Islam in West Bengal

2021-07-09T07:36:48Z

2409:4065:21C:1CF7:7A2D:C616:98DD:2AC9:

{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Muslims in West Bengal
| pop = '''31,144,763''' (2021) <br /> (30% of the state population){{increase}}<ref name="indiaonlinepages-population">https://www.indiaonlinepages.com/population/west-bengal-population.html</ref><ref name="times-of-india-assembly-elections">{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.com/india/west-bengal-assembly-elections-why-getting-muslims-votes-could-be-tough-for-mamata-banerjee/articleshow/80725522.cms |title=West Bengal assembly elections: Why getting Muslims votes could be tough for Mamata Banerjee |website=Times of India}}</ref><ref name="free-press-journal-muslim-vote-share">https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/why-the-30-muslim-vote-share-is-crucial-in-bengal-explains-robin-roy</ref><ref name="india-census">https://www.indiacensus.net/states/west-bengal</ref><ref>[http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/India_at_glance/religion.aspx Census of India - Religious Composition]</ref>
| regions = Majority in [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]] with 66.2%, [[Maldah district|Maldah]] with 51.3%, [[Uttar Dinajpur district|Uttar dinajpur]] with 50%.

Significant minority in [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] with 37%, [[South 24 Parganas]] with 35.6%, [[Howrah]] with 26.20%.
| langs = [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Urdu]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| religions =
| related_groups =
| rawimage = File:Muslims-WB.jpg
}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
[[File:Zohora Begum Mosque 4.JPG|thumb|right|Zohora Begum Mosque in Kolkata]]

According to the (2021) estimation, the [[West Bengal]] state has over 31,144,763 [[Muslims]], who form 30% of the state's population.<ref name="indiaonlinepages-population" /><ref name="free-press-journal-muslim-vote-share" /><ref name="times-of-india-assembly-elections" /><ref name="india-census" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/XkVYBX2IaBk5Sqf8yr2XMM/Hindu-population-declined-Muslims-increased-2011-census.html |title=Census 2011 shows Islam is the fastest growing religion in India |date=26 August 2015 |newspaper=Mint }}</ref> The Muslim population in West Bengal as per as latest past Indian census of (2011) was around 24,654,825 forming 27% of the state population.<ref>https://core.ac.uk › pdfPDF
Muslims of West Bengal - CORE</ref> [[Muslims]] form the majority of the population in three districts: [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]], [[Malda district|Malda]] and [[Uttar Dinajpur district|Uttar Dinajpur]].<ref name=Saibal>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bengal-beats-India-in-Muslim-growth-rate/articleshow/48675987.cms |title=Bengal beats India in Muslim growth rate |author=Saibal Sen |date=26 August 2015 }}</ref>

==Demography==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ ''Percentage and population of Muslims in West Bengal by decades''<ref>https://m.statisticstimes.com/demographics/india/west-bengal-population.php</ref><ref name="BPSR_2019">{{cite news |url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2342/1/U615290.pdf |title=The Population Trajectories of Bangladesh and West Bengal During the Twentieth Century: A Comparative Study |author=Nahid Kamal}}</ref>
|-
! Year
! Percentage (%)
! Muslim Population [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|18px]]
! Total population
|-
| '''1901'''
| 29.44
| 3,954,776
| 16,940,088
|-
| '''1911'''
| 26.31
| 2,955,098
| 17,998,769
|-
| '''1921'''
| 26.07
| 4,101,516
| 17,474,348
|-
| '''1931'''
| 26.65
| 4,521,313
| 18,897,036
|-
| '''1941'''
| 26.18
| 5,506,442
| 23,229,552
|-
| '''1951'''
| 19.85
| 5,102,330
| 26,299,980
|-
| '''1961'''
| 20
| 6,915,348
| 34,926,279
|-
| '''1971'''
| 20.46
| 9,083,963
| 44,312,011
|-
| '''1981'''
| 21.51
| 11,743,209
| 54,580,647
|-
| '''1991'''
| 23.61
| 16,050,000
| 68,077,965
|-
| '''2001'''
| 25.25
| 20,240,543
| 80,176,197
|-
| '''2011'''
| 27
| 24,654,825
| 91,347,736
|-
| '''2021'''
| 30
| 31,144,763
| 103,815,877
|}

