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Names of Bengal

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Bengalis a region inSouth Asia,politically split betweenBangladeshandIndia.Due to its long history and complicated political divisions, various names have been used to refer to the region and its subsections. The name Bangla is used by both Bangladesh andWest Bengalin international contexts. In theBengali language,the two Bengals each use a different term to refer to the nominally identified nation:Bānglā(বাংলা) andBaṅga(বঙ্গ)

Terminology in detail

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  • Geography:
    • Bengalis a region in Asia located in the eastern part of theIndian subcontinentat the apex of theBay of Bengal.Geographically it is part of theGanges-Brahmaputra deltasystem, the largestriver deltasystem in the world. The region borders theHimalayan statesto its north and in the east bordersNortheast Indiaand the country ofBurma.
    • Bangla(Bengali:বাংলা) may be a transliteration of either Bengal (a geographical and ethno-linguistic region in South Asia) orBengali(an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Bengal). It can also refer to theendonymof the region in theBengali languageor the native name of the region.
    • Bongo(Bengali:বঙ্গ) is a transliteration of the Bengali name of the region of Bengal as a geographical and ethno-linguistic region in South Asia.
  • Language:
    • BangladeshThe etymology of Bangladesh ( "Bengali Country" ) can be traced to the early 20th century, whenBengalipatriotic songs, such as "Namo Namo Namo Bangladesh Momo" (1922) byKazi Nazrul Islamand "Aaji Bangladesher Hridoy" (1905) byRabindranath Tagore,used the term. The term Bangladesh was often written as two words, Bangla Desh, in the past. Starting in the 1950s, Bengali nationalists used the term in political rallies inEast Bengal(In the year 1971 it becameBangladesh) province ofPakistan.The termBanglais a major name for both theBengalregion (BangladeshandWest Bengal) and theBengalilanguage. The origin of the term Bangla is the Iron AgeVanga Kingdom(Now divided between theBangladeshand theWest Bengal). The ancient term Vangaladesa (Now used as 'Bangladesh') for theBengalregion (Modern dayBangladesh,West BengalandTripura) is found in 11th-centurySouth Indian(Dravidian) records. The word "Bangāl" and "Banglā" became the most common name for the region during the Islamic period. The historian Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak mentions in his Ain-i-Akbari that the addition of the suffix "al" came from the fact that the ancient rajahs of the land raised mounds of earth 10 feet high and 20 in breadth in lowlands at the foot of the hills which were called "al". The Indo-Aryan suffix Desh is derived from the Sanskrit word deśha, which means "land" or "country". Hence, the name Bangladesh means "Land of Bengal" or "Country of Bengal". Alternatives to the nameBangladeshare:

Bangadesh(Bengali:বঙ্গদেশ;lit.Bengali Country)[1] BongobhumiorBanglabhumi(Bengali:বঙ্গভূমি/ বাংলাভূমি;lit.Bengali Land)[1] BangarajyaorBanglarajya(Bengali:বঙ্গরাজ্য/ বাংলারাজ্য;lit.Bengali Realm)[1] BangarashtraorBanglarashtra(Bengali:বঙ্গরাষ্ট্র/ বাংলারাষ্ট্র;lit.Bengali State)

Geographical distinctions

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East Bengal

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West Bengal
West Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal
Maps of West Bengal (India) and East Bengal (Bangladesh)
West Bengal
West Bengal
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Maps of West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh, showingNorth Bengalin green andSouth Bengalin red

East Bengal(Bengali:পূর্ববঙ্গPurbô Bangla) was the name used during two different periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violentpartitionofBengalwhich made one half East Bengal or Bangladesh.

Historically, it referred to the fertileBhatiregion of the Bengal delta, which corresponds to the modern-dayDhaka Division.

North Bengal

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North Bengal(Bengali:উত্তরবঙ্গ) is a term used for the north-western part of Bangladesh and northern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part includes theRajshahi DivisionandRangpur Division.Generally, it is the area lying west ofJamuna Riverand north ofPadma Riverand includes theBarind Tract.The West Bengal part denotes theJalpaiguri Division(Alipurduar,Cooch Behar,Darjeeling,Jalpaiguri,North Dinajpur,South DinajpurandMalda). The Bihar parts include theKishanganj district.It also includes parts ofDarjeelingHills. Traditionally, theHooghly Riverdivides West Bengal into South and North Bengal, divided again intoTeraiandDooarsregions.

