History of Bengal

This article investigates the entanglement of knowledge regarding vegetable gardening in early colonial Bengal through the prism of the yearly vegetable exhibitions organized in Calcutta by the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India (AHSI, founded in 1820). The European members of the society thought that there were not enough vegetables grown in Bengal and that the commonly eaten vegetables were nutritionally inadequate. In order to 'improve' local vegetable cultivation, the society held a yearly exhibition in which Bengali gardeners received prizes for growing new vegetables, such as cauliflower and cabbage. To supply these exhibitions, the society ordered large shipments of seeds and then distributed them to malis (Bengali gardeners) around Calcutta. In the 1830s they extended this practice to their satellite societies across India. The end result was an increase in the cultivation of these vegetables, and eventually their absorption into local cuisine. Yet, Bengali gardeners continued to bring other vegetables to the exhibitions which were not from the AHSI seed. Eventually, the society's officers reacted to these unsolicited contributions by including awards for them. However, many members were anxious and unsure about these changes, constantly trying to make the vegetable exhibitions mimic the vegetable market at Covent Garden in London. In order to contain the changing exhibitions, they reiterated a divide between 'native' and 'foreign' vegetables by holding separate exhibitions for each. As such, this article reformulates the idea of mimicry, focusing more strongly on British ambivalence and anxiety as they tried to reiterate colonial boundaries with mixed success.

According to the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh, there is about 423 listed archaeological sites in the country. But, there are many more yet to be unrevealed. Their true value remains unseen to the world if not taken proper action and acknowledgement. Khan Jahan Ali, on his famous journey from Champanagar (currently in Barobazar, greater Jhenaidah district) to Khalifatabad (present day Bagerhat district); he crossed quite a few remote areas and set up human settlements. On his way he built roads, dug large water bodies for fresh supply of water, established mosques and houses for the inhabitants. His unique construction style is quite evident on the structures along the 112.7 km long road distinguished by an old earthen embankment, traversing through (i) Barobazar, (ii) Murali-Qasba, (iii) Poyogram-Qasba and (iv) Khalifatabad (Bagerhat) The road is still known as Khanjali Road. The first segment of this road, known as Hakimpur - Barobazar road contains nine sultanate mosques ...

Bengal famine resulted from food scarcity caused by large-scale exports of food from India for use in the war theatres and consumption in Britain. India exported more than 70,000 tonnes of rice between January and July 1943, even as the famine set in. This would have kept nearly 400,000 people alive for an entire year. Churchill turned down fervent pleas to export food to India, citing a shortage of ships-this when shiploads of Australian wheat, for example, would pass by India to be stored for future consumption in Europe. As imports dropped, prices shot up, and hoarders made a killing. Mr Churchill also pushed a scorched earth policy-which went by the sinister name of Denial Policy-in coastal Bengal, where the colonisers feared the Japanese would land. So, authorities removed boats (the region's lifeline), and the police destroyed and seized rice stocks. During the 1873-'74 famine, the Bengal lieutenant governor, Richard Temple, saved many lives by importing and distributing food. But the British government criticised him and dropped his policies during the drought of 1943, leading to countless fatalities.

This special issue of the Journal of Hindu Studies explores Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava engagement with key facets of colonial modernity and its role in shaping modern Hindu discourse. The issue's publication, it is hoped, will serve to both nurture the growing sub-field of Modern Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Studies and, more broadly, encourage greater attention to the important contributions of other such sampradāyic Hindu currents to the texture and dynamics of modern Hinduism.

Bengal in the first half of the eighteenth century was a prosperous and flourishing province, noted for its wealth and manufactures. It was this affluence which induced the contemporaries to describe Bengal in such terms as 'Paradise of Nations', 'the Paradise of India', or 'the realm of Paradise'. It was the same lure of wealth which also brought to the shores of Bengal a host of foreign merchants from far and wide, including a great many Europeans of diverse nationalities. Their travel accounts and descriptions were no less copious in glorifying the land which had 'a hundred open gates to enter...and not one to come away again'.

The wealth of this nation was created of course by the bounteous soil of the region which produced a wide variety of agricultural commodities like rice, wheat and other grains, sugarcane, cotton, opium, indigo, oils of different kinds and vegetables. Other economic products found in abundance were lacca, wax, long pepper, salt and saltpetre. But more than anything else Bengal was then the general storehouse of a wide variety of cotton and silk products not only for Hindustan of the Empire of the Great Mughal, but also for the Kingdom and for Europe itself. The goods so manufactured were not only known for their exquisite fineness and delicacy of workmanship but were also relatively cheap. Bengal's industrial economy during the pre-colonial period compared thus very favourably with that of any nation on earth.

