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The city ofChattogram (Chittagong) is traditionally centred around itsseaport which has existed since the 4th century BCE. One of the world's oldest ports with a functional natural harbor for centuries, Chittagong appeared on ancient Greek and Roman maps, including on Ptolemy's world map. Chittagong port is the oldest and largest natural seaport and the busiest port of Bay of Bengal. It was located on the southern branch of the Silk Road. The city was home to the ancient independentBuddhist kingdoms ofBengal likeSamatata andHarikela.[1] It later fell under of the rule of theGupta Empire, theGauda Kingdom, thePala Empire, theChandra Dynasty, theSena Dynasty and theDeva Dynasty of easternBengal.[2]Arab Muslims traded with the port from as early as the9th century. HistorianLama Taranath is of the view that the Buddhist kingGopichandra had his capital at Chittagong in the 10th century. According toTibetan tradition, this century marked the birth ofTantric Buddhism in the region.[3] The region has been explored by numerous historic travellers, most notablyIbn Battuta ofMorocco who visited in the 14th century. During this time, the region was conquered and incorporated into the independentSonargaon Sultanate byFakhruddin Mubarak Shah in 1340 AD.[4] SultanGhiyasuddin Azam Shah constructed a highway from Chittagong toChandpur and ordered the construction of many lavish mosques and tombs. After the defeat of theSultan of BengalGhiyasuddin Mahmud Shah in the hands ofSher Shah Suri in 1538, the ArakaneseKingdom of Mrauk U managed to regain Chittagong. From this time onward, until its conquest by theMughal Empire, the region was under the control of the Portuguese and the Magh pirates (a notorious name for Arakanese) for 128 years.[3]
The Mughal commanderShaista Khan, his sonBuzurg Umed Khan, andFarhad Khan, expelled the Arakanese from the area during theConquest of Chittagong in 1666 and established Mughal rule there. After the Arakanese expulsion, Islamabad, as the area came to be known, made great strides in economic progress. This can mainly be attributed to an efficient system of land-grants to selecteddiwans orfaujdars to clear massive areas of hinterland and start cultivation. The Mughals, similar to the Afghans who came earlier, also built mosques having a rich contribution to the architecture in the area. What is called Chittagong today also began to have improved connections with the rest of Mughal Bengal. The city was occupied by Burmese troops shortly inFirst Anglo-Burmese War in 1824 and the British increasingly grew active in the region and it fell under theBritish Empire. The people of Chittagong made several attempts to gain independence from the British, notably on 18 November 1857 when the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th companies of the 34th Bengal Infantry Regiment stationed at Chittagong rose in rebellion and released all the prisoners from jail but were suppressed by the Kuki scouts and the Sylhet Light Infantry (10th Gurkha Rifles).[3]
Chittagong grew at the beginning of the twentieth century after the partition of Bengal and the creation of the province ofEastern Bengal and Assam.[5] The construction of theAssam Bengal Railway to Chittagong facilitated further development of economic growth in the city. However, revolutionaries and opposition movements grew during this time. Many people in Chittagong supported Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements.
There are multiple competing hypotheses about how the name 'Chittagong' evolved. One of these claims that the original form of the name was 'Chattagram' or 'Chatigrama'. Here, 'chati' means '(earthen) lamp', while 'grama' is a common term for 'village'. By local linguistic variation it became 'chita-gnao'. Here 'gnao' with nasal 'g' means 'gram' or village. According to local sayings, early historic settlements in the region used to manufacture and supply earthen lamps, e.g. to courts and universities.[6]
Other possiblehistorical sources of the name include Tsit-Ta-Gung (Arakanese inscription), Shwet Gang (meaning 'white sea') and Chaityagrama.
Stone Age fossils and tools unearthed in the region indicate that Chittagong has been inhabited sinceNeolithic times.[7] It is an ancient port city, with a recorded history dating back to the 4th century BC.[8] Its harbour was mentioned inPtolemy's world map in the 2nd century as one of the most impressive ports in theEast.[9][better source needed] The region was part of the ancient BengaliSamatata andHarikela kingdoms. TheChandra Dynasty once dominated the area, and was followed by theVarman Dynasty,Gauda Kingdom,Pala Empire,Sena Dynasty andDeva Dynasty of ancientBengal.
