Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib

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Penguin Books India, 2011 - History - 639 pages
Land of Two Rivers chronicles the story of one of the most fascinating and influential regions in the Indian subcontinent. The confluence of two major river systems, Ganga and Brahmaputra, created the delta of Bengal--an ancient land known as a center of trade, learning and the arts from the days of the Mahabharata and through the ancient dynasties. During the medieval era, this eventful journey saw the rise of Muslim dynasties which brought into being a unique culture, quite distinct from that of northern India. The colonial conquest in the eighteenth century opened the modern chapter of Bengal's history and transformed the social and economic structure of the region. Nitish Sengupta traces the formation of Bengali identity through the Bengal Renaissance, the growth of nationalist politics and the complex web of events that eventually led to the partition of the region in 1947, analyzing why, despite centuries of shared history and culture, the Bengalis finally divided along communal lines. The struggle of East Pakistan to free itself from West Pakistan's dominance is vividly described, documenting the economic exploitation and cultural oppression of the Bengali people. Ultimately, under the leadership of Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman, East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971. Land of Two Rivers is a scholarly yet extremely accessible account of the development of Bengal, sketching the eventful and turbulent history of this ancient civilization, rich in scope as well as in influence.
 

Contents

02PreHistoric
16
03First Gour
33
04The Imperial
39
05The Sen Dynasty
50
06Turkish Invasion
61
07Ilas Shahi Dynasty
70
08The shortlived
76
09Islam Spreads
82
26First Partition
293
27Army Revolutionary
313
28A Decade of Hindu
330
29Agni Yug
349
30Unmaking
367
31Parting
389
32Rice and Fall
430
33United Bengal
450

10Emergene of Bengal
88
11 Origin an growth
101
12Shri Chaitanya
115
13The Pathans
121
14Bengal Becomes
128
15Appenarance
144
16Era of Independent
153
17SirajudDaula
164
18End of Independent
173
19Age of Warren
186
20Agrarian Industrial
196
21AntiGovernment
220
22Bengal Renaissance
232
23Hindu Religious
258
24Beginnings of Political
268
25Growth of Muslim
278
34Bengal Decides
486
35East Bengal
495
36From the UF
512
37Ayubs ten
524
38From Pakistan
537
39Bangladeshs War
556
40Indias West Bangal
573
41Epilogue
587
42Appendix A
594
43Appendix B
595
44Appendix C
597
45Appendix D
603
46Notes
605
47Bibliography
620
48Index
627
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About the author (2011)

Nitish Sengupta became an IAS officer in 1957 and served as the Revenue Secretary of the Government of India. He has also served as chairman for the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations and during this time he also completed his doctorate in management from Delhi University. He played a major role in improving the capital market of India in the 1980's in all he has written 12 books, including The History of Bengali Speaking People and My Times.

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