Taj Khan Karrani

Taj Khan Karrani (; ) was the founder of the Karrani dynasty, an Afghan dynasty of Karlani origin that ruled Bengal, Orissa and parts of Bihar.

Biography Taj Khan Karrani was a former employee of Sher Shah Suri. At the time of anarchy following the death of Islam Shah Suri around 1553, he fled to the Gangatic Doab. The last Sur emperor, Adil Shah Suri chased and defeated him at Chibra-mow or Chhatramau, about 18 miles south of Farrukhabad. However Taj managed to escape and joined his brothers, 'Imad, Sulaiman Khan, and Khwaja I'lyas, who held several district on the banks of Ganges at Khawaspur and Tanda. They then seized Adil's treasury, troops (Halka) of hundred elephants, and a large number of Afghans joined them. In 1554, Adil Shah's general Hemu attacked and defeated them.

Capture of Bengal After the defeat against Hemu, Taj and his brother Sulaiman Khan Karrani fled to Bengal where he became powerful by exploiting the internecine warfare among his rivals. In his next step at some point, Delhi was reconquered by Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. In Bengal he carefully exploited the internecine warfare, assassinating Giyasuddin Bahadur Shah III, before capturing a vast region of south-eastern Bihar and west Bengal, thus founding the Karrani dynasty in Bengal. His authority was established over western Bengal including Gauda, south-eastern districts of Bihar. Taj died in 1565 and his brother, Sulaiman Khan Karrani, succeeded him.