Origin and Development of the

Name ‘Bengal/Bangladesh’

Course Teacher: Samila Nowshin

Department of History and Philosophy
North South University
The emergence of Bangladesh is a very important event in the
history of Southeast Asia and the whole world. In 1971, a new
state was born in the name of Bangladesh through 9-month long
liberation war. But the emergence of a land called Bangladesh is
not an accidental event. The country has been born through
various revolutions since ancient times. Almost all of us know
more or less about this new country that carries the heritage of
thousands of years of history and tradition, but the concept
regarding the origin and evolution of the name of this country
seems to be not clear to everyone.
• At first it need to clarify the geographical location and environment
of this land in which the origin and evolution of the name
Bangladesh from Vanga has been organized.
• Basically, the present land of Bangladesh is an integral part of
ancient 'Bengal'. Ancient 'Bengal' refers to the entire habitat of
Bengali speaking people which is naturally surrounded and formed
by numerous rivers and the world's largest delta. This largest delta is
a geological formation that is described by geologists as a
'geographical' or 'regional entity' and by historians as a 'historical
entity'. On one side of which are lofty mountains, on both sides are
rugged rocks, mountains and deep forests, and on the other is a vast
sea and plain land in the middle.
• This land was not geographically unified for a long time since ancient
period. 'Bengal' was divided into various smaller geographical units
called Janapadas. Amongst all the Janapadas Vanga, Pundra, Radh and
Samatata were the main.
• In the continuation of the ancient history of Bengal, the important
presence of 'Gangaridai', sometimes 'Pundra', sometimes 'Gaur' and
sometimes ‘Vangaladesha' is known, but the unit of the name ‘Vanga'
used since ancient times is 'Bangala' and today's name ‘Bangladesh’.
• But it is almost impossible to say exactly when the name ‘Vanga’
originated due to lack of sources.
• The name ‘Vanga’ is mentioned in various literary sources of ancient
times. However, this reference is probably used as an ethnic term, not
as a national or geographical term.
 Sources:
• The name Vanga, for the first time, represented a group of people
who were associated with the Magadhas in the Aitareya Aranyaka
and were mentioned in the Dharmasutra (approximate date between
500 to 200 BCE) as one of the peoples living outside of Aryavarta.
• In Patafijali's Mahabhashya, Vanga is mentioned along with Anga,
Pundra and Suhma. The Vangas are clearly referred to in the
Ramayana (BCE 200 to 200 CE).
• The earliest significant reference to Vanga as a territorial unit is
found in the Arthasastra of Kautilya, in which it is mentioned as an
area where finest quality white and soft cotton fabrics were
produced.
• Mehrauli inscription mentions that King Chandra 'extirpated in
battle in the Vanga countries his enemies who offered him a
united resistance'.
• Raghu, the hero of Raghuvarhsa, came to the Vanga after having
conquered Suhmas. And then Raghu set up pillars of victory in
the islands situated in between the old channels of the Ganga, the
Bhagirathi and the Padma where people fought in their boats.
• Vanga also mentions in the Digvijaya section of the
Mahabharata, Milindapanho (1st or 2nd century CE), the
Puranas (the earliest written versions date, 3rd-5th century CE),
the and some other literary texts.
• The origin of the name ‘Vanga’ is also known in various mythological and
religious stories.
• According to the Puranas, five sons were born to a queen in the womb of
Andhamuni. One of them is called ‘Vanga’. He was an undefeated king. After
increasing of his family legacy, the name 'vanga’ is derived from his name.
• Several such stories were prevalent in the Middle Ages as well.
• It is written in the book Riaz-us-Salatin, the descendants of Hazrat Nuh 'Bong'
first settled in Bengal. From his name, the name of this region is ‘Vanga’.
• In terms of history, they are purely 'approximate', 'fanciful' and 'misleading'.
However, these stories indicate that there may have been a god or ruler named
"Bong" or "Vanga" in the ancient land of Bengal. But there is no reliable
evidence on this.
• There are other discussions about the origin of the name ‘Vanga’. They are
somewhat more convincing in comparison.
