History of West Bengal

2026-04-25T13:25:02Z

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The '''history of West Bengal''' basically refers to the history of the [[West Bengal|western part of Bengal]], located in the eastern part of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. Evidence of human settlement has been found in [[West Bengal]] about 42,000 years ago. The presence of human settlement of that period has been found in the [[Ajodhya Hills|Ayodhya Hills]] of West Bengal.<ref name="eisamay1"/><ref name="Mahadebbera-Kana"/><ref name="telegraphindia1"/> By 2,000 BCE, settled life had increasingly spread of human civilization in the Damodar-Ajay River Valley, which was contemporary with the [[Indus Valley Civilisation|Harappa-Mahenjodaro civilization]].<ref name="eisamay2">{{cite web |author1=Pradeep Mukherjee |title=প্রায় চার হাজার বছর পূর্বের সভ্যতার নিদর্শন বর্ধমানের 'পাণ্ডু রাজার ঢিবি ' |url=https://eisamay.com/west-bengal-news/durgapur-news/pandu-rajar-dhibi-of-burdwan-contains-almost-four-thousand-years-old-civilization-artefacts-says-study/articleshow/53263502.cms |website=www.eisamay.com |publisher=Ei Samay |access-date=8 August 2023 |language=bn |trans-title=The 'Mound of Pandu Raja' in Bardhaman is a sign of the civilization of about four thousand years ago. |date=13 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="Bharadwaj2003">{{cite book |last=Bharadwaj |first=G |editor=Majumdar, RC |year=2003 |chapter=The Ancient Period |title=History of Bengal |publisher=B.R. Publishing Corp}}</ref> The southern part of West Bengal witnessed the presence of the [[Vanga kingdom]] between 1100 BCE and 350 BCE, which was contemporary with the [[Vedic period|Vedic civilization]] of [[North India|northern India]].<ref name="Bharadwaj2003"/>

Among the [[Mahajanapadas]], [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] became powerful around 350 BCE, at that time rulers of the [[Nanda dynasty]] of Magadha incorporated the territory of West Bengal into their empire. West Bengal was under the rule of all Magadha-centric empires after the Nanda Empire. [[Tamralipta]] in West Bengal was the main seaport of the Magadha-centered [[Maurya Empire]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Haraniya |first=Krutika |date=2017-06-25 |title=Tamralipti - The Ancient Copper Port |url=https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/lost-cities/tamralipti-the-ancient-copper-port |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=www.livehistoryindia.com |language=en}}</ref> Most of the West Bengal's territory was ruled under the [[Gupta Empire]], that arose in northern India after the collapse of the Magadha-centric empires.

In Bengal, the [[Gaur kingdom]] was established in 690 AD, which spread across [[West Bengal]] and present-day [[Bangladesh]]. Gaur is often referred to as the first well-established independent political entity in Bengal.<ref name="ebookbou1">{{cite web |title=প্রাচীন বাংলার ইতিহাস |url=https://www.ebookbou.edu.bd/Books/Text/OS/OSBBA/osbba_1202/Unit-01.pdf |website=www.ebookbou.edu.bd |access-date=8 August 2023 |language=bn |trans-title=History of Ancient Bengal}}</ref> After this kingdom, the [[Pala empire]] in 750 AD and the [[Sena dynasty|Sena empire]] in 1070 AD respectively emerged across West Bengal. Both of these empires were mainly Bengal-centric.

[[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent|Islamic conquests]] were established in West Bengal as early as the 13th century. At this time Bengal along with West Bengal was included in the [[Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid empire]]. West Bengal was ruled under the [[Delhi Sultanate]] from the 13th to the 14th century and the [[Bengal Sultanate]] from the 14th to the 16th century. In the 16th century, after the fall of the Bengal Sultanate, West Bengal came under the [[Mughal Empire]].

[[Murshidabad]] in West Bengal was the capital of independent Nawab Bengal (1717–1765). In 1765, the British took over the control of Bengal including West Bengal from the Nawabs of Bengal.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-mir-jafar.htm |title=Murshidabad History - Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=9 August 2023 |url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160408160557/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-mir-jafar.htm |archive-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> The [[Bengal Presidency]] of the British Indian Empire was divided into West Bengal and [[East Bengal]] in August 1947; West Bengal was included in the [[Dominion of India]] and gained independence as an Indian state.

