98-532: Bandarban Hill District Council is the regional government body responsible for the administration of Bandarban Hill District in Bangladesh. Kyaw Shwe Hla is the chairman of the council. The Bandarban Local Government Council was established on 6 March 1989 to look after the welfare of the tribal minorities in the Bandarban Hill District. The Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict was a low intensity conflict in
196-590: A Bangladesh Army convoy. It is alleged that the Indian government helped the Shanti Bahini set up bases across the border from Bangladesh . The Shanti Bahini divided its area of operations into zones and raised forces from the native people, who were formally trained. The Shanti Bahini led attacks on Bengali Police and Soldiers, government offices, personnel and the other Bengalis in the region. The group also attacked any native believed to be opposing it and supporting
294-538: A Mughal invasion. The last sultan of the dynasty, who continued to rule from Gaur , had to contend with rising Afghan activity on his north-western border. Eventually, the Afghans broke through and sacked the capital in 1538 where they remained for several decades until the arrival of the Mughals. A major Mughal victory in 1576, in which Akbar took Bengal, was followed by four decades of efforts dedicated to vanquishing rebels in
392-672: A fort in Wari-Bateshwar. The findings suggest that the area was an important administrative hub, which had industries such as iron smelting and valuable stone beads. The site shows widespread use of clay. The clay, and bricks, were used to build walls. The most famous terracotta plaques, made by clay, are from Chandraketurgah and depicts deities and scenes of nature and ordinary life. The early coinage discovered in War-Bateshwar and Chandraketugarh (West Bengal, India) depict boats. Archaeological excavations in Bangladesh revealed evidences of
490-516: A human presence during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras. This could be because of the shifts in the rivers' courses. The Bengali climate and geography is not suitable for tangible archaeological remains. Due to lack of stones the early humans in Bengal probably used materials such as wood and bamboo that could not survive in the environment. South Asian archaeologists have tended to focus on other parts of
588-684: A large part of eastern Bangladesh had neither been conquered nor converted. Four dynasties based in Delhi succeeded the Slave dynasty. The Khaljis ruled from 1290 to 1320. The Tughluq dynasty's rule lasted until 1413. Sayyid rule ran from 1414 to 1451. The Lodhi dynasty ruled in the 1451-1526 period. But the writ of the Delhi Sultanate had been weak in its outer regions and Bengal like other similar areas turned into an independent region. Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah became
686-739: A lieutenant in the Bangladesh Army posted in 1 Field Artillery Regiment of Bangladesh Army in Chittagong Hill Tracts . On 8 September 1989, he led a 17-member team of Bangladesh Army soldiers and attacked a Shanti Bahini camp. Lieutenant Rahman was injured during the clash and died on that day at 8:15 am. He was posthumously awarded with the Bir Uttom award. On 11 September 1996 the Chakma Shanti Bahini rebels reportedly abducted and killed 28 to 30 Bengali woodcutters. People living in
784-458: A powerful Muslim holy man named Qutb al Alam to stop the threat. The saint agreed on the condition that Raja Ganesha's son, Jadu, would convert to Islam and rule in his place. Raja Ganesha agreed and Jadu started ruling Bengal as Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah in 1415. Qutb al Alam died in 1416 and Raja Ganesha was emboldened to depose his son and return to the throne as Danujamarddana Deva. Jalaluddin
882-448: A shrine and the colonists would gather settlers around these shrines. Society was ordered around the shrine. New communities would engage in forest clearing and cultivation. Locals either merged with these communities or moved away while keeping trading contacts with the rice cultivators. The Mughal government had no attitude of encouraging Islam in the region and Hindus made up many of these pioneers who had government backing. But most of
980-611: A time. 21 years after the peace treaty on 5 May 2018 unidentified gunmen ambushed and assassinated 5 people in Rangamati district, including UPDF leader Tapan Jyoti Chakma. It is suspected the attack was caused by internal conflicts between rival Chakma factions. This is the deadliest such incident involving the indigenous tribal Chakma people since the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 1997 . Amidst intelligence reports of insurgency buildup in
1078-585: A tributary. The capital was established at Lakhnauti on the Ganges near the older Bengal capital of Gaur . He managed to make Kamarupa and Trihut pay tribute to him. But he was later defeated by Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish . Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah ruled an independent kingdom in areas that lie within modern-day eastern and south-eastern Bangladesh from 1338 to 1349. He was the first Muslim ruler to conquer Chittagong,
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#17328584906091176-633: Is available about them, plates and other forms of evidence obtained from the Comilla district indicate that Gopachandra ruled the area in the early 500s. The Khargas became rulers in the next century. They were followed by the Deva dynasty, Harikela kingdom, Chandras and the Varmans. They were based in different sites of the Comilla district and Dhaka district's Vikrampur. Around that time, Bengalis first ruled in Varendra. Gaur
