ArnulfoVos: made initial article v1!

2026-04-29T17:01:06Z

made initial article v1!

New page

{{Short description|none}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Bengalis}}
'''Bengal''' is a region in South Asia, politically split between [[Bangladesh]] and [[India]]. Due to its long history and complicated political divisions, various names have been used to refer to the region and its subsections. The name Bangla is used by both Bangladesh and [[West Bengal]] in international contexts. In the [[Bengali language]], the two Bengals each use a different term to refer to the nominally identified nation: '''Bānglā''' ({{lang|bn|[[:wiktionary:বাংলা|বাংলা]]}}) and '''Baṅga''' ({{lang|bn|[[wikt:বঙ্গ|বঙ্গ]]}}).

==Terminology in detail==
*Geography:
**'''[[Bengal]]''' is a region in Asia located in the eastern part of the [[Indian subcontinent]] at the apex of the [[Bay of Bengal]]. Geographically it is part of the [[Ganges-Brahmaputra delta]] system, the largest [[river delta]] system in the world. The region borders the [[Himalayan states]] to its north and in the east borders [[Northeast India]] and the country of [[Myanmar]].
**'''Bangla''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বাংলা}}) may be a transliteration of either Bengal (a geographical and ethno-linguistic region in South Asia) or Bengali (an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Bengal). It can also refer to the [[endonym]] of the region in the [[Bengali language]] or the native name of the region.
**'''Banga''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গ}}) is a transliteration of the Bengali name of the region of Bengal as a geographical and ethno-linguistic region in South Asia.
*Language:
**'''[[Bangladesh]]''' The etymology of Bangladesh ("Bengali Country") can be traced to the early 20th century, when [[Bengal]]i patriotic songs, such as "Namo Namo Namo Bangladesh Momo" (1922) by [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]] and "Aaji Bangladesher Hridoy" (1905) by [[Rabindranath Tagore]], used the term. The term Bangladesh was often written as two words, Bangla Desh, in the past. Starting in the 1950s, Bengali nationalists used the term in political rallies in [[East Bengal]] (in the year 1971 it became Bangladesh) province of [[Pakistan]]. The term [[Bangla (disambiguation)|Bangla]] is a major name for both the [[Bengal]] region (Bangladesh and [[West Bengal]]) and the [[Bengali language|Bengali]] language. The origin of the term Bangla is the Iron Age [[Vanga Kingdom]] (Now divided between the [[Bangladesh]] and the West Bengal). The ancient term Vangaladesa (now used as 'Bangladesh') for the Bengal region (modern day Bangladesh, West Bengal and [[Tripura]]) is found in 11th-century [[South Indian]] ([[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]]) records. The word "Bangāl" and "Banglā" became the most common name for the region during the Islamic period. The historian Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak mentions in his Ain-i-Akbari that the addition of the suffix "al" came from the fact that the ancient rajahs of the land raised mounds of earth 10 feet high and 20 in breadth in lowlands at the foot of the hills which were called "al". The Indo-Aryan suffix Desh is derived from the Sanskrit word deśha, which means "land" or "country". Hence, the name Bangladesh means "Land of Bengal" or "Country of Bengal". Alternatives to the name Bangladesh are:
'''Bangadesh''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গদেশ}}; lit. ''Bengali Country'')<ref name="বিশ্বকোষ/বঙ্গদেশ">{{Citation |date=1908 |script-title=bn:বঙ্গদেশ |url=https://bn.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B7/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%99%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6 |language=bn}}</ref>
'''Bangabhumi''' or '''Banglabhumi''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গভূমি/ বাংলাভূমি }}; lit. ''Bengali Land'')<ref name="বিশ্বকোষ/বঙ্গদেশ" />
'''Bangarajya''' or '''Banglarajya''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গরাজ্য/ বাংলারাজ্য}}; lit. ''Bengali Realm'')<ref name="বিশ্বকোষ/বঙ্গদেশ" />
'''Bangarashtra''' or '''Banglarashtra''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গরাষ্ট্র/ বাংলারাষ্ট্র}}; lit. ''Bengali State'')