==Prehistoric era (until c. 2000 BCE)==
===Stone Age===
[[File:Ayodha Hills.jpg|thumb|Ayodha Hills]]
The time from West Bengal's first inhabitation until the Old Stone Age, or [[Paleolithic|Palaeolithic]] era.<ref name="timesofindia-indiatimes1">{{cite web |author1=T S Sreenivasa Raghavan |author2=Shilpa Krishnan |title=Early human history dug out in WB |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/early-human-history-dug-out-in-wb/articleshow/2949851.cms |website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com |publisher=The Times of India |access-date=9 August 2023 |location=Chennai |date=14 April 2008}}</ref><ref name="esijournals1">{{cite journal |author1=Gourav Debnath |title=South Asian History, Culture and Archaeology - "The Evolution of Stone Tool Technology of Pre-Historic West Bengal: A Renewed Archaeological Approach" |journal=ESI Journals |date=2022 |volume=2 |pages=55–67 |url=https://www.esijournals.com/image/catalog/Journal%20Paper/SAHCA/2022/No%201%20%282022%29/5_Gourav%20Debnath.pdf |access-date=9 August 2023 |publisher=ESI Publications}}</ref><ref name="banglapedia1">{{cite web |title=Agricultural Communities, Early Period |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Agricultural_Communities,_Early_Period |website=en.banglapedia.org |access-date=9 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="hindustan-times">{{cite web |last1=Bhattacharya |first1=Snigdhendu |title=WB : Signs of civilisation in Purulia for last 1 lakh yrs |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/wb-signs-of-civilisation-in-purulia-for-last-1-lakh-yrs/story-eQSOtdEOskgqhPVXOJd5yJ.html |website=www.hindustantimes.com |publisher=Hindustan Times |access-date=21 September 2023 |location=Kolkata |date=12 September 2013}}</ref> Palaeolithic sites are mostly found in the [[Gandheswari River|upper Gandeshwari]], Middle [[Dwarakeswar River|Dwarakeswar]], Upper [[Kangsabati River|Kangsabati]], Upper Tarafeni and Middle [[Subarnarekha River|Subarnarekha]] valleys between 87°10' E and 22°30' N - 23°30' N. The extensive forest-covered high land and moderate rainfall of the southwestern part of West Bengal provided ideal conditions for the growth and development of the Paleolithic culture. Evidence of 42,000 years old human habitation has been found in [[West Bengal]].<ref name="esijournals1"/> These human settlements have been discovered at [[Kana, West Bengal|Kana]] and Mahadebbera at the foothills of the [[Ajodhya Hills]].<ref name="eisamay1">{{cite web |author1=Gautam Basumallik |title=৪২০০০ বছর আগে অযোধ্যা পাহাড় অঞ্চলে জনবসবাসের নিদর্শন মিলেছে |url=https://eisamay.com/editorial/post-editorial/interview-of-bishnupriya-basak-by-goutam-basu-mallick/articleshow/46744177.cms |website=www.eisamay.com |publisher=Ei Samay |access-date=8 August 2023 |language=bn |trans-title=42,000 years ago, evidence of human habitation has been found in the Ayodhya Hills region |date=30 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Mahadebbera-Kana">{{cite journal |author1=Bishnupriya Basak |author2=Pradeep Srivastava |author3=Sujit Dasgupta |author4=Anil Kumar |author5=S. N. Rajaguru |title=Earliest dates and implications of Microlithic industries of Late Pleistocene from Mahadebbera and Kana, Purulia district, West Bengal |journal=Current Science |date=10 October 2014 |volume=107 |pages=1167–1171 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="telegraphindia1">{{cite web |author1=Sebanti Saarkar |title=Bengal just got older by 22000 yrs |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/bengal-just-got-older-by-22000-yrs/cid/1288646 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |publisher=The Telegraph India |access-date=8 August 2023 |date=21 October 2014}}</ref> [[Microlith]]ic tools found at Kana are 42,000 years old, while microlithic tools found at Mahadevera are 34,000 to 25,000 years old.<ref name="Mahadebbera-Kana"/><ref name="telegraphindia1"/> Hatpara on the west bank of [[Hooghly River|Bhagirathi River]] has evidence of human settlements dating back to around 15,000-20,000 years.<ref name="telegraphindia2">{{cite web |author1=Sebanti Sarkar |title=History of Bengal just got a lot older |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/history-of-bengal-just-got-a-lot-older/cid/603572 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |publisher=The Telegraph India |access-date=9 August 2023 |date=27 March 2008}}</ref> About 200 small stone weapons<ref name="telegraphindia2"/> have been found here. Grains and fish bones were also found here. According to archaeologists, the prehistoric civilization of Hatpara was spread along the banks of the Bhagirathi from Ganakar to Mahipala. Fish was a common part of the human diet of the time, and coppery color of the fish bones found at the site indicates that the Burnt fish was eaten.<ref name="anandabazar1">{{cite web |author1=Biman Hazra |title=মাছের হাড়, শস্যের দানা মেলে হাটপাড়ায় |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/nadia-murshidabad/ancient-civilization-of-hatpara-1.1224917 |website=www.anandabazar.com |publisher=Anandabazar Patrika |access-date=8 August 2023 |location=Sagradighi |language=bn |trans-title=Fish bones, and grains of crop are found in Hatpara |date=6 November 2020}}</ref>

