Islam in West Bengal

Last updated

Muslims in West Bengal
Motijheel-Jama-Mosque-at-Murshidabad-West-Bengal.jpg
West Bengal's oldest mosque located at Murshidabad district
Total population
24,654,825 (2011 census)
(27% of the state population)Increase2.svg [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Regions with significant populations
Majority in Murshidabad (66.3%), Maldah (51.3%), Uttar Dinajpur (50%). Significant minority in Birbhum (37.1%), South 24 Parganas (35.6%), Howrah (26.20%).
Languages
Majority Bengali, Minority Urdu, Surjapuri, and others
Zohora Begum Mosque in Kolkata Zohora Begum Mosque 4.JPG
Zohora Begum Mosque in Kolkata

According to the 2011 census, West Bengal has over 24.6 million Muslims, making up 27% of the state's population. [6] The vast majority of Muslims in West Bengal are ethnic native Bengali Muslims, numbering around over 22 million and comprising 24.1% of the state population (mostly they reside in Rural areas). There also exists an Immigrants Urdu-speaking Muslim community numbering 2.6 million, constituting 2.9% of the state population and mostly resides in Urban areas of the state. [7] [1] [3] [2] [4] [8]

Contents

Muslims form the majority of the population in three districts: Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur. [9] Among these, Uttar Dinajpur is notable as ethnic Bengali Muslims comprise 28% of the district's population, with the remaining 22% being Urdu and Surjapuri speakers. [10]

History

The Gazi Dargah (gaajii drgaa) of Tribeni (tribenii) in West Bengal. This is one of the oldest Islamic heritage structures of Bengal Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque And Dargah at Tribeni in West Bengal.jpg
The Gazi Dargah (গাজী দরগা) of Tribeni (ত্রিবেনী) in West Bengal. This is one of the oldest Islamic heritage structures of Bengal

Islam first arrived in Bengal in the year 1204. [11] The establishment of the first Muslim state in Bengal, the Bengal Sultanate, in 1352 by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah is credited to giving rise to a Bengali socio-linguistic identity. [12] The Sultanate's influence was expansive, with the Hindu-born sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah funding the construction of Islamic institutions as far as Makkah Al Mukarramah and Madinah Al Munawwarah, which came to be known as al-Madaris al-Banjaliyyah (Bengali madrasas). Sufis also became prominent in this period, such as Usman Serajuddin, also known as Akhi Siraj Bengali, who was a native of Gaur in western Bengal and became the Sultanate's court scholar during Ilyas Shah's reign. [13] [14] [15] Alongside Persian and Arabic, the Sultanate also used the Bengali language to gain patronage and support, contrary to previous states which exclusively favored liturgical languages such as Sanskrit and Pali. [16] [17] Islam became especially widespread when the region was under Mughal rule from 1576 to 1765 and was commonly known as Bengal Subah.[ citation needed ] The Mughal Emperors considered Bengal their most prized province. The Mughal emperor Akbar is credited with developing the modern Bengali calendar. [18]

The Bengal Sultanate, 16th century covering whole Western part of Bengal Bengal Sultanate.png
The Bengal Sultanate, 16th century covering whole Western part of Bengal

Population

Historical Muslim Population
YearPop.±%
1901 3,954,776    
1911 2,955,098−25.3%
1921 4,101,516+38.8%
1931 4,521,313+10.2%
1941 5,506,442+21.8%
1951 4,402,330−20.1%
1961 5,515,348+25.3%
1971 7,983,963+44.8%
1981 9,743,209+22.0%
1991 12,050,000+23.7%
2001 18,240,543+51.4%
2011 24,654,825+35.2%
Source: [19]

As per as Indian Census figures, The Muslim population have increased from (5.1 million) 20 per cent in 1951 to (24.6 million) 27 per cent in 2011 (a growth of 19.5 million in absolute numbers and an increasement of 7 per cent points from last 6 decades) respectively. [20]

Partition and immigration

The Muslim population in West Bengal before 1947 partition was around 33%. [21] After partition of Bengal in 1947, some Muslims from West Bengal left for East Pakistan, (Present-Day-Bangladesh). Estimates show that 1,634,718 Muslim refugees from West Bengal settling permanently in East Pakistan during 1947–1951. [22]

Population by district (2011)

