Syed Shah Isra'il (Bengali: সৈয়দ শাহ ইসরাইল, Persian: سید شاه اسرائیل), also known as Shah Bondegi (Bengali: শাহ বন্দেগী, Persian: شاه بندگی; lit. King of Worship), was a 16th-century Persian language writer from Bengal.^[1] He is celebrated as a renowned medieval author of the Sylhet region.^[2][3]

Syed Israil was born into the aristocratic Bengali Muslim Syed family who were the landowners of Taraf, a renowned literary centre of learning in the eastern part of the Bengal Sultanate. His father was Syed Khudawand, the son of Syed Musafir - who was the son of Syed Sirajuddin, the son of Sipahsalar Syed Nasiruddin.^[4] Israil was the second son; his older brother being Syed Mikail and his younger brother being Syed Bondegi Saif.

Famed for his high proficiency in the Arabic and Persian languages, he wrote Ma'dan al-Fawa'id (معدن الفوائد, Mine of Benefits) in 941 AH (1534 AD).^[5] This is the earliest book in the Sylhet region, and thus Israil is considered Sylhet's first author. He was awarded the title of Malik al-Ulama (ملك العلماء, king of scholars), just like his uncle Syed Ibrahim.^[6]

Israil had 12 sons; Syed Hemad, Syed Taj Jalali, Syed Ismail (Chhoto Miah), Syed Abdullah Thani (Mezu Miah), Syed Ibrahim, Syed Muhammad, Syed Abdullah Muhammad, Syed Yaqub Faqirabadi, Syed Ilyas Quddus (Qutb al-Awlia), Syed Kamal, Syed Nuh and Syed Qutb.