of the Mughal Empire loved the scenery, plants, animals and birds.
Emperor Jahangir was an exceptionally kind and artistic person. In addition, he was extremely fond of applied and astronomical sciences. During his reign he minted 46 types of coins. In 1618, Jahangir had a strange idea. He expressed his desire to enrich all the seals of his mint with the stamping of zodiacal symbols, and that desire was quickly realized. Each coin is decorated with the symbol of each zodiac sign.
After Jahangir’s death, his son Khurram, who assumed the name Shah Jahan, was a deeply religious and orthodox ruler. Sitting on the throne, he issued a decree that all the coins containing images of humans and animals should be collected and melted down to make new coins. Where there will be no pictures of people or animals. And if any coin is found with such a picture, that person shall also be punished with death. As ordered by Shah Jahan, all coins were immediately withdrawn from all levels of the kingdom. Along with that, the numerous other coins that were in Shah Jahan’s mint were also melted together.
Emperor Shahjahan had three sons – Shahzada Darashuko, Shahsuja and Aurangzeb. Among the three, Darashuko was the most knowledgeable, learned and cultured. He hid a few sacks of gold coins bearing the zodiac symbols in some impenetrable place. In 1641, Emperor Shah Jahan appointed his middle son Shah Shuja as the governor of Bengal and Bihar and sent him to Dhaka. Shah Shuja built his palace in Bara Katra of Dhaka. And from there he began to manage the governance of Bengal and Bihar. During his rule, he chose the Padma river as his route to travel from Dhaka to Agra or Agra to Dhaka and he always traveled by this Sujanagar.The topography of Sujanagar attracted him so much that he often camped there and enjoyed the natural beauty of the Sujanagar region. At that time the area was full of trees and bushes.
He started thinking to himself, if these forests can be cleared and settled, then surely it can be considered as an ideal, beautiful and suitable place for human habitation. But how will he do this impossible feat. There is not enough money in his treasury. Returning to Agra, he disclosed his intentions and intentions to his brother Dara. Darashuko heard these words from his friend Suja and thought for a while and said – There is one way. Suja’s eyes lit up after hearing his brother’s words of hope. What is that way? Darashuko told Shuja that he had a few sacks of gold coins which had been confiscated by their father Emperor Shahjahan some time ago. Souza can use those coins if he wants, the forest of his favorite place is clear in the act of doing.
Darashuko was a man of extraordinary intelligence. He came up with a novel way to get more work done for less money. He advised Shahsuja to take a sack of gold coins and a cannon with him. He also explained well to Shah Shuja why the cannon was necessary for the coins.
Probably in 1652, Shah Suja along with Pike Peyada and Barkandaz on his way back from Agra to Dhaka with sacks full of gold coins, cannons and other necessary items stopped at Sujanagar.
People were sent far and wide to convey the news that gold coins would be sprinkled in the bushes and forests of the Sujanagar region by firing cannons. If one wants to get that gold coin then he has to cut the forest trees and collect that coin. People came from far and wide to fall in love with it. Then the barrel of the cannon was filled with gold coins and it was aimed at various forests and bushes. The waiting people also jumped into the chest of the forest with swords, axes and hansuli to bring out the gold coin.
He lost a battle with his younger brother Aurangzeb at Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh in 1660. During his escape to Arakan, he stayed for a few days at Sujanagar. The people of this area also named this area after him showing their gratitude to him.
Source: Amader Sujanagar.
Translated by: Ananyo Haider, European University of Bangladesh.
