Majnu Shah

Majnu Shah Madaria sufi saint from Mewat and leader of the Fakir-sannyasi Revolt in Bengal. Nothing is known about the early life of Majnu Shah. His real name is unknown. He is known only by his popular name Majnu Shah, sometimes called Majnu Shah Burhana and often Majnu Fakir. Majnu Shah succeeded Shah Sultan Hasan Suriya Burhana to the leadership of the Madaria sufi order in Bengal. He organised the sufi saints and the yogi sannyasis under a common platform, reported to have moved frequently between the western part of Bihar and the eastern extremity of Bengal mobilising the scattered fakirs and sannyasis and floating the spontaneous support of the professional classes and the common people of Bengal in his fight against the east india company. Majnu Shah used to live at Baliakandi in Hemtabad thana of Dinajpur district. He had also a temporary residence at Madarganj in Bogra.
Majnu Shah while raiding the areas adjacent to Mymensingh in 1786 sustained reverses in a battle against the company army under Lieutenant Brenan in Kaleswar area. He lost large number of his followers, and some of his wounded followers were carried to Mewat. After 1786 Majnu Shah was not found to lead any expedition. From a report of Lieutenant Brenan it reveals that Majnu Shah was defeated and wounded in a battle on 8 December 1786. It is likely that with his wound he repaired to the dargah of Shah Madar at Maqanpur in Cawnpur district where he is reported to have died on 26 January 1788.