1.
Dhaka
–
Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the worlds most populated cities, with a population of 17 million people in the Greater Dhaka Area and it is also the 3rd most densely populated city in the world. Located in a district and division, it lies along the east bank of the Buriganga River in the heart of the Bengal delta. The city is a microcosm of the country, with diverse religious. Dhaka is the economic, cultural and political center of Bangladesh and its name was romanized as Dacca until the current spelling was adopted in 1983. It is the largest city in the Bengal region and it is also a major city of South Asia and among the OIC states. The old city of Dhaka was the Mughal capital of Bengal, the citys name was Jahangir Nagar in the 17th century. It was a commercial center and the hub of the worldwide muslin. The city hosted two important caravansaries of the subcontinent, the Bara Katra and Choto Katra, located on the riverfront of the Buriganga, the Mughals decorated the city with well-laid out gardens, tombs, mosques, palaces and forts. Dhaka became known as the City of Mosques in Bengal and it was also described as the Venice of the East. The old city was home to various Eurasian merchant groups, at the height of its medieval glory, Dhaka was regarded as one of the wealthiest and most prosperous cities in the world. It was central to the economy of Mughal Bengal, which generated 50% of Mughal GDP, modern Dhaka developed from the late 20th century under the administration of East Pakistan. Between 1905 and 1912, it was the capital of British Eastern Bengal, in 1947, after the region became known as Pakistan, it became the administrative capital of the eastern wing of Pakistan. It was declared as the capital of Pakistan in 1962. In 1971, it became the capital of an independent Bangladesh, the city has endured periods of famine, war and natural calamities. It continues to confront challenges faced by growing metropolises in developing countries, including poverty, Dhaka is home to thousands of Bangladeshi businesses and the offices of many international corporations. The Dhaka Stock Exchange is one of the largest in South Asia in terms of trading volume and it hosts several major arts festivals, including the annual Ekushey Book Fair, the Dhaka Literature Festival and the biannual Dhaka Art Summit. The city has the largest number of cycle rickshaws and is known as the Rickshaw Capital of the World, Dhakas highly popular cuisine features distinctive biryanis, kebabs and bakarkhanis as a legacy of its rule by the Mughals and the Nawabs of Dhaka
Dhaka
–
1.
National Parliament 2.
Motijheel financial district 3.
Rose Garden 4.
Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque 5.
Ramna 6.
Supreme Court of Bangladesh 7.
RAJUK Bhaban 8. Dhaka City Center
Dhaka
–
Ruins of
Lalbagh Fort
Dhaka
–
A Bengali woman wearing
muslin in Dhaka in 1789
Dhaka
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Old High Court of Dacca
2.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
Geographic coordinate system
–
Longitude lines are perpendicular and latitude lines are parallel to the equator.
3.
Mughal empire
–
The dynasty, though ethnically Turco-Mongol, was Persianate in terms of culture. The Mughal empire extended over parts of the Indian subcontinent. The beginning of the empire is conventionally dated to the victory by its founder Babur over Ibrahim Lodi, the Mughal emperors were Central Asian Turco-Mongols belonging to the Timurid dynasty, who claimed direct descent from both Genghis Khan and Timur. During the reign of Humayun, the successor of Babur, the empire was briefly interrupted by the Sur Empire, the classic period of the Mughal Empire started in 1556 with the ascension of Akbar the Great to the throne. Under the rule of Akbar and his son Jahangir, the region enjoyed economic progress as well as harmony. Akbar was a warrior who also forged alliances with several Hindu Rajput kingdoms. Some Rajput kingdoms continued to pose a significant threat to the Mughal dominance of northwestern India, the reign of Shah Jahan, the fifth emperor, between 1628 and 1658 was the golden age of Mughal architecture. He erected several monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal at Agra, as well as the Moti Masjid, Agra, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Delhi. By the mid-18th century, the Marathas had routed Mughal armies, during the following century Mughal power had become severely limited, and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, had authority over only the city of Shahjahanabad. He issued a firman supporting the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and following the defeat was therefore tried by the British East India Company for treason, imprisoned and exiled to Rangoon. Contemporaries referred to the empire founded by Babur as the Timurid empire, which reflected the heritage of his dynasty, another name was Hindustan, which was documented in the Ain-i-Akbari, and which has been described as the closest to an official name for the empire. In the west, the term Mughal was used for the emperor, and by extension, the use of Mughal derived from the Arabic and Persian corruption of Mongol, and it emphasised the Mongol origins of the Timurid dynasty. The term gained currency during the 19th century, but remains disputed by Indologists, similar terms had been used to refer to the empire, including Mogul and Moghul. Nevertheless, Baburs ancestors were sharply distinguished from the classical Mongols insofar as they were oriented towards Persian rather than Turco-Mongol culture, ousted from his ancestral domains in Central Asia, Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass, Baburs forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow the new emperor to consolidate the gains he had made in India, the instability of the empire became evident under his son, Humayun, who was driven out of India and into Persia by rebels. Humayuns exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal Courts, and led to increasing Persian cultural influence in the Mughal Empire, the restoration of Mughal rule began after Humayuns triumphant return from Persia in 1555, but he died from a fatal accident shortly afterwards. Humayuns son, Akbar, succeeded to the throne under a regent, Bairam Khan, through warfare and diplomacy, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari River
Mughal empire
–
Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire.
Mughal empire
–
Flag
Mughal empire
–
Mughal Army artillerymen during the reign of
Akbar.
Mughal empire
–
Mughal matchlock rifle.
4.
Buriganga River
–
The Buriganga River flows past the southwest outskirts of Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh. Its average depth is 7.6 metres and its depth is 18 metres. In the distant past, a course of the Ganges river used to reach the Bay of Bengal through the Dhaleshwari river, when this course gradually shifted and ultimately lost its link with the main channel of the Ganges it was renamed the Buriganga. It is said that the levels during high and very high tides in this river astonished the Mughals. In the 20th century the water table and river became polluted by polythenes, the course of the Padma, as the main course of the Ganges is known in Bangladesh, changed considerably during the period 1600 to 2000 AD. In the 18th century, the course of the river flowed further south. About the middle of the 19th century the volume of the channel flowed through this southern channel. Gradually the Padma adopted its present course, the Buriganga is economically very important to Dhaka. Launches and country boats provide connection to parts of Bangladesh. When the Mughals made Dhaka their capital in 1610, the banks of the Buriganga were already a prime location for trade, the river was also the citys main source of drinking water. Today, the Buriganga river is afflicted by the problem of pollution. The chemical waste of mills and factories, household waste, medical waste, sewage, dead animals, plastics, the city of Dhaka discharges about 4,500 tons of solid waste every day and most of it is released into the Buriganga. According to the Department of Environment,21,600 cubic metres of waste are released into the river by the tanneries every day. Most of the units of these areas have no sewage treatment or effluent treatment plants of their own. More than 60,000 cubic metres of waste, including textile dying, printing, washing. According to the Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority, about 12,000 cubic metres of untreated waste are released into the lake from Tejgaon, Badda, the waste mostly comes from garment washing and dyeing plants. Textile industries annually discharge as much as 56 million tonnes of waste and 0.5 million tonnes of sludge, sewage is also released into the Buriganga. A newspaper article from 2004 indicated that up to 80% of Dhakas sewage was untreated, nearly 4.0 million people of the city are exposed to the consequences of water pollution every day
Buriganga River
–
A launch sails from Sadarghat on the Buriganga.