*Politics:
**'''East Bengal''' – The 1947 [[Partition of Bengal (1947)|Partition of Bengal]] divided the [[British Raj|British Indian]] province of Bengal as part of the formal [[Partition of India]]. [[East Bengal]] (now Bangladesh), which was predominantly Muslim, became a province of Pakistan. In 1955, East Bengal became the new province of '''[[East Pakistan]]'''. In 1971, East Pakistan declared Independence during the [[Liberation War of Bangladesh]] and the new nation of '''Bangladesh''' was formed.[[File:Location-Bangla01.png|right|thumb|upright=1.55|{{legend|#218439|Map of Bengal proper divided between the [[Bangladeshi Republic]] and the Indian state of [[West Bengal]]}}]]
**'''West Bengal''' – The [[Partition of Bengal (1947)|Partition of Bengal]] also created [[West Bengal]], a predominantly Hindu province of [[Dominion of India|India]]. This is the native name of the state, literally meaning "West Bengal" in the Bengali language. In 2016, [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]] passed a resolution to change the name of West Bengal to "Bangla" in English, ''Bangla'' in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and ''Bangal'' in [[Hindi]]. In 2016, Chief Minister [[Mamata Banerjee]] had proposed a new name of the state as ''Bangla''. Despite the [[Trinamool Congress]] government's efforts to forge a consensus, the [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]], and the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] opposed the resolution and it awaits the consent of the [[Indian Parliament]] for approval.<ref>{{cite news |title=West Bengal Assembly passes resolution for State's name change |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/west-bengal-assembly-passes-resolution-for-states-name-change/article9045696.ece |access-date=1 September 2016 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=30 August 2016}}</ref> In 2024, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said in the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly|"Bengal Parliament"]] house, "If they (bjp) don't want to do it for now, when we will be in power; we will change the name ".
**'''[[Bangabhumi]]''' or '''Bir Banga''' – A separatist movement to create a Hindu country in southwestern [[Bangladesh]], envisioned by [[Banga Sena]].
**'''Greater Bangladesh''' – A political theory circulated by a number of politicians, intellectuals and writers that the People's Republic of Bangladesh has aspirations to unite Bengali-speaking regions into a greater historical Bengal. According to the theory this would include the Indian states of West Bengal, [[Nagaland]], Manipur, [[Meghalaya]], Sikkim, [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[Tripura]], Assam, [[Andaman Islands]], and the [[Rakhine State]] (formerly Arakan) in Myanmar (formerly Burma) as part of its own territory with democratic governance.<ref>Venkata Siddharthacharry, ''Jambudwipa, a blueprint for a South Asian community'', page 256, Radiant Publishers, 1985, {{ISBN|81-7027-088-X}}</ref>
**'''[[United Bengal]]''' – A proposal that was put forward by [[Bengali people|Bengali]] political leaders [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] and [[Sarat Chandra Bose]] to found a united and independent nation-state of [[Bengal]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Christophe Jaffrelot|title=A History of Pakistan and Its Origins|date=2004|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=9781843311492|page=42|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q9sI_Y2CKAcC&q=sarat+Shaheed+Suhrawardy+plan&pg=PA42|ref=scb1}}</ref><ref name="scb2">{{cite news|title=Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy : His Life|url=http://thedailynewnation.com/news/34685/huseyn-shaheed-suhrawardy--his-life.html|work=The Daily New Nation|access-date=11 January 2015|archive-date=2 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902005915/http://thedailynewnation.com/news/34685/huseyn-shaheed-suhrawardy--his-life.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The proposal was floated as an alternative to the Partition of Bengal on [[Communalism (South Asia)|communal]] lines.