Percentage share of Muslims in the districts of West Bengal, 2011 Census Percentage of Muslim population in West Bengal.svg
Percentage share of Muslims in the districts of West Bengal, 2011 Census
Muslims in West Bengal by district (2011) [23]
#DistrictTotal populationMuslim population %
1 Murshidabad 7,103,8074,707,57366.88%
2 South 24 Parganas 8,161,9612,903,07535.57%
3 North 24 Parganas 10,009,7812,584,68425.82%
4 Malda 3,988,8452,045,15151.27%
5 Bardhaman 7,717,5631,599,76420.73%
6 Uttar Dinajpur 3,007,1341,501,17049.92%
7 Nadia 5,167,6001,382,68226.76%
8 Birbhum 3,502,4041,298,05437.06%
9 Howrah 4,850,0291,270,64126.20%
10 Kolkata 4,496,694926,41420.60%
11 Hooghly 5,519,145870,20415.77%
12 Purba Medinipur 5,095,875743,43614.59%
13 Cooch Behar 2,819,086720,03326.54%
14 Paschim Medinipur 5,913,457620,55410.49%
15 Jalpaiguri 3,872,846445,81711.51%
16 Dakshin Dinajpur 1,676,276412,78824.63%
17 Bankura 3,596,674290,4508.08%
18 Purulia 2,930,115227,2497.76%
19 Darjeeling 1,846,823105,0865.69%

Linguistic groups

According to the 2021 census estimation, there were around 28-29 million Muslims living in West Bengal, constituting 28-29% respectively. [24] Nearly most of them (25-26% of state population), about 25-26 million are native Bengali Muslims, constituting around 90% of the total Muslim population in the state, and are mostly concentrated in rural and Semi Urban areas. The Urdu-speaking Muslims from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh constitute rest 3%, numbering around 3 million and are mainly concentrated in Kolkata, Asansol, Islampur subdivision of West Bengal. [25] [3] [26]

Notable Muslims from West Bengal

Kolkata

Malda

Murshidabad

Hooghly

Bardhaman

Birbhum

North 24 Parganas

South 24 Parganas

Howrah

Uttar Dinajpur

Midanapur

Cooch Behar

Jalpaiguri

Nadia

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Bangladesh</span>

Islam is the largest and the state religion of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. According to the 2022 census, Bangladesh had a population of about 150 million Muslims, or 91.04% of its total population of 165 million. Muslims of Bangladesh are predominant native Bengali Muslims. The majority of Bangladeshis are Sunni, and follow the Hanafi school of fiqh. Bangladesh is a de facto secular country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nawab Abdul Latif</span> Bengali aristocrat, educator and social worker (1828–1893)

Nawab Bahadur QaziAbdul Latif was a Bengali Muslim aristocrat, educator and social worker. His title, Nawab was awarded by the British in 1880. He was one of the first Muslims in 19th-century India to embrace the idea of modernisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Bengal</span> Eastern wing of the Dominion of Pakistan (1947–1955)

East Bengal ( was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 1955, when it was renamed as East Pakistan. East Bengal had a coastline along the Bay of Bengal to the south, and bordered India to the north, west, and east and shared a small border with Burma to the southeast. It was situated near, but did not share a border with Nepal, Tibet, the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Kingdom of Sikkim. Its capital was Dacca, now known as Dhaka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nawab of Dhaka</span>

The Nawab of Dhaka, originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of one of the largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of nawab, similar to the British peerage, was conferred upon the head of the family by Queen Victoria as a recognition of the first Nawab's loyalty and contribution to the social welfare activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhuiyan</span> Surname list

Bhuiyan was a title for landowners in medieval Bengal and Assam. It has been adopted as a surname by different communities in West Bengal, Assam, and Bangladesh.

Kazi is a family name in Bengal, it originates from the Arabic qadi meaning judge and is typically used among Muslims. Kazi, also spelt Qazi and Quazi, is a title awarded to Islamic judges, commonly used hereditarily in Bengal as a family name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ubaidullah Al Ubaidi Suhrawardy</span> Professor, translator and writer

Ubaidullah Al Ubaidi Suhrawardy was a Bengali Islamic scholar, educationist and writer from Midnapore. He is often regarded as the Father of modern Islamic education in Bengal.

Bengalis in Pakistan are ethnic Bengali people who had lived in either West Pakistan or East Pakistan prior to 1971 or live in present-day Pakistan. Most Pakistani Bengalis, are bilingual speaking both Urdu and Bengali and are mainly settled in Karachi. Bengalis that arrived in Pakistan before 1971 have now assimilated with the Urdu-speaking people in Karachi.

Sujapur Assembly constituency is an assembly constituency in Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengali Muslims</span> Bengalis who follow Islam

Bengali Muslims are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ethnic group among Muslims after Arabs. Bengali Muslims make up the majority of Bangladesh's citizens, and are the largest minority in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubi Noor</span> Indian politician

Rubi Noor was an Indian politician and the leader of the Indian National Congress who served as four term MLA from Sujapur. She was younger sister of A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury and mother of Mausam Noor.

