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[[File:Map of Bengal.svg|thumb|280px|Map of the Bengal region: [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]]]]
{{Short description|Region in the eastern Indian subcontinent}}
'''Bengal''' is a divided [[region]] in [[South Asia]] that is split between two countries - [[Bangladesh]] and [[India]]. Both parts used to be united, although historically part of [[British India]]; today [[West Bengal]] is part of India and ''East Bengal'' is [[Bangladesh]].
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{other uses}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Bengal
| image_map                = Bengal in Asia.jpg
| map_caption              = Bengal region in Asia
| native_name              = <small> {{unbulleted list |{{nobold|{{lang|bn|বাংলা/বঙ্গ}}}}
| {{transl|bn|Bānglā/Bôngô}}}}</small>
| type                    = Region
| subdivision_type        = Continent
| subdivision_name        = [[Asia]]
| subdivision_type1        = Countries
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Bangladesh}} <br /> {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type2        = Major urban agglomerations (2011 census)
| subdivision_name2        = {{plainlist|
* {{flagicon|India}} [[Asansol]]
* {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Chittagong]]
* {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Dhaka]]
* {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Khulna]]
* {{flagicon|India}} [[Kolkata]]
* {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Sylhet]]
}}
| established_title        = [[Iron Age India]], [[Vedic India]], [[Suhma Kingdom]], [[Pundravardhana]], [[Vanga Kingdom]]
| established_date        = 1500 – c. 500 BCE
| established_title1      = [[Gangaridai]], [[Nanda Empire]]
| established_date1        = 500 – c. 350 BCE
| established_title2      = [[Mauryan Empire]]
| established_date2        = 4th century – 2nd century BCE
| established_title3      = [[Shunga Empire]], [[Gupta Empire]], [[Later Gupta dynasty]]
| established_date3        = 185–75 BCE, 3rd century CE – 543 CE, 6th–7th century
| established_title4      = [[Gauda Kingdom]]
| established_date4        = 590–633 CE
| established_title5      = [[Pala Empire]], [[Sena dynasty|Sena Empire]]
| established_date5        = 8th–11th century, 12th century
| established_title6      = [[Delhi Sultanate]], [[Bengal Sultanate]]
| established_date6        = 1204–1339 CE, 1338–1576 CE
| established_title7      = [[Bengal Subah]] ([[Mughal Empire]]), [[Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad]]
| established_date7        = 1565–1717 CE, 1717–1765 CE
| extinct_title            = [[Bengal Presidency]] ([[British India]])
| extinct_date            = 1765–1947 CE
| official_name            =
| parts_type              = Principal subdivisions
| parts_style              = list
| p1                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Barisal division]]
| p2                      = {{flagicon|India}} [[Burdwan division]]
| p3                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Chittagong division]]
| p4                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Dhaka division]]
| p5                      = {{flagicon|India}} [[Jalpaiguri division]]
| p6                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Khulna division]]
| p7                      = {{flagicon|India}} [[Malda division]]
| p8                      = {{flagicon|India}} [[Medinipur division]]
| p9                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Mymensingh division]]
| p10                      = {{flagicon|India}} [[Presidency division]]
| p11                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Rajshahi division]]
| p12                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Rangpur division]]
| p13                      = {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Sylhet division]]
| area_total_km2          = 269,944
| population_as_of        = 2011
| population_total        = {{circa|253 million|lk=yes}}<ref name="factsanddetails"/>
| population_density_km2  = 830
| population_demonym      = [[Bengalis|Bengali]]
| blank1_name              = {{nowrap|Official languages}}
| blank1_info              = {{nowrap|'''[[Bangladesh]]''' – [[Bengali language|Bengali]]<ref name="bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd">{{cite book |title=The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh |chapter=Article 2. The state language |chapter-url=http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=367&sections_id=24550 |website=bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd |publisher=Ministry of Law, The People's Republic of Bangladesh |access-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805014802/http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=367&sections_id=24550 |archive-date=5 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />'''[[West Bengal]]''' – [[Bengali language|Bengali]]<ref name=nclmanurep2010>{{cite web |url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM47thReport.pdf |title=Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 47th report (July 2008 to June 2010) |pages=122–126 |publisher=Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India |access-date=30 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513161847/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM47thReport.pdf |archive-date=13 May 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}
| p14                      =
}}
{{Contains special characters|Bengali}}
{{Bengalis}}


==Related pages==
'''Bengal''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ɛ|n|ˈ|ɡ|ɔː|l}} {{respell|ben|GAWL}};<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Chambers Dictionary|publisher=Chambers|year=2003|isbn=0-550-10105-5|edition=9th|chapter=Bengal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bengal |title=Oxford Dictionaries |access-date=22 February 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170829074813/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bengal |archive-date=29 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> {{lang-bn|বাংলা/বঙ্গ|translit=Bānglā/Bôngô}}, {{IPA-bn|ˈbɔŋgo|pron|LL-Q9610 (ben)-Titodutta-বঙ্গ.wav}}) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in [[South Asia]], specifically in the eastern part of the [[Indian subcontinent]] at the apex of the [[Bay of Bengal]], predominantly covering<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE predominantly because there are other parts of Bengal in India across the eastern border of Bangladesh (TRIPURA IS ALSO PART OF BENGAL) --> present-day [[Bangladesh]] and the [[India]]n state of [[West Bengal]].<!-- Please do not change -- (see discussion/agreement at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Bengal#Indian_Subcontinent_or_South_Asia?)--> Geographically, it consists of the [[Ganges-Brahmaputra delta]] system, the largest river delta in the world and a section of the [[Himalayas]] up to [[Nepal]] and [[Bhutan]]. Dense woodlands, including hilly [[rainforest]]s, cover Bengal's northern and eastern areas, while an elevated forested plateau covers its central area; the highest point {{convert|3636|m|ft}} is at [[Sandakphu]]. In the [[littoral]] southwest are the [[Sundarbans]], the world's largest mangrove forest. The region has a [[monsoon]] climate, which the [[Bengali calendar]] divides into six seasons.
*[[Bengali people]]
*[[Bengali language]]
*[[Bengali nationalism]]


Bengal, then known as [[Gangaridai]], was a leading power in ancient South Asia, with extensive trade networks forming connections to as far away as [[Roman Egypt]]. The Bengali [[Pala Empire]] was the last major [[Buddhist]] power in the subcontinent, founded in 750 CE and becoming the dominant power in the northern Indian subcontinent by the 9th century CE.<ref name="Sailendra1999" /><ref name="Majumdar1977" /><ref name="sen" /> It was replaced by the Hindu [[Sena dynasty]] in the 12th century.<ref name="Sailendra1999" /> [[Islam]] had been introduced during the Pala Empire, through trade with the [[Abbasid Caliphate]];<ref name="kumar"/> it spread across Bengal following the formation of the [[Delhi Sultanate]]. The region reached its highest prosperity under the [[Bengal Sultanate]], founded in 1352, which became one of the world's richest [[trading nation]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nanda |first=J.N. |year=2005 |title=Bengal: The Unique State |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |page=10 |isbn=978-81-8069-149-2 | quote=Bengal [...] was rich in the production and export of grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton. Europe referred to Bengal as the richest country to trade with.}}</ref>
Absorbed into the [[Mughal Empire]] in 1576, the [[Bengal Subah]] was the empire's wealthiest province, and became a major global exporter,<ref name="Prakash" /><ref name="richards95" /><ref name="riello" /> and center of industries such as cotton textiles, silk,<ref name="eaton" /> and [[shipbuilding]].<ref name="ray174" /> Its economy was worth 12% of the [[World economy|world's GDP]],<ref name="Poverty From The Wealth of Nations: Integration and Polarization in the ... - M. Alam - Google Books">{{cite book |title=Poverty From The Wealth of Nations: Integration and Polarization in the Global Economy since 1760 |author=M. Shahid Alam |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |year=2016|page=32 |isbn=978-0-333-98564-9 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=suKKCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32|author-link=M. Shahid Alam}}</ref><ref name="star">{{cite news |last=Khandker |first=Hissam |date=31 July 2015 |title=Which India is claiming to have been colonised? |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/politics/which-india-claiming-have-been-colonised-119284 |newspaper=The Daily Star |type=Op-ed |location= Dhaka}}</ref><ref>[[Angus Maddison|Maddison, Angus]] (2003): ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=rHJGz3HiJbcC&pg=PA259 Development Centre Studies The World Economy Historical Statistics: Historical Statistics]'', [[OECD Publishing]], {{ISBN|9264104143}}, pages 259–261</ref> a value bigger than the entirety of Western Europe, and its citizens' [[standards of living|living standards]] were among the world's highest.<ref name="harrison">{{cite book |title=Developing cultures: case studies |authorlink=Lawrence Harrison (academic) |first1=Lawrence E. |last1=Harrison |first2=Peter L. |last2=Berger |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2006 |page=158 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=RB0oAQAAIAAJ |isbn=9780415952798}}</ref><ref name="Poverty From The Wealth of Nations: Integration and Polarization in the ... - M. Alam - Google Books" /> Bengal's economy underwent a period of [[proto-industrialization]] during this period.<ref name="voss">{{cite book|title=The Ashgate Companion to the History of Textile Workers, 1650–2000|author1=Lex Heerma van Voss |author2=Els Hiemstra-Kuperus |author3=Elise van Nederveen Meerkerk |chapter=The Long Globalization and Textile Producers in India|publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |year=2010 |page=255 |isbn=9780754664284 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=f95ljbhfjxIC&pg=PA255}}</ref> The region was conquered by the British [[East India Company]] after the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757, and it was defined as the [[Bengal Presidency]] of the [[British Raj]]. Bengal made significant contributions to the world's first [[Industrial Revolution]], but later suffered its own [[deindustrialisation]].<ref name="ray" /> East India Company policies, such as increasing agriculture tax rates from 10% to up to 50%, alongside drought and epidemics, contributed to famines such as the [[Great Bengal famine of 1770]], which resulted in the deaths of between 1 million and 10 million Bengalis.<ref name="Roy2019">{{citation|last=Roy|first=Tirthankar|title=How British Rule Changed India's Economy: The Paradox of the Raj|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XBWZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA117|year=2019|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-030-17708-9|pages=117–|quote=The 1769-1770 famine in Bengal followed two years of erratic rainfall worsened by a smallpox epidemic.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Datta|first=Rajat|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44927255|title=Society, economy, and the market : commercialization in rural Bengal, c. 1760-1800|date=2000|publisher=Manohar Publishers & Distributors|isbn=81-7304-341-8|location=New Delhi|pages=262, 266|oclc=44927255}}</ref>
After [[World War Two]], during which Bengal was invaded by [[Empire of Japan|Japan]], Bengal played a major role in hosting [[Revolutionary movement for Indian independence|revolutionary groups]] of the [[Indian independence movement]]. As part of the [[Partition of India]], [[partition of Bengal (1947)|Bengal was divided]] between predominantly [[Muslim]] and [[Hindu]] populations; [[United Bengal|an independent, united Bengal]] was considered, but the idea was rejected, predominantly due to religious divisions.{{NoteTag|especially [[Direct Action Day]] in [[Calcutta]] and then in [[Noakhali]] in 1946}} [[West Bengal]] subsequently became a part of [[India]] and [[East Bengal]] a part of [[Pakistan]], although it [[Bangladesh War of Independence|won its independence]] as [[Bangladesh]] in 1971. Today, Bengal is divided between Bangladesh and the Indian state of [[West Bengal]]; the historical region encompassed the modern-day states of [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Odisha]], and [[Assam]], among others in India, and some parts of Myanmar or Burma ([[Rakhine State]]).<ref name="Mazumdar2014" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=David |title=Bangladesh: Politics, Economy and Civil Society |date=31 October 2011 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-50257-3 |pages=44, 45 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=5lH40gT7xvYC&pg=PA44 }}</ref> The population of Bengal was estimated to be 250&nbsp;million in 2011, with an estimated 160&nbsp;million people in Bangladesh and 91.3&nbsp;million people in India,<ref name="factsanddetails">{{Cite web |url= http://factsanddetails.com/india/Minorities_Castes_and_Regions_in_India/sub7_4b/entry-4198.html |title=Bengalis |work=Facts and Details |access-date=15 May 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170730013507/http://factsanddetails.com/india/Minorities_Castes_and_Regions_in_India/sub7_4b/entry-4198.html |archive-date=30 July 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=October 2021}} making it one of the most densely populated regions in the world<ref name="Mazumdar2014">{{cite book |author=Arijit Mazumdar |title=Indian Foreign Policy in Transition: Relations with South Asia |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DHJeBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA86 |date=27 August 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-69859-3 |pages=86}}</ref>. The predominant [[ethnolinguistic group]] is the [[Bengalis|Bengali people]], who speak the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] [[Bengali language]]. Bengali peoples also have a significant presence in the Indian states of [[Tripura]], Assam, [[Meghalaya]], [[Mizoram]], [[Nagaland]] and [[Uttarakhand]], and others.<ref name="langminor">{{cite web|title=50th Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India |url= http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |website=nclm.nic.in |publisher=[[Ministry of Minority Affairs]] |access-date=2 November 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160708012438/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |archive-date=8 July 2016}}</ref>
== Etymology ==
{{Main|Names of Bengal}}
The name of ''Bengal'' is derived from the ancient kingdom of [[Banga Kingdom|Banga]] (pronounced Bôngô),<ref>{{cite book |last=Rahman |first=Urmi |date=2014 |title=Bangladesh – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1HelAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT26 |publisher=Kuperard |pages=26– |isbn=978-1-85733-696-2}}</ref><ref name="britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/place/Vanga |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Vanga |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730062030/https://www.britannica.com/place/Vanga |archive-date=30 July 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> the earliest records of which date back to the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' epic in the [[first millennium BCE]].<ref name="britannica" /> The reference to 'Vangalam' is present in an inscription in the Vrihadeshwara temple at Tanjore, which is perhaps the earliest reference to Bengal as such.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sengupta |first=Nitish K. |author-link=Nitish Sengupta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVSh_TyJ0YoC |title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib |date=2011 |publisher=Penguin Books India |page=10 |isbn=978-0-14-341678-4 |language=en |quote=Also, We have reference to 'Vangalam' in an inscription in the Vrihadeshwara temple at tanjore in south India as one among the counties overrun by cholas.This is perhaps the earliest reference to Bengal as such.}}</ref> Theories on the origin of the term Banga point to the [[Proto-Dravidian]] ''Bong'' tribe that settled in the area circa 1000&nbsp;BCE and the [[Austric]] word ''Bong'' (Sun-god).<ref name="auto4">{{cite book |last=SenGupta |first=Amitabh |date=2012 |title=Scroll Paintings of Bengal: Art in the Village |publisher=AuthorHouse UK |page=14 |isbn=978-1-4678-9663-4}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=November 2018}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field%28DOCID+bd0014%29 |title=Bangladesh: early history, 1000&nbsp;B.C.–A.D. 1202 |date=September 1988 |website=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. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207010051/http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd%2Fcstdy%3A%40field%28DOCID+bd0014%29 |archive-date=7 December 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The term ''Vangaladesa'' is used to describe the region in 11th-century South Indian records.<ref>{{cite book |last=Keay |first=John |author-link=John Keay |year=2000 |title=India: A History |publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press |page=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.}}</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> The modern term ''Bangla'' is prominent from the 14th century, which saw the establishment of the [[Sultanate of Bengal]], whose first ruler [[Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah]] was known as the ''[[Shah]] of Bangala''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hasan |first=Perween |author-link=Perween Hasan |date=2007 |title=Sultans and Mosques: The Early Muslim Architecture of Bangladesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uunyz4qFZwEC&pg=PA13 |publisher=I.B.Tauris |pages=13– |isbn=978-1-84511-381-0}}</ref> The [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] referred to the region as ''Bengala'' in the [[Age of Discovery]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lach |first1=Donald F. |author1-link=Donald F. Lach |last2=Kley |first2=Edwin J. Van |date=1998 |title=Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume III: A Century of Advance. Book 3: Southeast Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M4t8S7BfgeIC&pg=PA1124 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |pages=1124– |isbn=978-0-226-46768-9}}</ref>
== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Bangladesh|Geography of West Bengal}}
[[File:Gangesdelta klein.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|The [[Ganges-Brahmaputra delta]]]]
Most of the Bengal region lies in the [[Ganges-Brahmaputra delta]], but there are highlands in its north, northeast and southeast. The Ganges Delta arises from the confluence of the rivers [[Ganges]], [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]], and [[Meghna River|Meghna]] rivers and their respective tributaries. The total area of Bengal is 232,752 &nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>—West Bengal is {{convert|88752|km2|0|abbr=on}} and Bangladesh {{convert|147570|km2|0|abbr=on}}.