Buriganga River
Buriganga River
–
View looking along the river Buriganga towards the city of Dhaka situated on the left bank. A Hindu temple tower stands at the water's edge (1885).
Buriganga River
–
View of Buriganga River from the bridge in Dhaka
5.
Subahdar
–
Subahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin The Subahdar was the head of the Mughal provincial administration and he was assisted by the provincial Diwan, Bakshi, Faujdar, Kotwal, Qazi, Sadr, Waqa-i-Navis, Qanungo and Patwari. The Subahdars were normally appointed from the Mughal princes or the holding the highest mansabs. A nazim is the coordinator of cities and towns in Pakistan, Nazim is the title in Urdu of the chief elected official of a local government in Pakistan, such as a district, tehsil, union council, or village council. Likewise, a deputy mayor is known as a Naib nazim, the word naib in Urdu literally means assistant or deputy hence Naib nazim is similar in function to a deputy mayor. He is also custodian of the house, the name which is used for the president of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, the Islamic Union of Students in Pakistan, is Nazim-e-ala. The nazim-e-ala is elected for one year, and after completing that tenure, the chief nazim, or district nazim, is elected by the nazims of Union Councils, Union Councillors, and Tehsil Nazims, who themselves are elected directly by the votes of the local public. Pakistan originally had a system inherited from the time of British rule, under the Local Government Act, however, the role of the nazim became distinct from that of a Mayor, with more power. The nazim system was introduced after the system, imposed during British rule, was lifted by the government of Pakistan. Now there is no commissioner for any of the divisions, deputy commissioner for the districts, or assistant commissioners, one exception, however, is Islamabad, the federal capital, where the commissionerate system remains in effect. In 2009, the new government restored the commissionerate system in the divisions, a Nazim is also empowered to decide criminal cases
Subahdar
–
Mughal ranks included the
Nawab, Subahdar,
Mansabdar,
Sawar and
Sepoy.
Mughal princes were often given the titles of
Mir and
Mirza
6.
Muhammad Azam Shah
–
Abul Faaiz Qutb-ud-Din Muhammad Azam, commonly known as Azam Shah, was a titular Mughal emperor, who reigned from 14 March 1707 to 8 June 1707. He was the eldest son of the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Azam was appointed as the heir-apparent to his father Emperor Aurangzeb on 12 August 1681. He served as the Viceroy of Berar Subah, Malwa, Bengal, Gujarat, Deccan and he ascended the Mughal throne in Ahmednagar upon the death of his father on 14 March 1707. Muhammad Azam was born on 28 June 1653 in Burhanpur to Prince Muhi-ud-Din and his first wife and his mother, who died four years after giving birth to him, was the daughter of Mirza Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi and was a princess of the prominent Safavid dynasty of Iran. Azams other half-brothers, Shah Alam and Muhammad Kam Bakhsh being the sons of inferior, according to Niccolao Manucci, the courtiers were very impressed by Azams royal Persian ancestry and the fact that he was the grandson of Shah Nawaz Khan Safavi. As Azam grew up, he was distinguished for his wisdom, excellence, proud of his royal Persian ancestry, he was also haughty and imperious. Aurangzeb used to be delighted with his sons noble character and excellent manners. He often used to say, between this pair of friends, a separation is imminent. Azams siblings included his sisters, the princesses, Zeb-un-Nissa, Zinat-un-Nissa, Zubdat-un-Nissa and his younger brother. Azam was at first betrothed to be married to his cousin, Iran Dukht Rahmat Banu, the daughter of Shaista Khan, however, the marriage did not take place due to Bibi Paris sudden death in 1665 at Dacca. On 3 January 1669, Azam married his first cousin, Jahanzeb Banu Begum, Jahanzeb was his chief consort and his favorite wife, being greatly loved by him. She gave birth to their eldest son on 4 August 1670 and he was named Bidar Bakht by his grandfather. Bidar Bakht was also Aurangzebs favourite grandson, in a marriage of political alliance, Azam later married his third wife, Shahar Banu Begum in 1681. She was a princess of the Adil Shahi dynasty and was the daughter of Ali Adil Shah II, despite his two other marriages, Azams love for Jahanzeb remained unchanged. For when she died in 1705, he was filled with great sorrow, in the year 1685 Aurangzeb dispatched his son Azamh with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort and defeat Sikandar Adil Shah the ruler of Bijapur who refused to be a vassal. The Mughals led by Muhammad Azam Shah could not make any advancements upon Bijapur Fort mainly due to the usage of cannon batteries on both sides. Outraged by the stalemate Aurangzeb himself arrived on 4 September 1686 and commanded the Siege of Bijapur after eight days of fighting, Prince Azam was appointed the governor of Berar Subah, Malwa and Bengal from 1678-1701 upon the death of his predecessor, Azam Khan Koka. He successfully captured the Kamarupa region in February 1679 and he founded the incomplete Lalbagh Fort in Dacca
Muhammad Azam Shah
–
A later portrait of Azam Shah
Muhammad Azam Shah
–
Muhammad Azam with his son, Prince Bidar Bakht
Muhammad Azam Shah
–
Crown Prince Azam, stands before his father, Emperor Aurangzeb
7.
Aurangzeb
–
Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad, commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his regnal title Alamgir, was the sixth, and widely considered the last effective Mughal Emperor. He ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent during some parts of his reign, Aurangzeb was a notable expansionist and during his reign, the Mughal Empire temporarily reached its greatest extent. During his reign,4.6 million people were said have died due to war, Aurangzebs policies partly abandoned the legacy of pluralism, which remains a very controversial aspect of his reign and led to the downfall of the Mughal Empire. Rebellions and wars led to the exhaustion of the imperial Mughal treasury and he was a strong-handed authoritarian ruler, and following his death the expansionary period of the Mughal Empire came to an end. Nevertheless, the territory of the Mughal Empire still remained intact more or less until the reign of Muhammad Shah. Aurangzeb was born on 3 November 1618, in Dahod, Gujarat and he was the third son and sixth child of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. In June 1626, after a rebellion by his father, Aurangzeb. His daily allowance was fixed at Rs.500 which he spent on religious education, on 28 May 1633, Aurangzeb escaped death when a powerful war elephant stampeded through the Mughal Imperial encampment. He rode against the elephant and struck its trunk with a lance, Aurangzebs valour was appreciated by his father who conferred him the title of Bahadur and had him weighed in gold and presented gifts worth Rs.200,000. This event was celebrated in Persian and Urdu verses and Aurangzeb said, If the fight had ended fatally for me, death drops the curtain even on Emperors, it is no dishonor. The shame lay in what my brothers did, by arrangement, Aurangzeb stayed in the rear, away from the fighting, and took the advice of his generals as the Mughal Army gathered and commenced the Siege of Orchha in 1635. The campaign was successful and Singh was removed from power, Aurangzeb was appointed viceroy of the Deccan in 1636. In 1637, Aurangzeb married the Safavid princess, Dilras Banu Begum and she was his first wife and chief consort. He also had an infatuation with a girl, Hira Bai. In his old age, he was under the charms of his concubine, the latter had formerly been a companion to Dara Shikoh. In the same year,1637, Aurangzeb was placed in charge of annexing the small Rajput kingdom of Baglana, in 1644, Aurangzebs sister, Jahanara, was burned when the chemicals in her perfume were ignited by a nearby lamp while in Agra. This event precipitated a crisis with political consequences. Aurangzeb suffered his fathers displeasure by not returning to Agra immediately, Shah Jahan had been nursing Jahanara back to health in that time and thousands of vassals had arrived in Agra to pay their respects
Aurangzeb
–
Aurangzeb on horseback.