• Many assume that ‘Vanga’ is a Sino-Tibetan word and the 'Ang' part of the
word is associated with river names such as Ganga, Huangho, Yang Siqiang,
etc., that the root of the word is 'swamp' and the name ‘Vanga' is derived from
the numerous rivers of Bengal.
• Dr. Sukumar Sen commented those who live in the watery country are 'Vanga'
and their homeland is the country of 'Vanga'.
• He also said that another root of the word ‘Vanga’ is ‘cotton’ (কাপাস তু লা).
He claims that this word is recognized in Sanskrit dictionaries. The region may
have been named ‘Vanga’ because of the production of a lot of ‘Vanga’ or
cotton in the fertile plains of Bengal.
• Vishwarup Sen's Madanpara Inscription and Keshav Sen's Idilpur
Inscription mention the Bikrampur was the part of Vanga.
• By discussing various ancient sources, the scholars commented that in
the early stages of the spread of Muslim rule in Bengal, ‘Vanga’ meant
the southern and south-eastern parts of Bengal and this geographical
identity was most likely till the development of the name "Bangalah".
• The names ‘Vanga’ and ‘Bangalah’ are also found in many literatures
during the medieval period. In Ain-i-Akbari book, Abul Fazl said – “The
original name of Bangalah was Vanga.
• The kings here in ancient times used to build huge divisions of land locally
called ‘al’ which was 10 yards high and 20 yards wide; from this ‘al’ the
origin of the names 'Bangal' and 'Bangalah'".
• According to many historians 'Vanga' and ‘Bangal' have been two separate
'countries' since the 8th Common Era and perhaps even earlier, and many
ancient inscriptions and texts refer to the two countries together.
• Therefore, it cannot be accepted that the name ‘Bangal’ or ‘Bangala’
originated from the name of the country ‘Vanga’ by adding 'al' or for any
other reason.
• Many Scholars think that the origin of ‘Bengal’ is from
‘Bangaloy’ where 'Bangaloy' = Bengal + Aloy or the home of
Bengals.
• Minhaj-e-Siraj mentions the name ‘Vanga’ along with other
regions while writing the history of Muslim conquest of
Bengal in Tabqat-e-Nasiri. He here refers to East Bengal by
‘Vanga’.
• Ziauddin Barani was probably the first to use the word
‘Bangala’.
• Thus it can be seen that by the end of the thirteenth century and
certainly by the middle of the fourteenth century, the name
'Vanga' and 'Bangal' were transformed into 'Bangalah'.
• It needs to be mentioned here that the prominence of the name ‘Vanga’ or
'Bangala' was not always been the same.
• The prominence of the name ‘Vanga’ seems to have somewhat disappeared
during the time of Shashanka, the first important ruler of ancient Bengal in the
seventh century. The journey of Bengal started under the identity of 'Gaur'.
• At this time, the existence of 3 main geographical units of Bengal
'Gaur/Gauda', 'Pundra' and 'Vanga' is known in various sources. Despite the
state patronage centred on 'Gauda', 'Vanga' never completely ceased to exist.
• The status of the city of 'Gauda' situated in Varendra was very high. 'Gauda'
was regarded as the imperial capital even though the Bengal region was
divided into many independent states.
• The kings of these independent states tried to possess 'Gauda' whenever they
got an opportunity and took the title of 'Gaudeshwar' by possessing 'Gauda'.
• Even in the face of some changes in the boundaries and external invasions,
'Vanga' managed to overcome the temporary setbacks and regain its former
glory. So history shows that despite the long 'Gaudacentric' reigns of the
Shashanka, Pala and Sena kings, the memories of ancient 'Vanga' have
remained etched in the Bengali attention.
• However, historians comment that the rule of the Chandra dynasty in the
'Vanga' region has contributed immensely to the existence of the name 'Vanga'.
• After the arrival of the Muslim rulers, the 'Gaur' region assumed the name
'Lakhnauti' and the 'Lakhnauti' centered rule began.