1274-506: Is considered one of the greatest sultans of Bengal, for his encouragement of a cultural renaissance. He extended the sultanate to the port of Chittagong , which witnessed the arrival of the first Portuguese merchants. Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah gave refuge to the Afghan lords during the invasion of Babur though he remained neutral. Later, Nasrat Shah made a treaty with Babur which saved Bengal from
1372-460: Is modern-day Bengal, reaching to Khulna in the south and Sylhet in the east. The sultans developed civic institutions and became more responsive and "native" in their outlook and became increasingly independent from Delhi influence and control. Considerable architectural projects were completed including the massive Adina Mosque and the Darasbari Mosque which still stands in Bangladesh near
1470-686: The Battle of Plassey in 1757. Bengal played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, but also faced significant deindustrialization . The Bengal Presidency was established during British rule. The borders of modern Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal between India and Pakistan during the Partition of India in August 1947, when the region became East Pakistan as part of
1568-775: The Candra Dynasty who might have been feudatories under Mahipala of the Pala Dynasty. The invasion by the south Indian ruler Vikramaditya VI of the Western Chalukya Empire brought his countrymen from Karnataka into Bengal which explains the southern origin of the Sena Dynasty. Around the 1150s the Palas lost power to the Senas. The Chandra dynasty were a family who ruled over the kingdom of Harikela in eastern Bengal (comprising
1666-592: The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( Rangamati District , Bandarban District , and Khagrachhari District ) between the government of Bangladesh and the Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti , which represented the tribal communities. On 2 December 1997, the government of Bangladesh and the Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti signed a peace treaty ending the conflict. After the treaty was signed, steps were taken by
1764-741: The Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW or NBP) culture of the Indian Subcontinent (c. 700–200 BC), which was an Iron Age culture developed beginning around 700 BC and peaked from c. 500–300 BC, coinciding with the emergence of 16 great states or mahajanapadas in Northern India, and the subsequent rise of the Mauryan Empire . Well developed towns had emerged by 300 BCE such as Tamralipti (present-day Tamluk , West Bengal, India), Mahasthan and Mainamati. Instead of
1862-623: The Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) as an united political organisation of all native peoples and tribes in 1973. The armed wing of the PCJSS, the Shanti Bahini was organised to resist government policies. The crisis aggravated during the emergency rule of Sheikh Mujib , and the successive military regimes that followed after his assassination in 1975 . In 1977, the Shanti Bahini launched their first attack on
1960-560: The 1990s saw power alternate between the Awami League , and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party . In recent decades, Bangladesh has achieved significant economic growth, emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, driven by its garment industry , remittances, and infrastructure development. However, it continues to grapple with political instability, human rights issues, and the impact of climate change. The return of
2058-465: The 1st century CE. The Greeco-Roman sources description of Gangaridai matches with Nanda empire. Bengal was left on its own after Mauryan power declined. Little is known of the period after that although parts of Bengal were probably under the Pataliputra-based Sunga dynasty. During this time Pundra was still a significant Buddhist location. Local rulers retained power while paying tribute to
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#17328584906092156-646: The 8th century and gradually became dominant from the early 13th century with the conquests led by Bakhtiyar Khalji and the activities of Sunni missionaries like Shah Jalal . Muslim rulers promoted the spread of Islam by building mosques across the region. From the 14th century onward, Bengal was ruled by the Bengal Sultanate , founded by Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah , who established an individual currency. The Bengal Sultanate expanded under rulers like Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah , leading to economic prosperity and military dominance, with Bengal being referred to by Europeans as
2254-631: The Arab principal minister, Alauddin Husain. The initiation in 1493 of the Hussain Shahi dynasty brought a period which has been considered Bengal's golden age. The government was genuinely Bengali and while land ownership remained concentrated in Hindu hands, both religious groups had pivotal roles in the government. The sultanate expanded to acquire Cooch Behar and Kamrup. The Sultanate also dominated Orissa, Tripura and
2352-654: The Arakan region. Babar defeated the Lodhis at Panipat in 1526 and the Mughals established India's greatest state since the time of the Mauryas. But during Sheh Shah Suri's rebellion against the second Mughal ruler Humayan, he triumphed over the Hussain Shahi dynasty's Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah in 1538, thus bringing an end to the independent status of Bengal. For a short time Humayun ruled Gaur. Bengal along with other parts of eastern India
