History of West Bengal

History of West Bengal

The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown, though it is believed to be
derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang/Banga that settled in the area around
the year 1000 BCE.[2][3] Other accounts speculate that the name is derived from Vanga
(bôngo), which came from the Austric word "Bonga" meaning the Sun-god. According
to the Mahabharata, a number of Puranas and the Harivamsha Vanga was one of the
adopted sons of king Vali who founded the Vanga kingdom. The Muslim Accounts
refer that "Bong", a son of Hind (son of Hām who was a son of Prophet Noah/Nooh)
colonized the area for the first time.[4] The earliest reference to "Vangala" (Bôngal)
has been traced in the Nesari plates (805 AD) of Rashtrakuta Govinda III which speak
of Dharmapala as the king of Vangala. Shams-ud-din Ilyas Shah took the title "Shah-e-
Bangla" and united the whole region under one government.

Ancient history
See also: Gangaridai, Magadha, Pundra Kingdom, Suhma Kingdom, Anga Kingdom,
Vanga Kingdom, and Harikela

Pre-historic Bengal

Stone age tools dating back 20,000 years have been excavated in the state.[5]
Remnants of Copper Age settlements in the Bengal region date back 4,000 years.[6]
Stone tools provide the earliest evidence of human settlements. Prehistoric stone
implements have been discovered in various parts of West Bengal in the districts of
Midnapur, Bankura and Burdwan, and also at Sagardighi. But it is difficult to
determine, even approximately, the time when people using them first settled in
Bengal. It might have taken place ten thousand years (or even more) ago. The
original settlers spoke non-Aryan languages— they may have spoken Austric or
Austro-Asiatic languages like the languages of the present-day Kola, Bhil, Santal,
Shabara, and Pulinda peoples. At a subsequent age, peoples speaking languages from
two other language families— Dravidian and Tibeto-Burman—seem to have settled in
Bengal. Archaeological discoveries during the 1960s furnished evidence of a degree
of civilisation in certain parts of Bengal as far back as the beginning of the first
millennium BC, perhaps even earlier. The discoveries at Pandu Rajar Dhibi in the
valley of the Ajay river (near Bolpur) in Birbhum district and in several other sites on
the Ajay, Kunur and Kopai rivers have thrown fresh light on Bengal's prehistory. Pandu
Rajar Dhibi represents the ruins of a trading township, which carried on trade not only
with the interior regions of India, but also—possibly indirectly—with the countries of
the Mediterranean.

Bengal in early literature

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Some references indicate that the primitive people in Bengal were different in
ethnicity and culture from the Vedic people beyond the boundary of Aryandom and
who were classed as "Dasyus". The Bhagavata Purana classes them as sinful people
while Dharmasutra of Baudhayana prescribes expiatory rites after a journey among
the Pundras and Vangas. Mahabharata speaks of Paundraka Vasudeva who was lord
of the Pundras and who allied himself with Jarasandha against Krishna. The
Mahabharata also speaks of Bengali kings called Chitrasena and Sanudrasena who
were defeated by Bhima and Kalidasa mentions Raghu defeating a coalition of Vanga
kings.

Proto-History

Mahasthangarh is the oldest archaeological site in Bangladesh. It dates back to 700

BCE and was the ancient capital of the Pundra Kingdom.

Hindu scriptures such as the Mahabharata suggest that ancient Bengal was divided
among various tribes or kingdoms, including the Nishadas and kingdoms known as
the Janapadas: Vanga (southern Bengal), Pundra (northern Bengal), and Suhma
(western Bengal) according to their respective totems. These Hindu sources, written
by Indo-Aryans in what is now Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, suggest that the peoples of
Bengal were not Indo-Aryans. However, Jain scriptures identify Vanga and Anga in
Bengal as Indo-Aryan. While western Bengal, as part of Magadha, became part of the
Indo-Aryan civilization by the 7th century BCE, the Nanda Dynasty was the first
historical state to unify all of Bengal under Indo-Aryan rule.

Overseas Colonization

The Vanga Kingdom was a powerful seafaring nation of Ancient India. They had
overseas trade relations with Java, Sumatra and Siam (modern day Thailand).
According to Mahavamsa, the Vanga prince Vijaya Simha conquered Lanka (modern
day Sri Lanka) in 544 BC and gave the name "Sinhala" to the country. Bengali people
migrated to the Malay Archipelago and Siam (in modern Thailand), establishing their
own colonies there.[7]

Gangaridai Empire

Main article: Gangaridai

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Asia in 323BC, the Nanda Empire and Gangaridai Empire in relation to Alexander's
Empire and neighbors.