==Geographical distinctions==

===East Bengal===
{{multiple image
| align = right

| image1 = India West Bengal.svg
| width1 = 175
| alt1 = West Bengal
| link1 = West Bengal
| caption1 = [[West Bengal]]

| image2 = East Bengal Map.png
| width2 = 160
| alt2 = East Bengal
| link2 = East Bengal
| caption2 = [[East Bengal]]
| footer = Maps of West Bengal (India) and East Bengal (Bangladesh)
}}
{{multiple image
| align = right

| image1 = South - N North Bengal in India.png
| width1 = 160
| alt1 = West Bengal
| link1 = West Bengal
| caption1 = [[West Bengal]]

| image2 = South- N North Bengal in Bangladesh.png
| width2 = 140
| alt2 = Bangladesh
| link2 = Bangladesh
| caption2 = [[Bangladesh]]
| footer = Maps of West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh, showing {{color box|green|border=silver}}[[North Bengal]] in green and {{color box|maroon|border=silver}}[[South Bengal]] in red
}}
[[East Bengal]] ({{langx|bn|পূর্ববঙ্গ}} ''Purbô Bangla'') was the name used during two different periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent [[Partition (politics)|partition]] of [[Bengal]] which made one half East Bengal or Bangladesh.

Historically, it referred to the fertile [[Bhati (region)|Bhati]] region of the Bengal delta, which corresponds to the modern-day [[Dhaka Division]].

===North Bengal===
[[North Bengal]] ({{langx|bn|উত্তরবঙ্গ}}) is a term used for the north-western part of Bangladesh and northern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part includes the [[Rajshahi Division]] and [[Rangpur Division]]. Generally, it is the area lying west of [[Jamuna River (Bangladesh)|Jamuna River]] and north of [[Padma River]] and includes the [[Barind Tract]]. The West Bengal part denotes the [[Jalpaiguri Division]] ([[Alipurduar district|Alipurduar]], [[Cooch Behar district|Cooch Behar]], [[Darjeeling district|Darjeeling]], [[Jalpaiguri district|Jalpaiguri]], [[North Dinajpur]], [[South Dinajpur]] and [[Maldah district|Malda]]). The Bihar parts include the [[Kishanganj district]]. It also includes parts of [[Darjeeling]] Hills. Traditionally, the [[Hooghly River]] divides West Bengal into South and North Bengal, divided again into [[Terai]] and [[Dooars]] regions.

===South Bengal===
[[South Bengal]] ({{langx|bn|দক্ষিণবঙ্গ}}) is a term used for the southwestern part of Bangladesh and the southern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part includes the [[Khulna Division|Khulna]], [[Faridpur Division|Faridpur]], and [[Barisal Division]]s. [[The Bay of Bengal]] is located at the end of the southern part of Bangladesh. The [[West Bengal]] part includes 12 districts in the southern part of West Bengal; [[Kolkata]], [[Howrah]], [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]], [[Burdwan]], [[East Midnapur]], [[West Midnapur]], [[Purulia]], [[Bankura]], [[Birbhum]], [[Nadia district|Nadia]], [[South 24 Parganas district|South 24 Parganas]] and [[North 24 Parganas district|North 24 Parganas]].{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

===West Bengal===
[[West Bengal]] ({{langx|bn|পশ্চিমবঙ্গ}}) comprises roughly one-third of the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. When India gained independence in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines. The western part went to the Dominion of India (and was named West Bengal).{{explain|date=July 2018|For this section a geographical definition should be given rather than a political definition.}}

===Hilly Bengal===
Hilly Bengal ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: পার্বত্যবঙ্গ) is a term used for the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]] of Bangladesh. The area consists of [[Rangamati]], [[Khagrachari]] and [[Bandarban]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}

