3 Questions
Which country shares land borders with Bangladesh?
Myanmar
Which event marked the beginning of British colonial rule in South Asia?
The Battle of Plassey
What was the main cause of the Great Bengal famine of 1770?
All of the above
Study Notes
- Bangladesh is a country in South Asia with a population of around 169 million people.
- It shares land borders with India and Myanmar, and has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal.
- The official language is Bengali.
- Bangladesh was part of the historic and ethnolinguistic region of Bengal before being divided during the Partition of India in 1947.
- It has a Bengali Muslim majority and was unified into an independent, unitary Bengal Sultanate under Muslim rule.
- Bangladesh became East Pakistan in 1947 and gained independence in 1971 after a successful armed revolution aided by India.
- It is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic based on the Westminster system.
- Bangladesh is the second-largest economy in South Asia and maintains the third-largest military in the region.
- It is a major contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world due to the Rohingya genocide.
- Bangladesh faces challenges such as corruption and the effects of climate change, but has been a leader within the Climate Vulnerable Forum.
- Bengal prospered under the Pala dynasty until 1161 AD
- Bengali language emerged in the eighth century
- Seafarers in the Bay of Bengal traded with Southeast Asia and exported Buddhist and Hindu cultures
- Islam arrived in Bengal in two phases: maritime trade and Muslim dynastic rule after the Islamic conquest
- Bengal was ruled by the Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate for a century
- Bengal Sultanate established a network of mint towns and became a commercialized and monetized economy
- Gaur became the fifth-most populous city in the world with a population of 200,000
- Mughal Empire controlled Bengal by the 17th century and established Dhaka as a fort city and commercial metropolis
- The Nawabs of Bengal became the region's de facto rulers during the 18th century
- Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British colonial rule in South Asia
- Bengal permitted the Portuguese settlement in Chittagong in 1528, becoming the first European colonial enclave in Bengal.
- The British East India Company conquered Bengal after the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
- The resulting treaty made the Mughal emperor a puppet of the British and gave the company the right to collect taxes in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
- The Permanent Settlement established the feudal zamindari system, and Company policies led to the deindustrialisation of Bengal's textile industry.
- Economic mismanagement, drought, and a smallpox epidemic led to the Great Bengal famine of 1770.
- Several rebellions broke out during the early 19th century as Company rule had displaced the Muslim ruling class from power.
- The British Indian Empire was created after the failed Indian Mutiny.
- The All India Muslim League was formed in Dhaka during the 1906 All India Muhammadan Educational Conference.
- On 3 June 1947, the Mountbatten Plan outlined the partition of British India.
- East Bengal became the most populous province of the 1947 Pakistani federation.
- East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan in 1955 and became part of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.
- East Pakistan faced economic discrimination from the central government, despite generating a significant portion of Pakistan's export revenue.
- Ethnic and linguistic discrimination was common in Pakistan's civil and military services, in which Bengalis were under-represented.
- In 1970, calls for the independence of East Bengal became louder; the Bengali-nationalist Awami League won 167 of 169 East Pakistani seats in the National Assembly.
- Military operations under the code name of Operation Searchlight began on March 26, 1971, and the Pakistan Army launched a widespread campaign of killings, torture, rape, arson, and destruction across East Pakistan.
- The Mukti Bahini emerged as the Bengali resistance force during the Bangladesh Liberation War, which lasted for nine months.
- India intervened in the war on December 3, 1971, and the capital Dhaka was liberated from Pakistani occupation in mid-December.
- The war ended with the surrender of the Pakistan Eastern Command to the Bangladesh-India Allied Forces on December 16, 1971.
- The official death toll of the war was recorded at 3 million, including victims of atrocities and those who died from starvation.
- Bangladesh was recognized as a new state by 86 countries by August 1972.
Test your knowledge on the fascinating history and culture of Bangladesh with our trivia quiz! From the country's ancient beginnings as part of the Bengal region, to its struggles for independence from Pakistan and its current status as a major player in South Asia, this quiz covers it all. See how much you know about Bangladesh's language, religion, economy, politics, and more. Don't miss the chance to learn new facts and impress your friends with your expertise on this unique and vibrant country.
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