Murshidabad Makhsudabad[1] Lal Bagh | |
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  Murshidabad Location in West Bengal, India Show map of West Bengal Murshidabad Murshidabad (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:24°11′N88°16′E / 24.18°N 88.27°E /24.18; 88.27 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Murshidabad |
| Named after | Murshid Quli Khan |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Murshidabad Municipality |
| • Chairperson | Lalita Das Nandi (AITC) |
| • Lok Sabha MP | Abu Taher Khan (AITC) |
| • MLA | Gouri Shankar Ghosh (BJP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.25 km2 (6.66 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 44,019 |
| • Density | 2,552/km2 (6,609/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali[4][5] |
| • Additional official | English[4] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 742149 |
| Telephone code | 91-3482-2xxxxx |
| Vehicle registration | WB-57, WB-58 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Murshidabad |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Murshidabad |
| Website | murshidabad |
Murshidabad (Bengali pronunciation:[murʃidabad]) is a town in theIndianstate ofWest Bengal. This town is the headquarters ofLalbag subdivision ofMurshidabad district.[6] It is located on the eastern bank of theBhagirathi River. During the 18th century, Murshidabad was a prosperous and cosmopolitan town.[7][8] Murshidabad was the capital of theBengal Subah for seventy years. This town was the home of wealthy banking and merchant families from different parts of theIndian subcontinent and widerEurasia. European companies, including theBritish East India Company, theFrench East India Company, theDutch East India Company and theDanish East India Company, conducted business and operated factories around the city. The town was also a centre of art and culture.[9]
The city's decline began with the defeat of the last independent Nawab of BengalSiraj-ud-Daulah at theBattle of Plassey in 1757. The Nawab was demoted to the status of azamindar known as theNawab of Murshidabad. The British shifted the treasury, courts and revenue office toCalcutta. In the 19th century, the population was estimated to be 46,000. Murshidabad became a district headquarters of theBengal Presidency. It was declared as a municipality in 1869.
Murshidabad was named after its founder, NawabMurshid Quli Khan.Murshid is an Arabic term for a teacher or guide with integrity, sensibility, and maturity. The suffix-abad is derived from the Persian wordabad, which referred to a cultivated place.
Murshidabad is located at24°11′N88°16′E / 24.18°N 88.27°E /24.18; 88.27.
Hazarduari Palace and its associated sites in the Kila Nizamat area (forming the central area in the map alongside) is the centre of attraction in Murshidabad. Just a little away areKatra Masjid,Fauti Mosque,Jama Masjid, and theMotijhil area. There is a group of attractions in the northern part of the town (as can be seen in the map alongside). Some attractions such asKhushbagh,Rosnaiganj,Baranagar,Kiriteswari Temple,Karnasuvarna and others are on the other side of the river and there are attractions in the neighbouringBerhampore area also (not shown in the map).[10]
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in Murshidabad city. Most of the places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map. A few, without pages yet, remain unmarked. The map has a scale. It will help viewers to find out the distances.
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The area was part of theGauda Kingdom andVanga Kingdom inancient Bengal. TheRiyaz-us-Salatin credited the initial development of the town to a merchant named Makhsus Khan. The merchant's role is also mentioned in theAin-i-Akbari.[12]
During the 17th-century, the area was well known forsericulture. In 1621, English agents reported that large quantities of silk were available in the area. During the 1660s, it became apargana of the Mughal administration, with jurisdiction over European companies inCossimbazar.[12]
In the early 18th-century,Murshid Quli Khan, the prime minister of Bengal Subah, had a bitter rivalry with PrinceAzim-ush-Shan, the viceroy of Bengal. The latter even attempted to have Khan killed.[12] The Mughal court inDelhi was also rapidly losing authority in much of the subcontinent. Amid the decline of the central government, theMughal EmperorFarrukhsiyar promoted Khan to the status of a princelyNawab. As Nawab, Khan was given the opportunity to create a princely dynasty as part of the Mughal aristocracy.