==Historical names==
{{See also|History of Bengal}}
Historical names for Bengal include (in chronological order):
* '''Bonga''' – an [[Austric]] word for Sun god
* '''Bang''' – a [[Bronze Age]] [[Proto-Dravidian language|proto-Dravidian]] tribe<ref>{{cite web |url= http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field%28DOCID+bd0014%29|title= Bangladesh: early history, 1000 B.C.–A.D. 1202 |date=September 1988 |work= Bangladesh: A country study|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|location= Washington, D.C. |access-date=1 December 2014|quote=Historians believe that Bengal, the area comprising present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of [[West Bengal]], was settled in about 1000 B.C. by Dravidian-speaking peoples who were later known as the Bang. Their homeland bore various titles that reflected earlier tribal names, such as Vanga, Banga, Bangala, Bangal, and Bengal.}}</ref>
* '''[[Vanga Kingdom|Vanga]]''' – a seafaring state located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent comprising today's politically divided Bengal region (West Bengal, India and Bangladesh)also mentioned in [[Sanskrit]] text [[Mahabharata]].[[File:Rajendra map new.svg|thumb|South Asia in BC 300, showing the Chola (blue), Vangadesam (adjoining pink) and Kalinga Kingdoms]]
*'''Vangala or Bangala''' – a name used in early mediaeval period for the [[Bengal region]]. King Anandadeva of earlier [[Deva dynasty]] of eastern [[Bengal]] used the title ''Sri Bangala Mriganka'', which means the moon of Bengal.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TlnoMdZu40UC&dq=vangalamriganka&pg=PA462|title=Gold coins of the World|isbn=978-0-87184-308-1 |last1=Friedberg |first1=Arthur L. |last2=Friedberg |first2=Ira S. |date=14 April 2024 |publisher=Coin & Currency Institute }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?|title=Copperplates, Banglapedia}}</ref> Pala King Dharmapala was mentioned as the king of ''[[Bengal region|Vangala]]'' in the Nesari plates (dated 805 AD) of [[Rashtrakuta dynasty]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Vangala, Banglapedia| url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Vangala}}</ref>
* '''Vangaladesa''' – a term found in South Indian records in the 11th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Keay |first=John |author-link=John Keay |year=2000 |title=India: A History |publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/indiahistory00keay/page/220 220] |isbn=978-0-87113-800-2 |quote=In C1020 ... launched Rajendra's great northern escapade ... peoples he defeated have been tentatively identified ... 'Vangala-desa where the rain water never stopped' sounds like a fair description of Bengal in the monsoon. |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/indiahistory00keay/page/220 }}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite book |last1=Allan |first1=J. |last2=Haig |first2=T. Wolseley |last3=Dodwell |first3=H. H. |year=1934 |editor-last=Dodwell |editor-first=H. H. |editor-link=H. H. Dodwell |title=The Cambridge Shorter History of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA145 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=145}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra Nath |year=1999 |orig-year=First published 1988 |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA281 |publisher=New Age International |page=281 |isbn=978-81-224-1198-0}}</ref>
* '''[[Gauda Kingdom|Gauda]]''' – a kingdom located in Bengal in ancient and medieval times.<ref name = Majumdar>{{cite book |last=Majumdar |first=R. C. |year=1971 |title=History of Ancient Bengal |location=Calcutta |publisher=G. Bhardwaj & Co. |pages=6–8 |oclc=96115784}}</ref><ref name = Banglapedia>{{cite book |last=Ghosh |first=Suchandra |year=2012 |chapter=Gauda, Janapada |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Gauda,_Janapada |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> The [[Pala Empire|Pala emperors]] were referred to as Vangapati (Lord of Vanga) and Gaudesvara (Lord of Gauda). [[Sena dynasty|Sena]] kings also called themselves Gaudesvara. From then ''Gauda'' and ''Vanga'' seem to be interchangeable names for the whole of Bengal.<ref name="Majumdar"/>
* '''Gaudvangala''' – a name used in the Sanskrit text [[Manasollasa]] (dated 1129 CE) to denote the whole [[Bengal region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.calcutta.01172/page/n24/mode/1up|title=Itihas|author=Sukumar Sen|page=19}}</ref>
[[File:Bengal Sultanate.png|thumb|The Bengal Sultanate in 1500, during the reign of Sultan [[Alauddin Hussain Shah]]]]
* '''Bangala''' or '''Shahi Bangala''' – a [[sovereign state]] that encompassed present-day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal and the [[Myanmar]] state of [[Rakhine State|Rakhine]] between the 14th and 16th centuries. It was a [[regional power]] and a [[melting pot]] of [[Muslims]], [[Hindus]] and [[Buddhists]], located at the crossroads of modern South Asia and Southeast Asia. During the [[Bengal Sultanate]]<ref name="Ahmed2004">{{cite book |last=Ahmed |first=Salahuddin |date=2004 |title=Bangladesh: Past and Present |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Szfqq7ruqWgC&pg=PA23 |publisher=APH Publishing |pages=23– |isbn=978-81-7648-469-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Islam,_Bengal |title=Islam, Bengal |website=Banglapedia |quote=But the most important development of this period was that the country for the first time received a name, ie Bangalah.}}</ref> [[Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah]] proclaimed himself the first [[Shah]] of Bangala in 1342.<ref name="Ahmed2004"/> ''Bangla'' became the most-common name for the region during the Islamic period.
* '''[[Bengal Subah]]''' or '''Mughal Bengal''' – a state of the [[Mughal Empire]] encompassing modern Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, [[Bihar]] and [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was established following the dissolution of the [[Bengal Sultanate]]. The Mughals played an important role in developing modern Bengali culture and society. By the 18th century, Mughal Bengal had emerged as a quasi-independent state.
* '''Bengalen''' or '''[[Dutch Bengal]]''' – a directorate of the [[Dutch East India Company]] in Bengal between 1610 and the company's liquidation in 1800.
* '''[[Bengal Presidency]]''' – the largest colonial subdivision ([[Presidencies and provinces of British India|presidency]]) of [[British India]], with its seat in Calcutta, the capital of British-held territories in South Asia until 1911. At its territorial peak in the 19th century, the presidency extended from the present-day [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] province of [[Pakistan]] in the west to [[Burma]], Singapore and [[Penang]] in the east. The [[Governor of Bengal]] was concurrently the [[Viceroy of India]] for many years. Most of the presidency's territories were eventually incorporated into other British Indian provinces and crown colonies.
*:In 1905, the Presidency was [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|partitioned]] into:
*:* '''Bengal''' – including present [[Bihar]], Jharkhand and [[Odisha]], headquartered in [[Calcutta]]
*:* '''[[Eastern Bengal and Assam]]''' – headquartered in [[Dacca]] and [[Shillong]] (summer capital).
*:British India was reorganized in 1912 and the presidency was reunited into a single Bengali-speaking province. The 1947 [[Partition of British India]] resulted in Bengal's division on religious grounds, between:
*:*'''[[West Bengal]]''' – to be renamed as '''[[Banga Pradesh]]''' in par/aligned with other Indian states respectively.
*:*'''[[East Bengal]]''', renamed '''[[East Pakistan]]''' in 1955
*'''[[Bangladesh]]''' – East Bengal, which became a province of Pakistan according to the provisions set forth in the [[Partition of India|Mountbatten Plan]], later became the independent country of Bangladesh after the 1971 [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].

