Maps about Bangladesh / Bengal

[eastwatch]

1. Noakhali. There is a great tendency to make grouping among Noakhali people. There are many Arabic words which are being used by the Noakhali people. Now, why the Noakhali people are behaving like this ? As per my assumption since most of the people of Noakhali came from Arab traders and are foreign origin so they are minority here and that is the reason they make grouping among themselves. Most of the Noakhali people are basically anti-India hence anti-AL. In 1946, it was only in Noakhali where riot took place. Since their forefather came to preach Islam in this region so they prefer to continue this sacred duty. You would find whenever any well off Noakhali people, they first will construct a mosque having a good minar resembling Arabian tradition and a "Muktab/Madrasa" beside on it. During the earlier days it was difficult to get married in Noakhali. They always used to prefer the Noakhali boys and girls. They are very rigid in this aspect. Most of the old and aged people used to study "Arbi, Farsi, Urdu" and used to talk in Bengalee only as a "Koththo Basha".

2. Miza Family. Iskander Mirza, the first President of Pakistan came from this family. Mirza Fukrul Islam and his father Mir Ruhul Amin(Chokha Mia, minister during Ershad) also came from this family. Mirza Golam Hafiz(Speaker) Now this family originated from Mir Zafor(Musdhidabad) and this family was later on evicted from Murshibad and settled at Thakurgaon. Most of these people are highly anti -India and hence anti-AL.

3. Other prominent Leaders. Golam Azam's family came from Persia. Mohd Ali of Bogra(PM of Pakistam) came from Persia. Fuzlul Kader Chow of Chittagong, Salam Talukder of Jamalpur, Khan A Sabur Khan, Monem Khan of Mymensigh, Nurul Amin of Mymensingh, Surwardi of Midnapur all came either from Afgan, Persia or Central Asia. Infact all the high family background people have their foreign origin.

4. Chapai Nowabganj. The people of this area are highly educated and labourious. There women folk still works on the field. Their body is stout. Their culture and language is different from other areas of Bengal. Some people eat "Kalai Ruti" which is unknown to the other Bengalee people. Most of the Chapai people collaborrated with the Pakistan Army. Still most of JI seats in this region goes to Jamat. People are basically anti-India and hence anti-AL. It is said that basically these people were initially at Maldaha. But during the continous attack of "Burgies"(Maratha-Jivajee) they crossed the Padma river and settled their. Infact the whole of greater Rajshahi district comes in this region. These are the people who had an Afgan origin. To be more specific, the decendants of "Sher Shah Suri". And today we find most of the Rajshahi are anti-India and hence anti-AL. Almost all the parliamentary seats now -a -days either goes to BNP or Jammat. (To be continued)

I think, you are making some mistakes about your assumption about the concentration of certain gmuslim groups of people in certain areas of Bengal. But, certainly all of them have not remained same as before, rather, people of different stocks intermixed with each other. No Muslim can say for sure that he belongs to a certain stock. It is because Bengal was and is a melting pot.

Is this not the reason why Muslim people of Bengal are not that handsome as the people of those regions from where some of their ancestors had immigrated during historical times? You can say, at best, that certain areas HAD high concentration of such and such people. But, it will be a lie to claim that they remained same as before.

Look at all our faces. we do not look like Arabs, Negroes, Afghans or Central Asians. We look very near to the local Hindus, but with a little harder faces, and sharper noses and eyes in average. It is difficult to distinguish between Bangali Hindus and Bangali Muslims by an untrained eye.

Only a person with a knowledge of anthropology can see the difference. Since majority are converted Muslims from local hindus and foreighn bloods are little less, therefore, we look more near to the local Hindus.

Now, about Sher Shah Suri. His immigrant grandfather was an Afghan and he himself was a native of Sasaram in Bihar. Please straighten your facts. He was not from Maldaha.

Another point is why do you intermingle present day politics with the very distant historical truths that people of today are not even aware of. Blood lines have nothing to do with present day AL/BNP politics. So, I think, you have wasted your time by trying to prove something that cannot be proved.

 

[asad71]

You say in 1971 all the 7.5 crore people of Bengal fought together against Pakistan army and liberated this country. I disagree with you. You say around 1 crore people went to India as refugee. I agree, but out of this 1 crore 90 lacs were hindus and rest 10 lacs were AL's direct members, army, police, EPR, some civil officers, students and their families. This division of pro-liberation and anti-liberation would continue till the last unless AL changes its attitude. And their number and supporters are more then AL. It is just a railway line which never joins or meet.

1.No true data is available. But a near correct estimate is that around 10 million people went over to India in 1971. Of these, about 90% were Hindus because they were the main target. Only a marginal few of these Hindus took up arms. In fact Brig Sabegh Singh had made several attempts to recruit Hindu youth from the refugee camps. But he just could not get even a single volunteer. Among the officers commissioned from Murti during the War I can only remember Jiban Kanhai who was Hindu.Hindus would head for the refugee camps, register for food and lodging, and go out seeking jobs in India. Most of them had relatives or friends in W Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Delhi and elsewhere in India.

2.The 10% Muslims were mostly the youth. Almost all of them got trained and were employed either as guerrilla fighters, Sector troops or induced into regular units.

3. Same with the guerrilla groups that sprouted on their own inside BD. Rarely was there a Hindu.

4. BD Hindus overwhelmingly belong to Nomo Shudro/Schedule Cast/ Mutuwail classes. Warfare is not their foray. On the other-hand a Mussalman by orientation and as a matter of faith fights to protect what is his.