Murshid Quli Khan shifted the capital of Bengal fromDhaka, which lost its strategic importance after the expulsion of theArakanese andPortuguese fromChittagong.[12] He founded the city of Murshidabad and named the city after himself. It became the centre of political, economic and cultural life in Bengal. The jurisdiction of the Nawab included not only Bengal, but also Bihar and Orissa.[13] Murshidabad was also located centrally in the expanded jurisdiction of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
The presence of the princely court, theMughal Army,artisans and multiethnic merchants increased the wealth of Murshidabad. Wealthy families and companies established their head offices in the city. The Murshidabadmint became the largest in Bengal, with a value amounting to two percent of the minted currency. The city witnessed the construction of administrative buildings, gardens, palaces, mosques, temples and mansions. European companies operated factories in the city's outskirts. The city was full of brokers, workers, peons, naibs, wakils, and ordinary traders.[12]
Murshid Quli Khan transformed Murshidabad into acapital city with an efficient administrative machinery for his successors. He built a palace and acaravanserai with a grand mosque, known as theKatra Masjid. The main military base was located near the mosque and formed the city's eastern gateway. The third NawabShuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan patronized the construction of another palace and military base, a new gateway, the revenue office, a public audience hall (durbar), a private chamber, the treasury and a mosque in an extensive compound called Farrabagh (Garden of Joy) which included canals,fountains, flowers, and fruit trees.[12]
Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah established a palace near theMotijhil (Pearl Lake). TheNizamat Imambara was built forShia Muslims. The palace complex was fortified and known as the Nizamat Fort. The main entrances of the Nizamat Fort had musicians' galleries. The gates were high, imposing and tall enough for an elephant to pass through. The Khoshbagh garden was the burial place of the Nawabs.[12] The city had aBengali majority population, includingBengali Muslims andBengali Hindus. There was an influentialJain community involved in trade and commerce.[13] AnArmenian community also settled and became financiers for the Nawab. TheJagat Seth family was one of the prominent banking families of Murshidabad. They controlledmoney lending activities and served as financiers for administrators, merchants, traders, the Nawabs, the Zamindars, as well as the British, French, Armenians and Dutch. The merchants built many mansions, including the Azimganj Rajbati,Kathgola house andNashipur house.
The Nawabs of Bengal entered into agreements with numerous European trading companies allowing them to establish bases in the region. The French East India Company operated factories in Murshidabad and Dhaka. The British East India Company was based inFort William. Murshidabad was a part of theDutch Bengal Department. TheOstend Company ofAustria established a base near Murshidabad. The Danish East India Company also set up trading posts in the Bengal Subah.
The last independent Nawab, Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated in theBattle of Plassey in 1757. Despite receiving assurances of French support, the Nawab was betrayed by his commanderMir Jafar. The British installed Mir Jafar's family as a puppet dynasty and eventually reduced the Nawab to the status of a landlord (zamindar). The British continued to collect revenue from the area's factories. The merchant families continued to prosper undercompany rule in India.[13] In 1858, the British government gained direct control of India's administration.
Murshidabad was very badly affected by theBengal Famine of 1770.[7]
Murshidabad was a district city of theBengal Presidency.Warren Hastings removed the supreme civil and criminal courts toCalcutta in 1772, but in 1775 the latter courts were brought back to Murshidabad again. In 1790, underLord Cornwallis, the entire revenue and judicial staffs were moved to Calcutta. The city was still the residence of the Nawab, who ranked as the first nobleman of the province with the style ofNawab Bahadur of Murshidabad, instead ofNawab Nazim of Bengal. TheHazarduari Palace was built in 1837 as a residence for both the Nawab and British civil servants. Murshidabad became amunicipality in 1869. The population in 1901 was 15,168. The silk industry was revived with assistance from the government. The area also became notable formango andlitchi production.[14]
See also -Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad
The city today is a centre for agriculture, handicrafts andsericulture. The famousMurshidabad silk, much in demand for makingsaris and scarves, is produced here.[citation needed]
As of2011 Indian Census, Murshidabad had a total population of 44,019, of which 22,177 were males and 21,842 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 4,414. The total number of literates in Murshidabad was 32,451, which constituted 73.7% of the population with male literacy of 77.3% and female literacy of 70.1%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Murshidabad was 81.9%, of which male literacy rate was 86.0% and female literacy rate was 77.9%. TheScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 13,762 and 302 respectively. Murshidabad had 9829 households in 2011.According to 2011 census the religious make-up of Murshidabd city was: Hindus (75.09%), Muslims (23.86%) and others(1.05%)[3] However, during theMurshidabad violence, many Hindus, including women and children, were displaced from the affected areas and took shelter in neighboringMalda district.[15]
The Murshidabad Heritage Festival aims at reviving the tangible and intangible heritage of Murshidabad along with those nearby heritage towns of Azimganj, Jiaganj and Cossimbazar. The festival aims at preserving the past and integrating it with the present and to bring Murshidabad back in the tourism, cultural and heritage map of India. It is an initiative of Murshidabad Heritage Development Society (MHDS). The festival began in 2011 and has been celebrated ever since. There are no fixed days for the festival but it is celebrated during the winter season, especially during January or February. The festival is complete with cultural performances, heritage walks, cruise along the Bagirati River and exotic food. The Food served during the festival is purely vegetarian, with special emphasis on Sheherwali cuisine.[16]
Murshidabad travel guide from WikivoyageMurshidabad district topics | |||||||||||
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Tourist attractions inMurshidabad | |
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| Houses and palaces | |
| Kathgola | |
| Graves, mosques and tombs | |
| Cannons | |
| Temples |
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| Archaeological sites | |
| Others | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