Aurangzeb
–
A painting from circa 1637 shows the brothers (left to right)
Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and
Murad Baksh in their younger years.
Aurangzeb
–
The
Mughal Army under the command of Aurangzeb recaptures
Orchha in October 1635.
Aurangzeb
–
A painting from
Padshahnama depicts
Prince Aurangzeb facing a maddened
war elephant named Sudhakar.
8.
Shaista Khan
–
Mirza Abu Talib شاه خان, better known as Shaista Khan was a subahdar and a general in the Mughal army. A maternal uncle to Emperor Aurangzeb, he served as the Mughal governor of Bengal from 1664 to 1688, under Shaista Khans authority, the city of Dhaka and Mughal power in the province attained its greatest heights. One of this notable achievements was the Mughal conquest of Chittagong, in the year 1660, he was sent to participate in the struggle against the Maratha king Shivaji. However, he was defeated in an attack and lost one of his sons. He then left Pune and shifted his camp to Aurangabad, Shaista Khan was of Persian origin. His grandfather Mirza Ghias Beg Itimaduddaula and father Asaf Khan were the wazirs of the Mughal Emperors Jahangir and Shahjahan, Shaista Khan trained and served with the Mughal army and court, winning multiple promotions and being appointed governor of various provinces. He also developed a reputation as a military commander and grew close to the prince Aurangzeb when the duo fought against the kingdom of Golconda. After his accession to the throne and the death of Afzal Khan. In January 1660 Shaista Khan arrived at Aurangabad and quickly advanced, seizing Pune and he also captured the fort of Chakan and Kalyan and north Konkan after heavy fighting with the Maratha. The Maratha were banned from entering the city of Pune and Mughal distance from the locals turned out to be an error, on the evening of 5 April 1663, a wedding party had obtained special permission for holding a procession. Shivaji and many of his nearly 400 men disguised as the bridegrooms procession members entered Pune, others entered in small parties dressed as labourers and soldiers of Maratha generals serving under Shaista Khan. After midnight, they raided the Nawabs compound and then entered the palace in an attempt to assassinate Shaista Khan, Shaista Khan was clearly unaware and unprepared. The Marathas broke into the courtyard of the palace and slaughtered the palace guards, Shaista Khan lost three fingers in a skirmish with Shivaji, while his son was killed in an encounter with the Marathas in the palace courtyard. Taking advantage of the confusion and darkness, the Marathas escaped the palace and Pune, shocked by the sudden and bold attack in Pune, Aurangzeb angrily transferred Shaista Khan to Bengal, even refusing to give him an interview at the time of transfer as was the custom. Shaista Khan was appointed the Subahdar of Bengal upon the death of Mir Jumla II in 1663, as governor, he encouraged trade with Europe, Southeast Asia and other parts of India. He consolidated his power by signing agreements with European powers. Despite his powerful position he remained loyal to Aurangzeb, often mediating trade disputes and rivalries and he banned the British East India Company from Bengal, sparking Childs War in 1686. Shaista Khan encouraged the construction of modern townships and public works in Dhaka, leading to a massive urban, Khan greatly expanded Lalbagh Fort, Chowk Bazaar Mosque, Saat Masjid and Choto Katra
Shaista Khan
–
Shaista Khan
Shaista Khan
–
Construction of
Saat Masjid is credited to Shaista Khan
Shaista Khan
–
The
Choto Katra with its enclosed Mosque, Dhaka (1817) by Charles D'Oyly's and constructed by Shaista Khan.
9.
Johan Zoffany
–
Johan Joseph Zoffany, RA was a German neoclassical painter, active mainly in England. His works appear in many prominent British National galleries such as the National Gallery, London and his name is sometimes spelled Zoffani or Zauffelij. Of Bohemian origin, Johan Zoffany was born in Frankfurt on 13 March 1733 and he undertook an initial period of study in a sculptors workshop in Ellwangen in the 1740s and later at Regensburg with the artist Martin Speer. In 1750, he travelled to Rome, entering the studio of Agostino Masucci, in autumn 1760 he arrived in England, initially finding work with the clockmaker Stephen Rimbault, painting vignettes for his clocks. He also was popular with the Austrian Imperial family and in 1776 was created Baron by the Empress Maria Theresa, Johan Zoffany was a Freemason and was initiated into the Craft on 19 December 1763 at The Old Kings Lodge No 28. He was a master of what has called the theatrical conversation piece. Zoffany has been described by one critic as the real creator, in the later part of his life, Zoffany was especially known for producing huge paintings with large casts of people and works of art, all readily recognizable by their contemporaries. Though Zoffany made several visits to continental Europe and India in his lifetime, he remained in Britain and he is buried in the churchyard of St Annes Church, Kew. The painter Thomas Gainsborough was, by that artists own request, in the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, by Gilbert and Sullivan, the Major-General brags of being able to distinguish works by Raphael from works by Gerard Dou and Zoffany. Zoffany lived in Lucknow for a time, during his return to England, the survivors held a lottery in which the loser was eaten. William Dalrymple thus describes Zoffany as having been the first and last Royal Academician to have become a cannibal. Despite the high profile the artist enjoyed in his day, as painter in London and Vienna, Zoffany has, until very recently. In 1920 Lady Victoria Manners and Dr. G. C. Williamson published John Zoffany, R. A. his life and works. 1735–1810 – the first in-depth study of the artist and his work, privately printed, presumably at some cost and this was followed by Johan Zoffany, 1733–1810, Mary Websters short but authoritative illustrated guide for the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London. In December 2009, the first full biography was published, Johan Zoffany, Artist, in 2011 Mary Webster published her long-awaited monograph on the artist, Johan Zoffany 1733–1810. A2014 book by David Wilson describes Zoffany’s relationship with Robert Sayer, in this way he helped to secure Zoffany’s international reputation. Sayer and the artist became longstanding friends as well as business associates, in 1781 Zoffany painted Robert Sayer in an important ‘conversation piece’. The Sayer Family of Richmond depicts Robert Sayer, his son, James, from his first marriage, on Sayer’s death in 1794 the house was to become the residence of a future king of Great Britain
Johan Zoffany
–
Self-portrait as David with the head of Goliath, c. 1756
Johan Zoffany
–
Johann Zoffany's former house at
Strand-on-the-Green, London
Johan Zoffany
–
The Tribuna of the Uffizi, by Johan Zoffany, 1772-8, Royal Collection, Windsor
Johan Zoffany
–
Charles Townley and friends in his library, by Zoffany, 1782
10.
