HIS 103

Lecture-1

Bengal to Bangladesh:
Tracing its Historical Roots
 Introduction
• Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation in 1971 after
breaking away and achieving independence from Pakistan in
the Bangladesh Liberation War.
• For much of history, the state that today we call Bangladesh
was known only as Bengal
• What happened elsewhere on the Indian subcontinent
affected this region, too.
• Dominated at different periods of history by Buddhists,
Hindus, Muslims, the Mughals and the East India Company,
modern Bangladesh is a product of imperial Britain's Partition
of India – a majority-Muslim nation initially joined to Pakistan,
and finally born as an independent nation in 1971 after a
bloody liberation war
 Introduction
• The emergence of Bangladesh as an independent country is the
culmination of long historical struggles that started following
the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and concluded by the Liberation
War of 1971.
• There are three phases of our national history:
• (i) the long anti-colonial struggle against the British Raj
from 1757 to 1905
• (ii) the scuffle for safeguarding Bengali-Muslim identity and
interests during 1905-47
• (iii) the fight for establishing separate Bengali identity
against the Punjab centric civil-military autocracy in
Pakistan during 1947-71
 Origin of the name “Bengal”
• Bangladesh was known only as Bengal
• Though the exact origin of the word Bengal is unknown, it is believed
to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang/Banga that
settled in the area around the year 1000 BC.
• Other accounts speculate that the name is derived
from Venga (Bôngo), which came from the Austric word “Bonga”
meaning the Sun-god.
• An interesting theory of the origin of the name is provided by Abu'l-
Fazl in his Ain-i-Akbari. According to him, “The original name of
Bengal was Bung, and the suffix “al” came to be added to it from the
fact that the ancient rajahs of this land raised mounds of earth 10 feet
high and 20 in breadth in lowlands at the foot of the hills which were
called “al”. From this suffix added to the Bung, the name Bengal arose
and gained currency”.
 Ain-i-Akbari
• Ain-i-Akbari or the Administration of
Akbar is a 16th century detailed
document recording the administration of
the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar
written by his court historian, Abul Fazl
in the Persian language
• It is the third volume of the book
‘Akbarnamah’
 Early History
• Bengal’s early documented history featured successions
of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and empires, competing
for regional dominance
• Mauryan and Gupta empires exercised authority over
most parts of Bengal
• Several dynasties changed during the next few centuries
• The Pala Dynasty – first independent Buddhist dynasty of
Bengal- ruled Bengal until the middle of the 12th century
• The Sena dynasty started around 1095 AD but only
finally defeated the Palas around 1150 AD
 Arrival of Islam
• Islam - 6th-7th century AD
• Dominant the early 13th century
• Ikhtiyaruddin Mohammed Bakhtiar Khilji who, belonged to the
Khalji tribe of the Turks, with only 20 men under his command,
captured Bengal and brought it under the rule of the Sultanate of
Delhi in 1205 AD which continued till 1290 AD.
• Sultanate of Delhi was not a true dynasty but the rulers were
known as Mamluk/Slave.
• Bengal entered a new era
• Cities developed; palaces, forts, mosques, mausoleums and
gardens sprang up; roads and bridges were constructed; and new
trade routes brought prosperity and a new cultural life
 Arrival of Islam
• Four dynasties based in Delhi succeeded the Slave dynasty
• The Khaljis ruled from 1290 to 1320 AD
• The Tughluq dynasty's rule lasted until 1413 AD
• Sayyid rule ran from 1414 to 1451AD
• The Lodhi dynasty ruled in 1451-1526 AD
• Bengal turned into an independent region
• Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah - ruler of independent Bengal in 1342
AD
• Bengali revolt against the Tughluq dynasty’s governor.
• The Tughluqs, in return drove Ilyas Shah out of Pandua into
eastern Bengal.
• Shamsuddin reclaimed Pandua and continued ruling Bengal
 Arrival of Islam
• Successfully repulsed attempts by Delhi to conquer them.
• Continued to extend their territory across what is modern-day
Bengal, reaching to Khulna in the south and Sylhet in the east.