In this chapter, an attempt will be made to study the state of the major indigenous industries during the colonial period. An attempt will also be made to explain the causes of their ultimate collapse. In this connection, the role of the state which could stimulate or inhibit industrial development would be looked into to ascertain the real motive of British rule. Did they create an appropriate climate for promoting and encouraging indigenous industrial enterprises? Was the destruction due to natural causes or was it deliberate? The economic policies of the colonial state in relation to industries need, therefore, also to be looked into to ascertain the total effect of such policies on the domestic manufacturing industries.

বাংলা Sugar Industry From very ancient times Bangladesh has been growing sugarcane for making gud or sukker or khandeswari. Such sweeteners are also produced from date and palm juice. Bengal was well known for quality sugar in the 16th century. The east india company exported large quantities of sugar from Bengal every year. The volume was 820,186 maunds (1 maund = 37.65 kg) in 1795 and 3,324,168 maunds in 1805. Production of beet sugar caused decline in production of cane sugar towards 1840. Later, the sugar industry suffered seriously due to diversion of land to jute. Under British rule, India could not produce enough sugar to meet demands of the domestic market although it continued to export it under colonial circumstances, largely to European countries. The gap was met by import mainly from Java. In 1947, East Pakistan inherited only a few sugar mills located at Rajshahi (Gopalpur), Dinajpur (Setabganj), Kushtia (Darshana), Dhaka (Chittaranjan and Arikhola), and Mymensingh (Kishoreganj). The total cane crushing capacity of these mills was only 4,350 metric tons. In 1947, sugarcane occupied less than 1 percent of the cropped area. The East Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation planned to establish 10 new sugar mills to raise production capacity to 1 million metric tons. But by 1956, only 5 mills could be established and the production stood at only 26,000 metric tons. Sugar industry plays an important role in the economy of Bangladesh by way of farming and creation of employment. The industry is under the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC). By-products of sugar mills have many uses. Molasses and bagasse are inputs for other industries. Around 425,000 acres of land are under sugarcane and the annual production is about 7.5 million tons, of which only 2.28 million tons are used in sugar mills and the rest goes to molasses making. Bangladesh now produces about 150,000 tons of sugar, 100,000 tons of molasses and 800,000 tons of bagasse per year. The country, however, ranks the lowest in the world in per acre yield of sugarcane-only 15 tons, while the comparative figures for Cuba, Indonesia, Australia and Hawaii are 36, 45, 55 and 70 tons respectively. Recovery of sugar from cane is also the poorest in Bangladesh-only 7.4% compared to 9% in Indonesia, 12.3% in Cuba, 12.4% in Hawaii and 15.6% in Australia. In the 1980s, the industry employed 15% of the labour force and had 30% of the fixed assets of the food industry as a whole. With 1.5% of world production, Bangladesh ranked 67th among the 130 sugar producing countries. In 2012, the country has 15 sugar mills at Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Setabganj, Rangpur, Shyampur, Rajshahi, Mahimaganj, Jaipurhat, Darshana, Kushtia, Mobarakganj, Jamalpur, Kaliachapra, Narsingdi, and Pabna. The estimated total annual production capacity of these mills was about 215,000 tons but the mills did not work in full capacity and, therefore, the production remained far less than the country's total estimated annual demand of about 400,000 tons. The total harvesting season between 1972 and 2009 is 34, of which sugar production faced damage of 20 and profit of 14 seasons. The demand of sugar is 12-14 lacs metric tons per year in the country. It is claimed that the production capacity of 15 state owned sugar mills is 2.15 lacs metric tons. But apparently the mills can produce less than 1 lac metric tons. During the crushing season of 2011-2012, the cane cultivation covered an area of 1,69,000 acres of land with a production of about 40 lacs tons. With deduction of nearby 10 lacs tons cane (for chewing consumption and grafting preservation), about 30 lacs tons should go to the sugar mills for manufacture of sugar. But less than 50% of the cultivated cane normally supplied to the mills. It is mainly for the high price of gur in the market and the complexities in getting payment of the supply of sugarcane to the mills. Sugar might be an export commodity and Bangladesh can earn foreign currency provided that following measures are taken, such as modernisation of mills, full fledged cane cultivation, lending of money to cane growers on easy terms, permission to refineries in full capacity production, modern technology and use of modern equipments in cane cultivation and sugar production, prevent equipment and system loss, malpractices of mill staff and proper and extensive use of by-products of sugar mills. [M Habibullah and Gazi Md Mizanur Rahman] Retrieved from "http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sugar_Industry&oldid=15831" This page was last modified on 12 November 2014, at 16:33. This page has been accessed 10,535 times.

