Table of ContentsA History of BangladeshPrehistory and Early European InfluencePakistani Conflict and Early IndependenceIndependent BangladeshFuture PromisesA History of BangladeshPrehistory and AncientHumans Probably Migrated from the Valley from the Indus to modern Bangladesh around 700 BC This year marks the first known pottery from the Ganges Delta. This culture grew and evolved into a state called Anga Mahajanpada, one of the 16 Mahajanpada, or kingdoms, of the Indian subcontinent. Anga maintained trade relations with Java, Sumatra and Siam. Anga also conquered Sri Lanka, giving it the name Sinhalese. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Anga, however, didn't last very long. It was conquered and absorbed by the Magadha Empire, which would change hands and grow until, under the Maurya dynasty, it took control of all of India. The empire eventually divided into four states, one of which was the Sunga state of Bengal. The region ruled by the Sunga state continued to change hands until the Mughal Empire conquered them in the 16th century. The Mughal Empire was an Islamic state descended from the Mongols. The founder, Babur, was descended from the second son of Genghis Khan. They attempted to convert their Hindu and Buddhist subjects to Islam, and their efforts were successful in Bengal. in 1717, Murshid Quli Khan declared independence from the collapsing Mughal Empire, thereby forming an independent Islamic state of Bengal. European influence The first Europeans to reach Bengal were the Portuguese, in the 15th century. The Mughal Kasim Khan Mashadi did not want Europeans to challenge his rule and destroyed a Portuguese fleet, killing 10,000 people. The Mughal ruler Aruangzeb, however, was more accommodating to foreign traders and sold three Bengali villages to the British. After the fall of the Mughals, the British took advantage of the disarray of the subcontinent. The British East India Company declared war on Bengal, annexing it after the decisive Battle of Plassey, despite French aid to the Bengals. The Company used the territory's fertile lands to produce bamboo, tea, sugarcane, spices, cotton, muslin and jute which were then shipped back to Europe. The Society's harsh treatment eventually sparked violent revolutions, forcing the British government to intervene. They repelled the rebels, and in 1858 ownership of Bengal was transferred to the crown. (The Viceroy of the British Raj, mind you, was probably even harsher than the Company. The British were probably just looking for an excuse to directly control Bengal.) As the independence movement throughout British-controlled India began to late 19th century Gaining momentum during the 20th century, Bengali politicians took an active role in protests, denouncing opposing forces of ethnic and religious nationalism. The British wrote a Bengal Parition in 1905, dividing the Bengal Presidency into a predominantly Hindu west (including present-day Bihar and Odisha) and a predominantly Muslim east (including Assam). Dhaka became the capital of the new province of East Bengal and Assam. But the split only lasted seven years. Protests brought about reunification in 1911. Pakistan Conflict and Early Independence During the dissolution of British India, there was much debate over where the borders of Muslim states should be andHindus. It was decided that the Muslim state would control Pakistan as well as Bengal. Despite the peaceful agreement of the states, there was a lot of violence at the borders with almost 50-50 inhabitants, where Muslims wanted to be Pakistani and Hindus wanted to be Indian. The dust eventually settled, with West Bengal being absorbed by India and East Bengal being absorbed by Pakistan. Beginning in the late 1940s, there was a rise in Bengali nationalism and friction with West Pakistan, what is today Pakistan.Pakistan. An East Pakistani named Sheik Mujibur Rahman formed a political party, called the Awami League. This party sought independence for West Pakistan and the restoration of an independent Bengali state. The West Pakistan government launched an attack on the Awami League after a cyclone disorganized its forces, imprisoning Mujibur Rahman and killing many civilians. The Awami League fled to India and gained their support for its war of independence. They started fighting Pakistan using guerrilla warfare, while Pakistan enforced harsh martial law on Bengali citizens. Pakistan began randomly killing Bengali citizens to suppress dissent. This was a really stupid idea, because for obvious reasons, Bengali citizens joined the rebellion. They even got India on their side and took over many cities. Pakistan finally surrendered on December 16, 1971. The newly independent state of Bangladesh (i.e. the nation of Bengal) adopted its constitution on November 4, 1972. The first part specifies that the state religion is Islam (although other religions are tolerated), that there must be a three-branch system (the same branches as in the United States), and what the capital, flag, etc. will be. The second part of the constitution details the rights Bangladeshi (plus Bengali, difference between ethnic and national groups) citizens have. These rights include things such as: Protection of the working class from abuse Inclusion of women in daily life Universal suffrage Free and compulsory education The right to own private property and use public property Apparently , Bangladeshis were quite liberal at the time. Neat. Too bad it didn't last. Independent BangladeshBangladesh's ideals of citizen rights did not last very long. The citizens had a lot of trust in the Awami League (and it was not for nothing that they were the ones who won them independence) and in the 1973 elections they obtained an absolute majority in the parliament led by Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh experienced a famine in 1974 and Mujibur, with his newfound power, reformed Bangladesh into a one-party socialist state. Mujibur was very Hobbesian in his thinking (look at me, I'm so smart), believing that the War of Independence had left the nation disorganized and weak; a controlling government was therefore necessary to rebuild from the debris. All other parties were banned, making the Socialist Party (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League or BAKSAL) the only party. All independent press was abolished, leaving only four public newspapers. Citizens were understandably very angry with the government because of this. The army was not immune to dissension either. A group of army officers stole a tank and stormed Mujibur's residence, killing him and his family. The only surviving relatives were his two daughters, Wehana and Hasina Wajed (interestingly, the latter is actually the current Prime Minister), who were in West Germany at the time. While his vice-president briefly held the..