History of Mymensingh
Encyclopedia
History of Mymensingh refers to the history of old or greater Mymensingh district, presently covered by Mymensingh
, Kishoreganj
, Netrakona, Tangail
, Jamalpur
, and Sherpur
districts in Dhaka Division of Bangladesh
. Mymensingh district was established by the British East India Company
on 1 May 1787. Prior to that it is history of this area in general.
the area was mostly part of Vanga, a non-Aryan territory covering the eastern part of the Gangetic delta. According to some writers it also covered territories east of the old course of the Brahmaputra
The impact of Aryan
-Brahmana
culture was felt in Bengal much after the same spread across northern India
. The various non-Aryan people then living in Bengal were powerful and thus the spread of Aryan-Brahman culture was strongly resisted and the assimilation took a long time.
In a map published in his book Indica, the Greek traveller Megasthenes
, who visited in 302 BC, presents the entire Mymensingh area and much beyond in Kamarupa
. In 4th century AD, during the reign of Samudragupta
, the region (whole of Kamrupa) was part of the Gupta Empire
. During his visit to the area in 639-45 AD, the Chinese monk, Xuanzang
(Hiuen Tsang) found both Buddhism
and Jainism
flourishing in Bengal. According to certain records, some parts of the Mymensingh area, which was part of Pundravardhana
in 7th century AD, was restored to Kamrupa between the 8th and 10th centuries. Subsequently, some small kingdoms, subservient to the Pala Empire
were there in area. While Sishu Pal, Harishchandra Pal and Jasho Pal, ruled in the southern portions, Bhag Dutta (who ruled in Kamrupa) established himself in the Madhupur tract
.
In the 12th century Ballal Sena
divided his kingdom into five parts – Rarh
, Bagri, Barendra, Mithila
and Vanga. While Barendra was the area bounded by the Mahananda
, and the Padma
and the Karotoya
, Vanga was the area between the Karatoya and the Brahmaputra. It is evident that the area east of the Brahamaputra was part of Kamrupa and the area west of the Brahmaputra was part of the Sena Empire
. However, there is a difference of opinion amongst historians about where exactly Vanga was and some feel that even the western portion of the Mymensingh area was part of Kamrupa. In the 13th century Kamrup broke up and small kingdoms surfaced in the Mymensingh area. In the 14th century the bhati region was captured by a sannyasi (hermit) named Jitari. The bhati region normally refers to the extreme western part of old Mymensingh.
by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1202. In 1258, Ikhtaruddin Uzbeg Tugralkhan attacked Kamrupa and captured parts of it. The king of Kamrupa initially fled but returned back to give fight. Ultimately, Tugralkhan managed to retain his supremacy in certain parts of Kamrupa, more specifically the Mymensigh area.
When Tugralkhan refused to accept the suzerainty of the Delhi Sultanate
in 1279, Ghiyas ud din Balban
launched a campaign against Tugralkhan, who fled but Ghiyas ud din pursued him and reached Sonargaon
. Dunaj Roy, the ruler of Sonargaon warmly welcomed Ghiyas ud din. The latter made his second son Nasiruddin Mohammad the ruler of Bengal and left for Delhi. Nasirabad, named after him, later became Mymensingh town. Subsequently Feroze Shah divided Bengal into three parts and made Sonargaon the capital of the eastern region. Fakiruddin on assumption of office as ruler of Sonargaon, adopted the name of Sultan Sekendar and declared independence. Thereafter up to 1490, 17 sultans ruled at Sonargaon but it is not clear whether their territory included whole or part or any at all of the Mymensingh area.
In 1491, Feroze Shah II ascended the throne of the independent Bengal sultanate, and sent his general Majlis Khan Humayun to attack Sherpur. He defeated the Koch king Dalip Samanta. That appears to be the beginning of Pathan
rule in the Mymensingh area. It was during the rule of Hussein Shah, who ascended the throne in 1494, that Pathan rule was extended to the entire Mymensingh area (1498).
in 1608. There are remains of old structures in the area.
Hussein Shah conquered the eastern side of the Brahmaputra right up to Tripura
. He appointed Khoaj Khan to rule over this territory with his capital at Muajjamabad. This place no more exists and it is difficult to specify where exactly it was located.
set in and extensive areas were flooded, the defeated local rulers regrouped and recaptured Kamrupa. Nasratshah fled, crossed the Garo Hills
and established himself at Muajjamabad. He renamed the entire area as Nasratshahi . At that time Ibrahim Lodi was ruling in Delhi. It was during the reign of Hussein Shah that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
spread the Vaishnava religion and reforms. His follower Madhabacharya engaged in spreading Viashnava religion in the Mymensingh area.
advancing and pushing the Pathans to Orissa, Bengal was ripe for small independent kingdoms ruled by the Barobhuyian. Five of them established kingdoms in eastern part of Bengal – Chand Roy-Kedar Roy in Bikrampur
, Lakshman Manik in Bhulua
, Kandarpa Narayan Roy in Chandradwip, Fazalghazi in Bhawal and Isa Khan
in Khijirpur, and ruled over the Dhaka, Noakhali, Bakharganj, Faridpur and Mymensingh areas.