A seminar, accompanied by exhibitions and follow up field initiatives are planned in order to prepare the ground for a further Bengal Renaissance, for the regeneration of the best and finest in Bengali, Indian and global traditions of humanity.

This paper argues that while Britain has been portrayed as the main variable in the Bengal famine, it was in fact caused by a combination of British actions, cyclones, drought, and Japanese aggression, particularly their interference with traditional Burmese trade routes. It argues against unitary causation and against genocidal intent on the part of the British to establish the Japanese invasion of Burma as the primary cause.

Bringing together scholars from across the disciplines of social and intellectual history, philology, theology, and anthropology to systematically investigate Vaiṣṇavism in colonial Bengal, the book highlights the significant roles—religious, social, and cultural—that a prominent Hindu devotional current played in the lives of wide and diverse sections of colonial Bengali society.

অন্ত্যমধ্যযুগীয় বাংলায় পুরুষদের প্রতিষ্ঠিত মন্দিরের তুলনায় নারীদের প্রতিষ্ঠিত মন্দিরের সংখ্যা খুবই অল্প। কিন্তু মল্লভূম অঞ্চলে আমরা অনেক নারী-প্রতিষ্ঠিত মন্দির দেখতে পাই। সপ্তদশ শতাব্দীতেই আমরা এই অঞ্চলের নয়জন নারীকে পেয়েছি, যাঁরা মন্দির প্রতিষ্ঠা করেছিলেন। অথচ মল্লভূম তথা বাংলার সামাজিক, রাজনৈতিক বা ধর্মীয় ইতিহাসে এই নারীদের কথা প্রায় উপেক্ষিতই। বর্তমান প্রবন্ধে সপ্তদশ শতাব্দীর মল্লভূমে নারীদের প্রতিষ্ঠিত মন্দিরের কথা তুলে ধরা হয়েছে।

Publisher's abstract:
Bangladesh did not exist as an independent state until 1971. Willem van Schendel’s state-of-the-art history navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that created modern Bangladesh through ecological disaster, colonialism, partition, a war of independence and cultural renewal. In this revised and updated edition, Van Schendel offers a fascinating and highly readable account of life in Bangladesh over the last two millennia. Based on the latest academic research and covering the numerous historical developments of the 2010s, he provides an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its resilient and inventive people. A perfect survey for travellers, expats, students and scholars alike.

Table of Contents

List of Plates
List of Maps and Figures
Acknowledgements
Timeline
Preface to second edition

Introduction
Part I. The Long View
1. A land of water and silt
2. Jungle, fields, cities and states
3. A region of multiple frontiers
4. The delta as a crossroads

Part II. Colonial Encounters
5. From the Mughal empire to the British empire
6. British legacies
7. A closing agrarian frontier
8. Colonial conflicts
9. Towards Partition
10. Partition
11. Population exchange

Part III. Becoming East Pakistan
12. The Pakistan experiment
13. Pakistan falls apart
14. East Pakistani livelihoods
15. The roots of aid dependence
16. A new elite and cultural renewal

Part IV. War and the Birth of Bangladesh
17. Armed conflict
18. A state is born
19. Imagining a new nation

Part V. Independent Bangladesh
20. Shaping a political system
21. The triumph of identity politics
22. Transnational linkages
23. Boom or bust?
24. Gender movements
25. A national culture?
Conclusions

Bangladesh district maps
Key political figures since 1947
Glossary of Bengali terms
Notes
Bibliography
Index


Links:
https://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/history/south-asian-history/history-bangladesh-2nd-edition?format=PB


https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/south-asian-history/history-bangladesh-2nd-edition?format=PB


https://books.google.se/books?id=Io7mDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR4&dq=bangladesh+history+2020&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf4pi6v8LqAhWy5KYKHaftB80Q6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

SUMMARY: This article attempts to delineate and plot the contours of the intercultural contributions of Gerasim Lebedev in a linguistic-cultural domain totally alien to him, in early-colonial Calcutta. It also seeks to contextualise the intense polysemy between 'microcosmic' personal and literary journeys and the 'cosmopolitan' acculturation that came with Lebedev's socio-cultural background and travels. Though, as will be seen in the essay, Lebedev's path-breaking maverick effort was largely a shot in the dark, his achievement is seen, in almost the entire theatrical fraternity in West Bengal and Bangladesh, in terms that can be described as larger than life. The essay will seek to understand the extent to which Lebedev's personal and professional choices reflected deep cross-cultural sympathies, thus making him an enthusiast with a difference.