2450-531: The Awami League to power in 2009 under Sheikh Hasina's leadership saw economic progress but criticisms of authoritarianism . Bangladesh has played a critical role in addressing regional issues, including the Rohingya refugee crisis , which has strained its resources and highlighted its humanitarian commitments. The Oxford History of India categorically claims that there is no definitive information about Bengal before
2548-469: The Bhagirathi-Hooghly basin, Harikela, Samatata, Vanga and Varendra. Vanga is believed to be central Bengal, Harikela and Samitata were apparently Bengal's eastern zones and Varendra was northern Bengal. The names of sites indicate that Tibeto-Burman, Austro-Asiatic and Dravidian languages were spoken by the majority of people. Indo-European languages became prominent from 400 BCE. The Vanga Kingdom
2646-603: The Bhati region. The initial victory was accompanied by destruction and severe violence. The Mughals were opposed by the Bengalis. Akbar appointed a Hindu servant Raja Man Singh as Bengal's governor. Singh based his rule at Rajmahal, Bihar, thinking that he could administer the region beyond. The Bara Bhuiyan, or twelve landlords, resisted the Mughal attempts to annex Bengal. The landlords were mainly Afghan and Hindu aristocrats. Pratapaditya
2744-625: The Chandra Dynasty, Govindachandra , was defeated by the south Indian Emperor Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty in the 11th century. The Sena dynasty started around 1095 but only finally defeated the Palas around 1150. They apparently originated in Karnataka. Vijayasena took control of northern and western Bengal, removed the Palas from the former regions and based his rule in Nadia. The greatest ruler from
2842-640: The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( Bengali : পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রামে বিদ্রোহ ), also known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict ( Bengali : পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম যুদ্ধ ), refers to a political and armed conflict that occurred in Bangladesh in two phases: The actions then carried out by the Armed Forces and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti groups resulted in casualties on both sides. There were also reports of mass rapes by
2940-603: The Ganges region. As part of this eastward expansion Ikhtiyaruddin Muhammad Bakhtiar Khan defeated the Palas in Bihar and in 1202 was victorious over the Senas in Nadia. In 1206, the Delhi Sultanate was created. It was not a true dynasty but the rulers was known as Mamluk. The Sultanate continued till 1290. The conquest of Nadia did not entail swift conversions to Islam. The authority of the Senas persisted in Vikrampur till 1245 and
3038-561: The Gupta Empire in the 300s and 400s. The Bengal delta became the kingdom of Samatata; its hub near the contemporary Chandpur. A Gupta inscription indicates that the Gupta empire possessed influence in Samatata without ruling it directly. Bengal remained a frontier despite its rare associations with the Indian heartland. Several dynasties changed during the next few centuries. While not much information
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3136-541: The Hill Tracts area were often detained and tortured in custody on suspicion of being members of the Shanti Bahini or helping them. There were numerous check posts on highways and ferries in Chittagong Hill Tracts. People who are detained on suspicion are subjected to severe beating, electrocution, water boarding, hanging upside down, shoving burning cigarettes on bodies etc. Prisoners are detained in pits and trenches. The captives are then taken out for interrogation once at
3234-424: The Hindu domination of the landed class, Muslims formed a crucial section and maintained possession of significant land grants until the land reforms after 1947. The form of Bengal's government had been less rigid than the ones in other parts of the Mughal empire. The Mughals asserted a centralised form of rule on top of the differing local administrative structures. Consequently, local rulers administered control in
3332-704: The Hindus under Raja Ganesha . However, the Ilyas Shahi dynasty was restored by Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah . The Moroccan traveller and scholar, Ibn Battuta , arrived in Bengal during Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah's reign. In his account of Bengal in his Rihla , he depicts a land full of abundance. Bengal was a progressive state with commercial links to China, Java and Ceylon. Merchant ships arrived and departed from various destinations. The Ganesha dynasty began with Raja Ganesha in 1414. After Raja Ganesha seized control over Bengal, he faced an imminent threat of invasion. Ganesha appealed to
3430-582: The Mahasthan Brahmi Inscription. Bengal was the eastern frontier of the Mauryan empire. Western Bengal with its port of Tamralipti achieved importance under the Mauryas. A prominent view in scholarship is that the Mauryan and Gupta empires exercised authority over most parts of the Bengal delta. The incomplete evidence which exists suggests that Bengal's western rather than eastern regions were parts of larger empires. The ancient zones in Bengal were
3528-453: The Maldives. Evidence from the 1500s demonstrates that rice grown in Bengal was eaten as far as eastern Indonesia and Goa. Bengal also exported other materials and food products at the same time. Bengali traders dominated trade with southeast Asia. Chinese merchants in the 1400s and 1500s introduced gold, satin, silks, silver and porcelain. A European traveler in 1586 reported that the quality of
3626-453: The Mughal armies had driven eastwards. In 1204 CE, the first Muslim ruler, Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji , a Turko Afghan, captured Nadia and established Muslim rule. The political influence of Islam began to spread across Bengal with the conquest of Nadia, the capital city of the Sen ruler Lakshmana. After capturing Nadia , Bakhtiyar advanced towards Gauda (Lakhnuti), another major city of
