ABOUT MURSHIDABAD_____ ১১, মার্চ ২০১৪ @SupratimCS: Murshidabad, lies on the eastern bank of the river Bhagirathi and is situated to the north of Kolkata (24°10N 88°15E) at a distance of 219 km by road and 197 km by rail. The town, lends its name to the district. Mukhsusabad (The Select City) or Makhsusabad (Makhausabad or its variant Makh-sudabad meaning the Desirable City), as it was known earlier, owes much to its present name, Murshidabad (মূর্শিদাবাদ), to Murshid Quli Khan মুর্শিদকুলি খাঁ (1706-1727 AD), the Dewan and subsequently who shifted his Dewani Daftar (office) to this place from Jahangirnagar, Dacca (Bangladesh) in 1704 AD, and renamed it to Murshidabad. Murshidabad remainded as capital for 74 years, from 1717 AD to 1790 AD. During this period three successive Islamic dynasties namely the Nasiri, Afshar and Najafi ruled Bengal from Murshidabad. The glory of this place reached its zenith during the time of Suja-ud-Daulla (সুজা-উদ-দৌল্লা) and Alivardi Khan (আলীবর্দী খাঁ) who made this city vibrant with numerous constructional and cultural activities. But the defeat of Siraj-ud-Daulla (সিরাজ-উদ-দৌল্লা) at the Battle of Plassey পলাশী (1757 AD) prooved disastrous for the Murshidabad Royalty. The Khosh Bagh (খোশ বাগ) Cemetery, contains the tombs of Alivardi Khan, the last great Nawab, and Siraj-ud-Daulla, his grand nephew, who was defeated by the British at the Battle of Plassey. In 1765 AD, The East India Company received the grant of Dewani or financial administration of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from the Mughal Emperor of Delhi, Shah Alam, and in the following year Lord Clive, as the Emperors Dewan, presided in person at the Poonneah, or annual collection and settlement of revenues. On this occasion the young Nawab Nazim (as administrative and military representative of the Mughal Emperor of Delhi) Najam-ud-Daulla sat on the masnad, with the Dewan (Lord Clive) on his right hand. Murshidabad continued to be the capital under the British until 1790 AD and is still the seat of the prominent descendants of the Nawabs of Bengal. In 1790 AD under Lord Cornwallis the entire revenue, civil and criminal staff were shifted to Calcutta. In 1793 AD the supreme power of the Nawab Nazim Murshidabad was abolished, and the Governor General and Council were the controlling power over the subordinate District Courts. The Murshidabad Mint, the recognized emblem of metropolitan supremacy, was abolished in 1799 AD. Thenceforth, Murshidabad has been left only as the residence of the Nawabs, the descendants of Mir Jafar. The title of Nawab of Bengal was ultimately stripped off by the British imperial power in 1880 AD, during the time of Feradun Jah ফেরাদুন জাঁ. Constituted a municipality in 1869 AD, Murshidabad has its district headquarters in Berhampore (বহরমপুর), located at distance of 12 km south of Murshidabad. Berhampore is one of the most important towns in the district of Murshidabad. After winning the battle of Plassey, East India Company shifted civil court and administrative buildings to Calcutta (now Kolkata), but they found it is important to set up a subsidiary treasury at circuit courts of Sadar Dewani সদর দেওয়ানি and Nizamat Adalat নিজামত আদালত at some place near Murshidabad. At that time English traders and Industrialists used to reside on a donated land of 133 acres by Nawab Mir Jafar Ali Khan at the southern part of a settlement named Brahmmapur (ব্রহ্মপুর), near Murshidabad. The site for the second treasury and Circuit Court was chosen in this Brahmmapur, and a Cantonment was build over there. It was the residential settlement of British soldiers, army officers, and their families. This was known as Gorabazar (গোরাবাজার). Brahmmapur ব্রহ্মপুর is the original name of later known Berhampore town. Berhampore continued as a cantonment until 1870. The cantonment was constituted as a municipality in 1876 and was made the headquarter of Murshidabad district. Berhampore Fort (1850)Berhampore Fort (1850)The Barrack Square Field, in the town of Berhampore, was used to house the British army and the first rumble of the Indian Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 actually started here on 26th February. Towards the middle of the 19th century, The British built the Krishnath College (কৃষ্ণনাথ কলেজ) here, styled after Englands Oxford University, is a part of the history of western education in Bengal and, in a wider sense, forms a chapter in the history of social and cultural progress of Bengal in the 19th and 20th centuries. Long, before 1853, the year of the birth of this Institution , the objective conditions were ready for the foundation of a college at Berhampore for imparting western education. The College first as Berhampore College started in the building now known as the Main Hostel of the Krishnath College. Mr. A. S. Harrison was the first Principal of Berhampore College. The foundation of the present college building was laid by Sir Cecil Beadon the then Lieutenant Governor on Wednesday, the 29th July, 1863. Krishnath College (1853)During the thirties and forties of the last century the people of Murshidabad felt the impulse of the Renaissance which had its start in Calcutta with the foundation of the Hindu College in 1817 AD. For two decades the idea of western education had struck root; attempts and experiments had been made; but the aspirations of the people remained unrealized. When at last, in 1853 AD, a College was founded at Berhampore. Berhampore is famous for its ivory marts, silk weaving, the Indian Cork (Shola শোলা) craftsmen, the Kansa (bell-metal কাঁসা) marts. Shola - pith is a white spongy wood material which is used for carving marvelous and artistic objects. Production of large quantities of brass and bell-metal utensils is being carried out in Khagra at Berhampore. These utensils are of superior quality (Known as Khagrai Kansa, খাগড়াই কাঁসা) and are also exported to foreign countries. Now many of the craftsmen have also diversified, like the Fiber glass work, Coconut (with fiber) work etc. Berhampore is also popular for Khaza (খাজা) made from sesame seeds (তিল), date palm Jaggery called Khejur Gur (খেজুর গুড়) and a sweet called Chanabora (ছানাবড়া). Berhampore is also a rail and road hub of the West Bengal state and is an important agricultural center. The new bus terminus named Mohona (মোহনা) set up here is the second largest bus terminus in Asia, after Mofussil Bus Terminus or CMBT of Chennai. The bus stand was innagurated by Shri Pranab Mukherjee (প্রণব কুমার মুখোপাধ্যায়) on 15th August 2009. [email protected]
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 03:00:10 +0000
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