বাংলা একাডেমি আয়োজিত একুশে বক্তৃতামালায় আজ ২০ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১৮ বিকাল ৪টায় "বাংলাদেশের হাজার বছরের ইতিহাস: বহুত্ববাদ এবং স্বাধীন বাংলাদেশের চার রাষ্ট্রনীতি" বিষয়ে প্রবন্ধ উপস্থাপন করেছি। আলোচক হিসেবে উপস্থিত ছিলেন আমার শিক্ষক অধ্যাপক সৈয়দ আনোয়ার হোসেন। সভাপতিত্ব করেছেন বাংলা একাডেমির মহাপরিচালক শামসুজ্জামান খান।

যে-বিষয়ে প্রবন্ধ পড়েছি তার ব্যাখ্যা-বিশ্লেষণের রয়েছে বহুমাত্রিকতা, রয়েছে তাত্ত্বিক বিতর্ক। আমার নিজস্ব ক্ষুদ্র চিন্তা ও উপলব্ধির ভিত্তিতে আলোচনার সুচনা করেছি। বেশ কিছুদিন ধরেই বিষয়টি নিয়ে পড়ালেখা করছিলাম, ভাবছিলাম এবং একটু একটু করে লিখছিলাম। চিন্তার অনেক খোরাক রয়েছে এখানে।

বিষয়টি নিয়ে যেকোনো আলোচনা-সমালোচনা, তর্ক-বিতর্ক, মত এবং ভিন্ন-মত জানতে ও বুঝতে চাই। কারো কাছে এ বিষয়ের কোনো গ্রন্থ বা প্রবন্ধ সম্পর্কে তথ্য থাকলে অনুগ্রহ করে আমাকে জানাবেন। প্রবন্ধের একটি খসড়া কোনো রকমে তৈরি করেছি। আপনার সহযোগিতা আমার এ-বিষয়ক চিন্তা-কে আরো কিছুটা পরিণত করতে পারে।

প্রবন্ধটির খসড়া তৈরিতে নিরলসভাবে সাহায্য করেছে আমার ছাত্র হাবিবুল্লাহ মিলন, আলমগির, আনিকা, সামিলা এবং আমার ছোট ভাই ইতিহাস সমিতির সাইদুর। তাদের জন্যে শুভেচছা আর ভালবাসা।<3

In 1914, the German Foreign Office envisaged a plan to stir up the subject populations of Britain, France and Russia. Colonial Muslims had acritical place in this plan, as contemporary Orientalist thought made the Germans believe these Muslims could easily be encouraged to rebel by a call for Jihad. In particular, the German Foreign Office believed Indian Muslims to be a disgruntled section of a subject population. The German government launched a campaign to spread Jihadi propaganda to incite them into rebellion  against the British imperial governement. This research note contextualises the broader transnational network of the German 'programme for insurrection'. It also examines how it exploited the old Wahabi network for the purpose.

When the Suri dynasty was supplanted by the returning Mughals in 1554-1557 as the rulers of northern India, the transition was not as clear-cut as when Sher Shah Suri had evicted Humayun 15 years previously. This time the change in power was marked by multiple kings, each staking his hold over a part of northern India. This paper presents a new type of rupee that has not been recorded so far, issued by Muhammad Shah Ghazi, the Bengal claimant to the Suri throne.

Bangladesh is a new name for an old land whose history is little known to the wider world. A country chiefly famous in the West for media images of poverty, underdevelopment, and natural disasters, Bangladesh did not exist as an independent state until 1971. Willem van Schendel's history reveals the country's vibrant, colourful past and its diverse culture as it navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that have created modern Bangladesh. The story begins with the early geological history of the delta which has decisively shaped Bangladesh society. The narrative then moves chronologically through the era of colonial rule, the partition of Bengal, the war with Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh as an independent state. In so doing, it reveals the forces that have made Bangladesh what it is today. This is an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its resilient and inventive people.

    Through the past to the present: a leading scholar traces Bengal's history to explain modern Bangladesh
    Includes aids for students such as a chronology, biographies of key political figures, a glossary and maps
    Features over 110 images that bring Bangladesh to life