in 1580 to quell disturbances in Bihar. Todar Mall not only quietened down Bihar with his able systems of land revenue collection but also built up rapport for rent collection in Bengal. He divided Bengal into 19 Sirkars, which was further subdivided into 682 Mahals. The Nasratshahi area was reconstituted as Sirkar Bazuha. It was divided into 32 Mahals – Alepshahi, Mominshahi, Husseinshahi, Baroraju, Merauna, Kharana, Herana, Serali, Besriabaju, Bhawalbaju, Pukhuriabaju, Daskahaniabaju, Selim-Pratapbaju, Sultanpratapbaju, Chandpratapbaju, Sonaghutibaju, Sonabaju, Selebras, Sayer Jalkar, Saojielbaju, Jafarogielbaju, Koturalbaju, Katabaju, Singhdhamoin, Mirhussein, Nasratshahi, Singhnasrat Jial, Mobarak O Jial, Hariyal Baju, Yuchhisahi, Pratapbaju and Dhakabaju. Sirkar Bazuha extended from the Buriganga
to Garo Hills. In the east it included parts of greater Sylhet, and in the west it included parts of greater Pabna, Rajshahi and Bogra districts.
and took charge of both Sirkar Bazuha and Sirkar Sonargaon with his capital at Khijirpur. After settling down in his work, Isa Khan started building forts at Tribeg, Hajiganj and Kalgachiya, and also renovating the old forts at Egarosindhu and Ekdala. Thereafter, he stopped paying rent to the emperor at Delhi. Troops were despatched against Isa Khan. He was defeated by Shabaz Khan in 1585 in his capital. Shabaz Khan chased him till the borders of the sea but escaped from one island to another. Taking his victory for granted Shabaz Khan engaged in merry making, when Isa Khan suddenly attacked him and regained his capital. As Khijirpur was in shambles he shifted his capital to Sonargaon.
Next, Man Singh
was despatched against Isa Khan. On being defeated at Ekdala, he fled to Egarosindhur. The decisive battle atarted near Egarosindhu on the western bank of the Brahmaputra. On the third day of the battle, Man Singh’s sword broke. On seeing Man Singh unarmed, Isa Khan stopped fighting. The noble gesture touched Man Singh. He concluded a treaty with Isa Khan, who was honoured in the Mughal court with the title of Masnadali and given charge of 22 parganas. The only other ruler in Sirkar Bazuha at that time was Raghunath Singh of Mulke Susang
.
Many upper caste Hindus belonging to the Brahmin, Kayastha and Baidya castes had started moving into the area from Barendra and Rarh even before Isa Khan rose to power. Subsequently Muslims in large numbers moved into the sparsely populated area. Many Muslim holy men, pirs
, fakir
s and aulias, also entered the region and engaged in religious conversion. The earlier inhabitants of the area such as the Kochs
and Hajongs
were subdued before long.
Before the rise of Isa Khan, the Gazis used to rule in the forested areas of Bhawal. Once Isa Khan became powerful they accepted his suzerainty, but after his death they resumed their powers. Many of the Muslim holy men occupied 11 of the 22 parganas ruled by Isa Khan. Some of the prominent ones were Pir Sahensa in Atia, Pir Sahajman in Kagmari, and Islam Khan in Bhawal. In 1608, during the rule of Jahangir
, the capital was shifted to Dhaka. Sirkar Bazuha being adjacent to the capital often had to bear some part of the brunt of foreign attacks, as for example of the Portuguese and Arakanese in 1610. The capital was shifted to Murshidabad
in 1703.
, who was a Pathan ruler ruling between two Mughal emperors, was the first to establish a powerful feudal
administration. He raised the status of different provinces to that of a sirkar, and streamlined the system of revenue collection. During his reign such positions as that of amin (surveyor), sikdar (police chief) and munsef (judge) were created. It was during the rule of the Baro Bhuiyan that zamindar
s or landlords first came into existence in the Mymensingh area. They had their amla (bureaucracy), gomasta (administration), and their own forces called paik-peyada-barkandaj.
The Mughals brought in some radical changes. They introduced the position of mansabdar
s, who were military rulers, also looking after administration. The selection of mansabdars was through a regular process. The Mughals introduced a scientific system of feudal administration, which later the British retained for a long period.
Indranarayan Chowdhury, zamindar of Kagamri, failed to pay rent and was tortured so much by Murshid Quli Khan
that he was ultimately forced to give up his religion and convert to Islam as Inayetulya Chowdhury. In 1725, Surya Narayan Chowdhury, zamindar of Daskahania (Sherpur) was tortured so much that he gave up his zamindari. Two children of Rana Singha, the deceased ruler of Susang, Kishore Singha and Raj Singha, were sentenced to ten whips each for non-payment of revenue. The punishment borne on their behalf by a loyal servant Banchharam is part of local lore.
, the British occupied Dhaka towards the end of 1757. In 1765 British East India Company acquired from the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II
, the sole right to collect rent in Bengal. However, they did not immediately concentrate on governance and for a long time there could scarcely have been any government. They set up a trading establishment at Begunbari in the Mymensingh area and removed the Portuguese and French establishments from the area.
The situation was recorded in a local rhyme:
struck Bengal. It is so called because of its happening in the Bengali calendar year 1176. The famine nourished the Sannyasi Rebellion
by swelling their ranks and they soon became a nuisance to be reckoned with by the government.
