EPISODE · Jun 25, 2026 · 8 MIN
The Sultan Who Burned the Temples: Bakhtiyar Khilji in Bengal
from The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In 1202 CE, a Turkic general named Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji swept into the Bengal delta with just two hundred horsemen and toppled the Sena dynasty's capital, Nabadwip. But his most notorious act came a year later, when he marched on the great Buddhist monastery of Odantapuri and put its monks to the sword. This episode traces Khilji's lightning campaign, the fall of the Senas, and the enduring controversy over whether his invasion was a 'conquest' or a 'raid'. We examine the conflicting accounts in the Tabaqat-i Nasiri and later Persian chronicles, the fate of Lakshmanasena (who fled east to Vikrampur), and the strange story of Khilji's failed campaign against Tibet—a disaster that killed him and ended his dream of a northern empire. Along the way, we discuss the meaning of 'iconoclasm' in medieval India and how Khilji's legacy was refashioned by later Muslim and Hindu historians. A story of ambition, violence, and historical memory in the making of Bengal's medieval identity. #BakhtiyarKhilji #SenaDynasty #Lakshmanasena #Odantapuri #Nabadwip #Tabaqat-iNasiri #MedievalBengal #TurkicInvasion #BuddhistMonasteries #Iconoclasm #TibetCampaign #Vikrampur #DelhiSultanate #Ghurid #PersianChronicles #History #FexingoHistory #SouthAsianHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
In 1202 CE, a Turkic general named Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji swept into the Bengal delta with just two hundred horsemen and toppled the Sena dynasty's capital, Nabadwip. But his most notorious act came a year later, when he marched on the great Buddhist monastery of Odantapuri and put its monks to the sword. This episode traces Khilji's lightning campaign, the fall of the Senas, and the enduring controversy over whether his invasion was a 'conquest' or a 'raid'. We examine the conflicting accounts in the Tabaqat-i Nasiri and later Persian chronicles, the fate of Lakshmanasena (who fled east to Vikrampur), and the strange story of Khilji's failed campaign against Tibet—a disaster that killed him and ended his dream of a northern empire. Along the way, we discuss the meaning of 'iconoclasm' in medieval India and how Khilji's legacy was refashioned by later Muslim and Hindu historians. A story of ambition, violence, and historical memory in the making of Bengal's medieval identity. #BakhtiyarKhilji #SenaDynasty #Lakshmanasena #Odantapuri #Nabadwip #Tabaqat-iNasiri #MedievalBengal #TurkicInvasion #BuddhistMonasteries #Iconoclasm #TibetCampaign #Vikrampur #DelhiSultanate #Ghurid #PersianChronicles #History #FexingoHistory #SouthAsianHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The Sultan Who Burned the Temples: Bakhtiyar Khilji in Bengal
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