==Adjectives==
*'''Bangla''' – the contents and attributes of the Bengali language or the country of Bangladesh.
*'''Bengali''' – the contents and attributes of Bengal.
*'''Bangiya''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গীয়}}) – an adjectival prefix referring to Bengal particularly in the field of literature, e.g. [[Bangiya Sahitya Parishad]], [[Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank]] and [[Bangiya Janata Dal]]. Can be synonymous with ''Bengali''.
*'''Bengalese''' – something of, from, or related to Bengal.
*'''Bangalee''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বাঙালি/বাঙ্গালী}}) – until 1978 the Constitution of Bangladesh referred all citizens of Bangladesh as Bangalees, an archaic spelling for ''Bengali''.
*'''[[Bangladeshi]]''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বাংলাদেশি}}) – from 1978 this was a widely used term to refer to the citizens of Bangladesh.
*'''[[Bangal]]''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বাঙাল}}; [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]: बंगाल, {{Nastaliq|بنگال}}) – a term used by other [[Bengalis]] to refer to [[Bengalis]] from [[East Bengal]]; this term is primarily used by [[Ghotis]] of [[West Bengal]] to refer to Bengali Indians of East Bengali heritage. ''Bangal'' is also the [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] word for Bengal.
*'''Bangabasi''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গবাসী}}) – peoples of Bengal.
*'''Bangadesiya''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|বঙ্গদেশীয়}}) – something of, from, or related to Bengal or Bengalis.
*'''Banga-Santan''' ({{langx|bn|links=no| বঙ্গসন্তান}}) – lit: Son/ child of [[Mother Bengal|Bengal]]- an adjectival prefix referring to People of Bengal or [[Bengalis]].
*'''Banga-Lalana''' ({{langx|bn|links=no| বঙ্গললনা }}) – lit: Daughter of Mother Bengal- an adjectival prefix referring to a girl/lady of Bengal or any Female [[Bengalis]].
*[[Bong (term)|Bong]] – an Indian slang used to refer anyone from West Bengal.
*[[Bongal]] – is a term used in [[Assam]] to refer to outsiders, primarily [[Bengalis]]. The term has a negative connotation.