The western plateau and [[Ganges Delta|delta region]] or the present flood plain area are the two biological regions of [[West Bengal]] where [[South Asian Stone Age|Mesolithic sites]] identified. The microlithic industry of West Bengal was mostly a non-geometric industry. [[Blade]]s, points, [[Scraper (archaeology)|scrapers]], lunettes, burins, borers, [[Flake tool|flakes]], and cores are the most common tools used throughout this period. Evidence from this period is scarce.<ref name="esijournals1"/><ref name="timesofindia-indiatimes1"/>

The Neolithic culture took place in five major river valleys, namely [[Ajay River|Ajay]]-[[Mayurakshi River|Mayurakshi]] river valley, [[Dwarakeswar River|Dwarakeswar]]-[[Damodar River|Damodar]] river valley, [[Gandheswari River|Gandheswari]] river valley, Tarafeni river valley and [[Subarnarekha River|Subarnarekha]] river valley. Also a Neolithic culture developed in [[Kalimpong district|Kalimpong]]. The main tool types recovered from the site include celts (both axes and adzes), [[wedge]]s, [[chisel]]s, perforated tools and pounders, along with microliths and bone tools.<ref name="Neolithic1">{{cite book |author1=Asok Datta |title=Neolithic Culture in West Benga |date=1992 |publisher=Agam Kala Prakashan |location=Delhi |url=https://ia802304.us.archive.org/26/items/neolithic-culture-in-west-bengal-with-special-reference-to-south-and-south-east-asia/Asok%20Datta%20-%20Neolithic%20Culture%20in%20West%20Bengal-Agam%20Kala%20Prakashan%20(1992)(1)%20(1).pdf |access-date=9 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="esijournals1"/>

==Copper Age (c. 1500 – c. 600 BCE)==
{{See also|Early Agricultural Communities in Bengal}}
[[File:Ancient site and remains of King Pandu's Mound at Panduk in Purba Bardhaman district 05.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pandu Rajar Dhibi]], Chalcolithic period around c. 1500 BCE–750 BCE]]
The Copper Age or Chalcolithic began around 1500 BCE with the appearance of Copper objects. Chalcolithic culture of West Bengal is contemporary with [[Indus Valley Civilisation#Late Harappan|Later Harappan]] (Harappan 5) and Vedic civilization.

A Chalcolithic culture flourished in Ajay-Damodar valley. The Chalcolithic culture flourished from about between 1500 and 600 BCE. The culture included cities such as Pandu Rajar Dhibi, Mangalkot and Bharatpur in modern-day [[Burdwan division]], and Dihar in modern-day [[Medinipur division]]. Chalcolithic site [[Pandu Rajar Dhibi]] on the south bank of [[Ajay River]], where spiral bangles, rings and fish-hook have been found.<ref name="jstor2">{{cite journal |last1=Datta |first1=Asok |title=Chalcolithic Culture of West Bengal: An Overview |journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute |date=2004 |volume=64/65 |pages=59–72 |jstor=42930636 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42930636 |issn=0045-9801}}</ref><ref name="asi1">{{cite book |last1=Gupta |first1=Paresh Chandra Das |title=Archaeological Survey of India |date=1962 |publisher=Bulletin of the Directorate of Archaiology; Bengal |location=New Delhi |url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_books/42371.pdf |access-date=9 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="citeseerx1">{{cite web |author1=Asok Datta |title=Subsistence Strategies of The Chalcolithic People of West Bengal: an appraisal. |url=https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=17da17ad940eaa2207328298fa0b47003b748ff2 |website=www.citeseerx.ist.psu.edu |publisher=Department of Archaeology, University of Calcutta |access-date=9 August 2023 |location=Kolkata}}</ref> In the [[West Bengal]], [[Black and red ware]] (BRW) is a Copper Age and early Iron Age archaeological culture of Central and Eastern Ganges plain, until c. 700–500 BCE, when it is succeeded by the Northern Black Polished Ware culture.<ref name=Southworth>{{cite book |author=Franklin Southworth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hTwuFUW5aEgC |title=Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia |publisher=Routledge |year=2005 |page=177|isbn = 9781134317776}}</ref>