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

evOvjbvgv: GK evOvj A_ev evOvwji wek¦ exÿv †gvnv¤ §` AvRg [evOvjbvgv \ Zcb ivq ‡P․ay ix Avb›` cvewjkvm© , KjKvZv \ cÖ _g ms¯‥ iY wØZxq gỳª Y: 2007] 1 Zcb ivq ‡P․ay ixi Rxeb AvÿwiK A ‡_© B eY© vX¨| †Kej eY© vX¨ ej ‡j Aek¨ †ek Kwg ‡qB ejv nq| ejv `iKvi, bvbv w`K †_ ‡K wZwb fvM¨evbI e ‡U| †ek Kevi webqekZ wb ‡Ri †hvM¨Zvi mv ‡c ‡ÿ Zz jbvgjK ÔevowZ cÖ vwßÕi K_v e ‡j ‡Qb wZwb| †hme RvMwZK cÖ vwßi D ‡jø L K ‡i wZwb webq †`wL ‡q ‡Qb, †m¸ ‡jv Zu vi †ÿ ‡Î †gv ‡UB †ewk bq| wKš' gvby ‡li Rxe ‡bi AwfÁZv †hme Kvi ‡Y ¸iaeZ¡ cỸ© nq, Zvi meUv †Zv e¨w³MZ AR© b bq| Rb¥, cvwievwiK DËivwaKvi, eû gvby ‡li Rxe ‡bi †gvo- †Nviv ‡bv mg ‡q †eu ‡P _vKv, ivR•bwZK ev ÿgZvm¤ú ‡K© i AšÍ i½ n ‡Z cviv, GgbwK †jLv ‡jwLi Drmvn Avi †fv³v cvIqv Ñ G¸ ‡jv wVK e¨w³MZ K… wZZ¡ w` ‡q meUv e¨vL¨v Kiv hvq bv| Zcb iv ‡qi †ÿ ‡Î ejv hvq, wZwb mgq I cÖ wZ ‡e ‡ki cÖ kÖ q †c ‡q ‡Qb; mv ‡_ mv ‡_ wb ‡Ri †hvM¨Zv I ZrciZvq wbR mgq I cÖ wZ ‡ek ‡K •ZwiI K ‡i ‡Qb| ZvB G ÔwkÿvRxexÕi AvZ¥Rxebx GZ AvKl© Yxq n ‡q ‡Q| evOvjbvgv evsjv fvlvi me ‡P ‡q my wjwLZ AvZ¥Rxebx¸ ‡jvi GKUv| †jLK Aek¨ e ‡j ‡Qb, GwU ÔAvZ¥Rxebx bq, ¯ §" wZK_vÕ gvÎ (c" . 10)| GK_v ejvi KviYI wZwb Rvwb ‡q ‡Qb| Lu vwU AvZ¥Rxebx wjL ‡Z †M ‡j e¨w³Rxe ‡bi Ggbme AwfÁZvi K_vI wjL ‡Z nq, mvaviYfv ‡e †h¸ ‡jv RbZvi mvg ‡b nvwRi Kiv ¯ŵ¯ÍvqK bq| †hgb †Kv ‡bv †Mvcb Aciva ev nxb AvPi ‡Yi K_v| Z ‡e AvZ¥Rxebx m¤ú ‡K© evsjvi weØrmgv ‡R †h K_vUv †ewk Pvjy , Zv nj, †ewkifvM AvZ¥Rxebx ‡Z †h․bRxe ‡bi eY© bv _v ‡K bv| K_vUv Gfv ‡e ejv hvq: hv wKQz U¨vey wnmv ‡e mgv ‡R cÖ wZwôZ Zv RxebxMÖ ‡š' I U¨vey wnmv ‡eB _v ‡K| Zcb ivq ‡P․ay ixI GKB K_v e ‡j ‡Qb| e ‡j ‡Qb, wb ‡Ri †Mvcb cÖ Kvk K ‡i GgbwK evRvwi cÖ mvi cvIqvi g ‡Zv ey ‡Ki cvUvI Zu vi bvB| ZvB AvZ¥Rxebx bq, ¯ §" wZK_vB mB| wKš' G cÖ m ‡½ Ab¨iKg fvebvi h ‡_ó my ‡hvM Av ‡Q| Drcv`K I †fv³v `y B w`K †_ ‡KB| AvZ¥Rxebx m¤ú ‡K© evsjvi wkwÿZmgv ‡Ri c ‡e© v³ fvebv Ges Ñ Zcb ivq ‡P․ay ixi fvebvI Ñ h ‡_ó cwigv ‡Y e¨w³ ‡Kw›`ª K| mZ¨ e ‡U, D`vi•bwZK gvbeZvev`x wWm ‡Kv ‡m© e¨w³ ‡K h ‡_ó cwigv ‡Y ¯îvU Avi ¯vaxb fvev nZ| wKš' AvRKvj †Zv Avgiv Rvwb, fvlv-ms¯‥ … wZ- †kÖ wY-gZv` ‡k© i `y ‡f©¨ Rv ‡j e¨w³gvby l Kx mvsNvwZK iK ‡g mvgwóK| evOvjbvgv †_ ‡KB GKUv D`vniY †`qv hvK| wejvZ †_ ‡K †divi c ‡_ cÖ vq A ‡a© K `y wbqv Ny ‡i †jLK fvi ‡Z wd ‡i ‡Qb| c ‡_ Avie `y wbqvi GKUv eo Ask gvwo ‡q Zu v ‡K fviZe ‡l© wdi ‡Z nq (c" . 