Bengal
–
Bengal is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in Asia, which is located in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Geographically, it is made up by the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta system, in 2011, the population of Bengal was estimated to be 250 million, making it the most densely populated region in South Asia. An estimated 160 million people live in Bangladesh, while 91.3 million people live in West Bengal, the predominant ethno-linguistic group are the Bengali people, who speak the Indo-Aryan Bengali language. Bengali Muslims are the majority in Bangladesh, Bengali Hindus are the majority in West Bengal. Dense woodlands, including rainforests, cover Bengals northern and eastern areas. In the littoral southwest are the Sunderbans, the worlds largest mangrove forest, in the coastal southeast lies Coxs Bazaar, the longest beach in the world at 125 km. The region has a climate, which the Bengali calendar divides into six seasons. Bengal has played a role in the history of Asia. In antiquity, its kingdoms were known as seafaring nations, at times an independent regional empire, or a bastion of larger empires, the historical region was a leading power of the Indian subcontinent and the Islamic East. Bengali culture has had a significant influence on other cultures, especially in the fields of literature, music, art, architecture, sports, currency, commerce, politics and cuisine. The name of Bengal is derived from the ancient kingdom of Banga, theories on the origin of the term Banga point to the Proto-Dravidian Bong tribe that settled in the area circa 1000 BCE and the Austric word Bong. The term Bangaladesa is used to describe the region in 11th century South Indian records, the modern term Bangla is prominent from the 14th century, which saw the establishment of the Sultanate of Bengal, whose first ruler Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah was known as the Shah of Bangala. The Portuguese referred to the region as Bengala in the Age of Discovery, most of the Bengal region lies in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, but there are highlands in its north, northeast and southeast. The Ganges Delta arises from the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, the total area of Bengal is 232,752 km2—West Bengal is 88,752 km2 and Bangladesh 147,570 km2. The flat and fertile Bangladesh Plain dominates the geography of Bangladesh, the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet regions are home to most of the mountains in Bangladesh. Most parts of Bangladesh are within 10 metres above the sea level, because of this low elevation, much of this region is exceptionally vulnerable to seasonal flooding due to monsoons. The highest point in Bangladesh is in Mowdok range at 1,052 metres, a major part of the coastline comprises a marshy jungle, the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the royal Bengal tiger. In 1997, this region was declared endangered, West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south
Bengal
–
Map of Hindoostan in 1831 with Bengal (Green colored at the right)
Bengal
–
Map of the Bengal region
Bengal
–
Mahasthangarh is the oldest archaeological site in
Bangladesh. It dates back to 700 BC and was the ancient capital of the
Pundra Kingdom.
Bengal
–
Asia in 323 BC, the
Nanda Empire of
Magadha and
Gangaridai Empire of Bengal in relation to
Alexander 's Empire and neighbours.
11.
Turkish bath
–
A Turkish bath is the Islamic variant of the Roman bath, steambath, sauna, or Russian banya, distinguished by a focus on water, as distinct from ambient steam. In Western Europe, the Turkish bath as a method of cleansing, the process involved in taking a Turkish bath is similar to that of a sauna, but is more closely related to ancient Greek and ancient Roman bathing practices. The Turkish bath starts with relaxation in a room that is heated by a flow of hot, dry air. Bathers may then move to an even hotter room before they wash in cold water, after performing a full body wash and receiving a massage, bathers finally retire to the cooling-room for a period of relaxation. The difference between the Islamic hammam and the Victorian Turkish bath is the air, the hot air in the Victorian Turkish bath is dry, in the Islamic hammam the air is often steamy. The bather in a Victorian Turkish bath will often take a plunge in a pool after the hot rooms. In the Islamic hammams the bathers splash themselves with cold water and it is not wet air, nor moist air, nor vapoury air, it is not vapour in any shape or form whatever. It is an immersion of the body in hot common air. One of the Five Pillars of Islam is prayer and it is customary before praying for Muslims to perform ablutions. The two Islamic forms of ablution are ghusl, a cleansing, and wudu, a cleansing of the face, hands. In the most extreme of cases, cleansing with pure soil or sand is also permissible, often, hammams are located close to mosques and other places for prayer for those who wish to perform deeper cleansing. Islamic hammams, particularly in the Moroccan case, evolved from their Roman roots to adapt to the needs of ritual purification according to Islam, for example, in most Roman-style hammams, one finds a cold pool for full submergence of the body. The style of bathing is less preferable in the Islamic faith, for al-Ghazali, the hammam is a primarily male experience, and he cautions that women are to enter the hammam only after childbirth or illness. Even then al-Gazali finds it admissible for men to prohibit their wives or sisters from using the hammam, the major point of contention surrounding hammams in al-Ghazalis estimation is nakedness. In his work he warns that overt nakedness is to be avoided, … he should shield it from the sight of others and second, guard against the touch of others. He focuses extensively in his writing on the avoidance of touching the penis during bathing and he writes that nakedness is decent only when the area between the knees and the lower stomach of a man are hidden. For women, exposure of only the face and palms is appropriate, according to al-Gazali, the prevalence of nakedness in the hammam could incite indecent thoughts or behaviours and so it is a controversial space. Ritual ablution is also required before or after sexual intercourse, during those centuries of war, peace, alliance, trade and competition, the two cultures had tremendous influence on each other
Turkish bath
–
A Turkish bath in
Valencia,
Spain
Turkish bath
–
Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse, constructed in the 16th century,
Iran. Part of the bathouse is being used as a
tea house
Turkish bath
–
Hamam of the
Sultan at the
Topkapı Palace in
Istanbul.
Turkish bath
–
Example of a hamam interior, showing water
buckets and tilted floor
12.
Mughal Empire
–
The dynasty, though ethnically Turco-Mongol, was Persianate in terms of culture. The Mughal empire extended over parts of the Indian subcontinent. The beginning of the empire is conventionally dated to the victory by its founder Babur over Ibrahim Lodi, the Mughal emperors were Central Asian Turco-Mongols belonging to the Timurid dynasty, who claimed direct descent from both Genghis Khan and Timur. During the reign of Humayun, the successor of Babur, the empire was briefly interrupted by the Sur Empire, the classic period of the Mughal Empire started in 1556 with the ascension of Akbar the Great to the throne. Under the rule of Akbar and his son Jahangir, the region enjoyed economic progress as well as harmony. Akbar was a warrior who also forged alliances with several Hindu Rajput kingdoms. Some Rajput kingdoms continued to pose a significant threat to the Mughal dominance of northwestern India, the reign of Shah Jahan, the fifth emperor, between 1628 and 1658 was the golden age of Mughal architecture. He erected several monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal at Agra, as well as the Moti Masjid, Agra, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Delhi. By the mid-18th century, the Marathas had routed Mughal armies, during the following century Mughal power had become severely limited, and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, had authority over only the city of Shahjahanabad. He issued a firman supporting the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and following the defeat was therefore tried by the British East India Company for treason, imprisoned and exiled to Rangoon. Contemporaries referred to the empire founded by Babur as the Timurid empire, which reflected the heritage of his dynasty, another name was Hindustan, which was documented in the Ain-i-Akbari, and which has been described as the closest to an official name for the empire. In the west, the term Mughal was used for the emperor, and by extension, the use of Mughal derived from the Arabic and Persian corruption of Mongol, and it emphasised the Mongol origins of the Timurid dynasty. The term gained currency during the 19th century, but remains disputed by Indologists, similar terms had been used to refer to the empire, including Mogul and Moghul. Nevertheless, Baburs ancestors were sharply distinguished from the classical Mongols insofar as they were oriented towards Persian rather than Turco-Mongol culture, ousted from his ancestral domains in Central Asia, Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass, Baburs forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow the new emperor to consolidate the gains he had made in India, the instability of the empire became evident under his son, Humayun, who was driven out of India and into Persia by rebels. Humayuns exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal Courts, and led to increasing Persian cultural influence in the Mughal Empire, the restoration of Mughal rule began after Humayuns triumphant return from Persia in 1555, but he died from a fatal accident shortly afterwards. Humayuns son, Akbar, succeeded to the throne under a regent, Bairam Khan, through warfare and diplomacy, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari River
Mughal Empire
–
Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire.