==Other names==
*[[Bengali language|Bengali]]: গঙ্গাহৃদ/ গঙ্গাঋদ্ধি/ গঙ্গারাষ্ট্র; ''Gangarid'' / ''[[Gangaridai]]'' / ''Ganga Rashtra'' – meaning '''Heart of [[Ganges]]''' / '''Wealth of Ganges''' / '''Nation on the River Ganges'''<ref>{{cite news |title=Did you know why Alexander did not proceed to conquer ancient Bengal? |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/environment/did-you-know-why-alexander-did-not-proceed-conquer-ancient-bengal-125737 |work=The Daily Star |date=12 August 2015}}</ref>
*[[Bengali language|Bengali]]: গৌড় রাজ্য; ''Gauṛa rajya'' — [[Gauda Kingdom]]; meaning ''radiant kingdom'' (from Sanskrit गौड़ ''gauṛa'' "white, radiant, fair, golden", ''rājya'', राज्य "kingdom, state"). Bengal is described in ancient [[Sanskrit]] texts as '[[Gaud]]-Desh'.
*Arabic: رحمة; ''Rahma'' — meaning '''Land of [[Rahim|Mercy]]'''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YRRnRK8lEYEC&q=Bengal+known+as+Ruhmi+in+Arabic&pg=PA178 |title=European Trade and Colonial Conquest |isbn=9781843310297 |last1=Dasgupta |first1=Biplab |year=2005 |publisher=Anthem}}</ref>
*Chinese: ({{lang|zh|[[wikt: 孟加拉]]}}); (''[[wikt: Mèngjiālā]]'')
*German-[[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ({{Lang|nl|[[wikt:Bengalen]]}})

==Sobriquets for Bengal==
In traditional Bengali culture, as well as in the Bengali Media, the land of Bengal has assumed a number of [[sobriquet]]s over the centuries, including:
*'''Sonar Bangla''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|সোনার বাংলা}}); ''Golden Bengal''
*'''Rūpasī Bangla''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|রূপসী বাংলা}}); ''Beautiful Bengal''
*'''Shayamal Bangla''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|শ্যামল বাংলা}}); ''Green Bengal''
*'''Epar Bangla''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|এপার বাংলা}}); ''This side Bengal'', used by Bengalis for their Native Bengal.
*'''Opar Bangla''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|ওপার বাংলা}}); That side Bengal, used by Bengalis from both Bangladesh and West Bengal to refer to each other.
*'''Bharatiya Bangla''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|ভারতীয় বাংলা}}); ''Indian Bengal'', used by Bangladeshi media for Indian state of West Bengal.
*'''Padmapar''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|পদ্মাপাড়}}); ''Bank of [[River Padma]]'', used by Indian Bengali media for Republic Bangladesh.
*'''Nodimatrik Desh''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|নদীমাতৃক দেশ}}); ''Riverine country'' or the ''Country of the River'', used for both Bengal and Bangladesh.
*'''Hazar Nodir Desh''' ({{langx|bn|links=no|হাজার নদীর দেশ }}); the ''Country of the Thousand Rivers'', used for Bengal.
* '''Chhoy Ritur Desh''' ({{langx|bn|links=no| ছয় ঋতুর দেশ}}); the ''Country of the Six Seasons'', used for Bangladesh.

==See also==
*[[Bangamata]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Asia topic|Name of}}

[[Category:History of Bengal]]
[[Category:Country name etymology|Bangladesh]]

Names of Bengal - Revision history

ArnulfoVos: made initial article v1!