Chinese travelerXuanzang described the area as "a sleeping beauty rising from mist and water" in the 7th century.[10]
Arab Muslims (and laterPersians) frequented Chittagong for trade beginning in the 9th century. In 1154,Muhammad al-Idrisi mentioned a busy shipping route betweenBasra and Chittagong, connecting it with theAbbasid capital ofBaghdad.[3] ManySufi missionaries settled in Chittagong and played an instrumental role in thespread of Islam.[11] The first Persian settlers also arrived for trade and religious purposes. Persians and otherIranic peoples deeply affected the history of the Bengal Sultanate, with Persian being one of the main languages of the Muslim state, as well as also influencing the Chittagonian dialect and writing scripts.[12][13] It has been affirmed that much of the Muslim population in Chittagong are descendants of the Arab and Persian settlers.[14]
The Sultan of Bengal,Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, invaded parts of theTripura Kingdom and conquered Chittagong in 1340. A number ofsufi saints under Badruddin Allama (Badr Pir) accompanied him. The Sultan annexed the region to theBengal Sultanate as a mulk (province). A sufi saint named Shayda was appointed to rule over Chittagong.[15] The area became the principal maritime gateway to the Sultanate, which was reputed as one of the wealthiest states inthe subcontinent. Medieval Chittagong was a hub for maritime trade withChina,Sumatra, theMaldives,Sri Lanka, Southwest Asia andEast Africa. It was notable for its medieval trades inpearls,[16]silk,muslin,rice, bullion, horses and gunpowder. The port was also a majorshipbuilding hub.
Ibn Battuta visited the port city in 1345.[17]Niccolò de' Conti, from Venice, also visited around the same time as Battuta.[18] Chinese admiralZheng He'streasure fleet anchored in Chittagong during imperial missions to the Sultanate of Bengal.[19][20]
Dhanya Manikya (r. 1463 to 1515) expanded theTwipra Kingdom's territorial domain well into eastern Bengal which included parts of modern-dayChittagong,Dhaka andSylhet. Chittagong featured prominently in the military history of the Bengal Sultanate, including during theReconquest of Arakan and theBengal Sultanate–Kingdom of Mrauk U War of 1512–1516.
During the reign of SultanAlauddin Husain Shah,Paragal Khan was appointed as the Lashkar (military commander) of Chittagong. Following theBengal Sultanate–Kingdom of Mrauk U War of 1512–1516, Paragal was made the Governor of Chittagong too. He was then succeeded by his son,Chhuti Khan.
SultanGhiyasuddin Mahmud Shah gave permission for thePortuguese settlement in Chittagong to be established in 1528. Chittagong became the first European colonial enclave in Bengal.[21] The Bengal Sultanate lost control of Chittagong in 1531 after Arakan declared independence and established theKingdom of Mrauk U. This altered geopolitical landscape allowed the Portuguese unhindered control of Chittagong for over a century.[22]
Portuguese ships from Goa andMalacca began frequenting the port city in the 16th century. Thecartaz system was introduced and required all ships in the area to purchase naval trading licenses from the Portuguese settlement.[25] TheSlave trade and piracy flourished. The nearby island ofSandwip was conquered in 1602. In 1615, thePortuguese Navy defeated a jointDutch East India Company and Arakanese fleet near the coast of Chittagong.
In 1666, the Mughal government of Bengal led by viceroyShaista Khan moved to retake Chittagong from Portuguese and Arakanese control. They launched the Mughal conquest of Chittagong. The Mughals attacked the Arakanese from the jungle with a 6,500-strong army, which was further supported by 288 Mughal naval ships blockading the Chittagong harbour.[11] After three days of battle, the Arakanese surrendered. The Mughals expelled the Portuguese from Chittagong. Mughal rule ushered a new era in the history of Chittagong territory to the western bank of Kashyapnadi (Kaladan river). The port city was renamed as Islamabad. The Grand Trunk Road connected it withNorth India and Central Asia. Economic growth increased due to an efficient system of land grants for clearing hinterlands for cultivation. The Mughals also contributed to the architecture of the area, including the building of Fort Ander and many mosques. Chittagong was integrated into the prosperous greater Bengali economy, which also includedOrissa andBihar. Shipbuilding swelled under Mughal rule and the Sultan of Turkey had many Ottoman warships built in Chittagong during this period.[20][26]
Lopo Soares de Albergaria, the 3rd governor ofPortuguese India, sent a fleet of four ships commanded byJoão da Silveira, who after plundering ships from Bengal, anchored at Chittagong on 9 May 1518.[27] Silveira left forCeylon afterwards.[27]
In October 1521, two separate Portuguese missions went to the court of SultanNasiruddin Nasrat Shah to establish diplomatic relations with Bengal. One was led by explorerRafael Perestrello and another one by captainLopo de Brito.[27] Brito's representative, Goncalo Tavares, obtained a duty-free arrangement for trade in Bengal for the Portuguese merchants.[28] The two Portuguese embassies, both claiming official status, created confusion and led to a fight between them at Chittagong.[27]
The Portuguese settlement became a major bone of contention between theMughal Empire, theKingdom of Mrauk U, theBurmese Empire, the Chakma kingdom and theKingdom of Tripura.[27]
According to a 1567 note of Caesar Federeci, every year thirty or thirty five ships anchored inChittagong port.[29]
The Mughal conquest of Chittagong in 1666 brought an end to the Portuguese dominance of more than 130 years in city.[30]
By the early 18th century, the Portuguese settlements were located at Dianga, Feringhee Bazar in Chittagong district and in the municipal ward of Jamal Khan in Chittagong.
