Discovery of Bangladesh

Akbar Ali Khan's 'Discovery of Bangladesh' is a groundbreaking study that explores the historical roots of Bangladesh as a nation. The book won the justice Mohammad Ibrahim Gold Medal from the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh for being the most outstanding work in the arts and humanities for 1996-1998. Bangladesh is the last major nation-state to proclaim its identity, and it changed its statehood twice in less than twenty-five years, a fact that has baffled historians. This study methodologically breaks new ground in two ways: it makes explicit the underlying theories in the historical framework, and it explores the micro foundations of social and political institutions in the region.

Starting with an analysis of micro institutions at the grass-roots level, the study examines the determinants of rural settlement structures in Bangladesh. Khan puts forward the hypothesis that the lack of corporateness in rural settlements contributed to political fragmentation, instability and factionalism. He also suggests that the weakness of rural institutions provided a congenial environment for conversion to Islam in Bangladesh, while rural institutions in much of South Asia arrested the spread of Islam. This is an important work for anyone seeking to understand the enigmatic historical evolution of Bangladesh.