South Bengal

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South Bengal(Bengali:দক্ষিণবঙ্গ) is a term used for the southwestern part of Bangladesh and the southern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part includes theKhulna,Faridpur,andBarisal Divisions.The Bay of Bengalis located at the end of the southern part of Bangladesh. TheWest Bengalpart includes 12 districts in the southern part of West Bengal;Kolkata,Howrah,Hooghly,Burdwan,East Midnapur,West Midnapur,Purulia,Bankura,Birbhum,Nadia,South 24 ParganasandNorth 24 Parganas.[citation needed]

West Bengal

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West Bengal(Bengali:পশ্চিমবঙ্গ) comprises roughly one-third of the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. When India gained independence in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines. The western part went to the Dominion of India (and was named West Bengal).[further explanation needed]

Hilly Bengal

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Hilly Bengal (Bengali: পার্বত্যবঙ্গ) is a term used for the southeastern parts of Bangladesh and parts of northern Myanmar. The Bangladesh part consists ofRangamati,KhagrachariandBandarban,while the Myanmar part consists of 14 districts in the Northern part ofRakhine(Arakan/Rohang): Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Kyaukpyu, Ponnagyan, Rathedaung, Sittwe, Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Myabon, Ann, Kyaukpyu, Rambree and Munaung.[citation needed]

Historical names

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See also:History of Bengal

Historical names for Bengal include (in chronological order):

  • Bonga– anAustricword for Sun god
  • Bang– aBronze Ageproto-Dravidiantribe[7]
  • Vanga– a seafaring state located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent comprising today's politically divided Bengal region (West Bengal, India and Bangladesh)also mentioned inSanskrittextMahabharata.
    South Asia in BC 300, showing the Chola (blue), Vangadesam (adjoining pink) and Kalinga Kingdoms
  • Vangala or Bangala– a name used in early mediaeval period for theBengal region.King Anandadeva of earlierDeva dynastyof easternBengalused the titleSri Bangala Mriganka,which means the moon of Bengal.[8][9]Pala King Dharmapala was mentioned as the king ofVangalain the Nesari plates (dated 805 AD) ofRashtrakuta dynasty.[10]
  • Vangaladesa– a term found in South Indian records in the 11th century.[11][12][13]
  • Gauda– a kingdom located in Bengal in ancient and medieval times.[14][15]ThePala emperorswere referred to as Vangapati (Lord of Vanga) and Gaudesvara (Lord of Gauda).Senakings also called themselves Gaudesvara. From thenGaudaandVangaseem to be interchangeable names for the whole of Bengal.[14]
The Bengal Sultanate in 1500, during the reign of SultanAlauddin Hussain Shah

Adjectives

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  • Bangla– the contents and attributes of the Bengali language or the country of Bangladesh.
  • Bengali– the contents and attributes of Bengal.
  • Bangiya(Bengali:বঙ্গীয়) – an adjectival prefix referring to Bengal particularly in the field of literature, e.g.Bangiya Sahitya Parishad,Bangiya Gramin Vikash BankandBangiya Janata Dal.Can be synonymous withBengali.
  • Bengalese– something of, from, or related to Bengal.
  • Bangalee(Bengali:বাঙালি/বাঙ্গালী) – until 1978 the Constitution of Bangladesh referred all citizens of Bangladesh as Bangalees, an archaic spelling forBengali.
  • Bangladeshi(Bengali:বাংলাদেশি) – from 1978 this was a widely used term to refer to the citizens of Bangladesh.
  • Bangal(Bengali:বাঙাল;Hindustani:बंगाल,بنگال) – used informally in India to refer to Hindu Bengalis with family roots associated with East Bengal.Bangalis also the Hindustani word for Bengal.
  • Bangabasi(Bengali:বঙ্গবাসী) – peoples of Bengal.
  • Bangadesiya(Bengali:বঙ্গদেশীয়) – something of, from, or related to Bengal or Bengalis.
  • Banga-Santan(Bengali:বঙ্গসন্তান) – lit: Son/ child ofMother Bengal- an adjectival prefix referring to People of Bengal orBengalis.
  • Banga-Lalana(Bengali:বঙ্গললনা) – lit: Daughter of Mother Bengal- an adjectival prefix referring to a girl/lady of Bengal or any FemaleBengalis.
  • Bong– an Indianslangused to refer anyone from West Bengal.
  • Bongal– is a term used in Assam to refer to outsiders. The term has a negetive connotation.