Though north and west Bengal were part of the Magadhan empire southern Bengal
thrived and became powerful with her overseas trades. In 326 BCE, with the invasion
of Alexander the Great the region again came to prominence. The Greek and Latin
historians suggested that Alexander the Great withdrew from India anticipating the
valiant counter attack of the mighty Gangaridai empire that was located in the Bengal
region. Alexander, after the meeting with his officer, Coenus, was convinced that it
was better to return. Diodorus Siculus mentions Gangaridai to be the most powerful
empire in India whose king possessed an army of 20,000 horses, 200,000 infantry,
2,000 chariots and 4,000 elephants trained and equipped for war. The allied forces of
Gangaridai Empire and Nanda Empire (Prasii) were preparing a massive counter
attack against the forces of Alexander on the banks of Ganges. Gangaridai according
to the Greek accounts kept on flourishing at least up to the 1st century AD.

Early Middle Ages

The pre-Gupta period of Bengal is shrouded with obscurity. Before the conquest of
Samudragupta Bengal was divided into two kingdoms: Pushkarana and Samatata. An
inscription of Pushkaranadhipa (the ruler of Pushkarana) Chandravarman has been
found in a cave in the Shushunia hills. Chandragupta II had defeated a confederacy of
Vanga kings resulting in Bengal becoming part of the Gupta Empire.

Gauda Kingdom

Main article: Shashanka

By the 6th century, the Gupta Empire, which ruled over the northern Indian
subcontinent had largely broken up. Eastern Bengal splintered into the kingdoms of
Vanga, Samatata and Harikela while the Gauda kings rose in the west with their
capital at Karnasuvarna (near modern Murshidabad). Shashanka, a vassal of the last
Gupta Empire proclaimed independent and unified the smaller principalities of Bengal
(Gaur, Vanga, Samatata) and vied for regional power with Harshavardhana in
northern India. But this burst of Bengali power did not last very long beyond his

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death, as with the overthrow of Manava (his son)Bengal descended into a period
marked by disunity and foreign invasion once more.

Pala dynasty

Main article: Pala Empire

Pala Empire under Pala Empire under

Dharmapala Devapala

Pala Empire was the first independent Buddhist dynasty of Bengal. The name Pala
(Modern Bengali: পাল pal) means protector and was used as an ending to the names of
all Pala monarchs. The Palas were followers of the Mahayana and Tantric schools of
Buddhism. Gopala was the first ruler from the dynasty. He came to power in 750 in
Gaur by a democratic election. This event is recognized as one of the first democratic
elections in South Asia since the time of the Mahā Janapadas. He reigned from 750-
770 and consolidated his position by extending his control over all of Bengal. The
Buddhist dynasty lasted for four centuries (750-1120 AD) and ushered in a period of
stability and prosperity in Bengal. They created many temples and works of art as
well as supported the Universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila. Somapura
Mahavihara built by Dharmapala is the greatest Buddhist Vihara in the Indian
Subcontinent.

Somapura Mahavihara is the greatest Buddhist Vihara in the Indian Subcontinent built
by Dharmapala.

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The empire reached its peak under Dharmapala and Devapala. Dharmapala extended
the empire into the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent. This triggered once
again the power struggle for the control of the subcontinent. Devapala, successor of
Dharmapala, expanded the empire to cover much of South Asia and beyond. His
empire stretched from Assam and Utkala in the east, Kamboja (modern day
Afghanistan) in the north-west and Deccan in the south. According to Pala
copperplate inscription Devapala exterminated the Utkalas, conquered the
Pragjyotisha (Assam), shattered the pride of the Huna, and humbled the lords of
Pratiharas, Gurjara and the Dravidas.

Buddha and Bodhisattvas, 11th century, Pala Empire

The death of Devapala ended the period of ascendancy of the Pala Empire and
several independent dynasties and kingdoms emerged during this time. However,
Mahipala I rejuvenated the reign of the Palas. He recovered control over all of Bengal
and expanded the empire. He survived the invasions of Rajendra Chola and the
Chalukyas. After Mahipala I the Pala dynasty again saw its decline until Ramapala, the
last great ruler of the dynasty, managed to retrieve the position of the dynasty to
some extent. He crushed the Varendra rebellion and extended his empire farther to
Kamarupa, Orissa and Northern India.