==Iron Age (c. 1000 – 28 BCE)==
The Iron Age saw the development of coinage, metal weapons, agriculture and irrigation. Many sites in West Bengal were transformed from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age. Iron Age archaeological sites have been discovered in the western-southwestern part of West Bengal. The Iron Age archaeological culture of West Bengal was the [[Northern Black Polished Ware]]. The north-western and western part of Birbhum (Bahiri), western part of Medinipur (Kankrajhor, Dhuliapur), Purulia and Bankura (Tulsipur, Kumardanga) regions of modern-day West Bengal served as major producers of iron.<ref name="Man-&-Environment">{{cite book |title=Man & Environment |date=2006 |publisher=Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies. |location=Pune |pages=29–43 |edition=1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQaBAAAAMAAJ&q=man+and+environment+ISPQS |access-date=11 August 2023 |language=en |chapter=A Study of the Ancient Iron Working in the Eastern Fringes of the Chhotonagpur Plateau, West Bengal}}</ref>

According to the Indian epic Mahabharata, the western part of [[Vanga kingdom]] was located in West Bengal. Vanga was described as a thalassocracy with colonies in Southeast Asia. According to Sri Lankan history, the first king of Sri Lanka was [[Prince Vijaya]] who led a fleet from India to conquer the island of Lanka. Prince Vijaya's ancestral home was West Bengal.<ref name="JMS_1997">{{cite book |last=Senaveratna |first=J. M. |title=The story of the Sinhalese from the most ancient times up to the end of "the Mahavansa" or Great dynasty |publisher=Asian Educational Services |date=1997 |pages=7–22 |isbn=978-81-206-1271-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9TeEcMi0e0C&pg=PA7 }}</ref><ref name="MCR_1984">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k9DpMY206bMC&pg=PA51 |title=Ancient Jaffna |author=Mudaliyar C. Rasanayagam |publisher=Asian Educational Services |year=1984 |isbn=9788120602106 }}</ref>

===Ancient geopolitical divisions===
A number of geopolitical divisions are observed in ancient Bengal, some of which were located in the territory of modern West Bengal. The regions of geopolitical division have expanded and receded over the centuries. The geopolitical divisions established in the territory of West Bengal were [[Pundravardhana]], [[Vanga kingdom|Vanga]], [[Suhma kingdom|Suhma]] and [[Rarh region|Radha]]. The western part of Pundravardhan belonged to the modern-day Malda division, and The western part of Vanga belonged to the modern-day [[Presidency division]] and [[Medinipur division]] of West Bengal. The whole of Suhma belonged to the modern-day Burdwan division, Medinipur division and Presidency division, and Radha was probably situated in modern-day West Bengal.

===West Bengal under empires===
{{see also|Magadha|Magadha empire|Nanda Empire|Maurya Empire|Shunga Empire|Kanva dynasty}}

