Sur Empire

Sur Empire
1538/1540–1555[a]
Map of the Sur Empire at its greatest extent under Sher Shah Suri (1538/1540–1545)[1]
Map of the Sur Empire at its greatest extent under Sher Shah Suri (1538/1540–1545)[1]
StatusEmpire
CapitalSasaram
Delhi
Official languagesHindavi
Common languagesPersian
Bengali
Bhojpuri[2]
Religion
Sunni Islam
GovernmentAbsolute monarchy
Sultan 
• 1538/1540–1545
Sher Shah Suri (first)
• 1555–1556
Adil Shah Suri (last)
History 
• Established
6 April 1538/1540
22 June 1555[a]
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Mughal Empire
Bengal Sultanate
Portuguese Empire
Malwa Sultanate
Langah Sultanate
Rajputana
Mughal Empire
Bengal Sultanate
Malwa Sultanate

The Sur Empire was an empire ruled by the Afghan-origin Sur dynasty in northern India for nearly 16 or 18 years,[3] between 1538/1540 and 1556, with Sasaram (in modern-day Bihar) serving as its capital. It was founded by Sher Shah Suri.[3][4]

The Sur dynasty held control of nearly all the Mughal Empire territories along the Indo-Gangetic Plain, from eastern Balochistan in the west of Indus River to modern-day Rakhine, Myanmar in the east. Even as Sher Shah Suri consolidated his power over North India, Eastern India was still considered to be the seat of Sur power in India. This is demonstrated by the fact that 8 of the 16 silver mint cities he established were in the region between Chunar and Fathabad.[5]


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  1. ^ Schwartzberg, Joseph (1978). A Historical Atlas of South Asia. University of Chicago Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-19-506869-6.
  2. ^ Alam, Muzaffar (1998). "The pursuit of Persian: Language in Mughal Politics". Modern Asian Studies. 32 (2). Cambridge University Press: 317–349. doi:10.1017/s0026749x98002947. S2CID 146630389. Hindavi was recognized as a semi-official language by the Sor Sultans (1540–55) and their chancellery rescripts bore transcriptions in the Devanagari script of the Persian contents. The practice is said to have been introduced by the Lodis (1451–1526).
  3. ^ a b Hartel 1997, p. 262.
  4. ^ Berndl, Klaus (2005). National Geographic Visual History of the World. National Geographic Society. pp. 318–320. ISBN 978-0-7922-3695-5.
  5. ^ Asher 1977.

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