Around 1773, the sannyasis and fakirs came and set themselves up in the forested areas of Madhupur and in Sannyasiganj (Paltan near Jamalpur). With Warren Hastings
sending a force against them, they went underground for the sometime, but resurfaced later.
In 1781, they forcibly harvested the crops of both zamindars and peasants in Alapsingha and Jafarshahi parganas. They tortured people in the entire area and the nominal English force could do nothing to prevent their atrocities. In 1783, the sannyasis under Shah Madgerud again looted Jafarshahi. Lodge fought a pitched battle against the sannyasis and the English set up a cantonment at Sannyasiganj. Although the main body of the sannyasis were subdued, they carried on sporadic attacks from time to time. The zamindars appealed again and again for support and finally a decision was taken to establish a new district. It was a long time before they finally petered out.
of Lord Cornwallis
in 1793, peace and goodwill prevailed in the area. The practice of arbitrary torture for non-payment of revenue was modified by a system of judiciary. The district started feeling the gradual introduction of westernised modernity. Peace and prosperity gave rise to large zamindars that became legends in their own right.
In 1793 the use of copper coins were introduced replacing the system of karis and dhamris. In 1800, the use of old coins was stopped and the coins of East India Company were introduced. The first permits for importing liquor were introduced. Gradually the judiciary was separated from the executive. For the first time, metal roads were introduced. Dhaka-Mymensingh telegraph line was established in 1883. Dhaka-Mymensingh railway was opened in 1886. The District Board was set up in 1887. Nasirabad Municipality was established in 1869.
The borders of Mymensingh district underwent constant change and internal administrative changes continued. In 1786 Beluha and some adjoining mahals were transferred to Tripura. In 1830, Sarail-Satarkhansar, Daudpur, Haripur, Bejura etc. were transferred to Tripura. In 1845, Jamalpur was made a sub-division. In 1860 Kishoreganj was made a sub division. In 1866, Atia from Dhaka and Dewanganj from Bogra were transferred to this district. Tangail subdivision was set up in 1869 and Netrakona made a subdivision in 1882. In 1906, Mymensingh district had five subdivisions, nine munsef chowkies, and forty police stations.
s, in an age when price of a maund
of rice
shot up to two rupees. The more prominent among these rebellions were the Pagalpanthi
uprising, the boxer uprising at Sherpur (1791), Jankupathar’s uprising (1833), and Mangal Singh’s uprising at Bhawal (1836).
The leader of the Pagalpanthis was Karam Shah, who established a strong influence over the indigenous tribal population consisting of Garos
and Hajongs, who were exploited by the zamindars, through the simple doctrine of equality, fraternity and truthfulness. Karam Shah petitioned the collector in 1802 for taking over the entire estate to the north-east of Sherpur pargana on payment of tax. Although the collector recommended the case, it did not find favour with the Board of Revenue
. After his death in 1813, his second son, Tipu, became leader and collected a small army. As leader of the oppressed peasantry he started a ‘no rent’ campaign. He attacked and looted the houses of zamindars in Sherpur and made Garjaripa, an ancient fortified place, his headquarter. He issued orders under the seal of ‘Royal Court of King Tipu Pagal’.
He was arrested twice and released, and the government wanted to solve the problem with a more equitable rent but Tipu’s army of 3,000 men armed with spears, swords, bows and matchlocks, took possession of the entire area between Sherpur and Garo Hills. Ultimately, the British decided to launch full scale military operations. By 1839, the Pagalpanthi uprising came to an end.
There were subsequently some uprisings in the district against indigo cultivation and the related oppression of the peasants.
Tangail was made a separate district in 1970 when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan
. After the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, re-organizaiton of the country's regional administrative strcuture was undertaken and Jamalpur
, a sub-disdtrict then called Subdivision, was made a separate district in 1978. As decentralisation continued under president General Ershad
, Kishoreganj
and Netrokona were promoted as distrcits in 1984. Also, a new district was created named Sherpur with parts mainly from Jamalpur.
Mymensingh
Mymensingh , pronounced moy-mon-shing-haw, is a city of Bangladesh situated on the river Brahmaputra. It is the headquarters of the administrative unit Mymensingh District. Mymensingh is the anglicized pronunciation of the original name Momenshahi, referring to a ruler called Momen Shah. The cadet...
, Kishoreganj
Kishoreganj District
-Place of Interest:Kishorganj is a place of the creed of respectively Sanatana and Loukik Islam. Both Meghna and Brahmaputra river have contributed to its existence. Many traditional rituals are observed every year in Kishoreganj. Among them Kurikhai Mela is one of the most celebrated fair. It is a...
, Netrakona, Tangail
Tangail District
Tangail is a district in central region of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka division. The population of Tangail zilla is about 3.2 million and its surface area is 3,414.39 km². The main town of Tangail District is the district town Tangail...
, Jamalpur
Jamalpur District
Jamalpur is a district in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. The main Jamalpur town consists of 12 wards and 80 mahallas. The municipality was established in 1869. The area of the town is 53.28 km². The town has a population of 116754; male 51.06%, female 48.94%. Density of population is 2191 per...