During the Iron Age of Bengal, West Bengal was under the Magadha-centric empires. Greek accounts mention the contemporary [[Gangaridai]] of [[Bengal]] separately, located in modern-day West Bengal and Bangladesh, although indicating that the two were ruled by common sovereigns. Historian [[Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri]] theorizes that the Nandas exercised centralized control over their core territories in present-day [[Bihar]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]], but allowed considerable autonomy in the frontier parts of their empire.<ref>{{cite book |author=H. C. Raychaudhuri |author-link=Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri |chapter=India in the Age of the Nandas |editor=K. A. Nilakanta Sastri |editor-link=K. A. Nilakanta Sastri |title=Age of the Nandas and Mauryas |edition=Second |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YoAwor58utYC&pg=PA11 |year=1988 |orig-year=1967 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |location=Delhi |isbn=978-81-208-0466-1|page=21}}</ref>
{{multiple image|perrow=2/2|total_width=300|caption_align=center
| align =
| title = Ruins of Iron Age cities in West Bengal
| image2 = Khana Mihir Mound.jpg|caption2=Khana-Mihirer Dhipi in [[Chandraketugarh]]
| image3 = Brick structures on mound at Bangarh at Gangarampur in Dakshin Dinajpur district 40.jpg|caption3=Archaeological remains of brick structures at Bangarh
}}
[[Bangarh]] on the bank of the [[Punarbhaba River|Punarbhaba]], about 400 km from [[Kolkata]], have evidence of the early history of West Bengal from the Maurya period to the Pala period. Iron Age of West Bengal artefacts have been discovered here, which belong to the Pre-Maurya, Maurya and Sunga periods.<ref name=dilip>Chakrabarti, Dilip K. (2006, reprint 2007). ''Relating History to the Land'' in Patrick Oleville (ed.) ''Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE'', New York: Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-568935-6}}, p.9</ref><ref name="indianexpress2">{{cite web |author1=Shiv Sahay Singh |title=At Bangarh, pre-Mauryan Bengal peeps out |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/at-bangarh-premauryan-bengal-peeps-out/ |website=The Indian Express |access-date=12 August 2023 |location=Bangarh (South Dinajpur) |language=en |date=3 July 2010}}</ref> West Bengal provided sea routes to each of the Magadha empires. The empires conducted sea trade with foreign countries through the [[Tamralipta]] seaport, which was located near the modern-day [[Tamluk]] city. According to Darian, with the rise of the Maurya Empire, Tamralipti gained universal popularity as the main port of the entire basin. Ships from [[Ceylon]], [[Southeast Asia]], West India and the [[Middle East]] used to come to this port.<ref name=":4"/> [[Chandraketugarh]] was another port city, situated on the banks of the [[Bidyadhari River]].<ref name="indianexpress1">{{cite web |author1=Aniruddha Ghosal |title=Chandraketugarh: The City That Never Was |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/destination-of-the-week/the-city-that-never-was-4531886/ |website=www.indianexpress.com |publisher=The Indian Express |access-date=12 August 2023 |date=19 February 2017}}</ref> Mauryan and Sunga period artifacts have been found here. Terracotta statues and chariots have been found.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Press Information Bureau; Government of India: Calcutta |title=চন্দ্রকেতৃগড়ে মৌর্য-গুপ্ত যুগের ভগ্নাবশেষ আবিষ্কার |journal=ইতিতাস |volume=8 |pages=24–26 |url=https://ia902905.us.archive.org/27/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.355176/2015.355176.Etihas-Vol8_text.pdf |access-date=12 August 2023 |publisher=Baṅgīẏa itihāsa pariṣada |language=bn}}</ref><ref name="Prasanga">{{cite book |author1=Gauri Shankar Dey |author2=Subhradeep Dey |title=Prasanga- Pratna Prantar Chandraketugarh (Bengali) {{!}} Exotic India Art |publisher=Scholar, Kolkata |pages=282–291 |url=https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/prasanga-pratna-prantar-chandraketugarh-bengali-mzo488/ |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=bn}}</ref>

== Modern era ==
=== British East India Company (1772–1858) ===
[[File:Plassey1757max.jpg|thumb|left|A plan for the Battle of Palashi, Colonel Robert Clive fought against the Nawab of Bengal on 23 June 1757. Illustration of the battlefield with explanation of troop movements.]]
The dramatic rise of the [[East India Company|British East India Company]] took place in the territory of [[West Bengal]]. When the East India Company began strengthening the defenses of [[Fort William, India|Fort William]] (Calcutta) in the mid-1750s, [[Siraj ud-Daulah|Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah]] attacked with French encouragement. Under the command of [[Robert Clive]], British troops and their local allies captured [[Chandannagar]] in March 1757 and severely defeated the Nawab in the [[Battle of Plassey]] on 23 June 1757. In the seat of the Nawab of Bengal, the British appointed and administered the people of their choice, and extended their direct control to the south. The French regained control of [[Chandannagar]] on the [[Hooghly River]] in West Bengal in 1763.