The Pala Empire can be considered as the golden era of Bengal. Never had the
Bengali people reached such height of power and glory to that extent. Palas were
responsible for the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet, Bhutan and
Myanmar.It was during the Pala period Bengal became the main centre of Buddhist as
well as secular learning.Universities like Nalanda, Vikramshila and Paharpur flourished
and prospered under the patronage of the Pala kings. Dharmapal and Devapal were
two great patrons of Buddhism, secular education and culture.But such cultural
Renaissance as virtually took place in Bengal under the Palas came across of a
withering phase under the Sena rulers who were not only Hindu revivalists rather
neglected the Budddhist centres of learning including the universities.The Sena ruler

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Ballal Sen even forced the reconversion of the Buddhists and Yogis to caste-based
Hinduism.[8] The Palas had extensive trade as well as influence in south-east Asia. This
can be seen in the sculptures and architectural style of the Sailendra Empire (present-
day Malaya, Java, Sumatra).

Sena dynasty

Main article: Sena Empire

The Palas were followed by the Sena dynasty who brought Bengal under one ruler
during the 12th century. Vijay Sen the second ruler of this dynasty defeated the last
Pala emperor Madanapala and established his reign. Ballal Sena introduced caste
system in Bengal and made Nabadwip the capital. The fourth king of this dynasty
Lakshman Sen expanded the empire beyond Bengal to Bihar, Assam, Orissa and
probably to Varanasi. Lakshman was later defeated by the Muslims and fled to
eastern Bengal were he ruled few more years. The Sena dynasty brought a revival of
Hinduism and cultivated Sanskrit literature in India. It is believed by some Bengali
authors that Jayadeva, the famous Sanskrit poet and author of Gita Govinda, was one
of the Pancharatnas (meaning 5 gems) in the court of Lakshman Sen.

Medieval Bengal

Murshidabad Palace

The Muslim invasion of India (including Bengal) came in the early 13th century. The
invaders under the leadership of Ikhtiar Uddin Muhammad Bin Bakhtiyar Khilji,
defeated the Sena king Lakshman Sena at his capital, Nabadwip in 1203 or 1204. The
Deva dynasty — the last Hindu dynasty to rule in Bengal — ruled briefly in eastern
Bengal, although they were suppressed by the mid-14th century. Hindu bengali
kingdoms continued to exist in the eastern and southern parts of bengal till the
1450s.After the 1450s, they were overwhelmed by the Turkish attacks.Only Koch
kingdom in Northern Bengal could resist the Turkish and the Afghan attacks through
the 16th and the 17th centuries and could also weather the Mughals till the advent of
the British.Hindu political power was thus ,henceforth ,limited to chieftainships and
baronships under Muslim kings-especially in the present-day areas of West Bengal
and Western Bangladesh.

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During the early Muslim period, the former kingdom became known as the Sultanate
of Bengal, ruled intermittently from the Sultanate of Delhi. The chaotic shifts in power
between the Pashtun and Turkic rulers of that sultanate came to an end when Mughal
rule became established in Bengal during the 16th century.There were several
independent Hindu states established in Bengal in the Mughal period as Bengalis tried
to assert their independence time and again.Some important ones were those of Raja
Pratapaditya Ray of Jessore and Raja Sitaram Ray of Naldi and Satair areas.These
kingdoms contributed a lot to the economic and cultural landscape of
Bengal.Extensive land reclamations in forested and marshy areas were carried out
and intra-state trade and commerce were highly encouraged.These kingdoms also
helped introduce new music,painting,dancing and sculpture into bengali art-
forms.Lots of temple construction was also carried out.Militarily,these served as
bulwarks against Portugese and Burmese attacks and staved off lots of depredations
from bands of Pathans also.Unfortunately for Bengal,the political stage was not yet
set for the emergence of nationalism.As such due to mutual rivalry and jealousy
among the Bengali chiefs themselves,the Mughal state destroyed these
kingdoms.However their ideological outlooks lived on as the notions of Bengali
nationhood took shape.The last of these kingdoms is recorded to have fallen as late
as 1714.

In 1534, the Pashtun Sher Shah Suri, or Farid Khan — a man of incredible military and
political skill — succeeded in defeating the superior forces of the Mughals under
Humayun at Chausa (1539) and Kannauj (1540). Sher Shah fought back and captured
both Delhi and Agra and established a kingdom stretching far into Punjab. Sher Shah's
administrative skill showed in his public works, including the Grand Trunk Road
connecting Sonargaon in Bengal with Peshawar in the Hindu Kush. Sher Shah's rule
ended with his death in 1545, although even in those five years his reign would have
a powerful influence on Indian society, politics, and economics.

