ABID HOSSAIN AUIKYA

1921907630
HIS101.4

Short Question:
• How did Islam spread in Bengal?

Islam thrived along the Arab coastal trade routes in Bengal from the time it was
founded and had acquired early popularity on the Arabian Peninsula.
In Bengal, Indian Islamic missionaries had the most success in terms of successful
dawah and conversions to Islam. That occurred after Muhammed bin Bakhtiyar
Khilji's capture of Delhi and the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate.
During the early 14th century, Islam is supposed to have expanded over north-
eastern Bengal and Assam.
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shash created the Islamic Bengal Sultanate when the Tughlaq
dynasty lost power.

• How many Ethnic communities are there in Bangladesh? Describe the locations of
habitations of this people.

In Bangladesh, there are several indigenous peoples, each with their own distinct
culture. The social heritage of these individuals is Bangladesh's most valuable
resource, which may be preserved and enhanced via international cooperation.
The indigenous peoples, or ethnic networks as they are often known, dwell in
diverse parts of the country.
Chakmas, Manipuris, Santals, Oraons, Garos, Murong, Khasia, Magh, Kuki, Tipras,
Hajang, and other indigenous ethnic tribes inhabit Bangladesh. Each of them has
their unique dialect. However, throughout time, certain dialects have perished,
while others have become corrupted. Bangla has been recognized as the
language of the indigenous people by a great number of them. These people's
dialects are part of Bangladesh's ephemeral social legacy, and they should be
conserved and preserved. An huge number of people speak Oraon, Chakma,
Garo, Magh, Manipuri, Munda, Hajang, Tipra, and other dialects. Aside from
Chakma and Magh, however, no other indigenous language has Content.
Most ethnic groups live in the hill tracts.
Broad Question:

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 • Is Bengal ‘Renaissance ’the same as European Renaissance? Explain it in the
context of the 19th century Bengal.

Massive transformations in Bengal's society, culture, psychology, and intellect

throughout the 19th century are credited with the Bengal Renaissance. It
happened from the reign of Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833) to Rabindranath
Tagore, and was set against the backdrop of the British Indian Empire, primarily
in the city of Calcutta, according to historian Nitish Sengupta (1861-1941).
Despite the fact that there was no foreign colonialism in Europe at the time, the
Bengal Renaissance ushered in an intellectual awakening that was comparable
to the European Renaissance in the 16th century. In the sense that it protested
directly against prevailing social conventions of marriage, women's standing, the
dowry system, the Hindu caste system, and religious belief itself, this movement
was something of an insurrection. The Young Bengal movement was most likely
the first step in this direction. The notions of rationalism and atheism were
established as the conventional pillars of civil behavior by this movement. As a
result, the establishment of the Hindu College had a significant impact on the
movement's progress. The Young Bengal group, known as a group of free
thinkers, was led by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, a young Anglo-Indian Hindu
College instructor.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy's contributions

Another socio-religious movement was raging at the same time as Henry Louis
Vivian Derozio's Young Bengal movement. The Brahma Samaj movement was
started by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on August 20, 1828.
(or Society of God). Ram Mohan was born into a West Bengal Brahmin family.
He was notably adept in languages such as Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, and
Bengali, in addition to being schooled in the ordinary education system of his day
in India. He was very interested in religious knowledge, which drove him to read
the holy writings of other religions. His search for religious truth had led him to
read Sanskrit Vedas, Arabic Qur'an, and Hebrew and Greek Bibles. Over time,
he came to terms with the idea that all religions were based on the same
foundation, the moral regeneration of people. However, he was persuaded that
as time passed, these faiths would need to be readjusted and modified. All of
these moral revelations had a role in the establishment of the Brahma Samaj
movement. He was an outspoken opponent of idol worship, believing that
Hinduism was about the worship of a single deity. This was one of India's most
powerful and well-known religious groups, and it had a significant effect on the
development of modern-day India. Raja Ram Mohan was particularly well-
known for galvanizing public opinion against the heinous tradition of "Santee"
(wives committing themselves by jumping into their slain husbands' funeral pyre),

