The Mughal–Mrauk U Wars also known as the Mughal–Arakan Wars were a series of conflicts fought between the Mughal Empire and the Kingdom of Mrauk U from 1602 to 1666, primarily over control of Chittagong, Sandwip, and south-eastern Bengal. The wars involved shifting alliances with local zamindars i.e. Baro-Bhuyas, Portuguese mercenaries, and Afghan warlords, and were marked by naval raids, sieges, and large-scale plundering expeditions. The conflicts began with Arakanese raids and attempts to seize Sandwip in 1602, followed by repeated Mughal attempts to capture Chittagong. Key events included the Arakanese sack of Dhaka in 1626, several failed Mughal invasions of Chittagong in 1617 and 1621, and major Arakanese raids deep into Bengal. Despite occasional Arakanese successes and strong influence in areas like Hijli and Jessore, the Mughals gradually gained the upper hand. The wars culminated in the Mughal conquest of Chittagong in 1666 under Shaista Khan, which permanently ended Arakanese power in Bengal and contributed to the later decline of the Mrauk U kingdom.
Background In 1602, the Khwaja Usman crossed the Brahmaputra River and besieged the Mughal thana of Bhalwa (Bhawal). Bengal's Subahdar Raja Man Singh marched to recover the post and defeated Usman. Man Singh then advanced to Dhaka, and in February 1602 sent forces across the Ichamati River against Musa Khan and Kedar Rai. The Mughals effectively drove Musa Khan and his allies back to Sonargaon. At the same time, Domingos Carvalho in the service of Kedar Rai and Manuel de Mattos recaptured Sandwip from the Mughals. This prompted Raja Man Singh to move against the island. The Arakanese king, Min Razagyi, attempted to seize Sandwip with Kedar Rai's help. In November 1602, the Arakanese fleet defeated Manuel de Mattos on 8 November, but two days later Domingos Carvalho arrived with reinforcements from Sandwip and the Portuguese defeated the Arakanese on 10 November. Portuguese takeover of Sandwip was seen as an open rebellion by Min Razagyi. In March 1603, Min Razagyi launched a second attack on Sandwip, severely damaging the Portuguese positions. The Portuguese were forced to abandon the island and flee to the Bengal mainland, taking refuge in Sripur, Bakla, and Chandecan with the Bharo-Bhuyans. Min Razagyi allied with Kedar Rai, who hired Domingos Carvalho against the Mughals. Carvalho fled to Raja Pratapaditya of Chandecan, but Pratapaditya killed him to ally with Min Razagyi. In 1605, peace was concluded between Manuel Mattos and Min Razagyi. In Bengal, the Mughal and Arakanese invasions prompted the Baro Bhuiyas to form a coalition against their domination. However, the group was not homogeneous; local lords, Afghans, and Portuguese frequently shifted allegiances to exploit the instability. In 1609, Raja Srijit, the zamindar of Bhushna was subdued by the Mughals. The occupation of Bhushna and the expanding Arakanese power from Chittagong under Man Razagyi brought the armies of the two rivals now directly confronted each other for control of south-eastern Bengal.
Early conflicts Arakanese raids in 1602–1604 After the Arakanese forces attacked Sandwip in 1602, Min Razagyi raided areas near Sonargaon and Dhaka. These battles in 1603 battles marked the first major direct confrontation between Mughal and Arakanese armies. The Arakanese likely captured the fort at Trimohani near Dhaka but were repulsed in a subsequent land battle. Later that year, the Arakanese joined forces with Kedar Rai and advanced on the Mughal thana of Srinagar. In a battle near Bikrampur, the Mughal forces defeated the coalition. Kedar Rai was captured and later died of his wounds. The Portuguese serving under him also suffered heavy losses. With Kedar Rai dead and the Arakanese established at Sandwip, Min Razagyi emerged as the dominant power in eastern Bengal and the chief rival to Mughal governor Raja Man Singh. Following the Battle of Bikrampur, Man Singh left his base at Bhawal in early 1604 to confront the Arakanese who retreated upon Mughal advance.
Tibau's capture of Sandwip Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau, arrived in Bengal after escaping the Dianga massacre in 1607. Tibau and a group of Portuguese refugees sought shelter with the raja of Bakla, one of the Baro Bhuiyas. From this base, they wrested control of Sandwip from the Afghan warlord Fateh Khan, who held the island as a fief under the Mrauk U kingdom. By around 1609, Tibau had established himself as the autonomous ruler of Sandwip. During his short-lived reign, Tibau extended his influence on the neighbouring islands of Dakhin Shahbazpur and Patelbanga, seizing them from his former ally, the raja of Bakla. He operated as a local warlord and trader, frequently shifting his allegiance between the Mughal Empire and the Mrauk U kingdom while managing a profitable, albeit brief, enterprise.
Cakrawate's alliance with the Mughals From 1610, three sons of Min Razgyi, Min Nyo, Cakrawate, and Min Khamaung fought a bitter three-year succession war. Min Nyo was driven out of Chittagong by Min Khamaung and died on Sandwip in 1611. He was succeeded as "king of the west” by Cakrawate. Cakrawate sent envoys to the Mughal governor Islam Khan, offering to restrain Tibau and accept Sandwip as a Mughal jagir in exchange for recognition. However, Musa Khan, still dominant in the Brahmaputra delta, blocked Cakrawate's route to Dhaka and prevented his formal submission. This failed alliance significantly weakened the Arakanese position in the subsequent struggle for Bhulua.