Shah Suri's successors lacked his administrative skill, and quarrelled over the
domains of his empire. Humayun, who then ruled a rump Mughal state, saw an
opportunity and in 1554 seized Lahore and Delhi. When Humayun died in Jan.1556,
Hemu the then Hindu Prime Minister-cum- Chief of Army, of Afghans of Suri dynasty
had already won Bengal in the battle at Chapperghatta, killing Muhammad Shah the
then ruler of Bengal. This was Hemu's 20th continuous win in North India. Knowing of
Humanyun's death, Hemu rushed to Delhi to win Agra and later on Delhi and
established 'Hindu Raj' in North India on 6th Oct. 1556, after 300 years of foreign rule,
leaving Bengal to his Governor Shahbaz Khan. Akbar, the greatest of the Mughal
emperors, who defeated the Karani rulers of Bengal in 1576. Bengal became a Mughal
subah and ruled through subahdars (governors). Akbar exercised progressive rule and
oversaw a period of prosperity (through trade and development) in Bengal and
northern India.

Bengal's trade and wealth impressed the Mughals that they called the region the
"Paradise of the Nations". Administration by governors appointed by the court of the
Mughal Empire court (1575–1717) gave way to four decades of semi-independence

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under the Nawabs of Murshidabad, who respected the nominal sovereignty of the
Mughals in Delhi. The Nawabs granted permission to the French East India Company
to establish a trading post at Chandernagore in 1673, and the British East India
Company at Calcutta in 1690.

Kantaji Temple

When the British East India Company began strengthening the defences at Fort
William (Calcutta), the Nawab, Siraj Ud Daulah, at the encouragement of the French,
attacked. Under the leadership of Robert Clive, British troops and their local allies
captured Chandernagore in March 1757 and seriously defeated the Nawab on June 23,
1757 at the Battle of Plassey, when the Nawab's soldiers betrayed him. The Nawab
was assassinated in Murshidabad, and the British installed their own Nawab for
Bengal and extended their direct control in the south. Chandernagore was restored to
the French in 1763. The Bengalis attempted to regain their territories in 1765 in
alliance with the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, but were defeated again at the Battle
of Buxar (1765). The centre of Indian culture and trade shifted from Delhi to Calcutta
when the Mughal Empire fell.

British rule
See also: Bengal Presidency

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Map of the Bengal province, 1893

During British rule, two devastating famines were instigated costing millions of lives in
1770 and 1943. Scarcely five years into the British East India Company's rule, the
catastrophic Bengal famine of 1770, one of the greatest famines of history occurred.
Up to a third of the population died in 1770 and subsequent years. The Indian Mutiny
of 1857 replaced rule by the Company with the direct control of Bengal by the British
crown.

A centre of rice cultivation as well as fine cotton called muslin and the world's main
source of jute fibre, Bengal, from the 1850s became one of India's principal centres of
industry, concentrated in the capital Kolkata (known as Calcutta under the British,
always called 'Kolkata' in the native tongue of Bengali) and its emerging cluster of
suburbs. Most of the population nevertheless remained dependent on agriculture, and
despite its leading role in Indian political and intellectual activity, the province
included some very undeveloped districts, especially in the east. In 1877, when
Victoria took the title of "Empress of India", the British declared Calcutta the capital of
the British Raj.

India's most popular province (and one of the most active provinces in freedom
fighting), in 1905 Bengal was divided by the British rulers for administrative purposes
into an overwhelmingly Hindu west (including present-day Bihar and Orissa) and a
predominantly Muslim east (including Assam) (1905 Partition of Bengal). Hindu -
Muslim conflict became stronger through this partition. While Hindu Indians disagreed
with the partition saying it was a way of dividing a Bengal which is united by language
and history, Muslims supported it by saying it was a big step forward for Muslim
society where Muslims will be majority and they can freely practice their religion as
well as their culture. But owing to strong Hindu agitation, the British reunited East and
West Bengal in 1912, and made Bihar and Orissa a separate province. Another major
famine occurred during the second world war, the Bengal famine of 1943, in which an
estimated 3 million people died.