[[Mir Qasim]] and [[Shuja-ud-Daula]] in alliance with the Mughal emperor [[Shah Alam II]] in 1765 tried to recover Bengal, but were again defeated in the [[Battle of Buxar]] (1765). As part of the Mughal Emperor's agreement with the British East India Company, the East India Company was given the right to collect taxes from the province. Thus, the company became the tax collector of the empire, while the local nawabs appointed by the Mughal emperor continued to rule the province. This system of local rule was abolished in 1772 and the East India Company took complete control of the province. During the fall of the [[Mughal Empire]], the center of Indian culture and trade shifted from Delhi to [[Calcutta]] in [[West Bengal]]. Capital raised from Bengal by the East India Company in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution was invested in various industries in Great Britain such as textile manufacturing. Company policy led to the [[De-industrialisation of India|de-industrialization of the textile industry in Bengal]] during the Company's rule. De-industrialization led to the destruction of Bengal's textile industry. [[Murshidabad]] in West Bengal—one of Bengal's major textile centers—became economically weak, the city which [[Robert Clive]] described as a city richer than [[London]] at the time.

During Company rule, there was a devastating [[Great Bengal famine of 1770|famine in 1770]] that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 7 to 10 million people, which is known as the ''Chiẏāttôrer mônnôntôr''. The present day states of [[West Bengal]] and Bihar were the worst affected by this famine. Among the regions of Greater Bengal, Central and North Bengal were the most prone to famine; these areas are part of present day [[Malda division|Malda]] and [[Jalpaiguri division|Jalpaiguri]] divisions of West Bengal. The famine devastated the economy of the region.

India's second and Bengal's first railway was laid between the cities of [[Howrah]] and [[Hugli-Chuchura|Hooghly]] in West Bengal. In 1854, rail service was started between [[Howrah railway station|Howrah]] and [[Hooghly railway station]]s in West Bengal. The first university of India and [[Bengal]] during British rule was established in West Bengal in 1857, known as [[University of Calcutta]].

===Independence===

When [[India]] [[History of the Republic of India|gained independence]] in 1947, [[Bengal]] was [[Partition of Bengal (1947)|partitioned]] along religious lines. The western part went to 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 independent [[Bangladesh]] in 1971).<ref name=parttionbanglaped>{{cite book |last=Harun-or-Rashid |year=2012 |chapter=Partition of Bengal, 1947 |chapter-url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Partition_of_Bengal,_1947 |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>

==Bidhan Chadra Roy Era (1947–1962)==

===Princely state merger with West Bengal===
In 1950, the Princely State of [[Koch dynasty|Koch Bihar]] merged with West Bengal after King Jagaddipendra Narayan had signed the Instrument of Accession with India.<ref>Dr. Sailen Debnath, ed. Social and Political Tensions In North Bengal since 1947, {{ISBN|81-86860-23-1}}.</ref> In 1955, the former [[French India|French enclave]] of [[Chandannagar]], which had passed into Indian control after 1950, was integrated into West Bengal. Portions of [[Bihar]] were subsequently merged with West Bengal.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

During Roy's Chief Minister-ship very few manufacturing industries were set up in the state. In 1954, when Dr. B. C. Roy was the Congress chief minister, a massive food crisis overtook the state. There was a near-famine condition in Bengal.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

==United Front (1967)==
{{see also|United Front (1967)}}

===1967 General Election===

After the state legislative elections held in 1967, the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]] was the main force behind the [[United Front (1967)|United Front]] government formed. The Chief Ministership was given to [[Ajoy Mukherjee]] of the [[Bangla Congress]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

===Naxalbari uprising===
{{main|Naxalite}}
In 1967 a peasant uprising broke out in [[Naxalbari]], in northern West Bengal. The insurgency was led by hardline district-level CPI(M) leaders [[Charu Majumdar]] and [[Kanu Sanyal]]. The Naxalbari movement was violently repressed by the West Bengal government. During the 1970s and 1980s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent [[Naxalite|Marxist-Naxalite]] movement damaged much of the state's infrastructure, leading to a period of economic stagnation.

The [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] of 1971 resulted in the influx of millions of refugees to West Bengal, causing significant strains on its infrastructure.<ref name="londonanthology">{{cite book |last=Chaudhury |first=Amit |author-link=Amit Chaudhuri |editor-last=Hindle |editor-first=Jane |year=1996 |chapter=Mother Teresa |title=London Review of Books: An Anthology |publisher=Verso |page=65 |isbn=1-85984-121-X}}</ref> The [[1974 smallpox epidemic of India|1974 smallpox epidemic]] killed thousands. 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 [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]], has governed for the state for the subsequent three decades.<ref name=longcommu>{{cite news|first = Soutik |last = Biswas |title=Calcutta's colourless campaign|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4909832.stm |publisher=[[BBC]]|date=2006-04-16 |access-date=2006-08-26}}</ref>