The flat and fertile Bangladesh Plain dominates the [[geography of Bangladesh]]. The [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]] and [[Sylhet region]]s are home to most of the [[List of mountains in Bangladesh|mountains in Bangladesh]]. Most parts of Bangladesh are within {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=off}} above the sea level, and it is believed that about 10% of the land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=off}}.<ref name=ali>{{cite journal |last=Ali |first=A |year=1996 |title=Vulnerability of Bangladesh to climate change and sea level rise through tropical cyclones and storm surges |doi=10.1007/BF00175563 |journal=Water, Air, & Soil Pollution |volume=92 |issue=1–2 |pages=171–179  |bibcode=1996WASP...92..171A |s2cid=93611792 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00175563|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Because of this low elevation, much of this region is exceptionally vulnerable to seasonal flooding due to monsoons.
The highest point in Bangladesh is in Mowdok range at {{convert|1052|m|ft|abbr=off}}.<ref>[http://www.sol.co.uk/v/viewfinder/elevmisquotes.html#keok Summit Elevations: Frequent Internet Errors.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725020735/http://www.sol.co.uk/v/viewfinder/elevmisquotes.html |date=25 July 2013 }} Retrieved 13 April 2006.</ref> A major part of the coastline comprises a [[marsh]]y [[jungle]], the [[Sundarbans]], the largest [[mangrove]] forest in the world and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the [[royal Bengal tiger]]. In 1997, this region was declared endangered.<ref name=sundarbans>{{cite journal |last=IUCN |year=1997 |title=Sundarban wildlife sanctuaries Bangladesh |journal=World Heritage Nomination-IUCN Technical Evaluation}}</ref>
West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the [[Himalaya]]s in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The state has a total area of {{convert|88752|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name=area>{{cite web |url=http://www.indianmirror.com/geography/geo9.html |title=Statistical Facts about India |access-date=26 October 2006 |publisher=indianmirror.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061026055639/http://www.indianmirror.com/geography/geo9.html |archive-date=26 October 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Darjeeling Himalayan hill region]] in the northern extreme of the state belongs to the eastern Himalaya. This region contains [[Sandakfu]] ({{convert|3636|m|ft|0|abbr=on}})—the highest peak of the state.<ref name=sandak>{{cite web |url=http://yhaindia.org/sandakphu_trek.htm |title=National Himalayan Sandakphu-Gurdum Trekking Expedition: 2006 |access-date=26 October 2006 |publisher=Youth Hostels Association of India: West Bengal State Branch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024013140/http://www.yhaindia.org/sandakphu_trek.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=24 October 2006}}</ref> The narrow [[Terai region]] separates this region from the plains, which in turn transitions into the Ganges delta towards the south. The [[Rarh region]] intervenes between the Ganges delta in the east and the [[western plateau and high lands]]. A small coastal region is on the extreme south, while the Sundarbans mangrove forests form a remarkable geographical landmark at the Ganges delta.
At least nine districts in West Bengal and 42 districts in Bangladesh have [[Arsenic contamination of groundwater|arsenic levels in groundwater]] above the World Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 50&nbsp;µg/L or 50 parts per billion and the untreated water is unfit for human consumption.<ref name=chowdhury>{{cite journal |title=Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India |last1=Chowdhury |first1=U. K. |last2=Biswas |first2=B. K. |last3=Chowdhury |first3=T. R. |last4=Samanta |first4=G. |last5=Mandal |first5=B. K. |last6=Basu |first6=G. C. |last7=Chanda |first7=C. R. |last8=Lodh |first8=D. |last9=Saha |first9=K. C. |last10=Mukherjee |first10=S. K. |last11=Roy |first11=S. |last12=Kabir |first12=S. |last13=Quamruzzaman |first13=Q. |last14=Chakraborti |first14=D. |display-authors=3 |date=May 2000 |journal=[[Environmental Health Perspectives]] | volume=108 |issue=4 |pages=393–397 |url=http://www.ehponline.org/members/2000/108p393-397chowdhury/chowdhury-full.html |doi=10.2307/3454378 |jstor=3454378 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002931/http://www.ehponline.org/members/2000/108p393-397chowdhury/chowdhury-full.html |archive-date=27 September 2007 |pmid=10811564 |pmc=1638054}}</ref> The water causes arsenicosis, skin cancer and various other complications in the body.
<gallery class="center" widths="220" heights="180" caption="Landscapes">
File:Burishwar River in Barguna, Bangladesh (2).jpg|A river in [[Bangladesh]]
File:A Canvas- Mustard field and Date Trees (11923934543).jpg|A mustard and date palm farm in [[West Bengal]]
File:Tea Garden near Srimangal, Sylhet, Bangladesh.jpg|A tea garden in [[Bangladesh]]
File:Early morning golden color Kangchenjunga (Kanchenjunga).jpg|[[Kangchenjunga|Kanchenjunga]] from [[Singalila National Park]], West Bengal
</gallery>
=== Geographic distinctions ===
==== North Bengal ====
[[File:Kalimpong 28.jpg|thumb|On a clear day, the snowy peaks of the Himalayas in Nepal and Sikkim can be seen from northern [[Bangladesh]] and Darjeeling district of [[West Bengal]] | alt=]]
[[North Bengal]] is a term used for the north-western part of Bangladesh and northern part of West Bengal. The Bangladeshi part comprises [[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]]. Politically, West Bengal's part comprises [[Jalpaiguri Division]] ([[Alipurduar district|Alipurduar]], [[Cooch Behar district|Cooch Behar]], [[Darjeeling district|Darjeeling]], [[Jalpaiguri district|Jalpaiguri]], [[North Dinajpur]], [[South Dinajpur]] and [[Maldah district|Malda]]) together and Bihar's parts include [[Kishanganj district]]. [[Darjeeling]] Hills are also part of North Bengal. Although only people of Jaipaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar identifies themselves as North Bengali. North Bengal is divided into [[Terai]] and [[Dooars]] regions. North Bengal is also noted for its rich cultural heritage, including two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Aside from the Bengali majority, North Bengal is home to many other communities including Nepalis, [[Santhal people]], Lepchas and Rajbongshis.
==== Northeast Bengal ====
[[File:Madhabkunda waterfall (1).JPG|thumb|Waterfalls are a common sight in the highlands of eastern [[Bangladesh]]|alt=|330x330px]]
Northeast Bengal<ref name="google">{{cite book |title=An Easy Introduction to the History and Geography of Bengal: For the Junior Classes in Schools |author=Lethbridge, E. |date=1874 |publisher=Thacker |url=https://archive.org/details/easyintroduction00lethrich |page=[https://archive.org/details/easyintroduction00lethrich/page/5 5] |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> refers to the Sylhet region, comprising [[Sylhet Division]] of Bangladesh and the [[Karimganj district]] in the Indian state of [[Assam]]. The region is noted for its distinctive fertile highland terrain, extensive tea plantations, rainforests and wetlands. The [[Surma River|Surma]] and [[Barak River|Barak]] river are the geographic markers of the area. The city of [[Sylhet]] is its largest urban center, and the region is known for its unique regional language known as [[Sylheti language|Sylheti]]. The ancient name of the region is Srihatta.<ref name="en.banglapedia.org">{{cite book |last=Akhter |first=Nasrin |year=2012 |chapter=Sarkar |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sarkar |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 region was ruled by the [[Kamarupa]] and [[Harikela]] kingdoms as well as the [[Bengal Sultanate]]. It later became a district of the [[Mughal Empire]]. Alongside the predominant Bengali population resides a small [[Bishnupriya Manipuri]], [[Khasi people|Khasia]] and other tribal minorities.<ref name="en.banglapedia.org" />
The region is the crossroads of Bengal and [[northeast India]].
==== Central Bengal ====
Central Bengal refers to the [[Dhaka Division]] of Bangladesh. It includes the elevated [[Madhupur tract]] with a large [[Sal (tree)|Sal tree forest]]. The Padma River cuts through the southern part of the region, separating the greater [[Faridpur District|Faridpur]] region. In the north lies the greater [[Mymensingh]] and [[Tangail]] regions.
==== South Bengal ====
{{Main|South Bengal}}
South Bengal covers the southwestern Bangladesh and the southern part of the Indian state of West Bengal.The Bangladeshi part includes [[Khulna Division]], [[Barisal Division]] and the proposed [[Faridpur Division]]<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PpIzAFZ5zZEC&q=South%20Bengal%20area%20districts&pg=PA16 |title=Social Structure and Cultural Practices in Slums: A Study of Slums in Dhaka City |isbn=9788172111106 |last1=Das |first1=Tulshi Kumar |year=2000}}</ref> The Indian part of South Bengal includes 12 districts: [[Kolkata]], [[Howrah]], [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]], [[Burdwan]], [[East Midnapur]], [[West Midnapur]], [[Purulia]], [[Bankura]], [[Birbhum]], [[Nadia district|Nadia]], [[South 24 Parganas district|South 24 Parganas]], [[North 24 Parganas district|North 24 Parganas]].<ref name=swhydro>{{cite web |url=http://www.swhydro.arizona.edu/07symposium/presentationpdf/ChristianaD_pro.pdf |title=Arsenic Mitigation in West Bengal, India: New Hope for Millions |author=David Christiana |publisher=Southwest Hydrology |page=32 |date=1 September 2007 |access-date=20 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305124232/http://www.swhydro.arizona.edu/07symposium/presentationpdf/ChristianaD_pro.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xgoYwm4xiVYC&q=%22South%20Bengal%22&pg=PA322 |title=Agroforestry: Systems and Practices |isbn=9788189422622 |last1=Puri |first1=Sunil |year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=toTvPa0CRIgC&q=South%20Bengal%20area%20districts&pg=PA347 |title=Gandhi and globalisation |isbn=9788183242967 |last1=Reddy |first1=Angadi Ranga |year=2009}}</ref>
The [[Sundarbans]], a major [[biodiversity hotspot]], is located in South Bengal. Bangladesh hosts 60% of the forest, with the remainder in India.
==== Southeast Bengal ====
{{Main|Greater Chittagong}}
[[File:Cox's Bazar beach 15.jpg|thumb|[[Cox's Bazar]] has the longest uninterrupted sea beach in the world|alt=|220x220px]]
Southeast Bengal<ref name="google2">{{cite book |title=A History of Early Modern Southeast Asia, 1400–1830 |author1=Andaya, B. W. |author2=Andaya, L. Y. |date=2015 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-88992-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Rh2BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA220 |page=220 |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="google3">{{cite book |title=Modern World System and Indian Proto-industrialization: Bengal 1650–1800 |author=Singh, A. K. |date=2006 |volume=1 |publisher=Northern Book Centre |isbn=9788172112011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WwNUblS-jpwC&pg=PA225 |page=225 |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="google4">{{cite book |title=Islam in Bangladesh |author=Banu, U. A. B. Razia Akter |year=1992 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-09497-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XyzqATEDPSgC&pg=PA6 |page=6 |access-date=7 January 2017 |quote=in Samatata (South-east Bengal) where the Buddhist Khadaga dynasty ruled throughout the fifth, sixth and seventh centuries AD.}}</ref> refers to the hilly and coastal Bengali-speaking areas of [[Chittagong Division]] in southeastern Bangladesh. Southeast Bengal is noted for its [[thalassocracy|thalassocratic]] and [[seafaring]] heritage. The area was dominated by the Bengali [[Harikela]] and [[Samatata]] kingdoms in antiquity. It was known to Arab traders as ''Harkand'' in the 9th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rashid |first=M Harunar |year=2012 |chapter=Harikela |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Harikela |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> During the medieval period, the region was ruled by the [[Sultanate of Bengal]], the [[Kingdom of Tripura]], the [[Kingdom of Mrauk U]], the [[Portuguese Empire]] and the [[Mughal Empire]], prior to the advent of British rule. The [[Chittagonian language]], a sister of Bengali is prevalent in coastal areas of southeast Bengal. Along with its Bengali population, it is also home to [[Tibeto-Burman]] ethnic groups, including the [[Chakma people|Chakma]], [[Marma people|Marma]], [[Tanchangya people|Tanchangya]] and [[Bawm people|Bawm]] peoples.
Southeast Bengal is considered a bridge to Southeast Asia and the northern parts of [[Arakan]] are also historically considered to be a part of it.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chittagong to bridge S Asian nations |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/cache/cached-news-details-226586.html |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=17 March 2012 |access-date=12 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813113736/http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/cache/cached-news-details-226586.html |archive-date=13 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Places of interest ===
There are four [[World Heritage Sites]] in the region, including the [[Sundarbans]], the [[Somapura Mahavihara]], the [[Mosque City of Bagerhat]] and the [[Darjeeling Himalayan Railway]]. Other prominent places include the [[Bishnupur, Bankura]] temple city, the [[Adina Mosque]], the [[Katra Masjid|Caravanserai Mosque]], numerous [[zamindar]] palaces (like [[Ahsan Manzil]] and [[Cooch Behar Palace]]), the [[Lalbagh Fort]], the [[Bara Katra|Great Caravanserai ruins]], the [[Choto Katra|Shaista Khan Caravanserai ruins]], the Kolkata [[Victoria Memorial (Kolkata)|Victoria Memorial]], the Dhaka Parliament Building, archaeologically excavated ancient fort cities in [[Mahasthangarh]], [[Mainamati]], [[Chandraketugarh]] and [[Wari-Bateshwar]], the [[Jaldapara National Park]], the [[Lawachara National Park]], the [[Teknaf Game Reserve]] and the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]].