Mughal conquest of Bhulua In 1611, after defeating Musa Khan, Islam Khan dispatched Haji Shamsuddin Baghdadi to occupy Bhulua. Raja Ananta Manik of Bhulua received immediate help from the Min Razagyi. The Mughals persuaded Ananta Manikya's chief minister to defect. The Arakanese retreated without fighting. Cakrawate and Tibao had possibly sent Mughals help.
Arakanese raids in 1612 Next year, Arakanese made double raid into Bengal Subah. Taking advantage of the withdrawal of Mughal garrisons from the frontier of Sripur and Bikrampur in the south and Bhulua in the east, the Arakanese launched near-simultaneous attacks on both areas. Shaikh Yusuf, thanadar of Sripur-Bikrampur, and Abdul Wahid, thanahdar of Bhulua, were unable to mount effective resistance due to their limited troops and shortage of war-boats. The Arakanese descended on Sripur with 300 war-boats, plundering and burning numerous villages and carrying away a large number of captives. Bhulua suffered the same fate. Islam Khan hurriedly dispatched a relieving force under Shaikh Ashraf Hansiwal and Mirza Nur-ud-din to Sripur and Bikrampur, but it arrived only after the raiders had withdrawn. The Arakanese also hastily retreated from Bhulua, leaving behind widespread desolation and distress.
The death of Min Ragazyi in 1612 marked the final phase of the Arakanese succession war between Man Khamaung and Cakrawate. Min Khamaung to emerge victorious with Cakrawate dying during the war.
Mrauk U invasion of Bhulua
In 1614, Min Khamaung, allied with the Portuguese freebooter Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau of Sandwip and invaded Mughal Bhulua. The Arakanese land army under Min Khamaung had a total strength of 300,000. The combined fleet under Tibau comprised 200 boats manned by 4,000 sailors. The Mughal thanadar of Bhulua, Abdul Wahid, abandoned the position without resistance. The Arakanese and Portuguese forces occupied Bhulua unopposed, crossed the Feni River, and plundered inland, while the fleet advanced up the Meghna to the Dakatia River, ravaging both banks. The alliance soon collapsed when Min Khamaung treacherously imprisoned Portuguese officers, including Antonio Carvalho's nephew. In retaliation, Tibau's men attacked the Arakanese fleet, murdered their naval commanders, seized many boats, and withdrew to Sandwip. Isolated, the Arakanese were defeated by Mughal forces under Abdul Wahid, Shaikh Kamal, and Mirza Makki, who assaulted their fort after crossing the Dakatia canal. The Arakanese fled back to Chittagong, ending the December 1614 invasion in complete failure. In October 1615, after making peace with the Burmese king Maha Dhamma Raja, Min Khamaung renewed the assault on Bhulua. Abdul Wahid again evacuated the area. Mughal reinforcements under Abd-un-Nabi with 2,000 cavalry, 3,000 musketeers, 700 war-boats, and 100 elephants arrived and trapped the Arakanese in a large bog. Min Khamaung himself became mired in the swamp. In the ensuing clash, about 500 Arakanese were killed and roughly 1,000 fled wounded. The king sued for peace, which was accepted in exchange for the surrender of Arakanese officers, troops, and war equipment.
The treacherous acts of Tibau enraged Min Khamaung that he ordered to impale Tibau's nephew who was imprisoned previously. The Arakanese decided to crush the Portuguese sovereignty ambitions in south-eastern Bengal through naval battles on the Kaladan and Sandwip. In January 1616, Man Khamaung, aided by the Dutch, defeated Tibau's remaining forces on Sandwip after a two‑day battle, driving him from the island forever. They now held Chittagong's and dominated Sandwip, while the Mughals steadily expanded across western Bengal in their protracted struggle with local zamindars. After eviction of Tibau from Sandwip, Min Khamaung received a fruitless embassy from the Mughals.
Siege of Chittagong (1617)
Early in 1617, Qasim Khan launched a Mughal invasion of Arakan aimed at Chittagong. From Bhulua, he sent the vanguard under Abd-un-Nabi with 5,000 cavalry, 5,000 matchlockmen, 200 elephants, and 1,000 boats, while he followed with the main army and encamped at the Feni River. Min Khamaung responded by dispatching his commandant with 100,000 infantry, 1,000 war-boats, and 400 elephants to occupy the unfinished fort at Kathgar near Sitakunda, Chittagong. The Arakanese king himself marched from Mrauk-U with a massive force of 300,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and a large fleet of war-boats to defend Chittagong. Abd-un-Nabi advanced rapidly to seize the incomplete Kathgar fort. Sarhad Khan and Shaikh Kamal reached the site first via a shortcut and launched an immediate assault. Although the Mughals nearly captured the fort by evening, Abd-un-Nabi was persuaded to halt the attack overnight. By morning the Arakanese had strengthened their defences, forcing the Mughals into a prolonged siege. The Arakanese then built a strong stockade that cut off Mughal supply lines between Kathgar and the main camp at the Feni River. The besiegers soon suffered severe food shortages. With the monsoon approaching, the Mughals abandoned the siege, retreated to Bhulua, and destroyed their heavy artillery along with about 500 maunds of gunpowder to prevent it falling into Arakanese hands.
Mughal–Mrauk U War (1620–1621)
Raid in Dhaka (1620)