===Dismissal of United Front government===
In November 1967, the West Bengal United Front government was dismissed by the central government. Initially the Indian National Congress formed a minority government led by [[Prafulla Chandra Ghosh]], but that cabinet did not last long. Following the proclamation that the United Front government had been dislodged, a 48-hour hartal was effective throughout the state. After the fall of the Ghosh cabinet, the state was put under President's Rule.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

===1969 Assembly election===
Fresh elections were held in West Bengal in 1969. CPI(M) emerged as the largest party in the West Bengal legislative assembly.<ref>Indian National Congress had won 55 seats, Bangla Congress 33 and CPI 30. CPI(M) allies also won several seats.[http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_1969/StatReport_WB_69.pdf ECI: Statistical Report on the 1969 West Bengal Legislative Election] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129141351/http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_1969/StatReport_WB_69.pdf |date=29 November 2007 }}</ref> But with the active support of CPI and the Bangla Congress, Ajoy Mukherjee was returned as Chief Minister of the state. Mukherjee resigned on March 16, 1970 and the state was put under President's Rule.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

==Shiddharthrasankar Ray Era (1972–1977)==
Indian National Congress the 1972 assembly election, and its leader [[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]] became the chief minister. During this period, the then Prime Minister of India, [[Indira Gandhi]] proclaimed nationwide [[The Emergency (India)|Emergency in 1975]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

This period was marked by large scale violence as the police force battled with the naxalites and ultimately crushed the movement in the state{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}.

==Left Front era==

===Jyoti Basu (1977–2000)===

====1977 Election====
In the 1977 election of the state legislature, the [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]], headed by [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]], won 243 seats thereby gaining a majority. The first Left Front government was established with [[Jyoti Basu]] as the Chief Minister.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

=====Marichjhanpi Massacre, 1979=====
The massacre in [[Marichjhanpi]], which took place under CPI(M) rule in Bengal between January 26 and May 16, 1979, relates to the forcible eviction of refugees who had fled from [[East Pakistan]] thereby leading to the death of a sizable population among them.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

{{blockquote|Out of the 14,388 families who deserted [for West Bengal], 10,260 families returned to their previous places … and the remaining 4,128 families perished in transit, died of starvation, exhaustion, and many were killed in Kashipur, Kumirmari, and Marichjhapi by police firings (Biswas 1982, 19).<ref>{{cite web|last=Ross |first=Mallick|title=The Morichjhanpi massacre: When tigers became citizens, refugees "tiger-food"|url=https://sanhati.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/marichjhapi.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://insightyv.com/?p=879|title=Remembering Marichjhapi Massacre, 1979|work=insightyv.com|access-date=16 May 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707120303/http://insightyv.com/?p=879|archive-date=7 July 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>}}

After leading the Left Front government for consecutive five terms, Jyoti Basu retired from active politics and [[Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee]] was appointed as his successor. Five years later, the Left Front came back to the power with Bhattacharjee again assuming the office of the Chief Minister.<ref name=haunt>{{cite news|last=Bhattacharya |first=Snigdhendu |title=Ghost of Marichjhapi returns to haunt |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/Coverage/Assembly-Elections-2011/Ghost-of-Marichjhapi-returns-to-haunt/AssemblyElections2011-DontMiss/SP-Article10-689463.aspx |access-date=5 August 2013 |newspaper=The Hindustan Times |date=25 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610222045/http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/Coverage/Assembly-Elections-2011/Ghost-of-Marichjhapi-returns-to-haunt/AssemblyElections2011-DontMiss/SP-Article10-689463.aspx |archive-date=10 June 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Budhdhadev Bhattacharya (2000–2011)===
The state's economic recovery gathered momentum after [[economic reforms in India]] were introduced in the early 1990s by the [[Government of India|central government]], aided by election of a new reformist [[Chief Minister]] [[Buddhadeb Bhattacharya]] in 2000. As of 2007, armed activists have been organizing terrorist attacks in some parts of the state,<ref name=voamaoist>{{cite web
|url=http://www.voanews.com/bangla/archive/2005-07/2005-07-22-voa10.cfm
|title=Maoist on Rise in West Bengal
|access-date=2006-09-11
|last=Ghosh Roy
|first=Paramasish
|date=2005-07-22
|work=VOA Bangla
|publisher=[[Voice of America]]
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212062125/http://www.voanews.com/bangla/archive/2005-07/2005-07-22-voa10.cfm
|archive-date=12 December 2007
|df=dmy-all
}}</ref><ref name=satpmcc>{{cite web
|url=https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/MCC.htm|title=Maoist Communist Centre (MCC)|access-date=2006-09-11|work=Left-wing Extremist group|publisher=South Asia Terrorism Portal}}</ref> while clashes with the administration have taken place at several sensitive places on the issue of industrial land acquisition.<ref name=singur1>{{cite news|title=Several hurt in Singur clash|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jan/28singur.htm |work=rediff News|publisher=Rediff.com India Limited |date=28 January 2007 |access-date=2007-03-15}}</ref><ref name=nandi1>{{cite news|title=Red-hand Buddha: 14 killed in Nandigram re-entry bid|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070315/asp/frontpage/story_7519166.asp |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121204181250/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070315/asp/frontpage/story_7519166.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 December 2012 |publisher=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]] |date=15 March 2007 |access-date=2007-03-15 }}</ref>

