Bangladesh National Culture and Heritage : An Introductory Reader

Bangladesh: National Culture and Heritage offers readers a sweeping survey of the region's history, society, and culture. It explores the social, political, economic, and cultural currents that have shaped the land and its people across the ages. The term "Bangladesh" encompasses the legacy of undivided Bengal, along with the ancient territories of Vanga and its neighbors. While recorded history begins in the fourth century BCE, the land's story is far older. Waves of settlers have been absorbed into the local population throughout the centuries. As the seventeenth-century French traveller Bernier observed, "Bengal has hundred gates open for entrance, but not one for departure."

The chapters span the ancient, medieval, and modern eras, incorporating recent archaeological discoveries alongside examinations of modern education, science, and technology. Economic development, trade, agriculture, faith, the arts, architecture, painting, sculpture, language, literature, music, and folklore are all given thorough treatment. The essays, authored by leading scholars in each field and accompanied by the latest photographs and plates, make this a rich resource. Already a compulsory reader at several universities, this volume offers a comprehensive look at both historical Bengal and its present-day reality. Written in accessible language, it invites young readers to discover the diversity of Bangladesh and its heritage. For the curious, it serves as both an expert introduction and a springboard for deeper exploration, with the added opportunity to connect with the very scholars who contributed. This second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated with new articles to reflect contemporary discoveries and thinking.

Contents:

1. Land and People – Physical and Anthropological Geography; Ethnic Diversity in Bangladesh; Archaeological Sites and Monuments; Recent Archaeological Discovery: Wari-Bateshwar
2. Ancient Bangladesh – Political History; Society and Culture
3. Muslim Conquest of Bengal – Sultanate: Society and Culture; The Mughal Rule: Politics, Society and Culture; Islamization of Bengal
4. Bengal Under Colonial Rule – Politics and Society; Religious and Social Reform Movement; Evolution of Political Ideas and Movements
5. Bengali Nationalism and the Emergence of Bangladesh
6. Economic and Social Development in Bangladesh – Agriculture: Historical Perspectives; Industrialization of Bangladesh in the Nineteenth and Twentieth [...]