Other names

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Sobriquets for Bengal

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In traditional Bengali culture, as well as in the Bengali Media, the land of Bengal has assumed a number ofsobriquetsover the centuries, including:

  • Sonar Bangla(Bengali:সোনার বাংলা);Golden Bengal
  • Rūpasī Bangla(Bengali:রূপসী বাংলা);Beautiful Bengal
  • Shayamal Bangla(Bengali:শ্যামল বাংলা);Green Bengal
  • Epar Bangla(Bengali:এপার বাংলা);Bengal Here,used by Bengalis for their Native Bengal.
  • Opar Bangla(Bengali:ওপার বাংলা);Bengal There,used by Bengalis for other part of Bengal.
  • Bharatiya Bangla(Bengali:ভারতীয় বাংলা);Indian Bengal,used by Bangladeshi media for Indian state of West Bengal.
  • Padmapar(Bengali:পদ্মাপাড়);Bank ofRiver Padma,used by Indian Bengali media for Republic Bangladesh.
  • Nadimatrik Desh(Bengali:নদীমাতৃক দেশ);Riverine countryor theCountry of the River,used for both India and Bangladesh.
  • Hazar Nodir Desh(Bengali:হাজার নদীর দেশ); theCountry of the Thousand Rivers,used for Bengal.
  • Chhay Ritur Desh(Bengali:ছয় ঋতুর দেশ); theCountry of the Six Seasons,used for Bangladesh.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcবঙ্গদেশ(in Bengali), 1908
  2. ^"West Bengal may be renamed PaschimBanga".The Hindu.Chennai, India. 19 August 2011.Retrieved7 February2012.
  3. ^"West Bengal Assembly passes resolution for State's name change".The Hindu.30 August 2016.Retrieved1 September2016.
  4. ^Venkata Siddharthacharry,Jambudwipa, a blueprint for a South Asian community,page 256, Radiant Publishers, 1985,ISBN81-7027-088-X
  5. ^Christophe Jaffrelot (2004).A History of Pakistan and Its Origins.Anthem Press. p. 42.ISBN9781843311492.
  6. ^"Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy: His Life".The Daily New Nation.Retrieved11 January2015.
  7. ^"Bangladesh: early history, 1000 B.C.–A.D. 1202".Bangladesh: A country study.Washington, D.C.:Library of Congress.September 1988.Retrieved1 December2014.Historians believe that Bengal, the area comprising present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state ofWest Bengal,was settled in about 1000 B.C. by Dravidian-speaking peoples who were later known as the Bang. Their homeland bore various titles that reflected earlier tribal names, such as Vanga, Banga, Bangala, Bangal, and Bengal.
  8. ^Friedberg, Arthur L.; Friedberg, Ira S. (14 April 2024).Gold coins of the World.Coin & Currency Institute.ISBN978-0-87184-308-1.
  9. ^"Copperplates, Banglapedia".
  10. ^"Vangala, Banglapedia".
  11. ^Keay, John(2000).India: A History.Atlantic Monthly Press. p.220.ISBN978-0-87113-800-2.In C1020... launched Rajendra's great northern escapade... peoples he defeated have been tentatively identified... 'Vangala-desa where the rain water never stopped' sounds like a fair description of Bengal in the monsoon.
  12. ^Allan, J.; Haig, T. Wolseley; Dodwell, H. H. (1934).Dodwell, H. H.(ed.).The Cambridge Shorter History of India.Cambridge University Press. p. 145.
  13. ^Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999) [First published 1988].Ancient Indian History and Civilization.New Age International. p. 281.ISBN978-81-224-1198-0.
  14. ^abMajumdar, R. C. (1971).History of Ancient Bengal.Calcutta: G. Bhardwaj & Co. pp. 6–8.OCLC96115784.
  15. ^Ghosh, Suchandra (2012)."Gauda, Janapada".InIslam, Sirajul;Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.).Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh(Second ed.).Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  16. ^abAhmed, Salahuddin (2004).Bangladesh: Past and Present.APH Publishing. pp. 23–.ISBN978-81-7648-469-5.
  17. ^"Islam, Bengal".Banglapedia.But the most important development of this period was that the country for the first time received a name, ie Bangalah.
  18. ^"Did you know why Alexander did not proceed to conquer ancient Bengal?".The Daily Star.12 August 2015.
  19. ^Dasgupta, Biplab (2005).European Trade and Colonial Conquest.Anthem.ISBN9781843310297.
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