 

[LaBong]

Her own look and the looks of her brothers show this family is a migrant with very little inter-mix. As far as I know in some distant past they lived in Arakan, then immigrated to Bengal. Majumdar is the broken form of the word 'Majmudar.' It is the title of a profession in the older days.

Kanungo is also another such profession, but somehow it has not been a family title like Majmudar has become. Majmudar changed to Majumdar. Both Hindus and Muslims have this family title. This shows some of their ancestors were govt officers during Muslim era. All the govt posts including the military ones were from Persian language in those days. Note that Persia remained the official language until 1832 AD.

Err what has got to do with looks? Begum Zia aint what you call good looking. Paler she may be, but if we go by that most of the girls I see here might start claiming foreign ancestry! :s

 

[Roybot]

IIs this not the reason why Muslim people of Bengal are not that handsome as the people of those regions from where some of their ancestors had immigrated during historical times? You can say, at best, that certain areas HAD high concentration of such and such people. But, it will be a lie to claim that they remained same as before.

You have some serious inferiority complex going on there buddy.

 

[eastwatch]

You have some serious inferiority complex going on there buddy.

I try to see a thing as it is and then state the fact. Why do you think I have an inferiority complex? Vis-a-vis whom? I do not think you will ever be qualified as a psychologist.

 

[Roybot]

I try to see a thing as it is and then state the fact. Why do you think I have an inferiority complex? Vis-a-vis whom? I do not think you will ever be qualified as a psychologist.

You said Muslim people of Bangladesh are not as handsome as their ancestors, are you implying that one race is handsom"er" than the other? You can compare individuals but you can't compare whole nations, whole race, as to who is handsome or not.

 

[mil-avia]

Railways of East India and Bengal during the British period :

1625 × 2540

 

[mil-avia]

Map of Bengal c.1920 :

1616 × 2546

 

[Md Akmal]

All said and done, please give me a comprehensive list districts of Bangladesh with mapping to different countries.

Like,
Noyakhali --> Arab
Borishal --> Turkey
Rajshahi --> Afghanistan
.
.
.

Gosh I gotta ask my mom and dad if they are Arab and Turks

@ Kutties of Dhaka. About the Kutties of Dhaka, there are two concepts which I will discuss later.

* Characteristics of Kutties of Dhaka
1. Kutties generally wears "Dhuti" instead of "Lungi".
2. Main occupation is business not interested in studies.
3. Not interested in Bengalee language, uses a different Bengalee language having mostly urdu words like, "Magar, mal, usthud".
4. Food habit is different with other common people. It resumbles with the Turkish food like "Shahi Birani, Nargis Kabab, Borgani, Halim etc".
5. Always remains together means grouping. They help each other in relation to business and gradually they have a network throughout Bd.
6. During the time of election they give vote to a particular party being decided centrally.
7. Girls/women are fond of wearing sharies/kamize having stitched with shinning materials(specially glass mirror particles) .
8. Infact these people are completely different with other Bengalee people.

Concept -One They are the decendants of Mughals. During that period their profession was "Nortuki", Baburchi" and other related jobs with the Moghals.

Concept -Two During 16/17 century Dacca was the centre of business specially on the banks of Buriganga. Dacca was low lying and marshi area. Ship building and Rice crushing were the main business in those days. Business used to controlled by the "Marwaries". So, during the great famine of Bengal 1/4 people died. Many came from the surrending areas to Dacca for food. Soon these people were picked up by the Marwaries and were given job on the rice crushing mills. A separate colonies were made and slowly and gradually their languages were distorted by the influence of Marwaries.

I do support the concept-one that they are the decendants of Mughals.

 

[integra]

MAPS SHOWING DEMARCATION BETWEEN PRE MUGHAL AND MUGHAL DHAKA

 

[integra]

1646-47. First edition

 

[eastwatch]

Err what has got to do with looks? Begum Zia aint what you call good looking. Paler she may be, but if we go by that most of the girls I see here might start claiming foreign ancestry! :s

You are comparing a sweet sixteen with her grandmother? See the pictures, specially when Begum Zia went to foreign visits with President Ziaur Rahman. She was already over 35 then, but still looked beautiful. I hope, you do not find a paragon of beauty with your Mamata Banerji, a Brahmin.

 

[eastwatch]

You said Muslim people of Bangladesh are not as handsome as their ancestors, are you implying that one race is handsom"er" than the other? You can compare individuals but you can't compare whole nations, whole race, as to who is handsome or not.

Instead of twisting the facts, better go through the entire post written by me, and see the context under which I wrote those.

 

[Roybot]

Instead of twisting the facts, better go through the entire post written by me, and see the context under which I wrote those.

No matter how many times I read it, that comment made by you reeks of inferiority complex and low self esteem. Please do explain, what you meant by it, and in what context.

I think, you are making some mistakes about your assumption about the concentration of certain gmuslim groups of people in certain areas of Bengal. But, certainly all of them have not remained same as before, rather, people of different stocks intermixed with each other. No Muslim can say for sure that he belongs to a certain stock. It is because Bengal was and is a melting pot.

Is this not the reason why Muslim people of Bengal are not that handsome as the people of those regions from where some of their ancestors had immigrated during historical times? You can say, at best, that certain areas HAD high concentration of such and such people. But, it will be a lie to claim that they remained same as before.

 

[mil-avia]

1646-47. First edition

Link related to this map drawn by Robert Dudley