Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib

Land of Two Rivers chronicles the story of one of the most fascinating and influential regions in the Indian subcontinent. The confluence of two major river systems, Ganga and Brahmaputra, created the delta of Bengal—an ancient land known as a centre of trade, learning and the arts from the days of the Mahabharata and through the ancient dynasties. During the medieval era, this eventful journey saw the rise of Muslim dynasties which brought into being a unique culture, quite distinct from that of northern India. The colonial conquest in the eighteenth century opened the modern chapter of Bengal’s history and transformed the social and economic structure of the region. Nitish Sengupta traces the formation of Bengali identity through the Bengal Renaissance, the growth of nationalist politics and the complex web of events that eventually led to the partition of the region in 1947, analysing why, despite centuries of shared history and culture, the Bengalis finally divided along communal lines. The struggle of East Pakistan to free itself from West Pakistan’s dominance is vividly described, documenting the economic exploitation and cultural oppression of the Bengali people. Ultimately, under the leadership of Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman, East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971. Land of Two Rivers is a scholarly yet extremely accessible account of the development of Bengal, sketching the eventful and turbulent history of this ancient civilization, rich in scope as well as in influence. Table of Contents: - Maps Land of Two Rivers Ancient Bengal {1} Bengal or Bangla: Land of Two Rivers {2} Prehistoric and Ancient Bengal {3} First Gaur Kingdom under Sasanka {4} The Imperial Palas {5} The Sen Dynasty Early Medieval Bengal {6} Turkish Invasion: The Kingdom of Gaur under Early Turkish Rulers {7} Ilyas Shahi Dynasty {8} The Short-lived Dynasty of Raja Ganesh and Other Rulers {9} Islam Spreads in Bengal Emergence of Bengal in History {10} The Golden Age of Hussain Shah {11} Origin and Growth of Bengali {12} Shri Chaitanya and Bengali Vaishnavism Late Medieval Period {13} The Pathans and Mughals Fight over Bengal {14} Bengal Becomes a Province of the Mughal Empire {15} Appearance of Europeans {16} Era of Independent Nawabs of Bengal {17} The Battle of Plassey {18} End of Independent Nawabs of Bengal {19} Era of Warren Hastings Modern Bengal {20} Agrarian, Industrial and Economic Changes {21} Anti-Government Popular Disturbances {22} Bengal Renaissance {23} Hindu Religious Reform Movements {24} Beginnings of Political Awareness: Towards a Nation in the Making {25} Growth of Muslim Separatism {26} First Partition of Bengal {27} Armed Revolutionary Movement or Agni Yug: First Phase {28} Over a Decade of Hindu–Muslim Camaraderie {29} Agni Yug, Second Phase {30} Unmaking of a Nation {31} Parting of Ways {32} Rise and Fall of Netaji Subhas Bose {33} The Last Hour of United Bengal {34} Second Partition of Bengal East Bengal Under Pakistan {35} The Decimation of the Muslim League {36} The Power Struggle between East Bengal and West Pakistan {37} Crystallization of the Bangladesh Concept {38} Pakistan’s Second Martial Law {39} Bangladesh’s War of Independence West Bengal {40} The West Bengal Story Epilogue Illustrations