Mughal Empire
–
Flag
Mughal Empire
–
Mughal Army artillerymen during the reign of
Akbar.
Mughal Empire
–
Mughal matchlock rifle.
13.
Subadar
–
Subedar is a historical rank in the Nepal Army, Indian Army and Pakistan Army, ranking below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers. The rank was equivalent to a British captain. In Nepalese Army, Subedar = Warrant officer, in British India, subedar or subadar was the second highest rank of enlisted Indian soldiers. It was derived from subahdar, the governor of a province in the Mughal Empire, a subedar is senior to a naib subedar and junior to a subedar major. It was introduced in the East India Companys presidency armies to make it easier for British officers to communicate with native troops and it was thus essential for subedars to be fluent in English. Until 1866, the rank was the highest a non-European Indian could achieve in the army of British India, a subedars authority was confined to other Indian troops, and he could not command British troops. Before the 1947 Partition of India and the independence of India and Pakistan, after 1947 this term was changed to junior commissioned officers. After independence, which came in 1947 with the Partition of India, in the Pakistan Army, the rank has been retained, but the ribbon is now red-green-red. Until 1858, subedars wore two epaulettes with small bullion fringes on each shoulder. After 1858, they wore two crossed swords, or, in the Gurkha regiments, two crossed golden kukris, on each side of the collar of the tunic or on the right breast of the kurta. After 1900, subedars wore two pips on each shoulder, a red-yellow-red ribbon was introduced under each pip after World War I. After World War II, this ribbon was moved to lie between the title and the rank insignia. In the Princely State of Hyderabad under the Nizam, the top rank of administrators, www. Bharat-Rakshak. com/Army/Ranks. html - Illustration of various military insignias including three subedar insignia designs
Subadar
–
Mughal ranks included the
nawab,
subahdar, mansabdar,
sawar, and
sepoy.
Subadar
–
In the year 1702,
Daud Khan, the
Mughal Empire 's local subahdar of the
Carnatic, besieged and blockaded
Fort St. George for more than three months. The governor of the fort,
Thomas Pitt, was instructed by the
East India Company to sue for peace.
14.
Marathas
–
The Maratha is a group of castes in India found predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, Marathas are people of India, famed in history as yeoman warriors and they reside primarily in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The general body of lists are often at variance with each other. The term Maratha originally referred to the speakers of the Marathi language, in the 17th century, it emerged as a designation for soldiers serving in the armies of Deccan sultanates. A number of Maratha warriors, including Shivajis father, Shahaji, by the mid-1660s, Shivaji had established an independent Maratha kingdom. After his death, Marathas fought under his sons and defeated Aurangzeb in the war of 27 years, the Confederacy remained the pre-eminent power in India until their defeat by the British East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War. By 19th century, the term Maratha had several interpretations in the British administrative records, in the Thane District Gazetteer of 1882, the term was used to denote elite layers within various castes, for example, Maratha-Agri within Agri caste, Maratha-Koli within Koli caste and so on. In the Pune District, the words Kunbi and Maratha had become synonymous, the Pune District Gazetteer of 1882 divided the Kunbis into two classes, Marathas and other Kunbis. The 1901 census listed three groups within the Maratha-Kunbi caste complex, Marathas proper, Maratha Kunbis and Konkani Marathas, the Kunbi class comprised agricultural workers and soldiers. The upper-class Marathas proper claimed Rajput descent with Kshatriya status, and included princes, some of the Maratha clans claiming Rajput descent include Bhonsales, Chavans, and Pawar. Gradually, the term Maratha came to denote an endogamous caste, from 1900 onwards, the Satyashodhak Samaj movement defined the Marathas as a broader social category of non-Brahmin groups. These non-Brahmins gained prominence in Indian National Congress during the Indian independence movement, in independent India, these Marathas became the dominant political force in the newly-formed state of Maharashtra. The empire also resulted in the relocation of substantial numbers of Maratha and other Marathi-speaking people outside Maharashtra. Today several small but significant communities descended from these live in the north, south. These descendant communities tend often to speak the languages, although many also speak Marathi in addition. Notable Maratha families outside Maharashtra include Scindia of Gwalior, Gaekwad of Baroda, Holkar of Indore, Puar of Dewas & Dhar, Ghorpade of Mudhol, and Bhonsle of Nagpur. These Brahmins supported the Maratha claim to Kshatriya status, but their success in political alliance was sporadic. Marathas have dominated the politics of Maharashtra since its inception in 1960
Marathas
–
Engraving of a Maratha Soldier by
James Forbes, 1813.
Marathas
–
Territory under Maratha control in 1760 (yellow), without its vassals.
Marathas
–
Maratha Armory
Marathas
–
Signature Maratha helmet with curved back.
15.
History of Dhaka
–
Dhaka, formerly spelled as Dacca in English, is the capital and one of the oldest cities of Bangladesh. The history of Dhaka begins with the existence of urbanised settlements in the area that is now Dhaka dating from the 7th century CE, the city area was ruled by the Buddhist kingdom of Kamarupa before passing to the control of the Sena dynasty in the 9th century CE. After the Sena dynasty, Dhaka was successively ruled by the Turkic, after Mughals, British ruled the region for over 150 years until the independence of India. In 1947, Dhaka became the capital of the East Bengal province under the dominion of Pakistan, after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Dhaka became the capital of the new state. There are several myths on the origin of the name Dhaka, one is that the name came following the establishment of Dhakeshwari temple by Raja Ballal Sena in the 12th century and Dhakeswari is the name of a Goddess. While others say that Dhakeshwari stands the meaning of Goddess of Dhaka, another myths says that the Dhak is used as part of the Durga Puja festival in this temple and hence the name Dhaka. Yet another one says it came from the plant named Dhak which was found in that area. The more credible theory comes from the source of Rajatarangini written by a Kashmiri Brahman and it says the region was originally known as Dhakka. Bikrampur and Sonargaon—the earlier strongholds of Bengal rulers were situated nearby, so Dhaka was most likely used as the watchtower for the fortification purpose. Kamarupa kingdom, also known as Pragjyotisa, existed between 350 and 1140 CE, according to the chronicle of Yogini Tantra, the southern boundary of the kingdom stretched up to the junction of Brahmaputra River and Shitalakshya River which covered the Dhaka region. Pala Empire was the last dynasty to rule the whole Kamarupa region, during their reign between the 8th century until the late 11th century, Vikrampur, a region 12 miles from Dhaka, was their capital. The Pala rulers were Buddhists, but majority of their subjects were Hindus, Sena dynastys founder, Hemanta Sen, was part of the Pala dynasty until their empire began to weaken. He usurped power and styled himself king in 1095 AD, then largely Hindu community populated the lower Dhaka region. According to popular legend, Dhakeshwari Temple was built by Ballal Sena, another tradition says, there were fifty two bazaars and fifty three streets and the region acquired the name of Baunno Bazaar O Teppun Gulli. Upon arrival of Islam in this region, Turkish and Afghan rulers reigned the area from the early 14th century until the late 16th century, an Afghan fort was built at that time which was later converted to the present-form of Dhaka Central Jail in 1820 by the British. A 17th-century historian, Mirza Nathan, described the fort in his book Baharistan-i-Ghaibi as surrounded by mud walls, in 1412 Shah Ali Baghdadi, a saint arrived in Delhi and then came to Dhaka where he became a disciple of Shah Bahar of the Chistia order. His tomb is still at Mirpur on the outskirts of Dhaka, binat Bibi Mosque was built in 1454 at Narinda area of Dhaka during the reign of the Sultan of Bengal, Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah. It is the oldest brick structure still exists in the city
History of Dhaka
–
Dhakeshwari Temple
History of Dhaka
–
Dhaka City across
Buriganga River - a painting by Frederick William Alexander de Fabeck in 1861
History of Dhaka
–
Binat Bibi Mosque (1454) – the earliest known mosque surviving in Dhaka
History of Dhaka
–
Painting of
Lalbagh Kella by Charles D'Oyly in 1814
16.
