Antiquity , may have been located near Sonargaon in the
Wari-Bateshwar ruins Sonargaon is located near the old course of the
Brahmaputra River. To the north of Sonargaon are the
Wari-Bateshwar ruins, which archaeologists have considered to be the emporium (trading colony) of
Sounagoura mentioned by
Greco-Roman writers. The name
Sonargaon originated with the ancient term of
Suvarnagrama. Sonargaon was ruled by
Vanga and
Samatata Kingdoms during antiquity. The
Sena dynasty used the area as a base after they lost control of the western parts of Bengal to
Bakhtiar Khalji. The
Deva dynasty King
Dasharathadeva shifted his capital from
Bikrampur to Suvarnagrama in the middle of the 13th century. Firoz Shah built a
mint in Sonargaon from where a large number of coins were issued. Sonargaon began to develop as a seat of Muslim learning and
Persian literature. Many
Persian and
Persianate Turkic immigrants settled in Sonargaon. Maulana
Sharfuddin Abu Tawwama of
Bukhara came to Sonargaon circa 1270 and established a
Sufi khanqah and
madrasa, which imparted both religious and secular education. The institutions became reputed throughout the Indian subcontinent. Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri, a celebrated Sufi scholar of Bihar, was an alumnus of Sonargaon. Tawwama's book on mysticism,
Maqamat, enjoyed a strong reputation. During the administration of Roknuddin Kaikaus (1291-1301 AD), son of
Nasiruddin Bughra Khan,
Nam-i-Haq, a book on fiqh (jurisprudence), was written in elegant Persian poetry, in Sonargaon. It is in 10 volumes and contains 180 poems. Though the authorship of this book has been ascribed to Shaikh Sharafu’d-Din Abu Tawwama, the author’s introduction testifies that the book was actually written by one of the disciples of Shaikh Sharafu’d-Din on the basis of his teachings. The
Fatwa-i-Tatarkhani was compiled at the initiative Tatar Khan, the
Tughluq governor of Sonargaon. Sonargaon began to conquer areas held by the eastern kingdoms of Arakan and Tripura. The army of Sonargaon conquered
Chittagong in southeastern Bengal in 1340. In the west, Sonargaon competed with the neighboring city-states of
Lakhnauti and
Satgaon for military supremacy in Bengal. Sonargaon prevailed in naval campaigns during the
monsoon. Lakhnauti prevailed in land campaigns during the dry season. The fourteenth-century
Moorish traveler
Ibn Battuta visited the Sonargaon Sultanate. He arrived through the port of Chittagong, from where he proceeded to the Sylhet region to meet with
Shah Jalal. He then proceeded to Sonargaon, the capital of the sultanate. He described Fakhruddin as "a distinguished sovereign who loved strangers, particularly the fakirs and sufis". In Sonargaon's river port, Ibn Battuta boarded a
Chinese junk which took him to
Java. The ruler of Satgaon
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah eventually defeated Sonargaon in 1352 and established the
Bengal Sultanate.