[[Cox's Bazar]] in southeastern Bangladesh is home to the longest natural sea beach in the world with an unbroken length of 120 km (75 mi). It is also a growing [[surfing]] destination.<ref>{{cite news |title=World's longest natural sea beach under threat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-20699989 |work=BBC News |date=28 December 2012 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113172432/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-20699989 |archive-date=13 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[St. Martin's Island]], off the coast of Chittagong Division, is home to the sole [[coral reef]] in Bengal.
== Flora and fauna ==
[[File:Bengal tiger jumping in Sundarban.jpg|thumb|A 2015 census of Sundarbans [[Bengal tiger]]s found 106 in Bangladesh and 76 in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh finds 106 tigers in Sundarbans, India 76 |url=http://archive.dhakatribune.com/environment/2015/oct/04/bangladesh-finds-106-tigers-sundarbans-india-76 |newspaper=Dhaka Tribune |agency=BSS |date=4 October 2015 |access-date=13 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911051851/http://archive.dhakatribune.com/environment/2015/oct/04/bangladesh-finds-106-tigers-sundarbans-india-76 |archive-date=11 September 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>]]
The flat Bengal Plain, which covers most of Bangladesh and West Bengal, is one of the most [[Soil fertility|fertile]] areas on Earth, with lush vegetation and farmland dominating its landscape. Bengali villages are buried among groves of [[mango]], [[jackfruit]], [[betel nut]] and [[date palm]]. Rice, [[jute]], [[mustard plant|mustard]] and [[sugarcane]] plantations are a common sight. [[Body of water|Water bodies]] and [[wetland]]s provide a habitat for many aquatic plants in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. The northern part of the region features Himalayan foothills (''[[Dooars]]'') with densely wooded [[Sal (tree)|Sal]] and other tropical [[evergreen]] trees. Above an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300&nbsp;ft), the forest becomes predominantly subtropical, with a predominance of temperate-forest trees such as [[oak]]s, [[conifer]]s and [[rhododendron]]s. Sal woodland is also found across central Bangladesh, particularly in the [[Bhawal National Park]]. The [[Lawachara National Park]] is a [[rainforest]] in northeastern Bangladesh. The Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeastern Bangladesh is noted for its high degree of [[biodiversity]].
The [[littoral]] [[Sundarbans]] in the southwestern part of Bengal is the largest [[mangrove forest]] in the world and a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]. The region has over [[List of mammals in Bangladesh|89 species of mammals]], [[List of birds of Bangladesh|628 species of birds]] and [[List of fishes in Bangladesh|numerous species of fish]]. For Bangladesh, the [[Nymphaea|water lily]], the [[oriental magpie-robin]], the [[hilsa]] and [[mango tree]] are national symbols. For West Bengal, the [[white-throated kingfisher]], the [[Alstonia|chatim tree]] and the [[night-flowering jasmine]] are state symbols. The [[Bengal tiger]] is the [[national animal]] of Bangladesh and India. The [[fishing cat]] is the state animal of West Bengal.
== History ==
{{History of Bengal}}
{{Main|History of Bengal}}
=== Prehistory ===
Human settlement in Bengal can be traced back 20,000 years.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} Remnants of [[Copper Age]] settlements date back 4,300 years.<ref name=bsahistory>{{cite web |url=http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/saofbangladesh/history.htm |title=History of Bangladesh |access-date=26 October 2006 |publisher=Bangladesh Student Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061219141732/http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/saofbangladesh/history.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=19 December 2006}}</ref><ref name=xinhua>{{cite news |agency=Xinhua News Agency |date=March 2006 |title=4000-year old settlement unearthed in Bangladesh |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/12/content_4293312.htm |access-date=25 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510135113/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/12/content_4293312.htm |archive-date=10 May 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Archaeology|Archaeological evidence]] confirms that by the second millennium BCE, rice-cultivating communities inhabited the region. By the 11th century BCE, the people of the area lived in systemically-aligned housing, used human cemeteries and manufactured copper ornaments and fine black and red pottery.<ref name="google5">{{cite book |title=The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760 |author=Eaton, R. M. |date=1996 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-20507-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gKhChF3yAOUC |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> The [[Ganges]], [[Brahmaputra]] and [[Meghna]] rivers were natural arteries for communication and transportation.<ref name="google5" /> [[Estuary|Estuaries]] on the [[Bay of Bengal]] allowed for [[maritime industry|maritime]] trade. The early [[Iron Age]] saw the development of metal weaponry, [[coin]]age, permanent field agriculture and [[irrigation]].<ref name="google5" /> From 600&nbsp;BCE, the second wave of [[urbanisation]] engulfed the north Indian subcontinent, as part of the [[Northern Black Polished Ware]] culture.
=== Antiquity ===
[[File:WLA lacma Bangladesh Dinajpur District Dancing Ganesha.jpg|thumb|left|Hindu sculpture, 11th century]]
Ancient Bengal was divided between the regions of [[Varendra]], [[Suhma]], [[Anga]], [[Vanga Kingdom|Vanga]], [[Samatata]] and [[Harikela]]. Early Indian literature described the region as a [[thalassocracy]], with colonies in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.<ref name="google6">{{cite book |title=The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia |author=Ray, H. P. |date=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-01109-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHHzP4uVpn4C&pg=PA17 |page=17 |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> For example, the first recorded king of [[Sri Lanka]] was a Bengali prince called [[Prince Vijaya|Vijaya]]. The region was known to the ancient [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] and [[Roman world|Romans]] as [[Gangaridai]].<ref name=Gangaridai>{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Gangaridai |title=Gangaridai |access-date=5 August 2015 |last=Chowdhury |first=AM |website=[[Banglapedia]] | publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602094443/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Gangaridai |archive-date=2 June 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Greek ambassador [[Megasthenes]] chronicled its military strength and dominance of the [[Ganges delta]]. The invasion army of [[Alexander the Great]] was deterred by the accounts of Gangaridai's power in 325&nbsp;BCE. Later Roman accounts noted maritime trade routes with Bengal. A Roman amphora has been found in [[Purba Medinipur district]] of West Bengal, made in [[Aelana]] (present day [[Aqaba]] in Jordan) between the 4th and 7th centuries AD.<ref>Sarkar, Sebanti, "https://scroll.in/magazine/868330/in-rural-bengal-an-indefatigable-relic-hunter-has-uncovered-a-hidden-chapter-of-history {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220145407/https://scroll.in/magazine/868330/in-rural-bengal-an-indefatigable-relic-hunter-has-uncovered-a-hidden-chapter-of-history |date=20 February 2018 }}." Retrieved 4 August 2018</ref> Another prominent kingdom in ancient Bengal was [[Pundravardhana]], which was located in Northern Bengal with its capital being located at [[Mahasthangarh]] in modern-day Bogra district. The kingdom was Buddhist, and left behind historic ''[[viharas]]'' (monasteries).<ref name="Hossain">Hossain, Md. Mosharraf, ''Mahasthan: Anecdote to History'', 2006, pp. 69–73, Dibyaprakash, 38/2 ka Bangla Bazar, Dhaka, {{ISBN|984-483-245-4}}</ref><ref name="Banglapedia">{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Pundravardhana |title=Pundravardhana |access-date=10 November 2007 |last=Ghosh |first=Suchandra |website=Banglapedia |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623150622/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Pundravardhana |archive-date=23 June 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="RCMajumdar">{{cite book |last=Majumdar |first=R. C. |year=1971 |title=History of Ancient Bengal |location=Calcutta |publisher=G. Bhardwaj & Co. |page=5 |oclc=961157849 |quote=On its banks stood the city of Punḍravardhana whose antiquity reaches back to the Maurya period. The dwindling Karatoyā still flows by the ruins of this ancient city at Mahāsthāngarh in the Bogra district}}.</ref> In vedic mythology the royal families of Magadha, Anga, Vanga, Suhma and Kalinga were all related and descended from one King.<ref name="Mbh 1:104, 2:21">(Mbh 1:104), (2:21).</ref>
Ancient Bengal was considered a part of [[Magadha]] region, which was the cradle of Indian arts and sciences. Currently the Maghada region is divided into several states that are [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]] and Bengal (West Bengal and East Bengal)<ref name="Mbh 1:104, 2:21" /> The legacy of Magadha includes the concept of [[0|zero]], the invention of [[Chess]]<ref name="Murray 1913">{{cite book |last=Murray |first=H. J. R. |author-link=H. J. R. Murray |title=A History of Chess |publisher=Benjamin Press (originally published by Oxford University Press) |year=1913 |isbn=978-0-936317-01-4 |oclc=13472872 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofchess00murr }}</ref> and the theory of solar and lunar eclipses and the Earth orbiting the Sun.{{Citation needed|date=July 2017}} Sanskrit and derived Old [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan dialects]], was spoken across Bengal.<ref>{{cite book |last=Islam |first=Shariful |year=2012 |chapter=Bangla Script |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bangla_Script |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 [[Bengali language]] evolved from Old Indo-Aryan Sanskrit dialects. The region was ruled by [[Hindu]], [[Buddhist]] and [[Jain]] dynasties, including the [[Mauryan]]s, [[Gupta Empire|Guptas]], [[Varman dynasty|Varmans]], [[Khadga dynasty|Khadgas]], [[Pala Empire|Palas]], [[Candra dynasty|Chandras]] and [[Sena dynasty|Senas]] among others. In the 9th century, [[Arab Muslim]] traders frequented Bengali seaports and found the region to be a thriving seafaring kingdom with well-developed coinage and banking.<ref name="google5" />
=== Medieval era ===
{{Further|Pala Empire|Bengal Sultanate}}
[[File:Malda ~ Adina Mosque 5.JPG|thumb|left|Inscriptions on the [[Adina Mosque]] proclaim the builder [[Sikandar Shah]] as "the wisest, the most just, the most perfect and most liberal of the [[Sultan]]s of Arabia, Persia and India."]]
The Pala Empire was an imperial power in the [[Indian subcontinent]], which originated in the region of Bengal. They were followers of the [[Mahayana]] and [[Tantras|Tantric]] schools of [[Buddhism]]. The empire was founded with the election of [[Gopala]] as the emperor of [[Gaur, West Bengal|Gauda]] in 750.<ref name="Majumdar1977">{{cite book |author=R. C. Majumdar |author-link=R. C. Majumdar |date=1977 |title=Ancient India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNxiN5tzKOgC&pg=PA268 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |pages=268– |isbn=978-81-208-0436-4}}</ref> At its height in the early 9th century, the Pala Empire was the dominant power in the northern subcontinent, with its territory stretching across parts of modern-day eastern [[Pakistan]], northern and northeastern [[India]], [[Nepal]] and [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="Majumdar1977" /><ref name="sen">{{cite book |author=Sailendra Nath Sen |date=1999 |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA280 |publisher=New Age International |pages=280– |isbn=978-81-224-1198-0}}</ref> The empire enjoyed relations with the [[Srivijaya Empire]], the [[Tibetan Empire]], and the [[Arab]] [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. [[Islam]] first appeared in Bengal during Pala rule, as a result of increased trade between Bengal and the Middle East.<ref name="kumar">{{cite book |author=Raj Kumar |date=2003 |title=Essays on Ancient India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvnjXOCjv7EC |publisher=Discovery Publishing House |page=199 |isbn=978-81-7141-682-0}}</ref> The resurgent Hindu [[Sena dynasty]] dethroned the Pala Empire in the 12th century, ending the reign of the last major Buddhist imperial power in the subcontinent.<ref name="Sailendra1999">{{cite book |author=Sailendra Nath Sen |date=1999 |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA278 |publisher=New Age International |pages=277–287 |isbn=978-81-224-1198-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Nitish K. |last=Sengupta |author-link=Nitish Sengupta |date=2011 |title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVSh_TyJ0YoC&pg=PA40 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-341678-4 |pages=39–49}}</ref>
Beginning around 1199, a military commander from the [[Delhi Sultanate]], [[Muhammad Khilji|Bakhtiar Khilji]], overran a few western districts of Bengal.<ref name="Nanda2005">{{cite book |last=Nanda |first=J. N. |title=Bengal: The Unique State |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HsV3cYAvGEEC&pg=PA34 |year=2005 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-8069-149-2 |page=34}}</ref><ref name="Mehta1979">{{cite book |last=Mehta |first=Jaswant Lal |title=Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iUk5k5AN54sC |volume=I |edition=2nd |year=1986 |orig-year=First published 1979 |publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd |isbn=978-81-207-0617-0 |oclc=883279992 |page=82}}</ref> Muslim rule introduced [[agrarian reform]], a [[Bengali calendar|new calendar]] and [[Sufism]]. The region saw the rise of important [[city state]]s in [[Sonargaon]], [[Satgaon]] and [[Gauḍa (city)|Lakhnauti]]. By 1352, [[Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah|Ilyas Shah]] achieved the unification of an independent Bengal. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the [[Bengal Sultanate]] was a major diplomatic, economic and military power in the subcontinent. It developed the subcontinent's relations with China, Egypt, the Timurid Empire and East Africa. In 1540, [[Sher Shah Suri]] was crowned Emperor of the northern subcontinent in the Bengali capital [[Gaur, West Bengal|Gaur]].{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
=== Mughal era (1576–1757) ===
[[File:Renaldis muslin woman.jpg|thumb|A woman in [[Dhaka]] clad in fine [[Muslin trade in Bengal|Bengali muslin]], 18th century.]]
{{Main|Bengal Subah}}
{{Further|Mughal Empire|Muslin trade in Bengal}}
The Mughal Empire conquered Bengal in the 16th century. The Bengal Subah province in the Mughal Empire was the wealthiest state in the subcontinent. Bengal's trade and wealth impressed the Mughals so much that it was described as the ''Paradise of the Nations'' by the [[Mughal Emperor]]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Collection of Treaties and Engagements with the Native Princes and States of Asia: Concluded on Behalf of the East India Company by the British Governments in India, Viz. by the Government of Bengal Etc. : Also Copies of Sunnuds Or Grants of Certain Privileges and Imunities to the East India Company by the Mogul and Other Native Princes of Hindustan |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_J_1RAAAAcAAJ |access-date=23 August 2013 |year=1812 |publisher=United East-India Company |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_J_1RAAAAcAAJ/page/n55 28]}}</ref> The region was also notable for its powerful semi-independent [[Zamindars of Bengal|aristocracy]], including the [[Baro-Bhuyan|Twelve Bhuiyans]] and the [[Nawabs of Bengal]].<ref name="google7">{{cite book |title=A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century |author=Ahmed, F. S. |date=2011 |publisher=Pearson |isbn=9788131732021 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxhAtCflwOMC |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> It was visited by several world explorers, including [[Ibn Battuta]], [[Niccolo De Conti]] and [[Admiral Zheng He]].