, and Sherpur
Sherpur District
Sherpur is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Sherpur city is located about 198 km north of Dhaka which is the capital of the country.-Subdivisions:There are 5 upazilas under this district, namely:...
districts in Dhaka Division of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Mymensingh district was established by the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
on 1 May 1787. Prior to that it is history of this area in general.
Ancient times
In ancient timesAncient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
the area was mostly part of Vanga, a non-Aryan territory covering the eastern part of the Gangetic delta. According to some writers it also covered territories east of the old course of the Brahmaputra
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
The impact of Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
-Brahmana
Brahmana
The Brāhmaṇas are part of the Hindu śruti literature. They are commentaries on the four Vedas, detailing the proper performance of rituals....
culture was felt in Bengal much after the same spread across northern India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. The various non-Aryan people then living in Bengal were powerful and thus the spread of Aryan-Brahman culture was strongly resisted and the assimilation took a long time.
In a map published in his book Indica, the Greek traveller Megasthenes
Megasthenes
Megasthenes was a Greek ethnographer in the Hellenistic period, author of the work Indica.He was born in Asia Minor and became an ambassador of Seleucus I of Syria possibly to Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, India. However the exact date of his embassy is uncertain...
, who visited in 302 BC, presents the entire Mymensingh area and much beyond in Kamarupa
Kamarupa (History)
Kamarupa, also called Pragjyotisha, was the first historical kingdom in Assam that existed between 350 and 1140 CE i.e for almost 800 years. Ruled by three dynasties from their capitals in present-day Guwahati and Tezpur, it covered the entire Brahmaputra river valley and, at times, North Bengal...
. In 4th century AD, during the reign of Samudragupta
Samudragupta
Samudragupta , ruler of the Gupta Empire , and successor to Chandragupta I, is considered to be one of the greatest military geniuses in Indian history according to Historian V. A. Smith. His name is taken to be a title acquired by his conquests...
, the region (whole of Kamrupa) was part of the Gupta Empire
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
. During his visit to the area in 639-45 AD, the Chinese monk, Xuanzang
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period...
(Hiuen Tsang) found both Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
flourishing in Bengal. According to certain records, some parts of the Mymensingh area, which was part of Pundravardhana
Pundravardhana
This article is about the historical territory. For the Mahabharata kingdom see Pundra KingdomPundravardhana , was a territory located in North Bengal in ancient times, home of the Pundra, a group of people speaking languages not of the Indo-European family.-Etymology:There are several theories...
in 7th century AD, was restored to Kamrupa between the 8th and 10th centuries. Subsequently, some small kingdoms, subservient to the Pala Empire
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...
were there in area. While Sishu Pal, Harishchandra Pal and Jasho Pal, ruled in the southern portions, Bhag Dutta (who ruled in Kamrupa) established himself in the Madhupur tract
Madhupur tract
Madhupur tract a large upland area of 4,244 km² in north central of Bangladesh, stretching from east of Jamalpur in the north, to Fatullah and Narayanganj, in the south. The tract is mostly one large tract, unlike the Barind Tract. It is approximately one to ten metres above the nearby...
.
In the 12th century Ballal Sena
Ballal Sena
Ballal Sen was the second ruler of the Sen dynasty of Bengal. Son and successor of Vijay Sen, Ballal Sen is known from the extant Kuljigranthas to have introduced social reforms in Bengal, especially the system of Kulinism.-See also:* Prithvi Raj Chauhan* List of rulers of Bengal* History of...
divided his kingdom into five parts – Rarh
Rarh region
Rarh region of West Bengal is the region that lies between the Western plateau and high lands and the Ganges Delta...
, Bagri, Barendra, Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
and Vanga. While Barendra was the area bounded by the Mahananda
Mahananda River
The Mahananda River is a trans-boundary river that flows through the Indian states of West Bengal and Bihar, and Bangladesh. Right bank tributary Mechi forms part of Nepal's eastern boundary with West Bengal and the Kankai crosses out of Nepal.-Course:...
, and the Padma
Padma River
The Padma is a major trans-boundary river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the Ganges , which originates in the Himalayas. The Padma enters Bangladesh from India near Chapai Nababganj...
and the Karotoya
Karatoya River
Karatoya River , a small stream in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh, was once a large and sacred river. A channel of it presently flows by the ancient ruins of Mahasthangarh in Bogra District. The Karatoya mahatmya bears testimony to its past greatness...
, Vanga was the area between the Karatoya and the Brahmaputra. It is evident that the area east of the Brahamaputra was part of Kamrupa and the area west of the Brahmaputra was part of the Sena Empire
Sena dynasty
The Sena Empire was a Hindu dynasty that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. At its peak the empire covered much of the north-eastern region in the Indian Subcontinent. They were called Brahma-Kshatriyas, as evidenced through their surname, which is derived from the Sanskrit,...
. However, there is a difference of opinion amongst historians about where exactly Vanga was and some feel that even the western portion of the Mymensingh area was part of Kamrupa. In the 13th century Kamrup broke up and small kingdoms surfaced in the Mymensingh area. In the 14th century the bhati region was captured by a sannyasi (hermit) named Jitari. The bhati region normally refers to the extreme western part of old Mymensingh.