The Arakanese ruled over Chittagong from the late 16th century to 1666, marking an important and eventful period in the region's history. During this time, Chittagong became a center for trade and naval activities, with the Arakanese relying on their strong fleets and alliances, including Portuguese mercenaries, to maintain control.[31]
The decline of Arakanese rule was triggered by political conflicts, including their involvement in theMughal succession struggle. The assassination of Mughal princeShah Shuja in Arakan strained relations with the Mughal Empire, prompting a decisive campaign led by Subahdar Shaista Khan in 1666. The Mughals recaptured Chittagong, ending nearly a century of Arakanese dominance. This period left a lasting legacy on the region, highlighting the interplay of trade, politics, and cultural exchange between Bengal and Arakan.[32]
The ArakaneseKingdom of Mrauk U declared independence from theSultanate of Bengal and conquered Chittagong in 1531 until 1666 when the Mughals took over.[33]
During the governorship of SubahdarIbrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang, Abadullah was serving as the Karori of Chatgaon (Chittagong), responsible for the collection of acrore ofdams in the area.[34] TheMughal Army defeated theArakanese Army and successfully annexed Chatgaon to theMughal Empire in 1666. They began to build the city up in a planned way. The name of different areas in the city, including Rahmatganj, Hamzer Bagh, Ghat Farhadbeg (afterFarhad Beg) and Askar Dighir Par, were named after thefaujdars appointed by theMughal emperors. Four mosque-tomb complexes – Bagh-i-Hamza Masjid, Miskin Shah Mulla Masjid, Kadam Mubarak Masjid, Bayazid Bostami Masjid and one tomb, The Shahjahani Tomb, survived from this period.[35]
In 1685, theEnglish East India Company sent out an expedition under Admiral Nicholson with the instructions to seize and fortify Chittagong on behalf of the English; however, the expedition, theChild's War, proved abortive. Two years later, the company's Court of Directors decided to make Chittagong the headquarters of their Bengal trade and sent out a fleet of ten or eleven ships to seize it under Captain Heath. However, after reaching Chittagong in early 1689, the fleet found the city too strongly held and abandoned their attempt at capturing it. The city remained under the possession of theNawabs of Bengal until 1793 when East India Company took complete control of the former Mughal province of Bengal.[36][37]
TheFirst Anglo-Burmese War in 1823 threatened the British hold on Chittagong. There were a number of rebellions against British rule, notably during theIndian rebellion of 1857, when the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th companies of the 34thBengal Infantry Regiment revolted under HavildarRajab Ali Khan and released all prisoners from the city's jail. In a backlash, the rebels were suppressed by theSylhet Light Infantry.[38][39]
In British ruling period, they created some educational institutions in Chittagong.Chittagong Collegiate School and College,Chittagong College are two of them. Railways were introduced in 1865, beginning with theEastern Bengal Railway connecting Chittagong toDacca andCalcutta. The Assam Bengal Railway connected the port city to its interior economic hinterland, which included the world's largest tea andjute producing regions, as well as one of the world's earliestpetroleum industries. Chittagong was a major center of trade withBritish Burma. It hosted many prominent companies of the British Empire, including James Finlay, Duncan Brothers, Burmah Oil, the Indo-Burma Petroleum Company, Lloyd's, Mckenzie and Mckenzie, the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, Turner Morrison, James Warren, the Raleigh Brothers, Lever Brothers and the Shell Oil Company.
TheChittagong armoury raid andBattle of Jalalabad by Bengali revolutionaries, led bySurya Sen, in 1930 was a major event in British India's anti-colonial history.