Dhaka District
–
Dhaka District is a district located in central Bangladesh, and is the densest district in the nation. It is a part of the Dhaka Division, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, rests on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River which flows from the Turag to the south of the district. While Dhaka occupies only about a fifth of the area of Dhaka district, it is the economic, political and cultural centre of the district, the administrative Dhaka District was first established in 1772. But, the existence of urbanised settlements in the area that is now Dhaka city – dates from the 7th century, the present day Savar was the capital of the Sanbagh Kingdom during seventh and eighth century. The city area of Dhaka was ruled by the Buddhist kingdom of Kamarupa, many believe that the name of the city was derived after the establishment of the Goddess Dhakeshwaris temple by Ballal Sena in the 12th century. Dhaka and its area was identified as Bengalla around that period. The town itself consisted of a few market centres like Lakshmi Bazar, Shankhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar, Patuatuli, Kumartuli, Bania Nagar and Goal Nagar. After the Sena dynasty, Dhaka was successively ruled by the Turkish, the development of townships and a significant growth in population came as the city was proclaimed the capital of Bengal under Mughal rule in 1608. During Mughal rule the areas currently under Dhaka district was famous for its textile products – especially the Muslin, Mughal subahdar Islam Khan was the first administrator of the city. Khan named the town Jahangir Nagar in honour of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, the main expansion of the city took place under Mughal general Shaista Khan. The city then measured 19 by 13 kilometres, with a population of nearly a million people. The city passed to the control of the British East India Company in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey and eventually to the Crown, British Empire, the citys population shrank dramatically during this period as the prominence of Kolkata rose, but substantive development and modernisation eventually followed. A modern civic water system was introduced in 1874 and electricity supply launched in 1878. The Dhaka Cantonment was established near the city, serving as a base for British, during the abortive Partition of Bengal in 1905, Dhaka was declared to be the capital of the newly established state of Eastern Bengal and Assam, but Bengal was reunited in 1911. The rural areas under present Dhaka district, especially Dohar Upazila were used for the production of indigo, Calcutta witnessed communal violence that left thousands of people dead. A large proportion of the citys Hindu population departed for India, while the city received hundreds of thousands of Muslim immigrants from Calcutta, the citys population rose dramatically in a very short period of time, which created severe shortages and infrastructural problems. As the centre of politics, Dhaka saw an increasing number of political strikes. The adoption of Urdu as the official language of Pakistan led to protest marches involving large crowds
Dhaka District
–
Lalbagh Fort was developed by Shaista Khan.
Dhaka District
–
Dhaka ঢাকা জেলা
Dhaka District
–
Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban houses the national parliament.
Dhaka District
–
Bashundhara City, South Asia's largest shopping mall.
17.
Ahsan Manzil
–
Ahsan Manzil was the official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka. The building is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, construction was started in 1859 and was completed in 1872. It was constructed in the Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture and it has been designated as a national museum. In Mughal era, there was a house of Sheikh Enayet Ullah. Sheikh Enayet Ullah was a charming person. He acquired a big area in Kumortuli and included it in his garden house. Here he built a palace and named it Rongmohol. He used to enjoy here keeping beautiful girls collected from the country and abroad, dressing them with gorgeous dresses, there is a saying that, the foujdar of Dhaka in that time was attracted to one of the beautiful girls among them. He invited Sheikh Enayet Ullah in a party one night and killed him in a conspiracy when he was returning home and that girl also committed suicide in anger and sorrow. There was a grave of Sheikh Enayet Ullah in the north-east corner of the yard which was ruined in the beginning of the 20th century. Probably in the period of Nawab Alibardi Khan around 1740 century, Sheikh Moti Ullah, there was a French trading house beside this property. The trading house became wealthier after purchasing this property, in that time, French traders could do business here without paying any taxes by a decree from the emperor Awrangajeb. In that time, the French became very wealthy by doing business here in competition with the English and they made a big palace and dug a pond for sweet water in the newly purchased property. The pond still exists in the compound of Ahsan Manjil which was called Les Jalla in that time, in the English-French war, French got defeated and all their properties were captured by the English. On 22 June 1757, the French left the house with a fleet of 35 boats from the river station of Buriganga in front of Kumartuli. In 1785, the French transferred the property to a French tradesman named Mr. Champigni, according to Paris agreement of 1814, the French claimed all their left properties at Dhaka, and in 1827 the property was again returned to the French. For the increasing power of the English, the French was forced to leave subcontinent and they decided to sell all their properties in Dhaka. So in 1830, the house of Kumartuli was purchased by the established landlord of Dhaka Khwaja Alimullah
Ahsan Manzil
–
Front View of Ahsan Manzil
Ahsan Manzil
–
Dome of Ahsan-Monzil
Ahsan Manzil
–
Nawab Sir Salimullah with his family in front of Ahsan Manzil
Ahsan Manzil
–
Rare Exhibits inside Ahsan Manzil
18.