250-53)| cy iv Avie `y wbqvq wZwb †`Lvi g ‡Zv ev Dc ‡fv ‡Mi g ‡Zv wKQz B cvbwb| e¨vcviUv ‡K ivq ‡P․ay ixi gy mjgvb-we ‡Øl wnmv ‡e †`Lvi AeKvk bvB| G e¯' ÁvbZ Zu vi g ‡a¨ †`Lv hvqwb| cÖ vP¨ev`x PP© vi dj wnmv ‡eI †`Lvi `iKvi bvB| wKš' †h wkÿv I iaewPi g ‡a¨ Zu vi Rb¥ Avi †e ‡o IVv, Zu vi †`Lvi †PvL Avi Aby f ‡ei iaewP †hfv ‡e fv ‡jv-g›` wba© vi ‡Yi wbwiL Zu vi g ‡a¨ Rwg ‡q Zz ‡jwQj, Zvi fwgKv †Zv Aek¨B Av ‡Q| aiv hvK, GKRb ag© cÖ vY gy mjgvb hy ev G c_ a ‡i fviZe ‡l© wdij| giaecÖ všÍ ‡ii IB wecy j we¯Í v ‡i Kvi ‡Y-AKvi ‡Y †m wK wknwiZ nevi g ‡Zv AmsL¨ Dcjÿ †c ‡q hv ‡e bv? cvIqviB K_v| gvbmMo ‡bi eo KvVv ‡gv ev` w` ‡q e¨w³i ¯vZš¿wePvi Ly e ev¯Í em¤ §Z n ‡e bv| e¨w³i g ‡a¨ dvivKUv N ‡U Av ‡iv †QvU KvVv ‡gvq| bxi` wm. †P․ay ixi mv ‡_ A· ‡dv ‡W© cu y BkvK wb ‡q Zu vi †h we ‡iva †eu ‡awQj (c" . 373), Zv ‡K †mB †QvU KvVv ‡gvi dvivK ej ‡Z cvwi| eo KvVv ‡gvi wePv ‡i Zu viv `y Rb Avm ‡j GKB †KvVvq co ‡eb| AvZ¥Rxebx ‡Z Kx _vK ‡e Avi Kx _vK ‡e bv, Zvi wba© vi ‡Y m¤¢ ve¨ †fv³vi fwgKvI †ek ¸iaeZi| GLv ‡b †fv³v K_vUv AwPwýZ evRvi A ‡_© †`LvB fv ‡jv| evRvi gv ‡b Avevi ïay eB ‡qi KvUwZ bq; †h aviYv Avi welq¸ ‡jv Ávbiv ‡R¨ `vcy ‡U _v ‡K, †m¸ ‡jvB Avm ‡j m¤¢ ve¨ †fv³vi d`© Uv •Zqvi K ‡i| GLb †h․bZv ev †m·y qvwjwU hw` Z ‡Ë¡ i evRv ‡i Kwé bv †c ‡q ïay imgq Mwm ‡ci Ask nq, Zvn ‡j, Aby gvb Kwi, AvZ¥Rxebx- †jLK †m e¯' Dc¯' vcbvi Sz u wK †b ‡eb bv| wKš' †h․bZv hLb ixwZg ‡Zv mvgvwRK-gvbweK M ‡elYvi †Pv¯Í Dcv`vb n ‡q I ‡V, hLb ZË¡ evwRi AvKi Dcv`vb wnmv ‡e evRv ‡i Pov-`i nvwmj K ‡i, ZLb Zv Dc¯' vc ‡bi evovevwoI N ‡U| GiKg D`vniY GB wbixn Mwie e ‡½I we¯Í i cvIqv hvq| e¨vcviUv ‡K ïay A_© Kwoi gvb` ‡Ð †`Lv m ‡Z¨i Acjvc n ‡e| Dc ‡ii Av ‡jvPbvi cÖ vmw½KZv GB †h, evOvjbvgv ‡K AvZ¥Rxebx wnmv ‡e covi h ‡_ó KviY Av ‡Q| eZ© gvb Av ‡jvPbvi Rb¨ GB wPývq ‡bi cÖ ‡qvRbI Av ‡Q| ¯ §" wZK_vqI e¨w³- †jLKwU ‡K wP ‡b †bqv hvq| wKš' AvZ¥Rxebx ‡Z e¨w³i nvwRiv A ‡bK †Rviv ‡jv _v ‡K| ZvB evOvjbvgv cvVm ‡Î †Lv` Zcb ivq ‡P․ay ixi e¨w³MZ- †kÖ wYMZ fve-¯fv ‡ei ch© v ‡jvPbvI DcKvix nIqvi K_v| 2 †h AwfÁZvUv wZwb †¯ª d Rb¥m ‡Î †c ‡q ‡Qb, †h mgqUv HwZnvwmK-ivR•bwZK Avby K ‡j¨ wb ‡RB gj¨evb, Zvi weeiYxUv wZwb w` ‡q ‡Qb †gvUvgy wU mvgwMÖ Kfv ‡e| wZwb Rv ‡bb, G¸ ‡jv HwZnvwmK Kvi ‡YB ¸iaeZ¡ cỸ© | Rv ‡bb, Gme NUbv ev ev¯Í eZvi Av ‡iv eû weeiYxi mv ‡_ cvVK cwiwPZ| Rv ‡bb e ‡jB Zu vi eY© bvq `y BwU †Su vK Ly e có| GKw` ‡K wZwb †P ‡q ‡Qb, wb ‡Ri e¨w³MZ AwfÁZvi mswÿß weeiYx †Zvjv _vKz K, hv nqZ Ab¨ `k e¨w³MZ AwfÁZv-weeiYxi GKUv n ‡q gj¨evb n ‡e| Ab¨w` ‡K IB AwfÁZv¸ ‡jv m¤ú ‡K© BwZnv ‡mi A¨vKv ‡WwgK wm×všÍ ‡jv wKiKg, ZviI mswÿß wKš' gj¨vqbag© x cwiPq †hvM K ‡i ‡Qb| `y B Ask wg ‡j IB mswÿß Dcva¨vq¸ ‡jv ‡Z GK ai ‡bi cỸ© Zvi ¯v` cvIqv hvq| wKš' †KZv ‡ei DËifv ‡M, cwiYZ eq ‡m wb ‡Ri Rxeb I Kg© ¸iaeZ¡ cỸ© n ‡q IVvi †cÖ ÿvc ‡U, wZwb ewY© Ze¨ wel ‡q LvwbKUv jvMvg †U ‡b ‡Qb| eY© bv K ‡i ‡Qb cÖ avbZ Kg© m ‡Î cvIqv AwfÁZv| wkÿKZv Avi wkÿvZË¡ ,

