King Raja Ganesha established a Hindu kingdom in Bengal and thereby assumed the little Danujamardanadeva.
After the death of Ilyas Shah’s descendant Azam Shah, a state of disorder prevailed in Bengal. Within five years a Hindu chief, Raja Ganesh the Bengali wrested power from them. When King Raja Ganesh came in power in Bengal it was a period of critical juncture. Raja Ganesh brought the Muslim power in Bengal to a halt. Ilyas Shah rule was no longer effective. Taimur’s raid had forced many Afghans to migrate to Bengal. Tribal jealousy and mutual rivalry and uncertainty simply had viciated the political condition of Bengal.
There are many traditions and hearsays about King Raja Ganesh and his sons. The Persian manuscripts mentioned him as ‘Kans’. The Sanskrit equivalent of ‘Kans’ is Ganesh. He was a Brahmin Zamindar of Bhaturia and Dinajpur. He wanted to rule a vast territory.
Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi attacked Bengal but neither he nor could Ganesh win a war. At last a treaty was concluded wherein the twelve year old son of Ganesh, Jadusena was converted into Islam and named Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah. Raja Ganesh remained the ruler of Bengal since the days of Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah.
Raja Ganesh was a great personality of his time. Though Ganesh reconverted his son into Hinduism, the orthodox Hindu Community did not accepted it. Jadu himself was also interested in his new faith. This was a great shock for Raja Ganesha.
The death of Raja Ganesh has been a matter of controversy. According to some historians, Raja Ganesh was poisoned to death by his own son Jadu. The great historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar, however, observed that Ganesh died a natural death wherein his son Jadu had no hand.