Under Mughal rule, Bengal was a center of the worldwide [[muslin]] and silk trades. During the Mughal era, the most important center of cotton production was Bengal, particularly around its capital city of Dhaka, leading to muslin being called "daka" in distant markets such as Central Asia.<ref name="eaton">Richard Maxwell Eaton (1996), [https://books.google.com/books?id=gKhChF3yAOUC&pg=PA202 ''The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760'', page 202], [[University of California Press]]</ref> Domestically, much of India depended on Bengali products such as rice, silks and cotton textiles. Overseas, Europeans depended on Bengali products such as cotton textiles, silks and opium; Bengal accounted for 40% of [[Dutch East India Company|Dutch]] imports from Asia, for example, including more than 50% of textiles and around 80% of silks.<ref name="Prakash">[[Om Prakash (historian)|Om Prakash]], "[http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3447600139/WHIC?u=seat24826&xid=6b597320 Empire, Mughal]", ''History of World Trade Since 1450'', edited by John J. McCusker, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, pp. 237–240, ''World History in Context''. Retrieved 3 August 2017</ref> From Bengal, saltpetre was also shipped to Europe, opium was sold in [[Indonesia]], raw silk was exported to Japan and the Netherlands, cotton and silk textiles were exported to Europe, Indonesia, and Japan,<ref name="richards95">[[John F. Richards]] (1995), [https://books.google.com/books?id=HHyVh29gy4QC&pg=PA202 ''The Mughal Empire'', page 202], [[Cambridge University Press]]</ref> cotton cloth was exported to the Americas and the Indian Ocean.<ref name="riello">{{cite book |title=How India Clothed the World: The World of South Asian Textiles, 1500–1850 |author=Giorgio Riello, Tirthankar Roy |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] | year=2009 |page=174 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=niuwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA174|isbn=9789047429975 }}</ref> Bengal also had a large [[shipbuilding]] industry. In terms of shipbuilding tonnage during the 16th–18th centuries, economic historian Indrajit Ray estimates the annual output of Bengal at 223,250 tons, compared with 23,061 tons produced in nineteen colonies in North America from 1769 to 1771.<ref name="ray174">{{cite book |last=Ray |first=Indrajit |year=2011 |title=Bengal Industries and the British Industrial Revolution (1757–1857) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CHOrAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA174 |publisher=Routledge |page=174 |isbn=978-1-136-82552-1}}</ref>
Since the 16th century, European traders traversed the sea routes to Bengal, following the Portuguese conquests of Malacca and Goa. The Portuguese established a [[Portuguese Chittagong|settlement in Chittagong]] with permission from the Bengal Sultanate in 1528, but were later expelled by the Mughals in 1666. In the 18th-century, the Mughal Court rapidly disintegrated due to [[Nader Shah's invasion of India|Nader Shah's invasion]] and internal rebellions, allowing European colonial powers to set up trading posts across the territory. The [[British East India Company]] eventually emerged as the foremost military power in the region; and defeated the last independent Nawab of Bengal at the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757.<ref name="google7" />
=== Colonial era (1757–1947) ===
{{Main|Bengal Presidency}}
[[File:Clive.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757 ushered British rule]]
In Bengal effective political and military power was transferred from the old regime to the British East India Company around 1757–65.<ref>{{cite book |author=Baten, Jörg |title=A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present |date=2016 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=251 |isbn=978-1-107-50718-0}}</ref>
[[Company rule in India]] began under the [[Bengal Presidency]]. [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] was named the capital of [[British India]] in 1772. The presidency was run by a military-civil administration, including the [[Bengal Army]], and had the world's sixth earliest railway network. Great [[Famines in India|Bengal famines]] struck several times during colonial rule (notably the [[Great Bengal famine of 1770]] and [[Bengal famine of 1943]]).<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/worst-atrocities-british-empire-amritsar-boer-war-concentration-camp-mau-mau-a6821756.html 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire]. ''The Independent''. 19 January 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/29/winston-churchill-policies-contributed-to-1943-bengal-famine-study Churchill's policies contributed to 1943 Bengal famine – study]. ''The Guardian''. 29 March 2019.</ref>
About 50 million were killed in Bengal due to massive plague outbreaks and famines which happened in 1895 to 1920, mostly in western Bengal.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The "Gandhians" of Bengal: Nationalism, Social Reconstruction and Cultural Orientations 1920-1942|page=19|quote=Malaria was endemic in rural areas during the 19th century, particularly in western Bengal. This was ... The famine of 1769-70 resulted in about ten million deaths, while 50 million died of malaria, plague and famine between 1895 and 19206.}}</ref>
The [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] was initiated on the outskirts of Calcutta, and spread to Dhaka, Chittagong, Jalpaiguri, Sylhet and Agartala, in solidarity with revolts in North India. The failure of the rebellion led to the abolishment of the Mughal Court and direct rule by the [[British Raj]]. The late 19th and early 20th century [[Bengal Renaissance]] had a great impact on the cultural and economic life of Bengal and started a great advance in the literature and science of Bengal.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} Between 1905 and 1911, an abortive attempt was made to [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|divide the province of Bengal]] into two: Bengal proper and the short-lived province of [[Eastern Bengal and Assam]].<ref name=baxter3>{{cite book |last=Baxter |first=Craig|author-link = Craig Baxter |year=1997 |title=Bangladesh: From a Nation to a State |location=Boulder, CO |publisher=Westview Press |pages=39–40 |isbn=0-8133-2854-3}}</ref> Under British rule, Bengal experienced [[deindustrialisation]].<ref name="ray">{{cite book |last=Ray |first=Indrajit |year=2011 |title=Bengal Industries and the British Industrial Revolution (1757–1857) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CHOrAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA7 |publisher=Routledge |pages=7–10 |isbn=978-1-136-82552-1}}</ref>
In 1876, about 200,000 people were killed in Bengal by the [[1876 Bangladesh cyclone|Great Bangladesh cyclone]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Masud Hasan |title=Cyclone |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Cyclone |website=[[Banglapedia]] | publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] | access-date=6 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119131247/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Cyclone |archive-date=19 January 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Bengal played a major role in the [[Indian independence movement]], in which [[Revolutionary movement for Indian independence|revolutionary groups]] were dominant. Armed attempts to overthrow the British Raj began with the rebellion of [[Titumir]], and reached a climax when [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] led the [[Indian National Army]] against the British. Bengal was also central in the rising political awareness of the Muslim population—the [[All-India Muslim League]] was established in Dhaka in 1906. The Muslim homeland movement pushed for a sovereign state in eastern British India with the [[Lahore Resolution]] in 1943. [[Hindu nationalism]] was also strong in Bengal, which was home to groups like the [[Hindu Mahasabha]]. In spite of a last-ditch effort by politicians [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]], [[Sarat Chandra Bose]] to form a [[United Bengal]],<ref name=unitedbengal>{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=United_Independent_Bengal_Movement |title=United Independent Bengal Movement |access-date=5 August 2015 |author=Chitta Ranjan Misra |website=[[Banglapedia]] | publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805022148/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=United_Independent_Bengal_Movement |archive-date=5 August 2015}}</ref> when India [[History of the Republic of India|gained independence]] in 1947, Bengal was [[Partition of Bengal (1947)|partitioned]] along religious lines.<ref name = parttionbanglaped /> The western joined India (and was named West Bengal) while the eastern part joined Pakistan as a province called [[East Bengal]] (later renamed [[East Pakistan]], giving rise to Bangladesh in 1971). The circumstances of partition were bloody, with widespread religious riots in Bengal.<ref name=parttionbanglaped>{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Partition_of_Bengal,_1947 |title=Partition of Bengal, 1947 |access-date=5 August 2015 |author=Harun-or-Rashid |website=[[Banglapedia]] | publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702002256/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Partition_of_Bengal,_1947 |archive-date=2 July 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=calcuttakilling>{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Calcutta_Riot,_1946 |title=Calcutta Riot (1946) |access-date=5 August 2015 |author=Suranjan Das |website=[[Banglapedia]] | publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801150533/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Calcutta_Riot%2C_1946 |archive-date=1 August 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== Post-partition (1947–present) ===
The [[1970 Bhola cyclone]] took the lives of 500,000 people in Bengal, making it one of the deadliest recorded cyclones.
==== India ====
;[[File:Picture_from_the_street_of_college_street.jpg|thumb|[[Trams in Kolkata|Tram car]] in [[College Street (Kolkata)|College street]], Kolkata]]West Bengal
West Bengal became one of India's most populous states. Calcutta (later renamed to Kolkata to be consistent with the Bengali pronunciation), the former capital of the British Raj, became the state capital of West Bengal and continued to be India's largest city until the late 20th century, when severe power shortages, strikes and a violent [[Naxalite|Marxist-Naxalite]] movement damaged much of the state's infrastructure in the 1960s and 70s, leading to a period of economic stagnation.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} West Bengal politics underwent a major change when the [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]] won the 1977 assembly election, defeating the incumbent [[Indian National Congress]]. The Left Front, led by the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] (CPI(M)) governed the state for over three decades, which was the world's longest elected [[Communist]] administration in history.<ref>{{cite news |title=Communist rule ends in Indian state of West Bengal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-13387058 |work=BBC News |date=13 May 2011 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818090451/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-13387058 |archive-date=18 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Since the 2000s, West Bengal has experienced an economic rejuvenation, particularly in its [[IT]] industry.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}
;Tripura
[[File:Land mark agartala.jpeg|thumb|The former royal palace of [[Hill Tippera]] in [[Agartala]]]]
The princely state of [[Hill Tippera]], which was under the [[suzerainty]] of [[British India]], became the modern state of [[Tripura]]. Following the death of [[Maharaja]] [[Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman]], the princely state acceded to the [[Dominion of India|Union of India]] on 15 October 1949 under the [[Tripura Merger Agreement]] signed by [[Maharani]] [[Regent]] [[Kanchan Prava Devi]]. By the 1950s, the region had a Bengali majority population due to the influx of Hindu refugees from East Pakistan after partition. It became a [[Union Territory]] of India in November 1953. It was granted full statehood with an elected legislature in July 1963. An [[Insurgency in Northeast India|insurgency]] by indigenous people affected the state for several years. The [[Left Front (Tripura)|Left Front]] ruled the state between 1978 and 1988, followed by a stint of Indian National Congress rule until 1993, and then a return to the Communists.<ref name="google8">{{cite book |title=Tripura Administration: The Era of Modernisation, 1870–1972 |author=Bhattacharyya, B. |date=1986 |publisher=Mittal Publications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WmgrZgspJbIC |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref>
;Karimganj district of Assam
[[Karimganj District]] joined the Union of India after its partition from [[Sylhet region|Sylhet]] as per the [[Sylhet referendum]] in 1947 and became a part of Assam's [[Barak Valley]]. One of the most significant events in the region's history was the [[Bengali Language Movement (Barak Valley)|language movement]] in 1961, in which the killing of agitators by state police led to Bengali being recognised as one of the official languages of Assam. The issue of Bengali settlement in the state has been a contentious part of the [[Assam conflict]].
==== Bangladesh ====
[[File:Shaheed minar Roehl.jpg|thumb|[[Shaheed Minar, Dhaka|Shaheed Minar]] in Dhaka commemorates the [[Bengali language movement|1952 Language Movement]]]]
=====East Pakistan (1947–1971)=====
{{Main|Bangladesh Liberation War}}
In 1948, the [[Governor-General of Pakistan|Government of the Dominion of Pakistan]] ordained [[Urdu]] as the sole national language, sparking extensive protests among the Bengali-speaking majority of East Bengal. Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent with the new law, the government outlawed public meetings and rallies. The students of the [[University of Dhaka]] and other political activists defied the law and organised a protest on 21 February 1952. The movement reached its climax when several student demonstrators were shot dead by police firing. As a result of the movement, Pakistan government in 1956 included Bengali as national lanuage along with Urdu. [[UNESCO]] in 1999 declared 21 February as [[International Mother Language Day]] honouring the 1952 incident.