Christianity is one of the major and also the latest religions in Bangladesh. This monotheistic religion is based on the lifestyle, moral ideals, speech, and humanistic attitude of Jesus Christ. Their main religious belief is that Jesus is the son of God and the savior of mankind. The presence of Christianity is not very new and Christianization is going on for over 400 years in this area the Christian community is one of the largest increasing religious communities in Bangladesh. The Christian community of Bangladesh is divided into two main branches- Catholic and Protestant. However, Christianity is practiced here under the patronization of several missionaries. Although there are some differences in structures and activities their mission is almost the same. This paper analyzes the historical background and present situation of Christians focusing on some issues like conversion, socio-political impact, and cultural encounters, along with the development that took place over the years in a Muslim-majority country like Bangladesh.

In this article I show how certain schemes of infrastructural development of a space often do not produce the desired effect, but instead they set in motion a whole range of activities that brings forth many other issues. Through the study of the building of the New Fort William and the project of construction of a dockyard in Calcutta in the second half of the eighteenth century, I focus on some of the key issues that shed light on the urban settlement in the post-Plassey period. The building of the New Fort William and the dockyard were important projects that shaped the space of the town. But the projects themselves did not have the intended effect on the settlement—the fort took a long time to get completed and the dockyard could not be built in the first attempt. The halted and aborted efforts did leave a mark on the space of the town, brought in new forms of labour regulations and put forth questions of proprietary rights of individual and the Company. These projects also shed light on the relationship between the Company settlement and the rest of the province.