Bengal Sultanate (14th, 15th and 16th centuries) , built during the reign of Sultan
Alauddin Hussain Shah The three city-states of Bengal were unified into an independent sultanate. There was a decisive break from the authority of Delhi. Sonargaon became one of the major townships in the eastern part of the
Indian subcontinent. It was a strategically important river port with proximity to the
Brahmaputra Valley and the
Bay of Bengal. The third Bengali Sultan
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah established a royal court in Sonargaon. The township flourished as a center for writers, jurists and lawyers. The vast amount of Persian prose and poetry produced in Sonargaon during this period has been described as the "golden age of Persian literature" in Bengal. The river port was vital during naval campaigns, such as during the
Bengal Sultanate-Kamata Kingdom War and the
Bengal Sultanate–Kingdom of Mrauk U War of 1512–1516. Sonargaon hosted a
mint. It was one of the most important townships in the Bengal Sultanate. It was the principal administrative center of eastern Bengal, particularly the
Bhati region. High officials of the Bengal Sultanate were based in Sonargaon. In the
Akbarnama, Abul Fazl stated "Isa acquired fame by his ripe judgment and deliberateness, and made the twelve zamindars of Bengal subject to himself". Isa Khan used the
Jangalbari Fort. In 1578, the Twelve Bhuiyans defeated the Mughal viceroy
Khan Jahan I under the leadership of zamindars Majlis Pratap and Majlis Dilawar, after Isa Khan was forced to retreat during a battle on the
Meghna River. In 1584, following an invasion by
Shahbaz Khan Kamboh, Isa Khan and Masum Khan Kabuli launched a successful land and naval counterattack in
Egarosindur on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, which repulsed the Mughal invasion. In 1597, Isa Khan's navy dealt a massive defeat to the Mughal Navy on the
Padma River. The Mughals were led by viceroy
Man Singh I, who lost his son in the battle. Isa Khan's navy had surrounded the Mughal fleet on four sides. In 1580, the English traveler
Ralph Fitch described Isa Khan's kingdom, stating "for here are so many Rivers and Lands, that they (Mughals) flee from one to another, whereby his (
Akbar) horsemen cannot prevail against them. Great store of cotton cloth is made here. Sinnergan (Sonargaon) is a towne sixe leagues from Serrepore, where there is the best and finest cloth made of cotton that is in all India. The chief king of all these countries is called Isacan (Isa Khan), and he is chief of all the other kings, and is a great friend to all Christians". In 1600, the
Jesuit Mission stated that after the defeat of the Bengal Sultanate, "Twelve princes, however, called Boyones [bhūyān] who governed twelve provinces in the late King’s name, escaped from this massacre. These united against the Mongols [sic], and hitherto, thanks to their alliance, each maintains himself in his dominions. Very rich and disposing of strong forces, they bear themselves as Kings, chiefly he of Siripur [Sripur], also called Cadaray [Kedar Rai], and he of Chandecan [Raja
Pratapaditya of Jessore], but most of all the Mansondolin [“Masnad-i ‘ālī,” title of Isa Khan]. The Patanes [Afghans], being scattered above, are subject to the Boyones." Isa Khan died in September 1599. His son,
Musa Khan, then took control of the Bhati region. The dictionary
Shabda-Ratnakari was compiled by the court poet Nathuresh during the reign of Musa Khan. to Mughal general
Islam Khan, Sonargaon became one of the districts of
Bengal Subah. The capital of Bengal later developed in the new Mughal metropolis in
Dhaka.
Mughal rule (17th and 18th centuries) Sonargaon was one of the districts (
sarkars) of Mughal Bengal. The Mughals built several riverside fortifications near Sonargaon, as part of defences for the provincial capital Dhaka against
Arakanese and
Portuguese pirates. These include the
Hajiganj Fort and
Sonakanda Fort. The Mughals also built several bridges, including the Panam Bridge, Dalalpur Bridge and Panamnagar Bridge. The bridges are still in use. Hajiganj-fort3.jpg|
Hajiganj Fort Sonakanda Fort8.jpg|
Sonakanda Fort Panam Bridge, Sonargaon (119).jpg|A 17th-century Mughal bridge over a decaying canal
British rule (18th, 19th and early 20th centuries) During
British rule in the 19th century, the neighborhood of
Panam Nagar developed with townhouses, offices, temples, and mosques. European architecture influenced the design of the neighborhood. Panam was a wealthy textile business center, particularly for cotton fabrics. The merchants included
Bengali Hindus,
Marwaris and
Bengali Muslims. The house, originally called
Bara Sardar Bari, was built in 1901. On 15 February 1984,
Narayanganj subdivision was upgraded to a district by the
Government of Bangladesh. A sub-district of Narayanganj District, formerly named Baidyabazar was renamed as Sonargaon. Due to the many threats to preservation (including flooding and vandalism), Sonargaon was placed in
2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites by the
World Monuments Fund. The present-day Sonargaon is a municipality in Narayanganj District. ==Trade==