History

Historical Importance of the State A poet once said, `O Bengal, so full of break-ups, yet so full of fun!' There is fun in the very air of Bengal, fun in every pore Bengalee. That is what keeps Bengal surging forward. The great thinker Gokhle said: "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow and the rest of the world the day after!"

Bengal has a long history. Even in the great epic Mahabharata, three Bengali princes are mentioned as aspirants for Draupadi's hand. Alexander, the Greek hero had to abandon his dreams of conquering the whole of India in face of the prowess of Bengali fighters. The rulers of Bengal extended their empire over the whole of Aryavarta (N.India) and Dakshinatya (S. India). Even at the great battle of Kurukshettra, a Bengali king fought for the Kauravas. King Basudev of Gaurh (as Bengal was then called) fought with Krishna at Dwarka. King Vijaya Singh spread his rule as far as distant Sri Lanka. Much later, Harshavardhan, the ruler of Uttarakhand (or N. India), had to face a setback in his dreams of extending his empire, when confronted by Shashanka, king of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.

Then again it was in the mango grove of Palasi that Lord Clive defeated Siraj-Ud-Daulla in 1757 and that was the end of independence in India for a long time. After the defeat a sort of dual rule continued for 7 yrs., under the successors of Shiraz-Mirjafar and Mirkasem and the British. Mirkasem was routed at Buxar in 1764 and Bengal fell into the hands of British.

In the past, Bengal was not devoted to military tactics alone, it was mainly an agricultural land. The fine cloths woven here were known all over the world. Chand Sadagar, the famous Bengali merchant, sailed his ships laden with merchandise to the great markets of the world. Tamralipta (now called Tamluk) was a distinguished seaport. It was from here that Mahendra, son of Samrat Ashoka, sailed to Sri Lanka to spread the Buddhist religion. At Chandraketugarh near Calcutta, relics of an ancient town have been dug up, dating back to the days of Harappa.

Nature herself has been lavish in her gift. There are mountains, seas and forests. In the north stands the Himalaya, king of mountains, with Sikkim as a beauty spot. On the south rolls the Bay of Bengal; on the east lies Bangladesh and Assam and on the west stretch Bihar, Orissa and Nepal.

The land has been split up again and again. Bengal Province created by the British included Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and even Agra. In 1863 Agra was lopped of Assam being included. In 1874 Assam became a separate province. In 1905 Lord Curzon shifted the frontiers again, making a separate province with Assam and East Bengal. Their capital was at Dacca. Bengal remained with Bihar and a part of Orissa.

India was in turmoil and the new move was cancelled. In 1911, alarmed by the growing political consciousness in Bengal, the British removed the capital from Calcutta to Delhi. Before the dire wounds of the 1943 famine and the communal riots of 1946 could be healed, the sword of the British once more cut Bengal into two halves in 1947 (Independence). Moreover their very names were changed. Bangla became Paschim Bangla or West Bengal. To it was added the independent state of Coochbihar in 1950 and French occupied Chandannagar on 2nd October 1954. Even later in response to severe agitation, Manbhum was cut off from Bihar and added to West Bengal as the district of Purulia.

West Bengal has 18 Districts covering 88,752 sq. kms of area. As per 1991 census, the State has a population of 67.983 million, which is 7% of the national population. Calcutta is the capital of West Bengal.

The State has three main seasons - Hot Dry, from March to early June, Hot Wet, from July to September and Cool, from October to February. The Southwest monsoon chiefly determines the weather and rainfall throughout the State, on which the harvest cycle partly depends.

The soil is almost ideal for vegetation, Sal and Mahogany trees abound in all parts; paddy, jute, sugarcane and pulses are among the cash crops. Apart from large deposits of coal, limestone, dolomite, granite, and china clay, some zinc, copper, pyrites, lead and iron ore is mined.