====Nandigram violence====
{{main|Nandigram violence}}
The [[Nandigram violence]] was an incident in [[Nandigram]], [[West Bengal]] where, on the orders of the Left Front government, more than 4,000 heavily armed police stormed the Nandigram area with the aim of stamping out protests against the West Bengal government's plans to expropriate {{convert|10000|acre|km2}} of land for a [[Special Economic Zone]] (SEZ) to be developed by the Indonesian-based Salim Group. The police shot dead at least 14 villagers and wounded 70 more.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

The SEZ controversy started when the government of West Bengal decided that the [[Salim Group]] of Indonesia<ref>For more information on the Salim Group please see [[Sudono Salim]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/97/0822/biz1.html |title=Asia Week |access-date=16 May 2010 |archive-date=14 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114084931/http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/97/0822/biz1.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.saliltripathi.com/articlesReview/8Oct98Review.html |title=Far Easter Economic Review October 1998 |access-date=16 May 2010 |archive-date=19 July 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020719183321/http://www.saliltripathi.com/articlesReview/8Oct98Review.html |url-status=live }}</ref> would set up a [[chemical hub]] under the SEZ policy at Nandigram, a rural area in the district of [[Midnapore East|Purba Medinipur]]. The villagers took over the administration of the area and all the roads to the villages were cut off. A front-page story in the [[Kolkata]] newspaper, ''[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]]'', on 4 January 2007 was headlined, "False alarm sparks clash". According to the newspaper that village council meeting at which the alleged land seizure was to be announced was actually a meeting to declare Nandigram a "clean village", that is, a village in which all the households had access to toilet facilities.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

==Trinamool Congress era==
In the [[2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], Left Front was defeated and [[Trinamool Congress]] won an [[absolute majority]] of seats.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Forbes]]|title=The Anti-Communist of West Bengal|url=https://www.forbes.com/2011/04/14/forbes-india-trinamool-congress-didi-banerjee-at-gates.html#4b8299546c90|access-date=18 April 2011}}</ref> [[Mamata Banerjee]], the leader of Trinamool Congress, became the chief minister. The success of Trinamool Congress was repeated in the 2013 [[Panchayati raj|Panchayat]] election (local government elections in rural areas, and some urban municipalities) and the [[2014 Indian general election]] (in which Trinamool won 34 of 42 [[Lok Sabha]] constituencies in the state).

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{sister project links}}
; Government
* [https://www.wbgov.com/ Official website of Government of West Bengal]
* [http://wbplan.gov.in/htm/ReportPub/WB_HandBook.pdf Statistical handbook West Bengal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120060637/http://wbplan.gov.in/htm/ReportPub/WB_HandBook.pdf |date=20 January 2017 }}
* [http://wbic.gov.in/ West Bengal Government Information Commission]
* [http://web.cmc.net.in/wbcensus/home.asp Directorate of Census Operations] of West Bengal
; Other
* {{wikivoyage inline|West Bengal}}
*
* [http://hdl.handle.net/10622/COLL00190 West-Bengal Refugees and Political Activists Oral History Collection] at the [[International Institute of Social History]] — Interviews with Bengali refugees and political activists, covering the period 1947-1970

{{History of India by State}}
{{West Bengal Chief Ministers}}

[[Category:History of West Bengal| ]]
[[Category:History of Bengal|*]]

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History of West Bengal