3724-440: The Mughal navy in 1584. After this, battles continued on land. In 1597, they again defeated the Mughal navy, however, Isa Khan died in the following year. The struggle against Mughal rule weakened. Man Singh, realising the strategic value of controlling Dhaka to administer eastern Bengal, created a military base there. He also realised its utility in controlling Arakanese and Portuguese influence. This base became more important in
3822-713: The Pala dynasty the Vajrayana was developed in Bengal and introduced to Tibet. The Palas patronised the arts. The empire reached its peak under Dharmapala and Devapala . Dharmapala extended the empire into the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent. This triggered once more for the control of the subcontinent. Devapala, successor of Dharmapala, expanded the empire considerably. The Pala inscriptions credit him with extensive conquests in hyperbolic language. The Badal pillar inscription of his successor Narayana Pala states that he became
3920-592: The Sena kingdom, conquered it and made it his capital in 1205. In the following year, Bakhtiyar set out on an expedition to capture Tibet, but this attempt failed and he had to return to Bengal in poor health and with a reduced army. Shortly afterwards, he was killed by one of his commanders, Ali Mardan Khilji . In the meantime, Lakshman Sen and his two sons retreated to Vikramapur (in the present-day Munshiganj District in Bangladesh), where their diminished dominion lasted until
4018-477: The ancient lands of Harikela, Vanga and Samatata) for roughly a century and a half from the beginning of the 10th century CE. Their empire also encompassed Vanga and Samatata, with Srichandra expanding his domain to include parts of Kamarupa. Their empire was ruled from their capital, Vikrampur (modern Munshiganj ) and was powerful enough to militarily withstand the Pala Empire to the north-west. The last ruler of
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4116-466: The army to begin counter-insurgency operations. The then-president Ziaur Rahman created a Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board under an army general to address the socio-economic needs of the region, but the entity proved unpopular and became a source of antagonism and mistrust amongst the native people against the government. The government failed to address the long-standing issue of the displacement of people, numbering an estimated 100,000 caused by
4214-419: The border with India. The Sultans of Bengal were patrons of Bengali literature and began a process in which Bengali culture and identity would flourish. During the rule of this dynasty, Bengal, for the first time, achieved a separate identity. Indeed, Ilyas Shah named this province as 'Bangalah' and united different parts into a single, unified territory. The Ilyas Shahi Dynasty was interrupted by an uprising by
4312-638: The chieftains accept Mughal authority. During Mughal rule, Dhaka's architecture was enriched. In 1678, Aurangzeb's son started the construction of the Lalbagh fort, which encloses the tomb of Nur Jahan's grand niece. Surviving Mughal buildings are the Bara Katra, Chhota Katra and the Husaini Dalan (a Shi'a mosque). During the Mughal rule many civilian and military administrators entered Bengal. A lot of these officials received land grants and became domiciled. Despite
4410-739: The conflict in the Chittagong Hill Tracts dates back to the British rule . The British , at the end of the 19th century, reorganized the CHT. This resulted in the recognition of three tribal chiefs (rajas) in 1860, (b) enactment of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Frontier Police Regulations in 1881, authorizing a police force from among the hill peoples, and (c) enactment of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulations in 1900, giving them rights and autonomy. When Bangladesh
4508-423: The construction of the Kaptai Dam in 1962. Displaced people did not receive compensation and more than 40,000 Chakma people had fled to India. In the 1980s, the government began settling Bengalis in the region, causing the eviction of many natives and a significant alteration of demographics. Having constituted only 11.6% of the regional population in 1974, the number of Bengalis grew by 1991 to constitute 48.5% of
4606-429: The contemporary cosmology, were then associated with local divinities and eventually the Islamic agencies took over the local culture. Islam Khan was appointed the Subahdar of Bengal in 1608 by Mughal emperor Jahangir . He ruled Bengal from his capital Dhaka which he renamed as Jahangir Nagar. His major task was to subdue the rebellious Rajas, Bara-Bhuiyans , Zamindars and Afghan chiefs. He fought with Musa Khan ,
4704-410: The cotton textiles produced in Sonargaon was better than in other parts of the subcontinent. These fabrics were sent to international markets. According to economic historian Indrajit Ray, Bengal was globally prominent in industries such as textile manufacturing and shipbuilding . Dhaka was renamed to Jahangirnagar by the governor for Jahangir, the emperor. The governor managed to defeat and make
4802-444: The country's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman expressed that the ethnic groups of the Hill Tracts as citizen of Bangladesh should have the Bengali identity which later was proven to be a false allegation. The migrated hill Jummas were given with special treatment, as they were the minority after independence in 1971. The rebellion by the Jumma began after the 1971 independence of Bangladesh. M. N. Larma and others founded
