Inscription as an Important Means for Understanding the History of the Islamic East: Observations on some Newly Discovered Epigraphs of Muslim Bengal

Islamic culture considers the written word a powerful means to convey visual, cultural, and spiritual messages. This is particularly manifested in Islamic inscriptions that can be found in abundance in almost all regions of the world. In the early era, a few Muslim scholars, such as al-Shībī in Makka (779–837/1378–1433), made a special study of Islamic inscriptions. Development of the science of Islamic epigraphy is discussed at the beginning of this article, which then elaborates on the importance of the Islamic inscriptions of Bengal as a case study. Islamic inscriptions help us understand regional history of Islam in many ways. These inscriptions are rendered in various styles such as Kūfī, thuluth, naskh, ruqʿa, rayḥānī, muḥaqqaq, ṭughrā and Bihārī. In the appendix, special attention is given to deciphering and editing some newly discovered epigraphic texts of Bengal, and to the analysis of information derived from them in their proper historical context, such as the names of the contemporary rulers, local administrative officers, religious figures, and military commanders. These findings provide rare clues to the political, administrative, social, religious and cultural life of the region at the time. Particular attention is given to the titles that invariably accompany the names appearing in the inscriptions and throw light on the personalities of the title-bearers and other contemporary issues. Many of these inscriptions record the construction of mosques and other religious monuments, which contribute to our understanding of the history of religious transformation in the region. The article assesses the overall cultural continuity of the Muslims of Bengal with their counterparts elsewhere in the Muslim world, which binds them together as an umma. Thus, in spite of many distinctive local cultural features, one soon discovers in these wonderful epigraphic treasures the most vibrant message—unity within diversity—that is prevalent everywhere in Islamic culture.