• Considerable architectural projects were completed including the
massive Adina Mosque and the Darasbari Mosque which still
stands in Bangladesh near the border with India.
• The Sultans of Bengal were patrons of Bengali Literature and
began a process in which Bengali culture and identity would
flourish.
• During the rule of this dynasty, Bengal, for the first time, achieved
a separate identity.
• Ilyas Shah named this province as ‘Bangalah’ and united different
parts into a single, unified territory. 
 Arrival of the Mughals
• In 1526, following the decline of the Sultanate, Bengal came under the
suzerainty of the Mughal Empire, as its wealthiest province.
• In 1576, Bengal became a province of the mighty Mughal Empire
• Mughal power extended over most of Bengal and it was during this period
that Dhaka became the Mughal capital of Bengal
• Under the Mughals, Bengal province generated almost 50% of the empire’s
gross domestic product (GDP) and 12% of the world's GDP. 
• The region was globally prominent in industries such as textile
manufacturing and shipbuilding, with the capital Dhaka having a
population exceeding a million people and being more wealthy than
all European empires.
• Its wealth and economic developments are believed to have waved the
period of proto-industrialization.
 East-India Company
•During the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (reigned1658–1707),
the English East India Company got the permission to establish its base at
Calcutta.
•The English East India Company sought to gain access to the province of
Bengal because it was the most successful industrial region in India.
•In 1750, India accounted for 25% of world economic production
contrasted to England’s 1.9%.
•Bengal was at the center of that production.
•The gradual decline of the Mughal Empire led to quasi-independent states
under the Nawabs of Bengal, subsequent to the Maratha invasions of
Bengal.
•In 1757, following a battle in the town of Plassey between the forces led
by Robert Clive and the Mughal Nawab (viceroy) Siraj-ud-Daula, the
East India Company emerged as the dominant political power in Bengal.  
 East-India Company
•In 1764, Battle of Buxar was fought between the forces of the East
India Company led by Hector Munro and the combined army of Mir
Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, and the Mughal King Shah Alam II.
•Buxar marked the final ascendancy of the English in Bengal
•By1793, the East India Company took complete control of the region.
•The plunder of Bengal made direct significant contributions to
the Industrial Revolution in Britain, with the capital amassed from
Bengal used to invest in British industries such as textile manufacture
during the Industrial Revolution and greatly increase British wealth,
while at the same time leading to deindustrialization in Bengal.
 The Famine of 1770
• For Bengalis, however, the British conquest was a
tragedy.
• The most productive region in India was quickly
reduced to poverty.
• Famine spread throughout the province as the
British increased tax collection, decreased wages,
and failed to respond to droughts and floods.
• In 1769, about 10 million Bengalis died of famine
Revolts against the East-India Company
•The people of Bengal could not accept the British rule and there were protests and
revolts against them.
•Fakir and Sanyashi revolts (1760-1800), Peasant Uprising of Rangpur (1783) and Nil-
bidroho/Indigo revolt) (1859-62)
•Under the leadership of Haji Shariatullah and Titumir people kept harassing the British
from 1831-1839
•In 1857, there was an uprising against the British which is variously described as
the Sepoy Mutiny, the Indian Mutiny, the Great Rebellion, the Revolt of 1857,
the Indian Insurrection, and the First War of Independence.
•Karl Marx termed this revolt as the first movement for Independence by Indians.
•Economic, political, social, religious and military causes were responsible for the Revolt
of 1857.
•The greased cartridges incident was the immediate cause of the revolt.
•The revolt failed to end British rule in India though but was a big challenge to British
authority.
•Thousands of Bengali soldiers and civilians were publicly hanged in the mango garden
in present day Bahadur Shah Park in old Dhaka city after the suppression of the
rebellion.
 Partition of Bengal
• On 16 October 1905, the British rulers with a
proclamation declared the division of Bengal.
• The reasoning as stated by an English officer
‘United Bengal is a dangerous force for the
British. Once divided they cannot make
trouble for us.’