4900-479: The dynasty was Lakshmanasena. He established the dynasty's writ in Orissa and Benares. In 1202, Ikhtiyarrudin Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji took Nadia from the Senas, already having taken Bihar. Lakshmanasena left for Vikrampur in southeastern Bengal. His sons inherited the dynasty, which came to an end around 1245 because of feudal revolts and Muslim pressure. The dynasty has been staunchly Brahminist and had attempted to restore Brahminism to Bengal. They also established
4998-404: The dynasty's authority into Bihar. The dynasty constructed grand buildings in Pandua. They built India's biggest mosque, the Adina mosque. Richard Eaton cites diplomatic accounts about the grandeur of Pandua's buildings. Eaton observes the influence of both Islamic and pre-Islamic Persian courts. Hindu landlords possessed a large quantity of land even under the Muslim rulers. The Hindu domination
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#17328584906095096-401: The earliest evidence of settled agrarian societies. Agricultural success gave ground in the fifth century BCE for a stationary culture and the emergence of towns, cross-sea trade and the earliest polities. Archaeologists have uncovered a port at Wari-Bateshwar which traded with Ancient Rome and Southeast Asia. The archaeologists have discovered coinage, pottery, iron artefacts, bricked road and
5194-413: The effects of the Suras and Sasanka's faithful Brahmanism. During this time, the kingdoms of the Bay of Bengal were trading with the nations of nearby South Asia and Southeast Asia, thereby exporting Buddhism into Sri Lanka to the south and both Hinduism and Buddhism into Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia , Singapore and the Philippines to the east. By the 6th century, the Gupta Empire , which ruled over
5292-427: The empire, southern Bengal thrived and became powerful with her overseas trades. In 326 BCE, with the invasion of Alexander the Great the region again came to prominence. The Greek and Latin historians suggested that Alexander the Great withdrew from India anticipating the valiant counter-attack of the Gangaridai empire that was located in the Bengal region. Alexander, after the meeting with his officer, Coenus ,
5390-420: The establishment of a separate autonomous or independent state for Jumma people, using guerilla methods. History of Bangladesh#British rule The history of Bangladesh dates back over four millennia to the Chalcolithic period. The region's early history was characterized by a succession of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and empires that fought for control over the Bengal region . Islam arrived in
5488-1427: The government to strengthen the council as required by the treaty. The council was renamed to Bandarban Hill District Council. The council announced plans to install small electric power plants in Bandarban District. The council built the Bangabandhu Memorial Library in Bandarban Sadar Upazila . This article about a Bangladeshi organisation is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict Ongoing First phase (1977–1997) : First phase (1977-1997) : Second phase (2022–present) : [REDACTED] PCJSS-MN Larma [REDACTED] UPDF-D Second phase (2022–present) : [REDACTED] PCJSS Second phase (2022–present) : [REDACTED] Shaktiman Chakma X [REDACTED] Tapan Jyoti Chakma X Second phase (2022–present) : [REDACTED] Shantu Larma First phase (1977–1997) : Second phase (2022–present) : First phase (1977–1997) : Second phase (2022–present) : [REDACTED] Bangladesh Army Paramilitary Forces : First phase (1977–1997) : Second phase (2022–present) : First phase (1977–1997) : Second phase (2022–present) : [REDACTED] Kuki-Chin National Army 2,000 3,500–25,000 civilians (Bengali settlers and tribal villagers) 80,000 civilians displaced Total 30,000 Violent Deaths The insurgency in
5586-408: The government. According to government sources between 1980 and 1991, 1,180 people were killed by the Shanti Bahini, and 582 were kidnapped. 400 Chakmas including Anupam Chakma absconded to India to evade the Bangladesh Army in 1989. The Chakmas being the majority represented all the people of Chittagong Hill Tracts, so naturally Chakmas dominated the Shanti Bahini . G. M. Mushfiqur Rahman ,
5684-479: The gradual weakening of the Gauda kingdom founded by Shashanka and finally ended with his death. With the overthrow of Manava (his son), Bengal descended into a period marked by disunity and intrude once more. The Pala dynasty ruled Bengal until the middle of the twelfth century, expanded Bengali power to its farthest extent and supported Buddhism. It was the first independent Buddhist dynasty of Bengal. The name Pala ( Bengali : পাল pal ) means protector and
5782-606: The hill residents. Chakma rebels were still in the Chittagong Hill Tracts as of 2002. Chakmas also live in India's Tripura State where a Insurgency in Tripura lasted between 1989 and 2024. The persecution of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, including the Chakma, Marma , Tripura and others, who are mainly Buddhists , has been described as genocidal. There are also accusations of Chakmas being forced to leave their religion, many of them children who have been abducted for this purpose. The government encouraged and sponsored massive settlement of Bangladeshis in
5880-403: The lands. The colonists required labour and this was advantageous for the religious elite. Most communities in the region were boatmen and fishermen on the margins of society who were nominally Hindu but in reality had very weak ties to Hinduism. These were the labourers who cultivated the rice and would make up the bulk of peasantry in eastern Bengal. Land grants would require the construction of