== Population ==
{{Historical populations
|title = Historical Muslim Population
|type =
|footnote =
|align = right
|width =
|state =
|shading =
|pop_name =
|percentages =
|source = <ref name="BPSR_2019" />
|1901 | 3,954,776
|1911 | 2,955,098
|1921 | 4,101,516
|1931 | 4,521,313
|1941 | 5,506,442
|1951 | 5,102,330
|1961 | 6,915,348
|1971 | 9,083,963
|1981 | 11,743,209
|1991 | 16,050,000
|2001 | 20,240,543
|2011 | 24,654,825
|2021 | 31,144,763
}}
The [[Muslim]] population in West Bengal before 1947 partition was around 30%.<ref name="core.ac.uk">{{cite news |title=Muslims of West Bengal |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/144521229.pdf |access-date=16 March 2021 |work=core.ac.uk}}</ref> After [[Partition of Bengal (1947)|partition of Bengal]] in 1947, some Muslims from [[West Bengal]] left for [[East Pakistan]], (Present-Day-[[Bangladesh]]). Estimates show that 1,534,718 [[Muslim]] refugees from West Bengal settling permanently in East Pakistan during 1947–1951.<ref name="Chatterji-2007">{{cite book |last=Chatterji |first=Joya |date=2007 |title=The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947–1967 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FjQ0iWSq2R0C |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-46830-5}}</ref>

=== Population by district (2011)===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Muslims in West Bengal by district (2011)<ref name="census_2011">[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW19C-01%20MDDS.XLS Population by religious community: West Bengal]. 2011 Census of India.</ref>
! # || District || Total population || Muslim population || %
|-
| 1 || [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]] || 7,103,807 || 4,707,573 ||style="background: darkgreen" |66.88%
|-
| 2 || [[South 24 Parganas district|South 24 Parganas]] || 8,161,961 || 2,903,075 || style="background: lightgreen |35.57%
|-
| 3 || [[North 24 Parganas district|North 24 Parganas]] || 10,009,781 || 2,584,684 || 25.82%
|-
| 4 || [[Malda district|Malda]] || 3,988,845 || 2,045,151 || style="background: darkgreen" |51.27%
|-
| 5 || [[Bardhaman district|Bardhaman]] || 7,717,563 || 1,599,764 || 20.73%
|-
| 6 || [[Uttar Dinajpur district|Uttar Dinajpur]] || 3,007,134 || 1,501,170 ||style="background: lightgreen |49.92%
|-
| 7 || [[Nadia district|Nadia]] || 5,167,600 || 1,382,682 || 26.76%
|-
| 8 || [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] || 3,502,404 || 1,298,054 || style="background: lightgreen |37.06%
|-
| 9 || [[Howrah district|Howrah]] || 4,850,029 || 1,270,641 || 26.20%
|-
| 10 || [[Kolkata district|Kolkata]] || 4,496,694 || 926,414 || 20.60%
|-
| 11 || [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]] || 5,519,145 || 870,204 || 15.77%
|-
| 12 || [[Purba Medinipur district|Purba Medinipur]] || 5,095,875 || 743,436 || 14.59%
|-
| 13 || [[Cooch Behar district|Cooch Behar]] || 2,819,086 || 720,033 || 25.54%
|-
| 14 || [[Paschim Medinipur district|Paschim Medinipur]] || 5,913,457 || 620,554 ||10.49%
|-
| 15 || [[Jalpaiguri district|Jalpaiguri]] || 3,872,846 || 445,817 || 11.51%
|-
| 16 || [[Dakshin Dinajpur district|Dakshin Dinajpur]] || 1,676,276 || 412,788 || 24.63%
|-
| 17 || [[Bankura district|Bankura]] || 3,596,674 || 290,450 || 8.08%
|-
| 18 || [[Purulia district|Purulia]] || 2,930,115 || 227,249 || 7.76%
|-
| 19 || [[Darjeeling district|Darjeeling]] || 1,846,823 || 105,086 || 5.69%
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|## || '''West Bengal''' (Total) || '''91,276,115''' || '''24,654,825'''|| '''27.01%'''
|}

=== Trends ===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Trends in Muslim population of West Bengal after Partition<ref name="BPSR_2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.thestatesman.com/news/opinion/bengal-s-topsy-turvy-population-growth/93152.html |title=Bengal’s topsy-turvy population growth |author=B.P. Syam Roy |newspaper=The Statesman |date=28 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910125228/http://www.thestatesman.com/news/opinion/bengal-s-topsy-turvy-population-growth/93152.html |archivedate=10 September 2016}}</ref><ref name="BPSR_2019" />
! Census year !! % of total population !! Decadal growth !! Increase

|-
|1946 '''(Before partition)''' || 30.32%<ref name="core.ac.uk" /> || NA || NA
|-
| 1951 || 19.85% || 27.26% || style="background: red" |
'''-10.47%'''
|-
| 1961 || 20% || 36.48% || style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.15%'''
|-
| 1971 || 20.46% || 29.76% || style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.46%'''
|-
| 1981 || 21.51% || 29.55% || style="background: lightgreen" | '''+1.05%'''
|-
| 1991 || 23.61% || 36.89% || style="background: lightgreen" | '''+2.1%'''
|-
| 2001 || 25.25% || 25.91% || style="background: lightgreen" | '''+1.64%'''
|-
| 2011 || 27.01% || 21.80% || style="background: lightgreen" | '''+1.76%'''
|-
| 2021 || 30%<ref name="times-of-india-assembly-elections" />|| 26.30% || style="background: lightgreen" | '''+2.99%'''
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Trends in Muslim population of West Bengal before Partition<ref name="BPSR_2019" />
! Census year !! % of total population !! Decadal growth !! Increase
|-
| 1901 || 25.98% || NA || NA
|-
| 1911 || 26.31% || NA || NA
|-
| 1921 || 26.07% || NA || NA
|-
| 1931 || 26.65% || NA || NA
|-
| 1941 || 26.18% || NA || NA