• In 1338 CE, Fakhr-ud-Din Mubarak Shah established an independent kingdom
in Sonargaon. Then in 1352 CE, Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah captured Sonargaon
and Ilyas Shahi era begins.
• From this era the name 'Bangalah' acquired legal formal and political identity.
• Sultan Shamsuddin Ilyas Shahi is actually credited with giving the name
'Bangalah' to the entire region of Bengal.
• Ilyas Shahi united the 3 important administrative centers of Bengal Lucknow,
Satgaon, Sonargaon and established the 'Muslim kingdom of Lucknow' as the
'Muslim kingdom of Bengal'.
• Probably since then the name 'Bangalah' came to be used for the entire Bengali
speaking region.
• The contemporary Indian historian Shams-e-Siraj Afif in Tarikh-e-Firojshahi
referred to Ilyas Shah as 'Shah-i-Bangalah' or 'Shah-i-Bangaliyan' and 'Sultan-i-
Bangalah'. He called Ilyas Shah's army the 'pikes of Bangalah'.
• It was at this time that the name 'Bangalah' and its inhabitants 'Bengali' spread
across the world.
• Early 15th century accounts of Chinese travelers mention 'Bangala' as a
kingdom. Ibn Battuta probably first mentions 'Bangala' in his travelogues.
Mahuen also traveled to Bengal and he referred to Bengal as Pang-ko-la
• Tibetan historian Lama Taranath used the name 'Bangala' in his book on
the history of Buddhism in 1610 CE.
• After Mughal rule, Bengal came to be known as 'Suba Bangala'. Afghan
historians of the Mughal era called this region 'Bangala'.
• The land settlement of Todarmalla consists of Suba 'Bangala' and various
divisions under Suba 'Bangala'.
• Babur in his autobiography referred to Husain Shah and Nasrat Shah as
Sultans of 'Bangala' and them as 'Bengalis'.
• Abul Fazl's description of Suba 'Bangala', Tuzuk-i-Jahangari and Ghulam
Hussain Salim's Rias-us-Salatin, written in 1788, describe the size of Suba
Bangala almost identically.
• They describe this 'Suba' as it was surrounded by mountains to the east
and north and sea to the south. To its west is Suba Vihar. Kamrup and
Assam Suba were situated on the border of Bengal.
• This region came to be known as 'Beangala' to European writers
through the Portuguese in the 16th and 17th centuries.
• In the 13th century, Marco Polo mentioned some people in the
province called 'Beangala' who lived in the southern part of the Indian
subcontinent.
• In the 16th century, the Portuguese Vathema, Barbosa and Jao da
Barros mention the kingdom and city of 'Beangala'.
• Contemporary paintings/maps also depict the existence of the
'Beangala' state or city.
• 'Beangala' given to the Portuguese was transformed into a province
called 'Bengal' by the British. From 1853 onwards 'Bengal' became an
important province of India ruled by an English governor.
• Bengal was divided into two during the Partition of Bengal in 1905,
but this separation did not last long. It was reunited with the Abolition
of the Partition of Bengal in 1911.
• But due to the impact of various events, the region was divided again
in 1947 during the partition of India. The present Bangladesh region
bears the name 'East Pakistan' and one of the most important units of
ancient Bengal was joined to India by the name 'Radha' 'West Bengal'.
• The Bengali community of 'Eastern Bengal' could not accept the sudden
appearance of the name 'Pakistan' in place of their ancient name as
consistent with their thousand-year-old identity. As a result of various
events including socio-economic exploitation and anti-tradition, the
Bengalis established the independent and sovereign Bangladesh by
sacrificing millions of lives while fighting the liberation war to free
Bengal from exploitation in 1971.
• In the light of language and long history, the country is named
'Bangladesh' - the People's Republic of Bangladesh according to the first
article of the Constitution of Bangladesh. In this way, the name
Bangladesh has been ceremonially and legally established through the
liberation war through a long history.
 Transformation of the Name

Vanga > Bangal > Bangalah > Bangala > Suba Bangala >
Beangala > Bengal > East Pakistan/ Eastern Bengal >
Bangladesh