Baitul Mukarram
–
Baitul Mukarram, also spelled as Baytul Mukarrom is the national mosque of Bangladesh. Located at the center of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, the mosque was completed in 1968, the mosque has a capacity of 30,000, giving it the respectable position of being the 10th biggest mosque in the world. However the mosque is constantly getting overcrowded, Baitul Mukarrams large cube shape was modeled to that of the Kaabah at Mecca making it a noticeable structure being unlike any other mosque in Bangladesh. The mosque is on a high platform. The Baitul Mukarram Mosque’s building is eight storied and 99 feet high from the ground level, according to the original plan, the main entrance of the mosque was to be on the eastern side. The shaan on the east is 29,000 square feet with ablution space on its south and north sides, ablution or Wu’du Place cached an important part when the Baitul Mukarram was begun. The absence of a dome on the building is compensated by the two superficial domed entrance porticoes, one on the south, and the other on the north. The height of these consists of three rabbits foot shaped arches, the middle of which is bigger than the rest. Two patios ensure that enough light and air enter the hall of Baitul Mukarram Mosque. The mehrab of the hall is rectangular instead of semi-circular, excessive ornamentation is avoided throughout the mosque, since minimizing ornamentation is typical of modern architecture. The future of this garden is unknown, if the Bangladeshi government extends the mosque, the mosque complex was designed by architect, Abdulhusein M. Thariani. In 1959, owner of then Bawany Jute Mills, Haji Abdul Latif Bawany proposed to Major General Omrao Khan, then administrator of East Pakistan. Omrao Khan agreed to help on building such mosque, same year, Baitul Mukarram mosque committee had been established and 8.30 acre of land between new Dhaka and old Dhaka had been chosen. At that time, there was a pond in present mosques location. It was known as Paltan pond, the pond was filled up and on 27 January 1960 then president of Pakistan Ayub Khan commenced the work. Pray for first time took place on Friday,25 January 1963, the plan included shops, offices, libraries and parking areas within the complex. Though there has been a tradition of dome mosque for Muslim, a Mosque without a dome over the roof of its main prayer hall must have been a unique experiment. The mosque was built when the country was the Part of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Baitul Mukarram
–
The structure of Baitul Mukarram resembles the
Kaaba in
Mecca
Baitul Mukarram
–
Newly build ceiling
Baitul Mukarram
–
tree Inside the Masjid
Baitul Mukarram
–
New extension of Masjid
19.
Bangabhaban
–
The Bangabhaban is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Bangladesh, located on Bangabhaban Road, Dilkusha Avenue, Dhaka. It is surrounded by the Bangabhaban Gardens, the site hosted the Dilkusha Government House in the British Raj, which was used by the Viceroy of India and the Governor of Bengal. It became the Governors House of East Pakistan after the Partition of India, President Abu Sayeed Chowdhury became the first Bangladeshi president to reside there after taking oath on 12 January 1971. The Presidents Guard Regiment is responsible for handling the palaces security, during the period of the sultanate of Bengal, a Sufi saint, Hazrat Shahjalal Dakhini of Dhaka, and his followers were killed by agents of the sultan and buried on the site of Bangabhaban. The site soon became famous as a mazhar for the devotees of the saint and it is conjectured that it belonged to a zamindar during the period of British India. Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani of Dhaka bought the site and built a bungalow there, from 1911 to 1947, the palace was called the Governors House, and served as the residence of the Governor of Bengal. Following the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947, when East Bengal officially became part of Pakistan, the building was severely damaged by a storm in 1961, substantial reconstruction was completed by 1964. Two research books on history of Bangabhaban were published on 14 February 2006 under the initiatives of President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed, the two separate books were namely Hundred Years of Bangabhaban and Bangabhbaner Shatabarsha. Notable, the book is the outcome of two years research by a panel of eminent historians, researchers, scientists and architects, one of the most important symbols of the Bangladeshi government, the Bangabhaban holds a status akin to the White House in the United States. The palace is an important historical landmark and the centre of media, special public ceremonies are held during Independence Day of Bangladesh on 26 March every year. The traditions and pomp of the palace are an indication of the presidencys ceremonial superiority to other public. The Bangabhaban is a mix of British-Moghul architecture that many buildings of the British-era in Dhaka. With the reconstruction between 1961 and 1964, many elements of Islamic architecture and Bengali styles were incorporated, the palace has high boundary walls on all four sides. The main building is a palatial complex, around which stands extensive greenery. The floorspace of the floor is 6,700 square metres. The presidents residence is on the north-east corner, comprising two storeys of two suites along with five well-furnished spacious bedrooms, in addition, there is a cabinet room, banquet hall, darbar hall, state dining hall, a small auditorium and a lounge for local visitors. In addition to the residence, there are five rooms for officials, a control room. In the second floor, there are four suites for foreign heads of state, the Bangabhaban has an open compound of 47 acres of land
Bangabhaban
–
An aerial view of Bangabhaban
20.
Bangladesh National Museum
–
It is located at Shahbag, Dhaka. The museum also has a conservation laboratory. The ground floor consists of old guns at the entrance. The hall leads to a grand staircase, beside the hall, there is a smaller room which also acts like the hall and a simple staircase. The 1st floor is divided into 22 rooms, the first room displays a large map showing the map of Bangladesh and its 64 districts. The 2nd room consists of an under going work of a statue of a royal Bengal tiger. These rooms consist of natural beauties found in Bangladesh, in one of the room there is showcase of a tongue of a whale. The other rooms contain some historic relics of Bengal up to 1900, there is a room which shows the different boats used by the rural people. The 2nd floor consists of photos of people and showcases the Bangladesh Liberation War. There are posters used in the war, a torture machine, the 3rd floor consists of pictures of international politicians, artists, scientists, famous pictures and four international galleries - Chinese, Korean, Iranian and Swiss. Official website Banglapedia article Bangladesh Heritage Museum
Bangladesh National Museum
–
Bangladesh National Museum
21.
Bara Katra
–
Bara Katra is a historical and architectural monument located in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Katra/ katara in Arabic and Persian means Caravan Sarai or simply a Sarai and it is a palatial building dating to the reign of the Mughal dynasty in the Bengal region. It is situated to the south of Chowk Bazaar close to the bank of the river Buriganga. Bara Katra was built between 1644 and 1646 CE to be the residence of Mughal prince Shah Shuja, the second son of emperor Shah Jahan. The prince endowed it to his diwan and the builder of the serai, the word Katra may have originated from Arabic word Katara which means colonnaded building. Bara Katra originally enclosed a courtyard with 22 rooms on all of its four sides. The ruins consist of an edifice having a river frontage, the southern wing of the structure was planned on a grand scale and was marked with an elaborate three-storeyed gate containing an octagonal central chamber. The remaining portion was two-storeyed and encased by projected octagonal towers, the gateway structure is lofty in height and projected towards the river. A tall alcove rising to the second reduces the mass of this projection. The wall surface is relieved with panels that are square as well as rectangular, above the apex of the alcove open the windows of the third storey. Under the alcove is the arched entrance which leads to the guardroom. Passing through the two successive archways come an octagonal domed hall, the ceiling of which is plastered and bears various net-patterns and foliaged designs. The two-storeyed structure resolves on both sides of the entrance into a row of five vaulted rooms in the ground floor. The three-storeyed corner towers are hollow and can be approached from the subsidiary structures, the buildings architecture follows the traditional pattern of the Central Asias caravanserai and is embellished as per Mughal architecture. It originally enclosed a courtyard surrounded by shops and was overlooked by a row of 22 living cells in each wing. Two gateways were built in the northern and southern wing, the southern wing is a two-storeyed structure and extends 223 along the river. It is marked in the middle by the southern gateway – an elaborate three-storey central archway framed within a rectangular bay – that provides access to the courtyard. The underside of the alcove of the gateway is adorned with intricate plasterwork
Bara Katra
–
An etching Bara Katra by
Sir Charles D'Oyly in 1823
Bara Katra
–
1870 photograph of Bara Katra.
Bara Katra
–
1906 photograph of Bara Katra
Bara Katra
22.