Chowdhury is a title of honour, usually hereditary, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an adaption from Sanskrit. During the Mughal rule, it was a title awarded to eminent people, while during British rule, the term was associated with zamindars and social leaders. The common female equivalent was Chowdhurani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengal Provincial Muslim League</span> Branch of the All India Muslim League in British Indian Bengal (1912-1947)

The Bengal Provincial Muslim League (BPML) was the branch of the All India Muslim League in the British Indian province of Bengal. It was established in Dhaka on 2 March 1912. Its official language was Bengali. The party played an important role in the Bengal Legislative Council and in the Bengal Legislative Assembly, where two of the Prime Ministers of Bengal were from the party. It was vital to the creation of the Dominion of Pakistan, particularly after its election victory in 1946.

Rahimunnessa was an 18th-century female Bengali Muslim poet. She wrote poetry in medieval Bengali, notable works of hers include a Bengali translation of the Persian Laily Majnu and the poem Payar Chhanda.

Ajmal Ali Choudhury was a Pakistani politician and former Minister of Commerce of Pakistan. He was also a member of the 4th National Assembly of Pakistan. His close relationship with Muhammad Ali Jinnah and contributions during the 1947 Sylhet referendum led to him being known as the Sylhet's Quaid by his supporters. However, he became heavily criticised after supporting Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

References

  1. 1 2 "Population of West Bengal - West Bengal Population 2021".
  2. 1 2 "West Bengal assembly elections: Why getting Muslims votes could be tough for Mamata Banerjee". Times of India. 6 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Why the 30% Muslim vote share is crucial in Bengal, explains Robin Roy".
  4. 1 2 "West Bengal Population 2022".
  5. Census of India - Religious Composition
  6. "Why the 30% Muslim vote share is crucial in Bengal, explains Robin Roy".
  7. Jayanta Ghosal (21 April 2021). "Decoding the Muslim vote in West Bengal". India Today. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  8. misu-2011-census.html "Census 2011 shows Islam is the fastest growing religion in India". Mint. 26 August 2015.{{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  9. Saibal Sen (26 August 2015). "Bengal beats India in Muslim growth rate".
  10. hajarduar (22 October 2013). "The curious case of the Surjapuri people". আলাল ও দুলাল | ALAL O DULAL. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  11. http://pu.edu.pk  › historyPDF the diffusion of islam in bengal - Punjab University
  12. Ahmed, ABM Shamsuddin (2012). "Iliyas Shah". In Islam, Sirajul; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN   984-32-0576-6. OCLC   52727562. OL   30677644M . Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  13. 'Abd al-Haqq al-Dehlawi. Akhbarul Akhyar.
  14. Abdul Karim (2012). "Shaikh Akhi Sirajuddin Usman (R)". In Islam, Sirajul; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN   984-32-0576-6. OCLC   52727562. OL   30677644M . Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  15. Hanif, N (2000). Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis: South Asia. Prabhat Kumar Sharma, for Sarup & Sons. p. 35.
  16. "What is more significant, a contemporary Chinese traveler reported that although Persian was understood by some in the court, the language in universal use there was Bengali. This points to the waning, although certainly not yet the disappearance, of the sort of cosmopolitan mentality that the Muslim ruling class in Bengal had exhibited since its arrival over two centuries earlier. It also points to the survival and eventual dominance of parochial Bengali culture at the highest level of official society." ( Eaton 1993 :60)
    Eaton, Richard M. (1993). The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760 . University of California. ISBN   978-0-520-20507-9 . Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  17. Rabbani, AKM Golam (7 November 2017). "Politics and Literary Activities in the Bengali Language during the Independent Sultanate of Bengal". Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics. 1 (1): 151–166. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017 via www.banglajol.info.
  18. Shoaib Daniyal (15 April 2015). "Bengali New Year: how Akbar invented the modern Bengali calendar". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  19. Nahid Kamal. "The Population Trajectories of Bangladesh and West Bengal During the Twentieth Century: A Comparative Study" (PDF).
  20. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/politicising-demography-magazine-284973
  21. "Muslims of West Bengal" (PDF). core.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  22. Chatterji, Joya (2007). The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947–1967. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-1-139-46830-5.
  23. Population by religious community: West Bengal. 2011 Census of India.
  24. "Mamata's Muslim Gameplan". 17 January 2021.
  25. "Owaisi's entry into Bengal likely to unsettle TMC's sway over minorities | India News - Times of India". The Times of India . 13 November 2020.
  26. "West Bengal elections 2021: Mamata Banerjee and Muslim votes - Times of India". The Times of India .