[[East Bengal]], which was later renamed to [[East Pakistan]] in 1955, was home to Pakistan's demographic majority and played an instrumental role in the founding of the new state. Strategically, Pakistan joined the [[Southeast Asia Treaty Organization]] under the Bengali prime minister [[Mohammad Ali of Bogra]] as a bulwark against communism.<ref name="storyofpakistan">{{cite web |url=http://storyofpakistan.com/muhammad-ali-bogra-becomes-prime-minister |title=Muhammad Ali Bogra becomes Prime Minister |website=Story of Pakistan |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326101925/http://storyofpakistan.com/muhammad-ali-bogra-becomes-prime-minister |archive-date=26 March 2017 |url-status=live|date=June 2003 }}</ref> However, tensions between East and [[West Pakistan]] grew rapidly over political exclusion, economic neglect and ethnic and linguistic discrimination. The State of Pakistan was subjected to years of [[military occupation|military rule]] due to fears of Bengali political supremacy under democracy. Elected Bengali-led governments at the federal and provincial levels, which were led by statesmen such as [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]] and [[H. S. Suhrawardy]], were deposed.<ref name="nation">{{cite news |url=http://nation.com.pk/columns/05-Dec-2015/revisting-1906-1971 |work=The Nation |location=Pakistan |title=Revisiting 1906–1971 |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127030724/http://nation.com.pk/columns/05-Dec-2015/revisting-1906-1971 |archive-date=27 January 2016 |url-status=live|date=4 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="storyofpakistan2">{{cite web |url=http://storyofpakistan.com/h-s-suhrawardy-becomes-prime-minister |title=H. S. Suhrawardy Becomes Prime Minister |website=Story of Pakistan |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326100307/http://storyofpakistan.com/h-s-suhrawardy-becomes-prime-minister |archive-date=26 March 2017 |url-status=live|date=July 2003 }}</ref>
[[File:Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1950.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright|[[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] led Bengali's decade long independence struggle including the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] of 1971]]
During the 1960s, calls for greater [[self determination]] grew in East Pakistan. [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] emerged as the leader of the province's dissent against the Pakistani state. Rahman launched the [[Six point movement]] for autonomy in 1966. In the 1970 national election, Rahman's party, the [[Awami League]], won a majority of seats in parliament.<ref name=baxter5>{{cite book |last=Baxter |first=Craig |author-link = Craig Baxter|year=1997 |title=Bangladesh: From a Nation to a State |location=Boulder, CO |publisher=Westview Press |pages=77–79 |isbn=0-8133-2854-3}}</ref> The erstwhile Pakistani [[military junta]] refused to accept election results which triggered [[civil disobedience]] across East Pakistan. The Pakistani military responded by launching a [[1971 Bangladesh genocide|genocide]] that caused the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] in 1971. The [[Provisional Government of Bangladesh|first Government of Bangladesh]] and the [[Mukti Bahini]] waged a [[guerrilla]] campaign with support from neighbouring India, which hosted millions of war refugees. Global support for the independence of East Pakistan increased due to the conflict's humanitarian crisis, with the [[Indian Armed Forces]] intervening in support of the [[Bangladesh Forces]] in the final two weeks of the war and ensuring Pakistan's surrender.<ref name="google9">{{cite book |title=1971 |author=Raghavan, S. |date=2013 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-73129-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2S-wAQAAQBAJ |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref>
=====Bangladesh (1971–present)=====
After independence, Bangladesh adopted a [[secular democracy]] under its new [[Constitution of Bangladesh|constitution]] in 1972. Awami League premier Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became the country's strongman and implemented many [[socialist]] policies. A [[BAKSAL|one party state]] was enacted in 1975. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was [[Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman|assassinated]] later that year during a [[Military coups in Bangladesh|military coup]] that ushered in sixteen years of [[military dictatorships]] and [[presidential government]]s. The liberation war commander [[Ziaur Rahman]] emerged as Bangladesh's leader in the late 1970s. He reoriented the country's [[foreign policy]] towards the West and restored [[free market]]s and the [[multiparty]] polity. President Zia was [[Assassination of Ziaur Rahman|assassinated]] in 1981 during a failed military coup. He was eventually succeeded by his army chief [[Hussain Muhammad Ershad]]. Lasting for nine years, Ershad's rule witnessed continued pro-free market reforms and the [[devolution]] of some authority to local government.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=David |author-link=David Lewis (academic) |date=2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5lH40gT7xvYC |title=Bangladesh: Politics, Economy and Civil Society |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=78–90 |isbn=978-0-521-71377-1}}</ref> The [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] (SAARC) was founded in [[Dhaka]] in 1985.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/userfiles/01-Dhaka-1stSummit1985.pdf |url-status=dead |title=Dhaka Declaration |website=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=7 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607131812/http://www.saarc-sec.org/userfiles/01-Dhaka-1stSummit1985.pdf |archive-date=7 June 2016}}</ref> The [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]] government made Islam the [[state religion]] in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh profile – Timeline |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12651483 |work=BBC News |date=1 January 2016 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711040420/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12651483 |archive-date=11 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
A popular uprising restored [[parliamentary democracy]] in 1991. Since then, Bangladesh has largely alternated between the premierships of [[Sheikh Hasina]] of the Awami League and [[Khaleda Zia]] of the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]], as well as technocratic [[Caretaker government of Bangladesh|caretaker governments]]. [[State of emergency|Emergency rule]] was imposed by the military in 2007 and 2008 after widespread street violence between the League and BNP. The restoration of democratic government in 2009 was followed by the initiation of the [[International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)|International Crimes Tribunal]] to prosecute surviving collaborators of the 1971 genocide. Today, the country is one of the [[emerging and growth-leading economies]] of the world. It is listed as one of the [[Jim O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Gatley#Next Eleven|Next Eleven]] countries, it also has one of the [[List of countries by real GDP growth rate|fastest real GDP growth rates]]. Its [[gross domestic product]] ranks [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|39th]] largest in the world in terms of market [[exchange rates]] and [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|30th]] in [[purchasing power parity]]. Its [[per capita income]] ranks [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|143th]] and [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|136th]] in two measures. In the field of human development, it has progressed ahead in life expectancy, maternal and child health, and gender equality. However, it continues to face challenging problems, including [[Poverty in Bangladesh|poverty]], [[Corruption in Bangladesh|corruption]], [[Terrorism in Bangladesh|terrorism]], [[Education in Bangladesh|illiteracy]], and inadequate [[Health in Bangladesh|public healthcare]].<ref name=salik>{{cite book |last=Salik |first=Siddiq |year=1978 |title=Witness to Surrender |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-577264-7}}</ref><ref name=burke>{{cite journal |last=Burke |first=S |year=1973 |title=The Postwar Diplomacy of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |journal=Asian Survey |volume=13 |issue=11 |pages=1036–1049 |doi=10.2307/2642858 |jstor=2642858}}</ref>
== Historical maps and flags of states ==
The Bengal region had been part of major empires and kingdoms like [[Gangaridai]], [[Nanda Empire]], [[Maurya Empire]], [[Gupta Empire]], [[Pala Empire]], [[Sena dynasty]], and [[Bengal Sultanate]]. It has also been a regional empire, ruling over neighbouring regions like [[Bihar]], [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], [[Rakhine State|Arakan]], and parts of North India, [[Assam]] and [[Nepal]].
=== Maps ===
<gallery>
File:Ptolemy Asia detail.jpg|[[Gangaridai]] in [[Ptolemy's map]], 1st century
File:Asia 800ad.jpg|The [[Pala Empire]], 9th century
File:Sultanate of Bengal.png|At its greatest extent, the [[Bengal Sultanate]]'s realm and protectorates stretched from Jaunpur in North India in the west to Tripura and Arakan in the east
File:Bengal Sultanate.png|The [[Bengal Sultanate]], 16th century
File:1776 Rennell - Dury Wall Map of Bihar and Bengal, India - Geographicus - BaharBengal-dury-1776.jpg|Bengal & [[Bihar]] in 1776 by [[James Rennell]]
File:Bengalpresidency 1858.jpg|[[Bengal Presidency|Colonial Bengal]], 19th century
File:Bengal gazetteer 1907-9.jpg|Colonial [[Eastern Bengal and Assam]], early 20th century
File:Bengal Province 1931.png|Province of Bengal (1931)
File:WestBengalDistricts numbered.svg|Map of West Bengal
File:BD Map admin.svg|Map of Bangladesh
File:Tripura-district-map.svg|Map of Tripura
</gallery>
=== Flags ===
<gallery>
File:Bengal Sultanate Flag.gif|Flag of [[Bengal Sultanate]]
File:Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg|Flag of the [[Bengal Subah]] (15-18th Century)
File:Flag of British Bengal.svg|Flag of [[Bengal Presidency]], under British rule
File:Flag of Bangladesh (1971).svg|Flag of [[Bangladesh]] during [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] and after
File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg|[[Flag of Bangladesh|Flag]] of [[Bangladesh]] from 1972 onwards
</gallery>
== Politics ==
Politically, the region is divided between the [[Bangladesh|People's Republic of Bangladesh]], an independent [[Sovereign state|state]], and the eastern provinces of the [[India|Republic of India]], including [[West Bengal]]. Politically both Bangladesh and Indian Bengal are socialist, with left wing parties dominating the region's politics.
=== Bangladeshi Republic ===
{{Main|Bangladesh}}
[[File:রাতের বেলায় বঙ্গভবনের সৌন্দর্য্য! 02.jpg|thumb|[[Bangabhaban]] (the ''House of Bengal'') is the official residence of the [[president of Bangladesh]]]]
The state of Bangladesh is a [[parliamentary republic]] based on the [[Westminster system]], with a [[Constitution of Bangladesh|written constitution]] and a [[President of Bangladesh|President]] elected by parliament for mostly ceremonial purposes. The [[Government of Bangladesh|government]] is headed by a Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President from among the popularly elected 300 Members of Parliament in the [[Jatiyo Sangshad]], the national parliament. The Prime Minister is traditionally the leader of the single largest party in the Jatiyo Sangshad. Under the constitution, while recognising [[Islam]] as the country's [[established religion]], the constitution grants [[freedom of religion]] to non-Muslims.
Between 1975 and 1990, Bangladesh had a [[presidential system]] of government. Since the 1990s, it was administered by non-political technocratic [[Caretaker government of Bangladesh|caretaker governments]] on four occasions, the last being under military-backed emergency rule in 2007 and 2008. The [[Awami League]] and the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] (BNP) are the two largest political parties in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a member of the UN, [[World Trade Organization|WTO]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], the [[World Bank]], [[Asian Development Bank|ADB]], [[Organization of Islamic Cooperation|OIC]], [[Islamic Development Bank|IDB]], [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]], [[Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation|BIMSTEC]] and the [[Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition|IMCTC]]. Bangladesh has achieved significant strides in [[List of countries by Human Development Index|human development]] compared to its neighbours.
=== Indian Bengal ===
{{Main|West Bengal}}
[[File:Writer's Building (14839639795).jpg|thumb|[[Writers' Building]], the official seat of the [[Government of West Bengal]]]]
West Bengal is a constituent state of the [[India|Republic of India]], with local [[State governments of India|executives]] and [[Vidhan Sabha|assemblies]]- features shared with other states in the Indian federal system. The [[president of India]] appoints a governor as the ceremonial representative of the [[Government of India|union government]]. The governor appoints the [[chief minister]] on the nomination of the [[legislative assembly]]. The chief minister is the traditionally the leader of the party or coalition with most seats in the assembly. [[President's rule]] is often imposed in Indian states as a direct intervention of the union government led by the [[prime minister of India]].
Each state has popularly elected members in the Indian lower house of parliament, the [[Lok Sabha]]. Each state nominates members to the Indian upper house of parliament, the [[Rajya Sabha]].
The state legislative assemblies also play a key role in electing the ceremonial president of India. The former president of India, [[Pranab Mukherjee]], was a native of West Bengal and a leader of the [[Indian National Congress]].
The two major political forces in the Bengali-speaking zone of India are the [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]] and the [[Trinamool Congress]], with the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) and the [[Indian National Congress]] being minor players.
=== Crossborder relations ===
{{Main|Bangladesh-India relations}}
India and Bangladesh are the world's second and eighth most populous countries respectively. [[Bangladesh-India relations]] began on a high note in 1971 when India played a major role in the [[liberation of Bangladesh]], with the Indian Bengali populace and media providing overwhelming support to the independence movement in the former East Pakistan. The two countries had a twenty five-year friendship treaty between 1972 and 1996. However, differences over river sharing, border security and access to trade have long plagued the relationship. In more recent years, a consensus has evolved in both countries on the importance of developing good relations, as well as a strategic partnership in South Asia and beyond. Commercial, cultural and defence co-operation have expanded since 2010, when Prime Ministers [[Sheikh Hasina]] and [[Manmohan Singh]] pledged to reinvigorate ties.
The Bangladesh High Commission in [[New Delhi]] operates a Deputy High Commission in [[Kolkata]] and a consular office in [[Agartala]]. India has a High Commission in [[Dhaka]] with consulates in [[Chittagong]] and [[Rajshahi]]. Frequent international air, bus and rail services connect major cities in Bangladesh and Indian Bengal, particularly the three largest cities- Dhaka, Kolkata and Chittagong. Undocumented immigration of Bangladeshi workers is a controversial issue championed by right-wing nationalist parties in India but finds little sympathy in West Bengal.<ref name=natwarspeech>{{cite web |url=http://www.mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-detail.htm |title=Address by External Affairs Minister Shri Natwar Singh at India-Bangladesh Dialogue Organised by Centre for Policy Dialogue and India International Centre |date=7 August 2005 |website=Speeches |publisher=Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi |access-date=28 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505224301/http://www.mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-detail.htm?2663 |archive-date=5 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> India has since fenced the border which has been criticised by Bangladesh.<ref name=migrHindu>{{cite magazine |last=Chattopadhyay |first=S. S. |date=June 2007 |title=Constant traffic |magazine=Frontline |volume=24 |issue=11 |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2411/stories/20070615003701400.htm |access-date=26 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417025216/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2411/stories/20070615003701400.htm |archive-date=17 April 2008 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Bangladesh|Demographics of West Bengal|Languages of Bangladesh}}