Pathan period
While Bakhtiyar Khilji established himself in the western parts of Bengal in the 12th-13th centuries, he failed to conquer Kamrupa. The supremacy of the Sena dynasty in the area continued for around a century after the capture of NabadwipNabadwip
Nabadwip is a city and a municipality in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Its name means "9 islands" in the Bengali language. The islands are named Antardwip , Simantadwip, Rudradwip, Madhyadwip, Godrumdwip, Ritudwip, Jahnudwip, Modadrumdwip, and Koladwip...
by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1202. In 1258, Ikhtaruddin Uzbeg Tugralkhan attacked Kamrupa and captured parts of it. The king of Kamrupa initially fled but returned back to give fight. Ultimately, Tugralkhan managed to retain his supremacy in certain parts of Kamrupa, more specifically the Mymensigh area.
When Tugralkhan refused to accept the suzerainty of the Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
in 1279, Ghiyas ud din Balban
Ghiyas ud din Balban
Ghiyasuddin Balban was ninth sultan of the Mamluk dynasty who ruled from 1266 to 1287.-Biography:He was son of a Central Asian Turkic noble of the Ilbari tribe, but as a child he was captured by Mongols and sold as a slave at Ghazni...
launched a campaign against Tugralkhan, who fled but Ghiyas ud din pursued him and reached Sonargaon
Sonargaon
Sonargaon is the ancient capital of Isa Khan's kingdom in Bengal. It is located near the current-day city of Narayanganj, Bangladesh....
. Dunaj Roy, the ruler of Sonargaon warmly welcomed Ghiyas ud din. The latter made his second son Nasiruddin Mohammad the ruler of Bengal and left for Delhi. Nasirabad, named after him, later became Mymensingh town. Subsequently Feroze Shah divided Bengal into three parts and made Sonargaon the capital of the eastern region. Fakiruddin on assumption of office as ruler of Sonargaon, adopted the name of Sultan Sekendar and declared independence. Thereafter up to 1490, 17 sultans ruled at Sonargaon but it is not clear whether their territory included whole or part or any at all of the Mymensingh area.
In 1491, Feroze Shah II ascended the throne of the independent Bengal sultanate, and sent his general Majlis Khan Humayun to attack Sherpur. He defeated the Koch king Dalip Samanta. That appears to be the beginning of Pathan
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
rule in the Mymensingh area. It was during the rule of Hussein Shah, who ascended the throne in 1494, that Pathan rule was extended to the entire Mymensingh area (1498).
Atia Masjid
Atia Masjid was built by Hussein Shah in 1516. This is as per the English translation of an Arabic inscription found at the mosque. Whenever Hussein Shah conquered a territory he built a mosque as a mark of his victory. That possibly was an older mosque. The present mosque at Atia was built by Saiyyad Khan Panni on the banks of the Louhajang RiverLouhajang River
Louhajang River is located in central Bangladesh. It branches out from the Jamuna at Baisnabbari in Tangail District. Thereafter it splits into two parts before the parts meet up again...
in 1608. There are remains of old structures in the area.
Hussein Shah conquered the eastern side of the Brahmaputra right up to Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
. He appointed Khoaj Khan to rule over this territory with his capital at Muajjamabad. This place no more exists and it is difficult to specify where exactly it was located.
Nasratshahi
After Hussein Shah conquered Kamrupa, Nasratshah was appointed the ruler. When the monsoon seasonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
set in and extensive areas were flooded, the defeated local rulers regrouped and recaptured Kamrupa. Nasratshah fled, crossed the Garo Hills
Garo Hills
The Garo Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India. They are inhabited mainly by tribal dwellers. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is located in this range. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion.Garo Hills...
and established himself at Muajjamabad. He renamed the entire area as Nasratshahi . At that time Ibrahim Lodi was ruling in Delhi. It was during the reign of Hussein Shah that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna...
spread the Vaishnava religion and reforms. His follower Madhabacharya engaged in spreading Viashnava religion in the Mymensingh area.
Mughal period
With AkbarAkbar the Great
Akbar , also known as Shahanshah Akbar-e-Azam or Akbar the Great , was the third Mughal Emperor. He was of Timurid descent; the son of Emperor Humayun, and the grandson of the Mughal Emperor Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur, the ruler who founded the Mughal dynasty in India...
advancing and pushing the Pathans to Orissa, Bengal was ripe for small independent kingdoms ruled by the Barobhuyian. Five of them established kingdoms in eastern part of Bengal – Chand Roy-Kedar Roy in Bikrampur
Bikrampur
Bikrampur pargana is situated 12 miles south of Dhaka, the modern-day capital of Bangladesh. It lies in the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh. It is a historic region in Bengal. The region is famous for its early Buddhist scholarships and in the later period for its cultural influences...
, Lakshman Manik in Bhulua
Noakhali District
Noakhali is a district in South-eastern Bangladesh. It is located in the Chittagong Division.-Geography:Noakhali District located in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh...
, Kandarpa Narayan Roy in Chandradwip, Fazalghazi in Bhawal and Isa Khan
Isa Khan
Isa Khan is the most famous of the Baro Bhuiyans of medieval Bengal. He was the ruler of a region named Bhati. Throughout his reign he put resistance against Mughal invasion. It was only after his death, when the region went totally under Mughals.-Early life:It is estimated that he was born in 1529...
in Khijirpur, and ruled over the Dhaka, Noakhali, Bakharganj, Faridpur and Mymensingh areas.