5978-400: The late 13th century. Khiljis were Turko Afghan. The period after Bakhtiar Khilji's death in 1207 involved infighting among the Khiljis. This was typical of a pattern of succession struggles and intra-sultanate intrigues during later Turko Afghan regimes. In this case, Ghiyasuddin Iwaj Khilji prevailed and extended the Sultan's domain south to Jessore and made the eastern Bang province
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#17328584906096076-453: The late 1500s when the Ganges started to change its course. The change in the river's course allowed the clearing and harvesting of more land. The waterways of Dhaka allowed easy movement of soldiers to various parts of Bengal. In 1610, Dhaka became a provincial capital. By then several of the internationally known muslin looms had shifted to Dhaka from Sonargaon. Dhaka flourished both as an administrative and handloom center. The Bengal region
6174-410: The latter was assassinated and the Ilyas Shahi dynasty was restored. The dynasty began importing Abyssinian slaves. This population became more significant. They became so important that in 1486 an Abyssinian, Barbak Shahzada, seized power from Jalaluddin Fateh Shah. Barbak Shahzada's dynasty was short, lasting for the next seven years. The last Abyssinian ruler, Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah, lost power to
6272-409: The media that 10 militants belonging to the Kuki Chin Nation Front had been arrested in the operation in the CHT. Ten guns, 50 rounds of bullets, 62 cases, six bombs, two cartridge belts, and a locally made pistol along with other equipment and jihadi literature were also seized during the operation, along with 1 militant killed. At the outbreak of the insurgency, the government of Bangladesh deployed
6370-436: The neighbouring kingdoms of Rashtrakutas and the Gurjara-Pratiharas were weak at the time, which might have helped him extend his empire. Devapala is also believed to have led an army up to the Indus river in Punjab. Devapala shifted the capital from Monghyr to Pataliputra. Although they were Bengali the dynasty considered the Ganges valley as the centre of its power. The dynasty's power declined after Devapala's death. During
6468-630: The newly formed State of Pakistan following the end of the British rule in the region . The Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence in March 1971 led to the nine-month-long Bangladesh Liberation War , which culminated in the emergence of the People's Republic of Bangladesh . Independence was declared in 1971. Since gaining independence, Bangladesh has faced political instability, economic reconstruction, and social transformation. The country experienced military coups and authoritarian rule, notably under General Ziaur Rahman and General Hussain Muhammad Ershad . The restoration of parliamentary democracy in
6566-561: The northern Indian subcontinent had largely broken up. Eastern Bengal splintered into the kingdoms of Vanga, Samatata and Harikela while the Gauda kings rose in the west with their capital at Karnasuvarna (near modern Murshidabad ). Shashanka , a vassal of the last Gupta Emperor proclaimed independence and unified the smaller principalities of Bengal (Gaur, Vanga, Samatata). He vied for regional power with Harshavardhana in northern India after treacherously murdering Harsha's elder brother Rajyavardhana. Harsha's continuous pressure led to
6664-409: The paramilitary Bangladesh Ansars , though these have been disputed. According to Amnesty International as of June 2013 the Bangladeshi government made "praiseworthy progress" in implementing the terms of the peace accord and in addressing the Jumma people's concerns over the return of their land. Amnesty estimate that there are currently only 900 internally displaced Jumma families. The origin of
6762-416: The pioneers were Muslim. A large number of them were pirs. Richard Eaton asserts that Islam was understood to be linked with the government-accepted acquisition of land in eastern Bengal which had only weak connections with Hindu civilization. The traditions and rituals of eastern Bengal, mosques and shrines blended together. Islam spread in Bengal because of its localisation. Islamic agencies were inserted into
6860-415: The principal port in the Bengal region, in 1340. Fakhruddin's capital was Sonargaon which emerged as the principal city of the region and as the capital of an independent sultanate during his reign. Shamsuddin Iliyas Shah founded an independent dynasty that lasted from 1342 to 1487. The dynasty successfully repulsed attempts by Delhi to conquer them. They continued to extend their territory across what
6958-430: The region, which changed the indigenous population's demographics from 98 percent in 1971 to fifty percent by 2000. During this conflict, which officially ended in 1997, and during the subsequent period, a large number of human rights violations against the indigenous peoples have been reported, with violence against indigenous women being particularly extreme. The secessionist Kuki-Chin National Front still fights for
7056-539: The region, on 20 October 2022, Bangladesh authorities issue travel ban in Bandarban district amidst security concerns in the region. An ethnic insurgency group, the Kuki-Chin National Front , has gained a foothold in the region. RAB has launched an anti-insurgency campaign, that led to 250 refugees fleeing over the border into Mizoram (India). Allegedly, 2000 more civilians are hiding in the wilderness. RAB told
7154-553: The regional population. In 1989, the government of then-president Hossain Mohammad Ershad passed the District Council Act created three tiers of local government councils to devolve powers and responsibilities to the representatives of the native peoples, but the councils were rejected and opposed by the PCJSS. Peace negotiations were initiated after the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh in 1991, but little progress