{{Multiple image
| perrow = 2
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| width = 180
| image1 = BD Map admin.svg
| caption1 = [[Districts of Bangladesh]]
| image2 = WestBengalDistrictscurrent.png
| caption2 = [[Districts of West Bengal]]
| image3 = Eid Prayers in Rajarbagh, Dhaka on 6 October 2014.jpg
| caption3 = [[Bengali Muslims]] taking part in mass prayer of [[Eid al-Fitr]]
| image4 = Bakul Bagan Sarbojanin Arnab Dutta 2011.jpg
| caption4 = [[Bengali Hindu]] priests performing [[Durga Puja]] rituals
| image5 = Ful Biju-Chengi river-Khagrachori-Biplob Rahman.jpg
| caption5 = [[Buddhist]] [[Chakma people]] enjoying one of their festivals in south-eastern [[Bangladesh]]
}}
The Bengal region is one of the [[Population density|most densely populated areas]] in the world. With a population of 300&nbsp;million, [[Bengalis]] are the third largest ethnic group in the world after the [[Han Chinese]] and [[Arabs]].{{NoteTag|Roughly 163 million in Bangladesh and 100&nbsp;million in the [[India|Republic of India]] ([[CIA Factbook]] 2014 estimates, numbers subject to rapid population growth); about 3 million [[Bangladeshis in the Middle East]], 1 million [[Bengalis in Pakistan]], 0.4&nbsp;million [[British Bangladeshi]].}}
According to provisional results of 2011 Bangladesh census, the population of Bangladesh was 149,772,364;<ref name=BBSprovjul2011>{{cite web |title=2011 Population & Housing Census: Preliminary Results |url = http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/BBS/PHC2011Preliminary%20Result.pdf |publisher=Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh |date=July 2011 |access-date=17 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130115170757/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/BBS/PHC2011Preliminary%20Result.pdf |archive-date=15 January 2013 }}</ref> however, CIA's ''[[The World Factbook]]'' gives 163,654,860 as its population in a July 2013 estimate. According to the provisional results of the 2011 Indian national census, West Bengal has a population of 91,347,736.<ref name="2011 pp tableA2">{{cite web |url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/prov_data_products_wb.html |title=Area, population, decennial growth rate and density for 2001 and 2011 at a glance for West Bengal and the districts: provisional population totals paper 1 of 2011: West Bengal |publisher=Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=26 January 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120107060612/http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/prov_data_products_wb.html |archive-date=7 January 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> "So, the Bengal region, {{as of|2011|lc=y}}, has at least 241.1&nbsp;million people. This figures give a population density of 1003.9/km<sup>2</sup>; making it among the most densely populated areas in the world.<ref name=censuswb>{{cite web |url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/ |title=Provisional Population Totals: West Bengal |access-date=26 August 2006 |website=Census of India, 2001 |publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070514045222/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/ |archive-date=14 May 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WorldBank">[[World Bank Group|World Bank]] Development Indicators Database, 2006.</ref>
[[Bengali language|Bengali]] is the main language spoken in Bengal. Many phonological, lexical, and structural differences from the standard variety occur in peripheral varieties of Bengali across the region. Other regional languages closely related to Bengali include [[Sylheti language|Sylheti]], [[Chittagonian language|Chittagonian]], [[Chakma language|Chakma]], [[Rangpuri language|Rangpuri/Rajbangshi]], [[Hajong language|Hajong]], [[Rohingya language|Rohingya]], and [[Tangchangya language|Tangchangya]].<ref name="ethnologue.com">{{cite web |url = http://www.ethnologue.com/country/BD/languages |title=Bangladesh |website=Ethnologue |access-date=26 June 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150626114709/http://www.ethnologue.com/country/BD/languages |archive-date=26 June 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>
English is often used for official work alongside Bengali. Other major [[Indo-Aryan languages]] such as [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Assamese language|Assamese]], and [[Nepali language|Nepali]] are also familiar to Bengalis.<ref>Detailed relations between Bengali and related dialects and languages in eastern India in Sudhāṃśu Śekhara Tuṅga, ''Bengali and Other Related Dialects of South Assam'' (Delhi: Mittal, 1995). {{ISBN|9788170995883}}</ref>
{{stack|float=left|
{{bar box
|title=Religions in Bangladesh 2011
|titlebar=#F6F6F6
|left1=Religions
|right1=Percent
|float=left
|bars=
{{bar percent|Islam |green |90.4}}
{{bar percent|Hinduism|Orange |8.5}}
{{bar percent|others|purple|1.1}}
}}
{{bar box
|title=Religions in West Bengal 2011
|titlebar=#F6F6F6
|left1=Religions
|right1=Percent
|float=left
|bars=
{{bar percent|Hinduism |Orange |70.54}}
{{bar percent|Islam|Green |27.01}}
{{bar percent|others|purple|2.45}}
}}
}}
{{pie chart
|radius=80
|thumb = right
|caption = Religions in Bengal region (Bangladesh and West Bengal) 2011
|label1 = [[Bengali Muslims|Islam]]
|value1 = 66.37
|color1 = Green
|label2 = [[Bengali Hindus|Hinduism]]
|value2 = 31.98
|color2 = Orange
|label3 = [[Bengali Christians|Christianity]]
|value3 = 0.52
|color3 = blue
|label4 = [[Bengali Buddhists|Buddhism]]
|value4 = 0.49
|color4 = yellow
|label5 = Others
|value5 = 0.64
|color5 = brown
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''Bengal region religious diversity as per 2011 census'''<ref name=census2011>{{cite web|url=http://203.112.218.65:8008/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/National%20Reports/Union%20Statistics.pdf|title=Population & Housing Census |year=2011 |author=[[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]] |publisher=Bangladesh Government |access-date=17 April 2015 |page=xiii |quote="Population By Religion (%) Muslim 90.39 Hindu 8.54 Buddhist 0.60 Christian 0.37 Others 0.14" |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903181037/http://203.112.218.65:8008/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/National%20Reports/Union%20Statistics.pdf |archive-date=3 September 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Data Archived 4 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Census – Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://censusindia.gov.in |title=Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |publisher=Censusindia.gov.in |accessdate=17 July 2021}}</ref>
|-
! Religion
! Population
|-
| [[Bengali Muslims|Muslims]] ([[File:Star and Crescent.svg|18px]])
| 160,049,043
|-
| [[Bengali Hindus|Hindus]] ([[File:Om.svg|15px]])
| 77,116,197
|-
| [[Bengali Christians|Christians]] ([[File:Christian cross.svg|12px]])
| 1,257,708
|-
| [[Bengali Buddhists|Buddhists]] ([[File:Dharma Wheel.svg|18px]])
| 1,181,533
|-
| Others
| 1,515,619
|-
| Total
| 241,120,100
|}
In addition, several minority ethnolinguistic groups are native to the region. These include speakers of other Indo-Aryan languages (e.g., [[Bishnupriya Manipuri language|Bishnupriya Manipuri]], [[Sadri language|Oraon Sadri]], various [[Bihari languages]]), [[Tibeto-Burman languages]] (e.g., [[A'Tong language|A'Tong]], [[Chak language|Chak]], [[Koch language|Koch]], [[Garo language|Garo]], [[Megam language|Megam]], [[Meitei language|Meitei Manipuri]], [[Mizo language|Mizo]], [[Mru language|Mru]], [[Pangkhua language|Pangkhua]], [[Rakhine language|Rakhine]]/[[Marma Language|Marma]], [[Kok Borok language|Kok Borok]], [[Reang language|Riang]], [[Tippera language|Tippera]], [[Usoi language|Usoi]], various [[Chin languages]]), [[Austroasiatic languages]] (e.g., [[Khasi language|Khasi]], [[Koda language|Koda]], [[Mundari language|Mundari]], [[Pnar language|Pnar]], [[Santali language|Santali]], [[War language|War]]), and [[Dravidian languages]] (e.g., [[Kurukh language|Kurukh]], [[Sauria Paharia language|Sauria Paharia]]).<ref name="ethnologue.com" />
Life expectancy is around 72.49 years for Bangladesh<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bangladesh/ |title=The World Factbook: Bangladesh |website=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=31 October 2009 }}</ref> and 70.2 for West Bengal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contents 2010–14 |url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Vital_Statistics/SRS_Life_Table/1.CONTENTS-2010-14.pdf |publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=12 January 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161113174353/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Vital_Statistics/SRS_Life_Table/1.CONTENTS-2010-14.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="life table">{{cite web |title=Abridged Life Tables- 2010–14 |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Vital_Statistics/SRS_Life_Table/2.Analysis_2010-14.pdf |page=5 |publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=12 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110123124/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Vital_Statistics/SRS_Life_Table/2.Analysis_2010-14.pdf |archive-date=10 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> In terms of literacy, West Bengal leads with 77% literacy rate,<ref name=censuswb /> in Bangladesh the rate is approximately 72.9%.<ref>{{cite book |last=CRI=Center Research and Information |title=Bangladesh Education for All |date=2014 |publisher=CRI Publication |isbn=978-0-7566-9859-1 |page=138 |url=http://cri.org.bd/publication/2015/Bangladesh%20Education%20for%20All/#/1/ |access-date=6 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814012330/http://cri.org.bd/publication/2015/Bangladesh%20Education%20for%20All/#/1/ |archive-date=14 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{NoteTag|CRI do not give a breakdown by gender or state the age bracket for the data}} The level of poverty in West Bengal is at 19.98%, while in Bangladesh it stands at 12.9%<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/PublicationsView.aspx?id=15283 |title=Table 162, Number and Percentage of Population Below Poverty Line |publisher=Reserve Bank of India, Government of India |year=2013 |access-date=20 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102043/http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/PublicationsView.aspx?id=15283 |archive-date=7 April 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Misha |first1=Farzana |last2=Sulaiman |first2=Munshi |title=Bangladesh Priorities: Poverty, Sulaiman and Misha &#124; Copenhagen Consensus Center |url=http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/publication/bangladesh-priorities-poverty-sulaiman-and-misha |website=copenhagenconsensus.com |publisher=Copenhagen Consensus |access-date=7 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416191511/http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/publication/bangladesh-priorities-poverty-sulaiman-and-misha |archive-date=16 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="unicef_stats">{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/bangladesh_bangladesh_statistics.html |title=Statistics |date=18 December 2013 |website=UNICEF |access-date=2 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219134729/http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/bangladesh_bangladesh_statistics.html |archive-date=19 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
West Bengal has one of the lowest total fertility rates in India. West Bengal's TFR of 1.6 roughly equals that of Canada.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/1rl0WtFHAUyrXy1KcwGYlK/Why-West-Bengal-is-like-Canada-and-Bihar-like-Swaziland.html |title=Why West Bengal is like Canada, and Bihar like Swaziland |access-date=7 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724083636/http://www.livemint.com/Politics/1rl0WtFHAUyrXy1KcwGYlK/Why-West-Bengal-is-like-Canada-and-Bihar-like-Swaziland.html |archive-date=24 July 2016 |url-status=live|date=25 December 2014}}</ref>
About 20,000 people live on ''chars''. Chars are temporary islands formed by the deposition of sediments eroded off the banks of the Ganges in West Bengal, which often disappear in the monsoon season. They are made of very fertile soil. The inhabitants of the chars are not recognised by the Government of West Bengal on the grounds that it is not known whether they are [[Indian people|Indians]] or [[Bangladeshis]]. Consequently, no identification documents are issued to char-dwellers who cannot benefit from health care, barely survive because of very poor sanitation and are prevented from emigrating to the mainland to find jobs when they have turned 14. On a particular char, it was reported that 13% of women died at childbirth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wanderinggaia.com |title=Wandering Gaia |publisher="The Give and Take of the Ganges" WordPress.com |access-date=13 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410040034/http://wanderinggaia.com/ |archive-date=10 April 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>
== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Bangladesh|Economy of West Bengal}}
{{Multiple image
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| width = 140
| image1 = Amartya Sen, c2000 (4378493325).jpg
| caption1 = [[Amartya Sen]], winner of the 1998 [[Nobel Prize in Economics]]
| image2 = Muhammad Yunus, World Economic Forum 2009 Annual Meeting.jpg
| caption2 = [[Muhammad Yunus]], winner of the 2006 [[Nobel Peace Prize]]
}}
[[File:Biman Bangladesh Airlines, S2-AJS, Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - EGLF (41646443610).jpg|thumb|left|[[Biman Bangladesh Airlines]] is the largest airline based in the Bengal region]]
Historically, Bengal has been the industrial leader of the subcontinent.
The region is one of the largest rice producing areas in the world, with West Bengal being India's largest rice producer and Bangladesh being the world's fourth largest rice producer.<ref name="importantindia">{{cite web |url=http://www.importantindia.com/10116/major-rice-producing-states-in-india/ |publisher=importantindia.com |title=7 Major Rice Producing States in India – Important India |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129120550/http://www.importantindia.com/10116/major-rice-producing-states-in-india/ |archive-date=29 November 2016 |url-status=dead |date=21 January 2014 }}</ref> Other key crops include [[jute]], tea, sugarcane and wheat. There are significant reserves of limestone, natural gas and coal. Major industries include textiles, leather goods, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, banking and information and communication technology.
Three stock exchanges are located in the region, including the [[Dhaka Stock Exchange]], the [[Chittagong Stock Exchange]] and the [[Calcutta Stock Exchange]].
=== Intra-Bengal trade ===
Bangladesh and India are the largest trading partners in South Asia, with two-way trade valued at an estimated US$6.9&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite news |title=UPDATE 1-India, Bangladesh sign historic land boundary agreement |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/bangladesh-india-enclaves-idUSL3N0YS06U20150606 |work=Reuters |access-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610032627/http://www.reuters.com/article/bangladesh-india-enclaves-idUSL3N0YS06U20150606 |archive-date=10 June 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Most of this trade relationship is centered on some of the world's busiest [[land port]]s on the [[Bangladesh-India border]], particularly the West Bengal section.
The partition of India severed the once strong economic links which integrated the region. Decades later, frequent air, rail and bus services are increasingly connecting cities in Bangladesh and West Bengal, as well as the wider region, including [[Northeast India]], [[Nepal]] and [[Bhutan]]. However the overall economic relationship remains well below potential.
== Major cities ==
=== Metropolises ===
The following are the largest cities in Bengal (in terms of population):
[[File:National Martyrs' Memorial 2.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[National Martyrs' Memorial|National Martyr's Memorial]] in Dhaka, built on memories of the martyrs of [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].