Sirkar Bazuha
Akbar despatched Todar MallRaja Todar Mal
Raja Todar Mal was born in Laharpur, Uttar Pradesh in a Punjabi Kayastha family, and rose to become the Finance Minister in Akbar's Darbar of the Mughal empire. He was made in charge of Agra and settled in Gujarat. Later, he was made in charge of Gujarat as well. He also managed Akbar's Mint at...
in 1580 to quell disturbances in Bihar. Todar Mall not only quietened down Bihar with his able systems of land revenue collection but also built up rapport for rent collection in Bengal. He divided Bengal into 19 Sirkars, which was further subdivided into 682 Mahals. The Nasratshahi area was reconstituted as Sirkar Bazuha. It was divided into 32 Mahals – Alepshahi, Mominshahi, Husseinshahi, Baroraju, Merauna, Kharana, Herana, Serali, Besriabaju, Bhawalbaju, Pukhuriabaju, Daskahaniabaju, Selim-Pratapbaju, Sultanpratapbaju, Chandpratapbaju, Sonaghutibaju, Sonabaju, Selebras, Sayer Jalkar, Saojielbaju, Jafarogielbaju, Koturalbaju, Katabaju, Singhdhamoin, Mirhussein, Nasratshahi, Singhnasrat Jial, Mobarak O Jial, Hariyal Baju, Yuchhisahi, Pratapbaju and Dhakabaju. Sirkar Bazuha extended from the Buriganga
Buriganga River
The Buriganga River is the main river flowing beside Dhaka city, capital of Bangladesh. The average depth is and maximum depth is .-History:...
to Garo Hills. In the east it included parts of greater Sylhet, and in the west it included parts of greater Pabna, Rajshahi and Bogra districts.
Isa Khan
Isa Khan accepted the suzerainty of the Mughal EmpireMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and took charge of both Sirkar Bazuha and Sirkar Sonargaon with his capital at Khijirpur. After settling down in his work, Isa Khan started building forts at Tribeg, Hajiganj and Kalgachiya, and also renovating the old forts at Egarosindhu and Ekdala. Thereafter, he stopped paying rent to the emperor at Delhi. Troops were despatched against Isa Khan. He was defeated by Shabaz Khan in 1585 in his capital. Shabaz Khan chased him till the borders of the sea but escaped from one island to another. Taking his victory for granted Shabaz Khan engaged in merry making, when Isa Khan suddenly attacked him and regained his capital. As Khijirpur was in shambles he shifted his capital to Sonargaon.
Next, Man Singh
Man Singh I of Amber
Raja Shri Man Singh Ji Saheb was the Kacchwaha King of Amber, a state later known as Jaipur...
was despatched against Isa Khan. On being defeated at Ekdala, he fled to Egarosindhur. The decisive battle atarted near Egarosindhu on the western bank of the Brahmaputra. On the third day of the battle, Man Singh’s sword broke. On seeing Man Singh unarmed, Isa Khan stopped fighting. The noble gesture touched Man Singh. He concluded a treaty with Isa Khan, who was honoured in the Mughal court with the title of Masnadali and given charge of 22 parganas. The only other ruler in Sirkar Bazuha at that time was Raghunath Singh of Mulke Susang
Durgapur Upazila
There are 2 Upazilas in Bangladesh by this name:#Durgapur Upazila, Netrokona and#Durgapur Upazila, Rajshahi....
.
Many upper caste Hindus belonging to the Brahmin, Kayastha and Baidya castes had started moving into the area from Barendra and Rarh even before Isa Khan rose to power. Subsequently Muslims in large numbers moved into the sparsely populated area. Many Muslim holy men, pirs
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
, fakir
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
s and aulias, also entered the region and engaged in religious conversion. The earlier inhabitants of the area such as the Kochs
Koch (language)
Koch is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Koch people of both the Republic of India and Bangladesh.-External links:* *...
and Hajongs
Hajong language
Hajong is an Indo-Aryan language with Tibeto-Burman roots spoken by more than 175,000 ethnic Hajong in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal in India and the Mymensingh District in Bangladesh. It is written in the Assamese script, and it is being supplanted by the...
were subdued before long.
Before the rise of Isa Khan, the Gazis used to rule in the forested areas of Bhawal. Once Isa Khan became powerful they accepted his suzerainty, but after his death they resumed their powers. Many of the Muslim holy men occupied 11 of the 22 parganas ruled by Isa Khan. Some of the prominent ones were Pir Sahensa in Atia, Pir Sahajman in Kagmari, and Islam Khan in Bhawal. In 1608, during the rule of Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
, the capital was shifted to Dhaka. Sirkar Bazuha being adjacent to the capital often had to bear some part of the brunt of foreign attacks, as for example of the Portuguese and Arakanese in 1610. The capital was shifted to Murshidabad
Murshidabad
Murshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
in 1703.