|}

===Projections===
According to the 2011 census, there were around 24.6 million Muslims living in West Bengal. Nearly 19 million are Bengali Muslims, constituting around 77% of the total Muslim population in the state, and they are mainly concentrated in rural areas. The Urdu-speaking Muslims live mainly in Kolkata and other urban areas of West Bengal.<ref>https://m.timesofindia.com/india/west-bengal-elections-2021-mamata-banerjee-and-muslim-votes/articleshow/81700787.cms</ref> Their percentage in the population has remained largely stable, from 30.3% in 1946 (before partition) to again regaining 30.05% in 2021 as the same status just they have before partition of Bengal in 1947.<ref name="free-press-journal-muslim-vote-share" /><ref name="times-of-india-assembly-elections" /><ref name="Chatterji-2007" /> Furthermore, the Muslim decadal growth rate has decreased over the last three decades, owing to a fall in fertility rates.<ref>https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/condition-of-muslims-in-west-bengal-a-reality-check-ahead-of-west-bengal-assembly-elections-2021/article33887344.ece</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ghosh |first1=Subhanil Chowdhury & Saswata |title=Condition of Muslims in West Bengal: A reality check |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/condition-of-muslims-in-west-bengal-a-reality-check-ahead-of-west-bengal-assembly-elections-2021/article33887344.ece |access-date=16 March 2021 |work=Frontline |language=en}}</ref>

==Notable Muslims from West Bengal==
===Kolkata===
* [[Mohammed Ali Qamar]], [[boxer]], medalist in [[Commonwealth Games]]
* [[Rupam Islam]], musician
* [[Masudur Rahman Baidya]], [[swimmer]]
* [[Mohammad Hamid Ansari]], former [[Vice President of India]]
* [[Mohammed Salim (footballer)]]
* [[Mohammed Salim (politician)]]
* [[Altamas Kabir]], former [[Chief Justice of India]]
* [[Firhad Hakim]], [[Mayors of Kolkata|Mayor]] of [[Kolkata]], MIC Urban Development and Municipal Affairs
* [[Sultan Ahmed (Indian politician)|Sultan Ahmed (politician)]], Indian politician and former Union Minister of State Tourism
* [[Nafisa Ali]], actress, politician and social activist
* [[Sahil Khan]], gymnast and model of India

===Malda===
* [[A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury]], former [[Railways Minister (India)]]
* [[Mausam Noor]] Formar [[Member of Indian Parliament|M.P]] of [[Maldaha Uttar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Maldaha Uttar]]
* [[Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury]] [[Member of Indian Parliament|M.P]] of [[Maldaha Dakshin (Lok Sabha constituency)|Maldaha Dakshin]] and Ex-State Health Minister
* [[Isha Khan Choudhury]] current [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly|M.L.A]] of [[Sujapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)]]
* [[Abu Nasar Khan Choudhury]] Ex-[[West Bengal Legislative Assembly|M.L.A]] of [[Sujapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)]] and Ex-Minister of Science and Technology
* [[Sabina Yeasmin]] current [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly|M.L.A]] of [[Mothabari]] and Ex-Minister of Labour Department
* [[Rubi Noor]] former three times [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly|M.L.A]] of [[Sujapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)]]

===Murshidabad===
* [[Mir Afsar Ali]], Radio Jockey, Actor
* [[Syed Mustafa Siraj]], Bengali writer
* [[Abul Bashar]], Bengali writer
* [[Niamot Sheikh]], Current M.L.A of Hariharpara, [[Hariharpara]].

===Hooghly===
*[[Abdul Mannan (West Bengal politician)]], Politician

===Burdwan===
*[[Siddiqullah Chowdhury]], Politician & President Of [[Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind]]# Tabassum ara deputy Mayor ## Mir hasim amc President

===South 24 Parganas===
*[[Abdur Razzak Molla]], Politician & Former Minister Of Land Reforms

==See also==
* [[Islam in Bangladesh]]
* [[Bengali Muslims]]
* [[Islam in India]]
* [[Hinduism in Bangladesh|Hinduism in East Bengal]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Islam in India by region}}
{{Minority Concentrated Districts in India}}

[[Category:Islam in India by state or union territory|West Bengal]]
[[Category:Religion in West Bengal]]

Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Islam in West Bengal