evsjv ‡`k GwkqvwUK †mvmvBwU cwÎKv, mu vBwÎkZg LÐ, †cŠl 1426/wW ‡m¤î 2019 evsjv A ‡ji nvRvi eQ ‡ii BwZnvm : eûZ¡ ev` Ges ¯vaxb evsjv ‡` ‡ki Pvi ivóª bxwZ AvKmv`y j Avjg * mvims ‡ÿc Ggb GKwU wel ‡q G cÖ e ‡Üi AeZviYv, †h wel ‡qi e¨vL¨v-we ‡kø l ‡Yi i ‡q ‡Q eûgvwÎKZv, i ‡q ‡Q ZvwË¡ K weZK© | cÖ e ‡Üi wk ‡ivbv ‡g e¨eüZ cÖ c¸wj M ‡elK gn ‡j †ek RbwcÖ q Ges A ‡bKw`b a ‡i mvgvwRK wRÁvmvi GK ¸iaeZ¡ cỸ© Ask| cÖ vPxb I ga¨hy ‡Mi evsjvi BwZnv ‡mi GKRb wk ¶v_© x wn ‡m ‡e G wRÁvmvi DËi Ly u R ‡Z wM ‡q cÖ vqkB †gvo I MwZ cv ‡ë P ‡jwQ| cÖ eÜwU IBme wRÁvmv, Zvi DËi Ges †mBm ‡Î MwZ-cwieZ© ‡bi cÖ eYZv¸ ‡jv Dc¯' vc ‡bi GK webxZ cÖ qvm |

The Jesuit father Nicolas Pimenta's report mentions one of the first Christian missions to Bengal (1598–1604). Based on fresh translations of the chapters in the report describing the Bengal mission, this article examines interreligious relations in contemporary Bengal characterised by the dialectic of coexistence and disjunction. Local kingship or lordship was the keystone in the structure of interreligious coexistence in Bengal. The Christian preachers carried an incompatibilist and exclusivist approach to interreligious relations that was at odds with the inclusivist and com-patibilist approach prevalent among the Bengal lords. The welcome accorded to the preachers by the lords reflected the inclusive approach. The eventual persecution and expulsion of the fathers was due to political exigencies rather than interreligious antagonism.

Up to the present day Suhrawardy remains a controversial figure in both parts of Bengal, with Hindus often seeing him as their fierce persecutor and Bangladeshi Muslims hailing him as their country's forefather and preacher of communal unity. This article analyses his actions during the period of his Prime Ministership (1946-1947) looking for the sources of the above dichotomy. It argues that although Suhrawardy displayed a mild communal bias at times, circumstances made him inconsistent, being as he was trapped between right wing of Muslim League, the Hindu masses unwilling to trust him and (until the end of 1946) Congress ambitions to inherit the whole Raj. The need to act quickly due to Viceroy Mountbatten's haste, as well as the PM's lack of social skills were other factors contributing to failure of his last initiative-United Bengal Scheme-despite his genuine efforts towards Hindu-Muslim settlement and agrarian reforms.

This revisionist history of caste politics in twentieth-century Bengal argues that the decline of this form of political mobilization in the region was as much the result of coercion as of consent. It traces this process through the political career of Jogendranath Mandal, the leader of the Dalit movement in eastern India and a figure of prominence in the history of India and Pakistan, over the transition of Partition and Independence. Utilizing Mandal's private papers, this study reveals both the strength and achievements of his movement for Dalit recognition , as well as the major challenges and constraints he encountered. Departing from analyses that have stressed the role of integration, Dwaipayan Sen demonstrates how a wide range of coercions shaped the eventual defeat of Dalit politics in Bengal.

Earliest record of Vaishnavism in Bengal occurs in the Susunia rock insqription of Chandravarman. It is engraved along with the representation of a wheel (a cakra) on the back wall of a cave at a place called Susunia in the Bankura district of West Bengal, already mentioned earlier. The inscription mentions of a king of Pushkarana, Chandravarman by name, who was a devotee of Chakrasvamin, which happens to be a name of Vishnu. Gupta Period: The cult of Bhagavatism appears to have been well estab lished In Bengal during the Gupta and post-Gupta periods. Vaishnavism was a predominant aspect of Brahmanical religion 2 during this Gupta age. With the rise of the power of the Guptas Bhagavatism came to the foreground and had spread to remotest corners of India including Bengal. Some of the Gupta monarchs were great champions of the Vaishnava cult. Not only the royal Guptas onwards from the time of Chandragupta had assumed the title Parama Bhagavata indicating that they were Vaishnavas in their personal religious pursuit.

This chapter provides an outline of both Vaiṣṇavism in the region of Bengal and the present state of the field of Bengali Vaiṣṇava studies. It then proceeds to highlight the value of a focused examination of the Bengali Vaiṣṇava tradition in its manifold forms during the period of British colonialism. It argues that such an undertaking promises to not only enrich our understanding of the history and development of Bengali Vaiṣṇavism, but also to shed valuable new light on the texture and dynamics of colonial Hinduism beyond the discursive and social-historical parameters of an entrenched Hindu “Renaissance” paradigm.