Dhakeshwari Temple
–
Dhakeshwari National Temple is a Hindu temple in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is state-owned, giving it the distinction of being Bangladeshs National Temple, the name Dhakeshwari means Goddess of Dhaka. The Dhakeshwari temple was built in the 12th century by Ballal Sen, a king of the Sena dynasty, the current architectural style of the temple cannot be dated to that period because of the numerous repairs, renovations and rebuilding which have taken place over time. It is considered a part of Dhakas cultural heritage. Many researchers say that the temple is one of the Shakti Peethas. Although there is not enough historical context to establish this as a fact, since ages, the temple has been held in great importance. The original 800-year-old statue was taken to Kumartuli, Kolkata, West Bengal, there remains the replica of original idol in Dhaka. The temple was damaged during the Muslim mob attacks of 1989–90. It is widely believed that the Queen, wife of King Bijoy Sen went to Langolbond for bathing, while coming back she gave birth to a son, known to historians as Ballal Sen. After ascending to the throne, Ballal Sen built this temple to glorify his birthplace, legends say that Ballal Sen once dreamt of the deity covered under the jungle. Ballal Sen uncovered the deity there and built a temple. Whatever the legends describe, Hindu religious consider Dhakeswari to be the deity of Dhaka. The idol of Durga is called Dhakeswari, within the premises of the Dhakeswari there are temples of two types of architecture. The ancient one is of the Poncharotna Goddess Durgas which lost its actual look after the renovation work, bradly Bird wrote this at the beginning of this century. The present temple is two hundred years old which was built by an agent of East India Company, most probably he had renovated the temple. Other than this there are four Shib Temples, according to hearsay, in the 16th century King Mansing built these temples by laying four Shib Lingas there. But this information seems to be unreliable, the fusion of Bangla chowchala and shikor temple is notice in the architecture of Dhakeshawri. Ratan Lal Chakraborti in an article mentioned that the structure and architecture of it is like a Buddhist Pagoda, from this he assumed that the temple was probably built in the 10th century
Dhakeshwari Temple
–
Shiva temples inside Dhakeshwari Temple
Dhakeshwari Temple
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1890 CE photograph of the four Shiva temples inside the main temple complex
Dhakeshwari Temple
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Main temple structure
Dhakeshwari Temple
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Entrance to the main temple compound
23.
Hussaini Dalan
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The Hussaini Dalan was originally built during the later half of the Mughal rule in Dhaka. It was built as the Imambara or house of the imam of the Shia community and it was built during the Subedari of Prince Shah Shuja, son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Although Shuja was a Sunni Muslim, he patronized Shia institutions too, according to tradition, “Mir Murad had a vision of Imam Hussain erecting a taziah khannah or house of mourning which led to the construction of Hussaini Dalan. Raised on the foundations of a former small taziakhana, the building has undergone alterations, during the rule of the East India Company, it was repaired in 1807 and 1810. The original date of construction is disputed, but Hussaini Dalan in its present form is attributed to Nasrat Jung. The present flat roof was rebuilt by Nawab Ahsanuallah Bahadur after the earthquake of 1897, the main building is situated in the middle of complex, built on an area of about 0.65 Bighas. In the south touching the building there is a “pond” having an area of 1.01 Bighas, an attractively built arched gateway, to the north gives right of entry to the building, while a stonework water tank is located directly to the south of the building. The exterior incorporates both Mughal and British architectural traditions, the south verandah, overlooking the deep-water tank, best illustrates western background, with four columns of Doric order supporting the verandah. Mughal characteristics are seen in the attached three-storeyed pavilion with arched windows, the main floor of the building is raised on a platform that has rooms containing graves. On the main floor, two large halls known as Shirni hall and Khutba hall are placed back to back to form the nucleus of the building complex, subsidiary two-storied rooms are on either side of the halls, probably to accommodate a congregation of ladies. And there is a series of three rooms on the east and the west, the side rooms, with the exception of those in the northernmost side room, have galleries on the second storey. Shia Muslims are a minority in Dhaka, during the first 10 days of Muharram, Hussaini Dalan becomes a centre of mourning and religious gathering in old Dhaka. Sayed, H. M. Muslim Monuments of Bangladesh, art and Archaeology Research Papers, The Islamic Heritage of Bengal. Shiraji, M. M. Hussaini Dalan 2006, http, //www. Hussainidalan. com/ website is not official website of Hussaini Dalan Imambara
Hussaini Dalan
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Entrance to Hussaini Dalan
Hussaini Dalan
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Hussaini Dalan in 1904
Hussaini Dalan
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Rising minaret of Hussaini Dalan
Hussaini Dalan
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Side view of Hoseni Dalan
24.
Kartalab Khan Mosque
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Kartalab Khan Mosque or Begum Bazar Mosque situated in the Begum Bazar area in old Dhaka, Bangladesh, was built by Nawab Diwan Murshid Quli Khan alias Kartalab Khan in 1701–04. It is located beside the modern Jail of the city, the mosque consists of a high valuated platform, a mosque with a Dochala annex on the north upon the western half of the platform and a Baoli or stepped well to the east of the platform. Unlike the three-domed mosques at Lalbagh Fort and Atishkhana, that is, the whole mosque was once reconstructed by the Jamider of Dhaka, Mirza Golam Pir. In accordance with Murshid Quli Khans wishes, he was buried under the entrance to this mosque, Kartalab Khan was appointed as Diwan or Revenue Administrator of Bengal by Emperor Aurangazeb, when Azim-ush-Shan was Viceroy. His original name was Murshid Quli Khan but he earned the title of Kartalab Khan from Emperor Aurangazwb for his efficiency in Revenue Administration, after coming to Bengal he erected a mosque at Dhaka, known after his name. Murshid Khuli Khan transferred the headquarters of the administration from Dhaka to Mukshusabad. The Mosque is undoubtedly one of the most impressive Mughal structures of Dhaka, underneath the platform there is a series of rectangular rooms that are let out to shopkeepers. A kitchen market was built to meet the expenses of the mosque, in 1777, the control of the market was taken over by Begum daughter of the then Naib-e-Nazim Sharfaraz Khan. The name of the locality ‘Begumbazar’ and the masjid originate from her name, the mosque proper and the do-chala annex occupy the western half of the vaulted terrace. The remaining part of the terrace was originally open, but is now covered with a masonry verandah. There is one doorway in the middle of each of the north and south walls, the western wall is internally recessed with five semi-octagonal mihrabs, all showing outward projections with bordering turrets. There is a three-stepped masonry pulpit beside the central mihrab, the interior of the mosque, forming a large elongated hall, is divided into five bays by four transverse arches of plain four-centred design. The central bay is square and bigger than a couple of smaller ones on either side. All the bays are covered with domes on drums and crowned with lotus. The device adopted for the support of the domes is the same as in the Lalbagh Fort mosque, each of these towers is again flanked to right and left by a slender turret, which rises above the parapet and ends in a small copula and kalasa finial. The rectangular annex of the mosque in the north is covered with a Bengali type of do-chala hut roof, the annex has two doorways – one in the centre of the east wall, now renovated, and the other in the middle of the south side. It is through this opening that the annex and the mosque are interconnected. A window has been put in recently in the wall of the annex
Kartalab Khan Mosque
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Present condition of Begum Bazar Mosque, 2012
Kartalab Khan Mosque
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Old image of Begum Bazar Mosque
Kartalab Khan Mosque
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Plan view of Begum Bazar Mosque
Kartalab Khan Mosque
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Interior view of the Mosque
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