Brief History and Culture of West Bengal

Brief history and culture of West Bengal,

Along the east bank of the Hooghly River lies a city that was once the former capital of India until 1911, a British-controlled battleground that was subject to frequent Japanese bombings during WWII, a pioneer in the Indian renaissance, and a centre for revolution in the Independence Movement. With approximately 5 million inhabitants, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) now forms the capital of one of the smallest Indian states by size, but one of the largest by population: West Bengal.

Samudra Gupta was renowned for his 

military prowess. It is said that 

Alexander the Great chose to 

withdraw from the Indian subcontinent

rather than face Gupta and his allies' 

wrath.

Historically, the state has undergone frequent power struggles. It was the 3rd century BC when it formed part of the extensive Mauryan Empire inherited by the Emperor Ashoka, which - post-decline of Mauryan power - caused anarchy to once more supervene. In the 4th century, the region was absorbed into the Gupta Empire of Samudra Gupta, but later came under control of the Pala dynasty. The beginning of the 13th to the 18th century, was when the British gained ascendancy. However, Britain wasn’t the only European presence in West Bengal. The state has seen Portuguese, Dutch and Danish trading posts, as well as French occupation of certain towns. It is clear that the state has endured centuries of restlessness, with constant fluctuations throughout its history that has seen it house one of the world’s busiest landing strips in Dum Dum Airport at one point, to the present where it is regarded as one of India’s least economically developed states. It is thought that its population density (that far exceeds the national average) is one of the main contributing factors to this, among other deep-seated issues. As a result, the state is lagging behind the rest of India’s financial standpoint. Despite a current socio-economic situation that gives the rest of the country the impression of a now poor and backwards state, there is one thing that it can’t diminish - its cultural heritage.

Swami Vivekananda

West Bengal shares this heritage as it shares its border with neighbouring Bangladesh; thus, reinforcing the common idea that Bengalis have long fostered art, literature, music, and drama. The modern period has produced (among others), the Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941). As composer of both India and Bangladesh’s national anthem, and first non-European winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913; Tagore’s literary and music contributions still dominates the Indian scene. Moreover, Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899 - 1976) - the national poet of Bangladesh - is equally commemorated in West Bengal for his literature (including his works for children), as well as West Bengal’s North Indian classical music tradition. Another key figure was Swami Vivekananda, who introduced Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and USA. This in turn, raised interfaith awareness and helped make Hinduism a world religion. The state is also the home of Tollywood; (named after Tollygunj in Kolkata), the hub for the Bengali film industry well known for its art films. It has produced acclaimed directors such as Satyajit Ray, and the veteran Buddhadev Dasgupta. Bengal has been essential to modernism in fine arts as well, where notable figures such as Abanindranath Tagore, (also known as ‘father of Modern Indian Art’), have helped create styles outside of the European realist tradition, which ultimately led to formation of important groups like ‘The Calcutta Group’ and ‘The Society of Contemporary Artists after Indian Independence’, which dominated the art industry. Overall, some of the key figures in both Indian and Bangladeshi arts originate from this small state, and collectively are responsible for creating a culture-rich history in West Bengal.

Amartya Sen

Kolkata’s more recent decline has even been considered as India’s gain, where a host of Bengalis have since populated Indian media, Bollywood and beyond. This includes Nobel Prize laureate and Harvard economics professor Amartya Sen, filmmaker Aparna Sen, author Amitav Ghosh, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jhumpa Lahiri. Despite being the largest minority in India, Bengalis have made their presence known in India with their cultural history. With this being forgotten in more recent times, and the introduction of a new generation of modern media, it is important to recognise and remember what the state is renowned for. Bangladesh and West Bengal may have its differences, but the historical and cultural heritage they share is one that unites both sides through pride.