The term "Bangla" denotes both the Bengal region and the Bengali language. The earliest known usage of the term is the Nesari plate in 805 AD. The term "Vangaladesa" is found in 11th-century South Indian records. The term gained official status during the Sultanate of Bengal in the 14th century. Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah proclaimed himself as the first "Shah of Bangala" in 1342. The word "Bangla" became the most common name for the region during the Islamic period. The Portuguese referred to the region as "Bengala" in the 16th century. The term "Bangladesh" was often written as two words, "Bangla Desh", in the past. Starting in the 1950s, Bengali nationalists used the term in political rallies in East Pakistan.