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 to the point that the Indian government was forced to outlaw it entirely through
a special law. Despite the fact that parts of Ram Mohan's theological beliefs
were influenced by Christianity and Islam, he was largely acknowledged for
ushering in the great age of Hindu reform. Raja Ram Mohan and his Brahmo
Samaj were instrumental in inciting an uprising in Indian society against some of
the country's most prevalent and major misdeeds. The Brahmo Samaj has its own
set of limits. They established a rigorous monotheistic Hinduism, which was
diametrically opposed to the diverse and complex Hinduism that existed in the
nation. Many people even claimed that the Brahma Samaj's beliefs did not reach
the ordinary populace, but rather were reserved to the society's aristocracy.
Ram Mohan was also responsible for additional contributions to the formation of
national consciousness in his country, in addition to Brahma Samaj. The principles
of Jeremy Bentham influenced him. He and other contemporary Bengali leaders
were staunch supporters of the British Empire, believing that the political benefits
enjoyed by the British people would eventually be extended to British areas in
other countries. They were, however, vehemently opposed to the British
government's prejudice towards Indians. As a result, he became involved in a
number of anti-corruption campaigns. To propagate his reformist and liberal
beliefs, Ram Mohan produced two newspapers: Sambad Kaumadi in Bengali in
1821 and Mirat-ul-Akhbar in Persian in 1822.

Pundit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's contributions

The Bengali Polymath Pundit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, like Raja Ram Mohan
Roy, was a prominent figure in the Bengal Renaissance. He was born into a
Bengali Hindu Brahmin family in the Hooghly district. His hunger for knowledge
was so strong as a young student that he would study beneath street lighting
since he couldn't afford gas lamps. He was an outstanding student who excelled
in his studies and was awarded several academic scholarships. After passing the
Sanskrit legal exams in 1839, he became the Sanskrit department head at Fort
William College in 1841. He was given the title "Vidyasagar" for his extensive
understanding of Sanskrit. Vidyasagar was known for being a strong advocate
for women's rights. He stood out among his contemporaries as a reformer. Rather
than attempting to construct alternative communities like his predecessors did, he
was more concerned in transforming society from inside. His idea, with the help
of others like Akshay Kumar Dutta, was instrumental in the introduction of
widow weddings in Hindu culture. His son, too, married a widow. The Widow
Marriage Act was enacted in 1856 as a result of his tireless efforts. During his
lifetime, he is said to have influenced 25 widow marriages. His anti-child
marriage and anti-polygamy rallies were well-known at the time. Vidyasagar
was instrumental in the establishment of Bethune School, the first Indian school for
females, in 1849. Vidyasagar was responsible for the establishment of a large

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 number of girls' schools, in addition to the Bethune School. Perhaps the most
important aspect of his contribution to the Bengal Renaissance was his support
for bereaved women and women in general.

Vidyasagar made significant contributions to the spread of the Bengali language

in addition to promoting women's rights. In Bengali, he contributed to the
development of the current writing style. He wrote the Bengali primer "Barna
Parichoy," which is still in use today. He wrote a lot in order to create public
awareness about India's societal problems.

All of the noteworthy individuals who were active in societal transformation and
were recognized as the builders of the Bengal Renaissance shared some common
ground. They were all in charge of spreading the notion of God instead of the
pre-existing polytheist Hindu beliefs. They were all outspoken opponents of
priesthood, rituals, and idolatry, among other things. They were all very
passionate about advancing women's place in society. Their constant criticism of
the caste system was crucial in bringing India's people together as a unified
country.
Comparisons to the Renaissance in Europe
The Bengal renaissance was unique from the European renaissance in several
ways. The term "renaissance" was used to describe "rebirth" in European
history. Once the long winter of the dark medieval period had passed, this word
was used to characterize the revival of Graeco-Roman learning in the 15 and
sixteenth centuries. The complexity of Bengal culture, on the other hand, was
boosted by its fraternization with Western culture once British administration was
established in 1857. Bengali intellectuals were among the first to cooperate with
the Western world to create works that would have a global impact. For over a
century, Bengali society was more cognizant of a fast modernizing world than
the rest of India. Bengalis were among the most active participants in India's and
Asia's scientific and technological advances.
Conclusion
The Bengal Renaissance in the nineteenth century gave birth to a slew of
movements aimed at improving the social systems of the time. The Young Bengal
and visionaries like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Pundit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
advocated for quite different techniques. People like Ram Mohan and
Vidyasagar were more active during the Young Bengal movement, which was
more like a storm aiming to wash away all of society's inequalities.

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