DuringWorld War II, the British used Chittagong as an important frontline military base in theSoutheast Asian Theater. Sporadic bombing by theJapanese Air Force, notably in April 1942 and again on 20 and 24 December 1942, resulted in military relocation toComilla. It was a critical air, naval and military base for Allied Forces during theBurma Campaign against Japan. TheImperial Japanese Air Force carried outair raids on Chittagong in April and May 1942, in the run up to the aborted Japanese invasion of Bengal.[40][41] British forces were forced to temporarily withdraw to Comilla and the city was evacuated.[citation needed] After theBattle of Imphal, the tide turned in favor of the Allied Forces. The United States Army Air Forces'4th Combat Cargo Group was stationed at Chittagong Airfield in1945.[42] Commonwealth forces included troops from Britain,India, Australia andNew Zealand. The war had major negative impacts on the city, including the growth of refugees and theGreat Famine of 1943.[38]
After the war, rapid industrialisation and development saw the city grow beyond its previous municipal area, particularly in the southwest up to Patenga, whereChittagong International Airport is now located.[3] The former villages of Halishahar, Askarabad and Agrabad became integrated into the city. Many wealthy Chittagonians profited from wartime commerce.
ThePartition of British India in 1947 made Chittagong the chief port ofEast Pakistan. In the 1950s, Chittagong witnessed increased industrial development. Among pioneering industrial establishments included those of Chittagong Jute Mills, theBurmah Eastern Refinery, theKarnaphuli Paper Mills andPakistan National Oil. However, East Pakistanis complained of a lack of investment in Chittagong in comparison toKarachi inWest Pakistan, even though East Pakistan generated more exports and had a larger population. TheAwami League demanded that the country's naval headquarters be shifted from Karachi to Chittagong.[43]
TheChittagong Development Authority (CDA) was established by the government of East Pakistan in 1959 to manage this growth and drew up a master plan to be reviewed every five years to plan its urban development. By 1961 the CDA had drawn up a regional plan covering an area of 212 square miles (550 km2) and a master plan covering an area of 100 square miles (260 km2).[3] Over the decades, especially after the losses of 1971, the master plan developed into several specific areas of management, including the Multi-Sectoral Investment Plan for drainage and flood-protection of Chittagong City and a plan for easing the traffic congestion and making the system more efficient.[3]
University of Chittagong was founded in November 1966.[44]
During theBangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Chittagong witnessed heavy fighting between rebel Bengali military regiments and the Pakistan Army as the latter was denied access to the port. It coveredSector 1 in theMukti Bahini chain of command, being commanded by MajorZiaur Rahman and later Captain Rafiqul Islam. TheBangladeshi Declaration of Independence was broadcast fromKalurghat Radio Station and transmitted internationally through foreign ships in Chittagong Port.[45]Ziaur Rahman andM A Hannan were responsible for announcing the independence declaration from Chittagong on behalf ofSheikh Mujibur Rahman from theSwadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. The Pakistani military, and supportingRazakar militias, carried out widespread atrocities against civilians in the city. Mukti Bahini naval commandos drowned several Pakistani warships during Operation Jackpot in August 1971.[46] In December 1971, theBangladesh Air Force and theIndian Air Force carried out heavy bombing of facilities occupied by the Pakistani military. Anaval blockade was also enforced.[47][48]
Following the independence of Bangladesh, the city underwent a major rehabilitation and reconstruction programme and regained its status as an important port within a few years.[3]
After the war, theSoviet Navy was tasked with clearing mines in Chittagong Port and restoring its operational capability. 22 vessels of theSoviet Pacific Fleet sailed fromVladivostok to Chittagong in May 1972.[49] The process of clearing mines in the dense water harbour took nearly a year, and claimed the life of one Soviet marine.[50] Chittagong soon regained its status as a major port, with cargo tonnage surpassing pre-war levels in 1973. Infree market reforms launched by President Ziaur Rahman in the late 1970s, the city became home to the firstexport processing zones in Bangladesh. Zia wasassassinated during an attempted military coup in Chittagong in 1981. The1991 Bangladesh cyclone inflicted heavy damage on the city. The Japanese government financed the construction of several heavy industries and an international airport in the 1980s and 90s. Bangladeshiprivate sector investments increased since 1991, especially with the formation of the Chittagong Stock Exchange in 1995. The port city has been the pivot of Bangladesh'semerging economy in recent years, with the country's rising GDP growth rate.
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