Feudal systems
In the 16th century Sher Shah SuriSher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
, who was a Pathan ruler ruling between two Mughal emperors, was the first to establish a powerful feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
administration. He raised the status of different provinces to that of a sirkar, and streamlined the system of revenue collection. During his reign such positions as that of amin (surveyor), sikdar (police chief) and munsef (judge) were created. It was during the rule of the Baro Bhuiyan that zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
s or landlords first came into existence in the Mymensingh area. They had their amla (bureaucracy), gomasta (administration), and their own forces called paik-peyada-barkandaj.
The Mughals brought in some radical changes. They introduced the position of mansabdar
Mansabdar
Mansabdar was the generic term for the military -type grading of all imperial officials of the Mughal Empire. The mansabdars governed the empire and commanded its armies in the emperor's name...
s, who were military rulers, also looking after administration. The selection of mansabdars was through a regular process. The Mughals introduced a scientific system of feudal administration, which later the British retained for a long period.
Zamindars
While the contribution of zamindars for the development of an area is widely noted and tales of their torture is local legend, the torture imposed on zamindars is less well known. When zamindars failed to pay rent, they were tied in chains and taken earlier to Dhaka and later to Murshidabad for punishment.Indranarayan Chowdhury, zamindar of Kagamri, failed to pay rent and was tortured so much by Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal. In fact circumstances resulted in his being the first independent ruler of Bengal post the death of Emperor Aurangzeb...
that he was ultimately forced to give up his religion and convert to Islam as Inayetulya Chowdhury. In 1725, Surya Narayan Chowdhury, zamindar of Daskahania (Sherpur) was tortured so much that he gave up his zamindari. Two children of Rana Singha, the deceased ruler of Susang, Kishore Singha and Raj Singha, were sentenced to ten whips each for non-payment of revenue. The punishment borne on their behalf by a loyal servant Banchharam is part of local lore.
British period
After the Battle of PlasseyBattle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
, the British occupied Dhaka towards the end of 1757. In 1765 British East India Company acquired from the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
, the sole right to collect rent in Bengal. However, they did not immediately concentrate on governance and for a long time there could scarcely have been any government. They set up a trading establishment at Begunbari in the Mymensingh area and removed the Portuguese and French establishments from the area.
The situation was recorded in a local rhyme:
- Nababguli khaey aar ghumaey
- Ingraj taka adaey kore aar despatch lekhey
- Bangali kandey aar utsanney jaey
-
- The nawbabs eat and sleep
- The English collect money and send despatches
- The Bengalis cry and go to hell
Sannyasi rebellion
Chhiyattarer manwantar or the famine of 1770Bengal famine of 1770
The Bengal famine of 1770 was a catastrophic famine between 1769 and 1773 that affected the lower Gangetic plain of India...
struck Bengal. It is so called because of its happening in the Bengali calendar year 1176. The famine nourished the Sannyasi Rebellion
Sannyasi Rebellion
The Sannyasi Rebellion or Sannyasi Revolt is a term used to describe activities of sannyasis and fakirs, or Hindu and Muslim ascetics respectively, in Bengal, India in the late 18th century...
by swelling their ranks and they soon became a nuisance to be reckoned with by the government.
Around 1773, the sannyasis and fakirs came and set themselves up in the forested areas of Madhupur and in Sannyasiganj (Paltan near Jamalpur). With Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings PC was the first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. He was famously accused of corruption in an impeachment in 1787, but was acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.-Early life:...
sending a force against them, they went underground for the sometime, but resurfaced later.
In 1781, they forcibly harvested the crops of both zamindars and peasants in Alapsingha and Jafarshahi parganas. They tortured people in the entire area and the nominal English force could do nothing to prevent their atrocities. In 1783, the sannyasis under Shah Madgerud again looted Jafarshahi. Lodge fought a pitched battle against the sannyasis and the English set up a cantonment at Sannyasiganj. Although the main body of the sannyasis were subdued, they carried on sporadic attacks from time to time. The zamindars appealed again and again for support and finally a decision was taken to establish a new district. It was a long time before they finally petered out.
Formation of district
Mymensingh district was established by the British East India Company on 1 May 1787. It may be mentioned that Mymensingh is a corruption of Mominshahi and Mominingh, the name of the pargana in the area. The name could also have been synthesised from two parganas, Alapsingh and Momenshahi, both of which were included in the then Mymensingh District. It became the largest district in India. Nasirabad was established in 1791. Begunbari where the English had developed an early establishment was washed away by the Brahmaputra. Another town was established at Sehra. With the permanent settlementPermanent Settlement
The Permanent Settlement — also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal — was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land, with far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the entire Empire and the...
of Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
in 1793, peace and goodwill prevailed in the area. The practice of arbitrary torture for non-payment of revenue was modified by a system of judiciary. The district started feeling the gradual introduction of westernised modernity. Peace and prosperity gave rise to large zamindars that became legends in their own right.
Notable Zamindar Estates of the district
There were innumerable Zamindar Estates in Mymensingh district. Some of notable ones were:- Sushang Estate. The Sushang Estates date back prior to the Afgan-Pathan-Moghul eras. Amongst all the zamindars, they enjoyed the highest order of social precedence in the district, and third in undivided Bengal, exceeded only by Coochbehar and Burdwan. However, their revenues were small.
- Mymensingh Estate. The Mymensingh Estate or the Maharaja Mymensingh Estate was the largest in the district and socially preceded over every other zamindar of the district excepting Maharaja of Sushang.