Bengal Renaissance
Main article: Bengal Renaissance

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Jagadish
Chandra Bose
was a Bengali
polymath: a
physicist,
biologist,
botanist,
archaeologist, Satyendra Nath
and writer of Bose was a
Swami science fiction. Bengali
Vivekananda is [11] He pioneered physicist,
considered a key the investigation specializing in
Rabindranath figure in the of radio and mathematical
Tagore is Asia's introduction of microwave physics. He is
first Nobel Vedanta and optics, made best known for
laureate and Yoga in Europe very significant his work on
composer of and America[9] contributions to quantum
Raja Ram Mohan Jana Gana Mana and is also plant science, mechanics in the
Roy is regarded the national credited with and laid the early 1920s,
as the "Father of anthem of India raising interfaith foundations of providing the
the Bengal as well as Amar awareness, experimental foundation for
Renaissance." Shonar Bangla bringing science in the Bose-Einstein
the national Hinduism to the Indian statistics and the
anthem of status of a world subcontinent.[12] theory of the
Bangladesh. religion during He is considered Bose-Einstein
the end of the one of the condensate. He
[10] fathers of radio
19th century. is honoured as
science,[13] and is the namesake of
also considered the boson.
the father of
Bengali science
fiction.

The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth
and early 20th centuries in the region of Bengal in undivided India during the period
of British rule. The Bengal renaissance can be said to have started with Raja Ram
Mohan Roy (1775–1833) and ended with Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), although
there have been many stalwarts thereafter embodying particular aspects of the
unique intellectual and creative output.[14] 19th century Bengal was a unique blend of

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religious and social reformers, scholars, literary giants, journalists, patriotic orators
and scientists, all merging to form the image of a renaissance, and marked the
transition from the 'medieval' to the 'modern'.[15]

Independence movement
See also: Freedom fighters from Bengal

Subhash Chandra Bose is one of the most prominent leader and highly respected
freedom fighter from Bengal in the Indian independence movement against the
British Raj.

Bengal played a major role in the Indian independence movement, in which

revolutionary groups such as Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar were dominant. Bengalis
also played a notable role in the Indian independence movement. Many of the early
proponents of the freedom struggle, and subsequent leaders in movement were
Bengalis such as Chittaranjan Das, Surendranath Banerjea, Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Bagha Jatin, Khudiram Bose, Surya Sen, Binoy-Badal-Dinesh,
Sarojini Naidu, Aurobindo Ghosh, Rashbehari Bose and many more. Some of these
leaders, such as Netaji, did not subscribe to the view that non-violent civil
disobedience was the only way to achieve Indian Independence, and were
instrumental in armed resistance against the British force. During the Second World
War Netaji escaped to Germany from house arrest in India and there he founded the
Indian Legion an army to fight against the British Government, but the turning of the
war compelled him to come to South-East Asia and there he became the co-founder
and leader of the Indian National Army (distinct from the army of British India) that
challenged British forces in several parts of India. He was also the head of state of a
parallel regime named 'The Provisional Governmeent of Free India' or Arzi Hukumat-e-
Azad Hind, that was recognized and supported by the Axis powers. Bengal was also

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the fostering ground for several prominent revolutionary organisations, the most
notable of which was Anushilan Samiti. A large number of Bengalis were martyred in
the freedom struggle and many were exiled in Cellular Jail, the much dreaded prison
located in Andaman.

Partitions of Bengal
Main article: Partition of Bengal
Further information: History of Bangladesh and History of West Bengal

Bengal region: West Bengal and Bangladesh.

In the 20th century, the partitions of Bengal, occurring twice, has left great marks on
the history and psyche of the people of Bengal. The first partition occurred in 1905
and the second partition was in 1947. As partition of British India into Hindu and
Muslim dominions approached in 1947, Bengal again split into the state of West
Bengal of secular India and a Muslim region of East Bengal under Pakistan, renamed
East Pakistan in 1958. East Pakistan (East Bengal) later rebelled against Pakistani
military rule to become independent republic of Bangladesh, literally "Land of
Bengal", after a war of independence against the Pakistani army in 1971. West Bengal
remains a part of India. However, culturally and sociologically, the two segments of
Bengal share considerably more than just a single language. Bengal (both West
Bengal and Bangladesh) is now one of the most densely populated regions of the
world. The partition of Bengal entailed the greatest exodus of people in Human
History. Millions of Hindus migrated from East Pakistan to India and thousands of
Muslims too went across the borders to East Pakistan. Because of the coming of the
refugees, there occurred the crisis of land and food in West Bengal; and such
condition remained in long duration for more than three decades.The politics of West
Bengal since the partition in 1947 developed round the nucleus of refugee problem.
Both the Rightists and the Leftists in the Politics of West Bengal have not yet become
free from the socio-economic conditions created by the partition of Bengal. These
conditions as have remained unresolved in some twisted forms have given birth to
local socio-economic, political and ethnic movements.(Ref. Dr.Sailen Debnath, 'West
Bengal in Doldrums' ISBN 978-81-86860-34-2; & Dr.Sailen Debnath, ed. Social and
Political Tensions In North Bengal since 1947, ISBN 81-86860-23-1)

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