|322x322px]]
[[File:Victoria.jpg|thumb|The [[Victoria Memorial, Kolkata|Victoria Memorial]] in [[Kolkata]], India]]
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|+ List of major cities in Bengal
|-
! Rank
! City
! Country
! data-sort-type="numeric" | Population (2011)
! Image
|-
| align=center | 1 || '''[[Dhaka]]''' || {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| data-sort-value="1" | 8,906,039<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citypopulation.de/php/bangladesh-dhaka.php |title=Dhaka (Bangladesh): City Districts and Subdistricts – Population Statistics in Maps and Charts |access-date=6 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709201717/http://citypopulation.de/php/bangladesh-dhaka.php |archive-date=9 July 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[File:GulshanDhaka.jpg|alt=|thumb|130px|[[Dhaka]]]]
|-
| align=center | 2 || '''[[Kolkata]]''' || {{flag|India}}
| data-sort-value="2" | 4,496,694
| [[File:Calcutta skyline.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Kolkata]]]]
|-
| align=center | 3 || '''[[Chittagong]]''' || {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| data-sort-value="3" | 2,592,439<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citypopulation.de/php/bangladesh-chittagong.php |title=Chittagong (Bangladesh): City Districts and Subdistricts – Population Statistics in Maps and Charts |access-date=6 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306161235/http://www.citypopulation.de/php/bangladesh-chittagong.php |archive-date=6 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[File:Chittagong city skyline.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Chittagong]]]]
|-
| align=center | 4 || '''[[Asansol]]''' || {{flag|India}}
| data-sort-value="10" | 1,243,414<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asansolmunicipalcorporation.com/aboutus/1 |title=Asansol Municipal corporation}}</ref>
| [[File:Modernisation of ISP.JPG|thumb|130px|Modernised ISP, Asansol]]
|-
| align=center | 5 || '''[[Howrah]]''' || {{flag|India}}
| data-sort-value="10" | 1,077,075<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=361380 |title=West Bengal: Howrah |website=Census of India}}</ref>
| [[File:Nabanna - HRBC Building - Vidyasagar Setu Toll Plaza - Howrah 2014-07-11 7378.JPG|thumb|130px|Nabanna, Howrah]]
|-
| align=center | 6 || '''[[Khulna]]''' || {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| data-sort-value="6" | 664,728<ref name="citypopulation.de">{{cite web |url=http://citypopulation.de/Bangladesh-UA.html |title=Bangladesh: Divisions and Urban Areas |access-date=17 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306160813/http://citypopulation.de/Bangladesh-UA.html |archive-date=6 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[File:খান জাহান আলী সেতু.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Khulna]]]]
|-
| align=center | 7 || '''[[Durgapur]]''' || {{flag|India}}
| data-sort-value="9" | 566,517<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=361380 |title=West Bengal: Durgapur |website=Census of India}}</ref>
| [[File:Durgapur Xpressway.jpg|thumb|130px|Durgapur Express Way]]
|-
| align=center | 8 || '''[[Bogra]]''' || {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| data-sort-value="13" | 540,000<ref name="citypopulation.de" />
| [[File:Bogra Sathmatha.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Bogra]]]]
|-
| align=center | 9 || '''[[Sylhet]]''' || {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| data-sort-value="11" | 526,412<ref name="citypopulation.de" />
| [[File:Night View Sylhet Keane Bridge.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Sylhet]]]]
|-
| align=center | 10 || '''[[Siliguri]]''' || {{flag|India}}
| data-sort-value="12" | 513,264<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=345721 |title=West Bengal: Siliguri (Part – Darjiling) |website=Census of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=346603 |title=West Bengal: Siliguri (Part – Jalpaiguri) |website=Census of India}}</ref>
| [[File:Siliguri view.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Siliguri]]]]
|-
| align=center | 11 || '''[[Rajshahi]]''' || {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| data-sort-value="7" | 449,756<ref name="citypopulation.de" />
| [[File:Administration Building of Rajshshi College.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Rajshahi]]]]
|-
| align=center | 12 || '''[[Agartala]]''' || {{flag|India}}
| data-sort-value="15" | 400,004<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=308549 |title=Tripura: Agartala |website=Census of India}}</ref>
| [[File:Tripura State Museum Agartala Tripura India.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Agartala]]]]
|}
=== Major ports ===
[[File:Straddle carrier from Port of Chittagong (05).JPG|thumb|260px|New Mooring Terminal, [[Port of Chittagong]]]]
[[File:Haldia [email protected]|thumb|260px|Aerial view of Haldia port, [[Haldia Port]]]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+ List of The Major Ports in Bengal
! Port Name
! Type
! Status
! Location
! Country
|-
| [[Port of Chittagong]]
| Sea Port
| Active
| [[Chittagong]], [[Chittagong District|Chittagong]]
| {{flag|Bangladesh}}
|-
| [[Haldia Port|Port of Haldia]]
| Sea Port<br />River Port
| Active
| [[Haldia]], [[East Midnapur]]
| {{flag|India}}
|-
| [[Port of Mongla]]
| Sea Port
| Active
| [[Mongla Upazila|Mongla]], [[Bagerhat District|Bagerhat]], [[Khulna Division|Khulna]]
| {{flag|Bangladesh}}
|-
| [[Port of Payra]]
| Sea Port
| Active
| [[Kalapara Upazila|Kalapara]], [[Patuakhali District|Patuakhali]], [[Barisal Division|Barisal]]
| {{flag|Bangladesh}}
|-
| [[Port of Kolkata]]
| River Port
| Active
| [[Kolkata]], [[Kolkata District|Kolkata]]
| {{flag|India}}
|-
| [[Port of Narayanganj]]
| River Port
| Active
| [[Narayanganj]], [[Dhaka Division|Dhaka]]
| {{flag|Bangladesh}}
|-
| Port of [[Benapole]]-[[Petrapole]]
| Landport
| Active
| [[Sharsha Upazila|Sharsha]], [[Jessore (city)|Jessore]]-[[Bangaon]], [[North 24 Parganas]]
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Jessore (city)|Jessore]] - {{flagicon|India}} [[Bangaon]]
|}
=== Tourist attractions ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ List of The Tourist Attraction of Bengal
! Name
! Type
! City/Area
! Sample Image
|-
| [[Sundarbans]]
| World's largest natural mangrove forest
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Khulna District|Khulna]], [[Satkhira District|Satkhira]], [[Bagerhat District|Bagerhat]], {{flagicon|India}}[[South 24 Parganas]], [[North 24 parganas]]
| [[File:Sundarban Tiger.jpg|thumb|120px|A [[Bengal tiger]] (''[[Panthera tigris tigris]]'') from Sundarbans]]
|-
| [[Cox's Bazar Beach|Cox's Bazar]]
| World's longest uninterrupted sea beach
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Cox's Bazar]]
| [[File:Himchari 1.jpg|alt=|thumb|120x120px|[[Cox's Bazar Beach|Cox's Bazar]] sea beach]]
|-
| [[Kuakata]]
| Sea beach
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Patuakhali]]
| [[File:Kuakata Sea Beach.JPG|alt=|thumb|120px|[[Kuakata]] sea beach]]
|-
| [[Digha]]
| Sea beach
| {{flagicon|India}} [[East Midnapur]]
| [[File:Sunrise @ Digha.jpg|thumb|120px|[[Digha]] sea beach]]
|-
| [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]]
| Hilly areas inhabited by different tribal peoples
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Rangamati District|Rangamati]], [[Khagrachhari District|Khagrachhari]], [[Bandarban District|Bandarban]]
| [[File:Road through Sajek.jpg|thumb|120px|A view of Sajek, Rangamati]]
|-
| [[Ratargul Swamp Forest|Ratargul]]
| Only swamp forest in the Bengal region
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Sylhet District]]
| [[File:Ratargul Swamp Forest, Sylhet..jpg|thumb|120px|A view of Ratargul|alt=]]
|-
| [[Lawachara National Park]]
| Major [[national park]] and [[nature reserve]]
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Moulvibazar District|Moulvibazar]], [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet]]
| [[File:Life around jungle.jpg|thumb|120px|A view of Lawachara national park|alt=]]
|-
| [[Satchari National Park|Satchhari]]
| Reserve forest
| {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Habiganj District|Habiganj]], [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet]]
| [[File:Satchari National Park, Habiganj, Sylhet.jpg|alt=|thumb|120x120px|A view of Satchari national park]]
|-
| [[Siliguri]]
| Hilly area of foothills of [[Himalayas]]
| {{flagicon|India}} [[Darjeeling]], [[Jalpaiguri]]
| [[File:Siliguri view.jpg|thumb|120px|A view of Siliguri Metropolis]]
|}
== Strategic importance ==
[[File:Stacking Intermodal container in Port of Chittagong (11).jpg|thumb|The strategically important city of [[Chittagong]] is home to the busiest port on the Bay of Bengal]]
The Bengal region is located at the crossroads of two huge economic blocs, the [[SAARC]] and [[ASEAN]]. It gives access to the sea for the landlocked countries of [[Bhutan]] and [[Nepal]], as well as the [[Seven Sister States]] of [[North East India]]. It is also located near China's southern landlocked region, including [[Yunnan]] and [[Tibet]].
Both India and Bangladesh plan to expand onshore and offshore [[oil and gas]] operations. Bangladesh is Asia's seventh-largest [[Natural gas in Bangladesh|natural gas]] producer. Its maritime exclusive economic zone potentially holds many of the largest gas reserves in the Asia-Pacific.<ref name="thediplomat">{{cite magazine |url=https://thediplomat.com/2014/11/bangladesh-asias-new-energy-superpower/ |author=Jack Detsch |title=Bangladesh: Asia's New Energy Superpower? |magazine=The Diplomat |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229123448/https://thediplomat.com/2014/11/bangladesh-asias-new-energy-superpower/ |archive-date=29 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The Bay of Bengal is strategically important for its vital shipping lanes and its central location between the Middle East and the Pacific. The [[Bay of Bengal Initiative]], based in [[Dhaka]], brings together Bangladesh, India, [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]], Nepal, Bhutan and [[Sri Lanka]] to promote [[economic integration]] in the subregion. Other regional groupings include the [[Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Forum for Regional Cooperation]] ([[BCIM]]) and the [[Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal]] ([[BBIN]]) Initiative.
Culturally, Bengal is significant for its huge Muslim and Hindu populations. [[Bengali Muslims]] are the world's second largest Muslim ethnicity (after [[Arab Muslims]]), and Bangladesh is the world's [[Islam by country|third largest Muslim-majority country]] (after [[Indonesia]] and [[Pakistan]]). [[Bengali Hindus]] make up the second largest linguistic community in India.
== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Bengal}}
{{Culture of Bengal}}
=== Language ===
{{Main|Bengali language}}
[[File:Bengali letters.svg|thumb|left|[[Bengali alphabet|Bengali Letters]]]]
The [[Bengali language]] developed between the 7th and 10th centuries from [[Apabhraṃśa]] and [[Magadhi Prakrit]].<ref name="britannica2">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://global.britannica.com/topic/Bengali-language |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Bengali language |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> It is written using the indigenous [[Bengali alphabet]], a descendant of the ancient [[Brahmi script]]. Bengali is the [[List of languages by number of native speakers|5th most spoken language in the world]]. It is an eastern [[Indo-Aryan language]] and one of the easternmost branches of the [[Indo-European language family]]. It is part of the [[Bengali-Assamese languages]]. Bengali has greatly influenced other languages in the region, including [[Odia language|Odia]], [[Assamese language|Assamese]], [[Chakma language|Chakma]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]] and [[Rohingya language|Rohingya]]. It is the sole [[state language]] of Bangladesh and the second most spoken language in India.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scheduled Languages in Descending Order of Speakers' Strength - 2011 |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/Language-2011/Statement-4.pdf |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref> It is also the seventh most spoken language by total number of speakers in the world.
Bengali binds together a culturally diverse region and is an important contributor to regional identity. The 1952 [[Bengali Language Movement]] in East Pakistan is commemorated by [[UNESCO]] as [[International Mother Language Day]], as part of global efforts to preserve linguistic identity.
=== Currency ===
{{Main|History of the taka}}
[[File:Coin - Silver - Circa 9-10th Century 13th Century CE - Harikela Kingdom - ACCN 90-C2752 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2014-04-04 4303.JPG|thumb|left|A silver coin with Proto-Bengali script, 9th century]]
In both Bangladesh and West Bengal, currency is commonly denominated as taka. The [[Bangladesh taka]] is an official standard bearer of this tradition, while the [[Indian rupee]] is also written as taka in Bengali script on all of its banknotes. The [[history of the taka]] dates back centuries. Bengal was home one of the world's earliest coin currencies in the first millennium BCE. Under the Delhi Sultanate, the taka was introduced by [[Muhammad bin Tughluq]] in 1329. Bengal became the stronghold of the taka. The silver currency was the most important symbol of sovereignty of the [[Sultanate of Bengal]]. It was traded on the [[Silk Road]] and replicated in [[Nepal]] and China's [[Tibet]]an protectorate. The [[Pakistani rupee]] was scripted in Bengali as taka on its banknotes until Bangladesh's creation in 1971.
=== Literature ===
{{Bengali literature}}
{{Main|Bengali literature|Indian English literature|Bangladeshi English literature}}
[[File:Tagore Iran.jpg|thumb|left|[[Rabindranath Tagore]], known as the Bengali Shakespeare, being hosted at the Parliament of [[Iran]] in the 1930s]]
Bengali literature has a rich heritage. It has a history stretching back to the 3rd century BCE, when the main language was [[Sanskrit]] written in the [[brahmi]] script. The [[Bengali language]] and [[Bengali–Assamese script|script]] evolved circa 1000&nbsp;CE from [[Magadhi Prakrit]]. Bengal has a long tradition in folk literature, evidenced by the ''[[Charyapada|Chôrjapôdô]]'', ''[[Mangalkavya]]'', ''[[Shreekrishna Kirtana]]'', ''[[Maimansingha Gitika]]'' or ''[[Thakurmar Jhuli]]''. Bengali literature in the medieval age was often either religious (e.g. [[Chandidas]]), or adaptations from other languages (e.g. [[Alaol]]). During the [[Bengal Renaissance]] of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, [[Bengali literature]] was modernised through the works of authors such as [[Michael Madhusudan Dutta]], [[Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar]], [[Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay]], [[Rabindranath Tagore]], [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]], [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]], [[Satyendranath Dutta]] and [[Jibanananda Das]]. In the 20th century, prominent modern Bengali writers included [[Syed Mujtaba Ali]], [[Jasimuddin]], [[Manik Bandopadhyay]], [[Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay]], [[Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay]], [[Buddhadeb Bose]], [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]] and [[Humayun Ahmed]].
Prominent contemporary Bengali writers in English include [[Amitav Ghosh]], [[Tahmima Anam]], [[Jhumpa Lahiri]] and [[Zia Haider Rahman]] among others.
=== Personification ===
{{Main|Mother Bengal}}
The [[Bangamata]] is a female [[national personification|personification]] of Bengal which was created during the [[Bengali Renaissance]] and later adopted by the [[Bengali nationalism|Bengali nationalists]].<ref>[http://appweb.cortland.edu/ojs/index.php/Wagadu/article/viewArticle/250/464 Symbols of Water and Woman on Selected Examples of Modern Bengali Literature in the Context of Mythological Tradition] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212184455/http://appweb.cortland.edu/ojs/index.php/Wagadu/article/viewArticle/250/464 |date=12 December 2013 }}</ref> [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalists]] adopted a modified [[Bharat Mata]] as a national personification of India.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/lSOX1BWMcgypBUV8mUb8cJ/The-origins-of-Bharat-Mata.html|title=The origins of Bharat Mata|last=Roche|first=Elizabeth|date=17 March 2016|work=LiveMint|access-date=18 November 2019}}</ref> The Mother Bengal represents not only biological motherness but its attributed characteristics as well – protection, never ending love, consolation, care, the beginning and the end of life. In [[Amar Sonar Bangla]], the national anthem of Bangladesh, [[Rabindranath Tagore]] has used the word "Maa" (Mother) numerous times to refer to the motherland i.e. Bengal.
=== Art ===
{{See also|Bangladeshi art}}
[[File:CezanneGalleryofSaifulIslam2012.JPG|thumb|Bangladeshi paintings on sale at an art gallery in Dhaka]]
The Pala-Sena School of Art developed in Bengal between the 8th and 12th centuries and is considered a high point of classical Asian art.<ref name="google11">{{cite book |title=The History and Culture of the Pālas of Bengal and Bihar, Cir. 750 A.D.-cir. 1200 A.D |author=Bagchi, J. |date=1993 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=9788170173014 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J7RKoMeAtpUC&pg=PA127 |page=127 |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="google12">{{cite book |title=The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture |author=Huntington, S. L. |date=1984 |publisher=E.J. Brill |isbn=9789004068568 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLA3AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA4 |page=4 |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> It included sculptures and paintings.<ref name="britannica3">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pala-art |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Pala art |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003233853/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pala-art |archive-date=3 October 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Islamic Bengal was noted for its production of the finest cotton fabrics and [[sari]]s, notably the [[Jamdani]], which received warrants from the Mughal court.<ref name="metmuseum">{{cite web |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/ruminations/2015/bangladeshi-islamic-art |publisher=metmuseum.org |title=In Search of Bangladeshi Islamic Art &#124; The Metropolitan Museum of Art |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812083629/http://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/ruminations/2015/bangladeshi-islamic-art |archive-date=12 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Bengal School of Art|Bengal School]] of painting flourished in [[Kolkata]] and [[Shantiniketan]] in the [[British Raj]] during the early 20th century. Its practitioners were among the harbingers of modern painting in India.<ref name="google13">{{cite book |title=Art and Nationalism in Colonial India, 1850–1922: Occidental Orientations |author=Mitter, P. |date=1994 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-44354-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mRTtkri8E0C |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> [[Zainul Abedin]] was the pioneer of modern [[Bangladeshi art]]. The country has a thriving and internationally acclaimed [[contemporary art]] scene.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/arts/international/in-bangladesh-a-vibrant-contemporary-scene.html |newspaper=The New York Times |title=In Bangladesh, a Vibrant Contemporary Scene |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821170739/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/arts/international/in-bangladesh-a-vibrant-contemporary-scene.html |archive-date=21 August 2017 |url-status=live|date=13 March 2014 |last1=Yee |first1=Amy }}</ref>
=== Architecture ===
{{Main|Architecture of Bengal}}
[[File:Momin Mosque after restoration.jpg|thumb|[[Bungalow]]s originated from [[Bengali architecture]]]]
Classical Bengali architecture features [[terracotta]] buildings. Ancient Bengali kingdoms laid the foundations of the region's architectural heritage through the construction of monasteries and temples (for example, the [[Somapura Mahavihara]]). During the [[Bengal Sultanate|sultanate period]], a distinct and glorious Islamic style of architecture developed the region.<ref name="akdn">{{cite web |url=http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project/bait-ur-rouf-mosque |publisher=akdn.org |title=Bait Ur Rouf Mosque &#124; Aga Khan Development Network |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119103806/http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project/bait-ur-rouf-mosque |archive-date=19 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Most Islamic buildings were small and highly artistic terracotta mosques with multiple domes and no minarets. Bengal was also home to the largest mosque in South Asia at [[Adina Mosque|
Adina]]. Bengali vernacular architecture is credited for inspiring the popularity of the [[bungalow]].<ref>''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', "bungalow"; [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=bungalow&searchmode=none Online Etymology Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406071037/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=bungalow&searchmode=none |date=6 April 2016 }}</ref>
The Bengal region also has a rich heritage of [[Indo-Saracenic architecture]], including numerous [[zamindar]] palaces and mansions. The most prominent example of this style is the [[Victoria Memorial, Kolkata]].