- Gauripur Estate.
- Muktagacha Half Estate.
- Atharabari Estate.
Development
Earlier there was a sadar post office in the district from where the mail was carried by hand to wherever the collector was residing at that point of time. In July 1792, a postal system was established with the setting up of eight post offices between Dhaka and Mymensingh.In 1793 the use of copper coins were introduced replacing the system of karis and dhamris. In 1800, the use of old coins was stopped and the coins of East India Company were introduced. The first permits for importing liquor were introduced. Gradually the judiciary was separated from the executive. For the first time, metal roads were introduced. Dhaka-Mymensingh telegraph line was established in 1883. Dhaka-Mymensingh railway was opened in 1886. The District Board was set up in 1887. Nasirabad Municipality was established in 1869.
The borders of Mymensingh district underwent constant change and internal administrative changes continued. In 1786 Beluha and some adjoining mahals were transferred to Tripura. In 1830, Sarail-Satarkhansar, Daudpur, Haripur, Bejura etc. were transferred to Tripura. In 1845, Jamalpur was made a sub-division. In 1860 Kishoreganj was made a sub division. In 1866, Atia from Dhaka and Dewanganj from Bogra were transferred to this district. Tangail subdivision was set up in 1869 and Netrakona made a subdivision in 1882. In 1906, Mymensingh district had five subdivisions, nine munsef chowkies, and forty police stations.
Pagalpanthi uprising
With floods and famines affecting the district from time to time in the 19th century resulting in the failure of the peasants to pay taxes and subsequent oppression of the zamindars, peasant rebellions were many. The suffering caused was of such an order that even human beings were sold for the petty sum of one to four rupeeRupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
s, in an age when price of a maund
Maund
The maund is the anglicized name for a traditional unit of mass used in British India, and also in Afghanistan, Persia and Arabia: the same unit in the Moghul Empire was sometimes written as mun in English, while the equivalent unit in the Ottoman Empire and Central Asia was called the batman...
of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
shot up to two rupees. The more prominent among these rebellions were the Pagalpanthi
Pagal Panthis
The Pagal Panthis were a socio-religious order that emerged in the late 18th century CE in the Mymensingh region of Bengal...
uprising, the boxer uprising at Sherpur (1791), Jankupathar’s uprising (1833), and Mangal Singh’s uprising at Bhawal (1836).
The leader of the Pagalpanthis was Karam Shah, who established a strong influence over the indigenous tribal population consisting of Garos
Garo (tribe)
See also Garo for other uses.The Garos are a tribal people in Meghalaya, India and neighboring areas of Bangladesh, who call themselves A·chik Mande or simply A·chik or Mande...
and Hajongs, who were exploited by the zamindars, through the simple doctrine of equality, fraternity and truthfulness. Karam Shah petitioned the collector in 1802 for taking over the entire estate to the north-east of Sherpur pargana on payment of tax. Although the collector recommended the case, it did not find favour with the Board of Revenue
Board of Revenue
The Board of Revenue was a Colonial British institution and part of the British Raj in India. It provided the crucial role of revenue management during the period when the British East India Company ruled.It was a creation of the East India Company in 1781.The Board of Revenue was formed to help...
. After his death in 1813, his second son, Tipu, became leader and collected a small army. As leader of the oppressed peasantry he started a ‘no rent’ campaign. He attacked and looted the houses of zamindars in Sherpur and made Garjaripa, an ancient fortified place, his headquarter. He issued orders under the seal of ‘Royal Court of King Tipu Pagal’.
He was arrested twice and released, and the government wanted to solve the problem with a more equitable rent but Tipu’s army of 3,000 men armed with spears, swords, bows and matchlocks, took possession of the entire area between Sherpur and Garo Hills. Ultimately, the British decided to launch full scale military operations. By 1839, the Pagalpanthi uprising came to an end.
There were subsequently some uprisings in the district against indigo cultivation and the related oppression of the peasants.
Since Independence
With departure of the British in 1947, Mymensingh district was part of East Pakistan.Tangail was made a separate district in 1970 when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. After the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, re-organizaiton of the country's regional administrative strcuture was undertaken and Jamalpur
Jamalpur
Jamalpur may refer to:Bangladesh* Jamalpur District* Jamalpur Sadar UpazilaIndia* Jamalpur, Munger, Bihar* Jamalpur, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh* Jamalpur , West Bengal...
, a sub-disdtrict then called Subdivision, was made a separate district in 1978. As decentralisation continued under president General Ershad
Ershad
Ershad is the transliteration of an Arabic given name meaning "universal guidance". Ershad also means "recite" in Urdu language.Popular people named Ershad include:*Hussain Muhammad Ershad is a former Army General, and a former president of Bangladesh...
, Kishoreganj
Kishoreganj District
-Place of Interest:Kishorganj is a place of the creed of respectively Sanatana and Loukik Islam. Both Meghna and Brahmaputra river have contributed to its existence. Many traditional rituals are observed every year in Kishoreganj. Among them Kurikhai Mela is one of the most celebrated fair. It is a...
and Netrokona were promoted as distrcits in 1984. Also, a new district was created named Sherpur with parts mainly from Jamalpur.