Contribution to the Freedom Struggle

The struggle for independence of India expressed itself through different forms, which obviously generated from the historical necessity of particular period and the specified socio-political contents. The history of freedom movement in India while indicates different phases of the movement and relative importance of the leadership in various movements, often remains silent on the consistent and protracted war fought under the leadership which had faith in the armed struggle for overthrowing the Colonial British rule. Though the armed struggle to a great extent was opposed to the philosophy of non-violence, yet it had its own logical approach to the socio-political context of the country and in no way it was inconsistent with the great mass-movements organized since the early part of the twentieth century. We are in need of a history, which may present the glorious chapter of the armed struggle for independence with all its totality.

Khudiram Bose. S/O Trailokyanath, Midnapore (Born Dec 3, 1989) was executed in Muzaffapur Jail (Bihar) on August 11, 1908 for committing murder on Miss and Mrs. Kennedy mistaking that the carriage in which they were travelling was carriage of Session Judge Kingsford.

Satyendranath Bose. S/O Abhoycharan, Midnapore, West Bengal Executed in Old Alipore Jain (Harinbari- present Presidency Jail) on Nov 10, 1908 for shooting dead approver Narendra Goswami inside jail.

Charu Charan Bose. S/O Keshablal, Khula (Now in Bangladesh) Executed on March 19,1909 in Old Alipore Jail (Harinbari- Present Presidency Jail) for shooting dead Ashu Biswas, Public Prosecutor of Alipore Bomb Case inside Jorabagan court premises.

Birendra Dutta Gupta. S/O Umacharan, Dacca (now in Bangladesh). He shot dead DSP Shamsul Alam in Calcutta in Calcutta High Court premises. Alam was the prime investigator in Alipore Conspiracy case. He was executed on Feb21, 1910 in old Alipore Jail (Present Presidency Jail).

Niren Dasgupta. S/O Lalit Mohan, Faridpur (now in Bangladesh) and Monoranjan Sengupta Faridpur (now in Bangladesh). These two were participants in the well know Balasore fight on Sept.9, 1915 along with illustrious revolutionary leader Jatindranath Mukherjee and on being arrested were prosecuted for murder of one Rajmahanty whom they had to kill in the morning of the same day in self-defence and were sentenced to death. They were excuted on Nov 22,1915 in the Balasore Jail (Orissa).

Sushil Lahiry. Executed in October 1918 in Benaras Jail (U.P.) for killing his intimate friend Binayak Rao Kaple whom the party had given death penalty for rank defection and misappropriation of money and arms.

Gopi Mohan Saha (Gopinath). S/O Bijoykrishna, Serampur, Dist Hoogly, West Bengal, Executed on March 1,1924 in Old Alipore (Present Presidency) jail for shooting dead an Englishman Mr Dey mistaking him as Police Commissioner Tegart.

Ananta Hari Mitra. S/O Ramlal (Born 1906) and Promode Ranjan Chowdhury, S/O Ishan (Born 1904). They were sentenced to death for killing DIB officer Bhupen Chatterjee inside the jail where they were being then detained as undertrial prisoners in the Dakineswar Bomb Case. Executed on September 28, 1926 in Alipore Central Jail (New Central Jail).

Jatindranath Das. S/O Bankim Behari, Calcutta, West Bengal Born Oct. 27,1904. He along with ten others joined a hunger strike started by Bhagat Singh and Batukeswar Dutta earlier upon a demand for recognition of better status for all political prisoners. He died inch by inch after 63 days of fasting on September 13, 1929 in Lahore Borastal Jail.

Dinesh Gupta. S/O Satish, Dacca (now in Bangladesh). Born Dec. 6,1911. He was a participant along with Benoy and Badal in the historic Calcutta Writers Buildings raid (Dec.8, 1930) when Col. Simpson, I.G. of Prisons, Bengal, was shot dead and Mr. Nelson, Judicial Secretary and some other were injured. He was executed in Alipore Central Jail (New Central Jail) on July 7,1931.

Surya Sen (Masterda). S/O Raj Mani Sen. Born March 22, 1894, Chittagong (now in Bangladesh) was executed in Chittagong Jail on Jan.12, 1934 for armed uprising against the British in Chittagong. He was the Supreme Commander of the uprising.