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Murshidabad | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Clockwise from top: Hazarduari Palace, Katra Masjid, Jahan Kosha Cannon, Kathgola, Murshidabad Clock Tower | |
  Murshidabad Location in West Bengal, India  Murshidabad Murshidabad (India) | |
| Coordinates: 24°11′N 88°16′E / 24.18°N 88.27°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Murshidabad |
| Named for | Murshid Quli Khan |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Murshidabad Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.25 km2 (6.66 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 44,019 |
| • Density | 2,600/km2 (6,600/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali[3][4] |
| • Additional official | English[3] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 742149 |
| Telephone code | 91-3482-2xxxxx |
| Vehicle registration | WB-57, WB-58 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Murshidabad |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Murshidabad |
| Website | murshidabad |
Murshidabad (/ˈmʊərʃɪdəˌbɑːd/, /-bæd/ or /ˈmɜː-/) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.
During the 18th century, Murshidabad was a prosperous city.[5][6] It was the capital of the Bengal Subah for seventy years, with a jurisdiction covering modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. It was the seat of the hereditary Nawab of Bengal and the state's treasury, revenue office and judiciary. Murshidabad was a cosmopolitan city. Its population peaked at 100,000 in the 1750s. It was home to wealthy banking and merchant families from different parts of the Indian subcontinent and wider Eurasia, including the Jagat Seth and Armenians.
European companies, including the British East India Company, the French East India Company, the Dutch East India Company and the Danish East India Company, conducted business and operated factories around the city. Silk was a major product of Murshidabad. The city was also a center of art and culture, including ivory sculptors, Hindustani classical music and the Murshidabad style of Mughal painting.
The city's decline began with the defeat of the last independent Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The Nawab was demoted to the status of a zamindar known as the Nawab of Murshidabad. The British shifted the treasury, courts and revenue office to Calcutta. In the 19th century, the population was estimated to be 46,000. Murshidabad became a district headquarters of the Bengal Presidency. It was declared as a municipality in 1869.
- ^ "Welcome to Murshidabad Municipality". Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Census2011Govwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
- ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
- ^ William Dalrymple (10 September 2019). The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire. Bloomsbury USA. ISBN 978-1-63557-395-4.
- ^ "Which India is claiming to have been colonised?". 31 July 2015.