7252-646: The richest country to trade with. The region later became a part of the Mughal Empire , and according to historian C. A. Bayly , it was probably the empire's wealthiest province. Following the decline of the Mughal Empire in the early 1700s, Bengal became a semi-independent state under the Nawabs of Bengal , ultimately led by Siraj ud-Daulah . It was later conquered by the British East India Company after
7350-567: The rights of the peoples of the region. Larma and other Hill Tracts representatives protested the draft of the Constitution of Bangladesh . It did not recognise the ethnic identity and culture of the non- Bengali peoples of Bangladesh. The government policy recognised only the Bengali culture and the Bengali language , and designated all citizens of Bangladesh as Bengalis. In talks with a Chittagong Hill Tracts delegation led by Manabendra Narayan Larma,
7448-523: The rule of Mahipala I the South Indian Chola dynasty challenged the Palas. During the later part of Pala rule, Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Empire frequently invaded Bengal from 1021 to 1023 to get Ganges water and in the process, succeeded in humbling the rulers and acquiring considerable booty. The rulers of Bengal who were defeated by Rajendra Chola were Dharmapal, Ranasur and Govindachandra of
7546-503: The ruler of independent Bengal in 1342 and his dynasty ruled until 1486, barring a short interlude. He had come to power after a Bengali revolt against the Tughluq dynasty's governor. Shamsuddin drove up the Ganges to contest Tughluq rule. The Tughluqs, in return drove Ilyas Shah out of Pandua into eastern Bengal. Shamsuddin reclaimed Pandua and continued ruling Bengal. Shamsuddin's heir repelled Tughluq incursions and like his predecessor expanded
7644-431: The rural areas. These "zamindars" were autonomous and were a secular elite, differentiated from the general populace by their authority. Surnames in modern Bangladesh such as Chowdhury, Khan, Sarkar and Talukdar originate from the names of ranks in the Mughal elite. This elite functioned alongside the Mughal officials. The latter's duty was to keep charge over tax collection. The diwan was the most important tax officer and
7742-502: The seaside, main towns sprang up by the riversides. Mahasthan contains the earliest piece of writing in Bangladesh, a stone inscription. It indicates that the site was an important town in the Maurya empire. Mahasthan is believed to have then been a provincial centre. The inscription, in Prakrit, apparently contains a command to stock up supplies in case of an emergency. The inscription is called
7840-681: The subcontinent. Archaeologists interested in Bengal have focused on more recent history. Archaeological discoveries are almost entirely from the hills around the Bengal delta. Industries of fossil-wood manufacturing blades, scrapers and axes have been discovered in Lalmai, Sitakund and Chaklapunji. These have been connected with similar findings in Burma and West Bengal. Large stones, thought to be prehistoric, were constructed in north eastern Bangladesh and are similar to those in India's nearby hills. West Bengal holds
7938-984: The suzerain monarch or Chakravarti of the whole tract of Northern India bounded by the Vindhyas and the Himalayas. It also states that his empire extended up to the two oceans (presumably the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal ). It also claims that Devpala defeated Utkala (present-day Orissa), the Hunas , the Dravidas , the Kamarupa (present-day Assam), the Kambojas and the Gurjaras . Historian B. P. Sinha wrote that these claims about Devapala's victories are exaggerated, but cannot be dismissed entirely. Besides,
8036-437: The system of kulin ism in Bengal; through which higher caste males could take lower caste brides and enhance the status of these women's children. Some postulate that the dynasty's suppression of Buddhism became a cause for the conversions to Islam, especially in eastern Bengal. The Deva Kingdom was a Hindu dynasty of medieval Bengal that ruled over eastern Bengal after the collapse Sena Empire . The capital of this dynasty
8134-417: The system was the mouza (revenue village). The agricultural borderland during Mughal rule in the 1500s started moving towards the eastern portion of Bengal. The region's agricultural productivity increased. To increase their revenues the Mughal administration promoted forest clearing and wet-rice farming. The officials gave land grants to entrepreneurs who were willing to give taxes in exchange for rights over
8232-408: The third century BCE. It is believed that there were movements of Indo-Aryans, Dravidians and Mongoloids, including a people called Vanga, into Bengal. One view contends that humans entered Bengal from China 60,000 years ago. Another view claims that a distinct regional culture emerged 100,000 years ago. There is weak evidence for a prehistoric human presence in the region. There is scant evidence of
8330-415: Was Bikrampur in present-day Munshiganj District of Bangladesh. The inscriptional evidences show that his kingdom was extended up to the present-day Comilla - Noakhali - Chittagong region. A later ruler of the dynasty Ariraja-Danuja-Madhava Dasharathadeva extended his kingdom to cover much of East Bengal . Muslim rule in the region was inaugurated with the taking of Nadia in 1202. Initially, Bengal
8428-600: Was a powerful seafaring nation of Ancient Bengal . They had overseas trade relations with Java , Sumatra and Siam (modern day Thailand ). According to Mahavamsa , the Vanga prince Vijaya Singha conquered Lanka (modern day Sri Lanka ) in 544 BC and gave the name " Sinhala " to the country. Bengali people migrated to the Maritime Southeast Asia and Siam (in modern Thailand), establishing their own settlement there. Though north and west Bengal were part of