In the 1950s, [[Muzharul Islam]] pioneered the modernist terracotta style of architecture in South Asia. This was followed by the design of the [[Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban]] by the renowned American architect [[Louis Kahn]] in the 1960s, which was based on the aesthetic heritage of Bengali architecture and geography.<ref name="worldviewcities">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldviewcities.org/dhaka/islam.html |publisher=worldviewcities.org |title=WORLDVIEW |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230094254/http://www.worldviewcities.org/dhaka/islam.html |archive-date=30 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="worldviewcities2">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldviewcities.org/dhaka/philadelphia.html |publisher=worldviewcities.org |title=WORLDVIEW |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102231001/http://www.worldviewcities.org/dhaka/philadelphia.html |archive-date=2 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Sciences ===
{{main|Science and technology in Bangladesh}}
[[File:FR khan sculputure at Sears tower.jpg|thumb|A sculpture on [[Fazlur Rahman Khan]] at the [[Sears Tower]] in the United States]]
<!-- Commented out: [[File:FRKhan.jpg|thumb|[[Fazlur Rahman Khan]] ushered a renaissance in skyscraper construction]] -->
The [[Gupta dynasty]], which is believed to have originated in North Bengal, pioneered the invention of [[chess]], the concept of [[zero]], the [[heliocentrism|theory of Earth orbiting the Sun]], the study of [[Sun|solar]] and [[Moon|lunar]] eclipses and the flourishing of [[Sanskrit literature]] and [[Sanskrit drama|drama]].<ref name="Murray 1913" /><ref>Thomas Khoshy, Elementary Number Theory with Applications, Academic Press, 2002, p. 567. {{ISBN|0-12-421171-2}}.</ref> Bengal was the leader of scientific endeavours in the subcontinent during the [[British Raj]]. The educational reforms during this period gave birth to many distinguished scientists in the region. Sir [[Jagadish Chandra Bose]] pioneered the investigation of [[radio]] and [[microwave]] [[optics]], made very significant contributions to [[plant science]], and laid the foundations of experimental [[science]] in the Indian subcontinent.<ref>Chatterjee, Santimay and Chatterjee, Enakshi, ''Satyendranath Bose'', 2002 reprint, p. 5, National Book Trust, {{ISBN|81-237-0492-5}}</ref> [[IEEE]] named him one of the [[People known as the father or mother of something|fathers]] of radio science.<ref>{{cite conference |title=Sir J. C. Bose and radio science |last1=Sen |first1=A. K. |year=1997 |publisher=IEEE |book-title=Microwave Symposium Digest |pages=557–560 |location=Denver, CO |conference=IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium |isbn=0-7803-3814-6 |doi=10.1109/MWSYM.1997.602854}}</ref> He was the first person from the Indian subcontinent to receive a [[United States patent law|US patent]], in 1904. In 1924–25, while researching at the University of Dhaka, Prof [[Satyendra Nath Bose]] well known for his works in [[quantum mechanics]], provided the foundation for [[Bose–Einstein statistics]] and the theory of the [[Bose–Einstein condensate]].<ref name=SMahanti>{{cite web |author=Dr Subodh Mahanti |title=Satyendra Nath Bose, The Creator of Quantum Statistics |url=http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/scientists/snbose/bosenew.htm |publisher=Vigyan Prasar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712081636/http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/scientists/snbose/bosenew.htm |archive-date=12 July 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Wali |first=Kameshwar C | author-link=Kameshwar C. Wali |year=2009 |title=Satyendra Nath Bose: his life and times |location=Singapore |publisher=World Scientific |pages=xvii, xviii, xx (Foreword) |isbn=978-981-279-070-5}}</ref><ref name="OConnorRobertson">{{cite web |author=J J O'Connor and E F Robertson |date=October 2003 |title=Satyendranath Bose |url=http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Bose.html |publisher=The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116083306/http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Bose.html |archive-date=16 January 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Meghnad Saha]] was the first scientist to relate a star's spectrum to its temperature, developing thermal ionization equations (notably the [[Saha ionization equation]]) that have been foundational in the fields of astrophysics and astrochemistry.<ref name="Distillations">{{cite journal|last1=Kean|first1=Sam |title=A forgotten star |journal=Distillations |year=2017|volume=3|issue=1|pages=4–5|url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/a-forgotten-star|access-date=22 March 2018}}</ref> [[Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri]] was a physicist, known for his research in general relativity and cosmology. His most significant contribution is the eponymous [[Raychaudhuri equation]], which demonstrates that singularities arise inevitably in general relativity and is a key ingredient in the proofs of the Penrose–Hawking singularity theorems.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/no-big-bang-the-universe-was-there-all-along-studies/article6959499.ece|title=No Big Bang, the universe was there all along: studies|first=Shubashree|last=Desikan|date=5 March 2015|access-date=2 January 2018|newspaper=The Hindu|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621211441/http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/no-big-bang-the-universe-was-there-all-along-studies/article6959499.ece|archive-date=21 June 2017}}</ref> In the United States, the Bangladeshi-American engineer [[Fazlur Rahman Khan]] emerged as the "father of tubular designs" in skyscraper construction. [[Ashoke Sen]] is an Indian theoretical physicist whose main area of work is string theory. He was among the first recipients of the [[Fundamental Physics Prize]] “for opening the path to the realisation that all string theories are different limits of the same underlying theory”.<ref name="Pulakkat">{{cite news |last=Pulakkat |first=Hari |date=19 December 2013 |title=How many of us know about Breakthrough Prize winner, Ashoke Sen? |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-12-19/news/45377589_1_ashoke-sen-yuri-milner-scientists |newspaper=[[The Economic Times]] }}</ref>
=== Music ===
{{Main|Music of Bengal}}
[[File:Tharundas baul.jpg|thumb|A [[Baul]] musician. The Baul ballads of Bengal are classified by UNESCO as humanity's [[intangible cultural heritage]]]]
The [[Baul]] tradition is a unique heritage of Bengali folk music.<ref name=baulbengalonline>{{cite web |url=http://bengalonline.sitemarvel.com/bengali-folklore.asp?art=baul |title=The Bauls of Bengal |access-date=26 October 2006 |website=Folk Music |publisher=BengalOnline |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030119135124/http://bengalonline.sitemarvel.com/bengali-folklore.asp?art=baul |archive-date=19 January 2003 |url-status=live }}</ref> The 19th century mystic poet [[Lalon Shah]] is the most celebrated practitioner of the tradition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Anirvan |title=Anirvan |access-date=5 August 2015 |last=Banik |first=Nandadulal |website=[[Banglapedia]] | publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203161749/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Anirvan |archive-date=3 February 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other folk music forms include [[Gombhira]], [[Bhatiali]] and [[Bhawaiya]]. [[Hason Raja]] is a renowned folk poet of the [[Sylhet region]]. Folk music in Bengal is often accompanied by the [[ektara]], a one-stringed instrument. Other instruments include the [[dotara]], [[dhol]], flute, and [[tabla]]. The region also has a rich heritage in [[Hindustani classical music|North Indian classical music]].
=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Bengali cuisine}}
[[Bengali cuisine]] is the only traditionally developed multi-course tradition from the Indian subcontinent. Rice and fish are traditional favourite foods, leading to a saying that "fish and rice make a Bengali".<ref name=machhe>{{cite web |url=http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2003/1201/12010300.pdf |title=Development of freshwater fish farming and poverty alleviation: A case study from Bangladesh |access-date=22 October 2006 |author=Gertjan de Graaf, Abdul Latif |publisher=Aqua KE Government |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101103614/http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2003/1201/12010300.pdf |archive-date=1 November 2006 }}</ref> Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes [[Hilsa]] preparations, a favourite among Bengalis. Bengalis make distinctive [[confectionery|sweetmeats]] from milk products, including ''[[Rasgulla|Rôshogolla]]'', ''Chômchôm'', and several kinds of ''[[Pithe]]''. The old city of Dhaka is noted for its distinct Indo-Islamic cuisine, including [[biryani]], [[bakarkhani]] and [[kebab]] dishes.
=== Boats ===
{{See also|Country boats in Bangladesh}}
[[File:Frans Balthasar Solvyns - Budgerow.jpg|thumb|left|18th century painting of a [[budgerow]]]]
There are 150 types of Bengali country boats plying the [[List of rivers in Bangladesh|700 rivers of the Bengal delta]], the vast [[floodplain]] and many [[oxbow lake]]s. They vary in design and size. The boats include the [[dinghy]] and [[sampan]] among others. Country boats are a central element of [[Bengali culture]] and have inspired generations of artists and poets, including the ivory artisans of the Mughal era. The country has a long shipbuilding tradition, dating back many centuries. Wooden boats are made of timber such as ''Jarul'' ([[dipterocarpus]] turbinatus),'' sal'' ([[shorea robusta]]), ''sundari'' ([[heritiera fomes]]), and ''[[Teak|Burma teak]]'' (tectons grandis). Medieval Bengal was shipbuilding hub for the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] navies.<ref name="bpedia">{{cite book |last=Hossain |first=Khandakar Akhter |year=2012 |chapter=Shipbuilding Industry |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Shipbuilding_Industry |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><ref name="newagezakaria">{{cite news |title=Prospects of shipbuilding industry in Bangladesh |url=http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/archive_details.php?date=2011-12-17&nid=43675 |url-status=dead |newspaper=New Age |access-date=30 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217222253/http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/archive_details.php?date=2011-12-17&nid=43675 |archive-date=17 December 2013}}</ref> The British [[Royal Navy]] later utilised Bengali shipyards in the 19th century, including for the [[Battle of Trafalgar]].
=== Attire ===
Bengali women commonly wear the ''[[sari|shaŗi]]'' and the [[salwar kameez]], often distinctly designed according to local cultural customs. In urban areas, many women and men wear Western-style attire. Among men, European dressing has greater acceptance. Men also wear traditional costumes such as the ''[[kurta]]'' with ''[[dhoti]]'' or ''[[pyjama]]'', often on religious occasions. The [[lungi]], a kind of long skirt, is widely worn by Bangladeshi men.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
=== Festivals ===
{{Main|List of festivals in Bangladesh|List of festivals of West Bengal}}
The two [[religious festival|Eids]] and [[Muharram]] are the biggest and most important festivals for Muslims, who are the majority.[[Durga Puja]] is the biggest festival of the Hindus in Bengal as well as the most significant socio-cultural event of the Bengali Hindus in general.<ref name=durgapuja>{{cite web |url=http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/durga.htm |title=Durga Puja |access-date=28 October 2006 |website=Festivals of Bengal |publisher=West Bengal Tourism, Government of West Bengal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128183407/http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/durga.htm |archive-date=28 November 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[Christmas]] (called Borodin in Bengali) is also a major festival where people irrespective of their beliefs and faiths participate. Other major festivals include [[Kali Puja]], [[Saraswati Puja]], [[Holi]], [[Rath Jatra]], [[Janmashtami]], [[Poila Boishakh]] and [[Makar Sankranti|Poush Parbon]].
=== Media ===
Bangladesh has a diverse, outspoken and privately owned [[News media|press]], with the largest circulated Bengali language newspapers in the world. English-language titles are popular in the urban readership.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh profile – Media |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12650946 |work=BBC News |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731160445/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12650946 |archive-date=31 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> West Bengal had 559 published newspapers in 2005,<ref name=rniindia>{{cite web |url=https://rni.nic.in/pii.htm |title=General Review |access-date=1 September 2006 |publisher=Registrar of Newspapers for India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5msdKSAqi?url=https://rni.nic.in/pii.htm |archive-date=18 January 2010}}</ref> of which 430 were in Bengali.<ref name=rniindia /> [[Cinema of Bangladesh|Bengali cinema]] is divided between the media hubs of Dhaka and Kolkata.
=== Sports ===
[[Cricket]] and [[association football|football]] are popular sports in the Bengal region. Local games include sports such as [[Kho Kho]] and [[Kabaddi]], the latter being the national sport of Bangladesh. An Indo-Bangladesh ''Bengali Games'' has been organised among the athletes of the Bengali speaking areas of the two countries.<ref name=indobangla>{{cite news |date=26 February 2008 |title=Bangladesh dominate Indo-Bangla Games, clinch 45 gold medals |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/bangladesh-dominate-indo-bangla-games-clinch-45-gold-medals_10021599.html |newspaper=Thaindian News |agency=Indian-Asian News Service |access-date=27 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210232012/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/bangladesh-dominate-indo-bangla-games-clinch-45-gold-medals_10021599.html |archive-date=10 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Bengali Renaissance]]
* [[Bengalis]]
* [[Greater Bengal]]
* [[East India]]
* [[Hindi Belt]]
* [[List of Bengalis]]
* [[North-East India]]
* [[Punjab]]
== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Bengal}}
* {{Curlie|Regional/Asia/Bangladesh/|Bangladesh}}
* {{Curlie|Regional/Asia/India/West_Bengal/|West Bengal}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Bengal| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Asia]]
[[Category:Regions of Eurasia]]
[[Category:Geography of South Asia]]
[[Category:Geography of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Geography of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Geography of India]]
[[Category:Geography of India]]
[[Category:History of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:History of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Regions of India]]
[[Category:Historical Indian regions]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of British India]]
[[Category:Divided regions]]
[[Category:Divided regions]]
 
[[Category:Bengali-speaking countries and territories]]
 
[[Category:Historical regions]]
{{multistub|Geo|Asia}}
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