8526-534: Was administered by the Delhi Sultanate's governors, then by independent sultanates and then was under the rule of the Mughal empire. While Muslims had advanced into Sindh in the 700s, it was in Afghanistan that the ultimate Muslim conquest of South Asia originated from, starting with the raids by Mahmud of Ghazni in the early 11th century. The Afghanistan-based Ghurids replaced the Ghaznavids and they started expanded into
8624-504: Was convinced that it was better to return. Diodorus Siculus mentions Gangaridai to be the most powerful empire in India. The allied forces of the Nanda Empire / Gangaridai empire and Prasioi(region inside Nanda empire)were preparing a massive counter-attack against the forces of Alexander on the banks of the Ganges. Gangaridai, according to the Greek accounts, kept on flourishing at least up to
8722-423: Was directly selected by the Mughal ruler. Each Mughal conquest in Bengal was accompanied with the establishment of a thana (garrison) for the purpose of maintaining peace. After that the territory would be merged into the empire's administrative system. In the empire's system each province would comprise several regions, called "sarkar", which in turn would be made up of subdivisions called parganas. The lowest tier in
8820-451: Was historically an international hub of various activities. Merchants, pilgrims and voyagers traversed Bengal to travel to Nepal and Tibet. Bengal's waterways were a place where various peoples interacted. In 1346, the Moroccan voyager Ibn Battuta followed the trade route through Sri Lanka when he traveled to Bengal from the Maldives in 1346. In the 1300s Bengal traded its paddy for cowries from
8918-414: Was made with the government of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia , the widow of Ziaur Rahman and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party . Fresh rounds of talks began in 1996 with the newly elected prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed of the Awami League , the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The peace accord was finalised and formally signed on 2 December 1997. The agreement recognised the special status of
9016-481: Was one of the Hindu landlords among these leaders. They were led by the landlord Isa Khan, who was based in Sonargaon. Isa Khan is known for his resistance to outside rule, particularly from Delhi and Urdu-speaking soldiers. His actions were to serve as an inspiration in 1971. The landlords spearheaded an extensive revolt. Both the Mughals and rebels committed atrocities such as massacre, rape and looting. They defeated
9114-597: Was opposed by the Muslim leadership, exemplified by the Faraizi campaign and leaders like Titu Mir in the 1800s. When the dynasty's third ruler died in 1410 there was a conflict over the throne. Raja Ganesh, who was a Hindu feudal, used the successorship conflict to seize control of Bengal. He repelled an incursion on Bengal by the Jaunpur sultanate in north India. His son, who embraced Islam, and then his grandson ruled after him. In 1433,
9212-663: Was reconverted to Hinduism by the Golden Cow ritual. After the death of his father Jalaluddin once again converted to Islam and started ruling again. Jalaluddin's son, Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah ruled for only 3 years due to chaos and anarchy. The dynasty is known for its liberal policies as well as its focus on justice and charity. The Habshi rule gave way to the Hussain Shahi dynasty which ruled from 1494 to 1538. Alauddin Hussain Shah
9310-604: Was ruled by Sasanka in the early 600s. He was based in Karnasuvarna in modern-day Murshidabad district. Contemporary Chinese reports and coinage suggest that he was a firm Shaivite who was vehemently opposed to Buddhism. Opposition to Buddhism and a commitment to Brahminism apparently continued under the Sura dynasty, founded by Adisura around 700 CE. Around the middle of the eighth century a firm Buddhist, Gopala, assumed power in Bengal, possibly supported by Buddhist chiefs who were opposed to
9408-574: Was ruled by Sheh Shah Suri. He implemented many reforms such as introducing parganas. These were land survey based local tax units. He is most famous for designing the Grand Trunk Road between Calcutta and Punjab. Humayun retook Delhi in 1556. But the Suris continued ruling Bengal until 1564 when they were replaced by the Karrani dynasty. Like the Suris, they were not native to Bengal. They had been raiders whom
9506-567: Was the eastern wing of Pakistan, widespread resentment occurred over the displacement of as many as 100,000 of the native peoples due to the construction of the Kaptai Dam in 1962. The displaced did not receive compensation from the government and many thousands fled to India. After the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, representatives of the Chittagong Hill Tracts who was the Chakma politician Manabendra Narayan Larma sought autonomy and recognition of
9604-689: Was used as an ending to the names of all Pala monarchs. The Palas were followers of the Mahayana and Tantric schools of Buddhism. Gopala was the first ruler from the dynasty. He came to power in 750 in Gaur , after being elected by a group of feudal chiefs. He reigned from 750 to 770 and consolidated his position by extending his control over all of Bengal. He was succeeded by Dharmapala. The Palas promoted Buddhism and opposed Brahmanism. They provided support to Buddhist universities in Vikramashila and Nalanda. During
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