Some information about Bengali People & their Ancient History And Origin and History of Bengali New Year including Celebrating of Pahela Baishak , ( callected from internate )


ভূমিকা ;-

          লিখেছেনঃ লিও  , ( সৌজন্যে  সচলায়তন ) 
ভূতাত্ত্বিকদের মতে বিশ্বের বৃহত্তম ব-দ্বীপ তথা ‘বাংলাদেশ’ নামক ভূখণ্ডের সৃষ্টি হয়েছিল মোটামুটিভাবে ১০-৬৫ লক্ষ বছর আগে। ৬৫০-৯০০ খ্রিস্টাব্দের মধ্যে রচিত চর্যাপদে প্রথম ‘বাংলা’ শব্দটার হদিশ পাওয়া যায়। চর্যাপদের ভাষাটা আলো-আঁধারির ভাষা। অর্থাৎ এর কিছু অংশ বুঝা যায়, কিছু অংশ বুঝা যায় না। সন্ধ্যাবেলার আলোছায়ার মতো এ ভাষা সান্ধ্য-ভাষা নামেও পরিচিত। চর্যাপদের অনেকজন রাইটারের মাঝে একজনের নাম ভুসুকুপা। উনি এক বাঙালি নারীকে বিবাহ করেছিলেন। তাই উনাকে নিয়েও চর্যাপদে একটি পদ রচিত হয়েছিল, অনেকটা এরকম, “ভুসুকু তুই বঙ্গাল হয়ে গেলি?”। অর্থাৎ বাঙালিকে তখন নিচু জাত হিসেবে ধরা হতো। 


বাঙালিদের আদি পুরুষেরা ইন্দুস ভ্যালিতে থাকতেন। উনারা জাতিতে প্রো-অস্ট্রালয়েড ছিলেন। আজ নিউজিল্যান্ডে যেই মাউরি উপজাতির দেখা মেলে, উনারা অস্ট্রালয়েড। আমাদের পূর্বপুরুষের রক্তধারী। মধ্য এশিয়া থেকে আসা আর্যরা অস্ট্রালয়েডদের ওখান থেকে বিতারিত করেন। তাই উনারা সরে গিয়ে নর্থ বেঙ্গলের দিকে বসতি গড়লেন। আজো ওখানে দ্রাব্রিড় গোষ্ঠীর দেখা মেলে, দেখা মেলে সাঁওতালদের। বাংলাদেশে প্রথম সভ্যতার নাম সাঁওতাল সভ্যতা। উনাদের রক্তের সাথে খুব ক্ষুদ্র পরিমাণে আর্য রক্ত মিশেছিল। তাই আজো আমাদের সমাজে কিছু আর্য রক্তধারীদের দেখা যায়। আপনার বন্ধুদের মধ্যে যার গায়ের রঙ হলদে, লম্বা-শক্ত দেহাবয়ব, তিনি শরীরে আর্য রক্ত ধারণ করছেন। মঙ্গোলিয়ান লম্বা কিন্তু ফরসা। আপনার বন্ধুদের মধ্যে মঙ্গোলিয়ান রক্তধারীও আছেন।


তুর্কি-আফগান আগমনের পর অর্থাৎ ১২০০ সালের পর এই অঞ্চলকে ‘বাঙ্গালাহ’ নামে প্রথম সূচীত করা হয়। তারপর কালক্রমে তা ‘বাংলা’-য় রূপ নেয়। আকবরের ৯ জন উপদেষ্টা ছিলেন। উনাদের নবরত্ন বলা হতো। একজনের নাম আবুল ফজল। উনার আইন-ই-আকবরি গ্রন্থে প্রথম প্রিন্টেড রূপে ‘বঙ্গাল’ শব্দটা পাওয়া যায়। সন্ধি বিচ্ছেদে ‘বঙ্গ+আল=বঙ্গাল’। ‘আল’ শব্দটার অর্থ জমির বিভাজন রেখা। এই দেশের জমি সব জায়গায় বিভক্ত। মানুষও বিভক্ত। তাই গ্যাঞ্জাম করে বেশী। এই ধারা তখনো ছিল, এখনো আছে।


প্রায় একই সময়ে সুফিদের মাধ্যমে এদিকে ইসলামাগমনের কারণে আমাদের রক্তের সাথে মিশে যায় তুর্কি, পারসিয়ান, এরাবিয়ান, ইথিওপিয়ান ও আবিসিনিয়ান ব্লাড। রাজশাহীতে শাহ মকদুম, চিটাগাঙে বারো আউলিয়ার আস্তানা কিংবা সিলেটে ৩৬০ আউলিয়ার আস্তানায় উনারা এসেছিলেন, ভালবেসেছিলেন। তবে সৌদি থেকে ইসলামটা বিভিন্ন দেশে বিভিন্নভাবে প্রবেশ করেছে। পাকিস্তানে ইসলামের আনুষ্ঠানিকতা বেশী, বাংলাদেশের ইসলামে আন্তরিকতা বেশী। এইটার মূল কারণটা সুফিবাদ।


তারপর আসলো বণিকের দল। মিশে গেল পর্তুগীজ, ডাচ, ফ্রেঞ্চ ও ইংলিশ রক্ত। চিটাগাঙের দিকে প্রধানত বণিকের রক্ত মেলে। বরিশাল নামটাই পর্তুগীজ। দক্ষিন-পশ্চিমের দিকে পর্তুগীজদের বেশী পাওয়া যায়। রিষ্ট-পুষ্ট-তামাটে গড়ন। পর্তুগীজ Barra(বারে) সাহেবের Sale বা, স্ত্রী-র নাম থেকেই ‘বরিশাল’ নামটার উৎপত্তি। বরিশালে উনার নামে খননকৃত একটি পুকুরও আছে। ইংলিশরাও ছড়িয়ে গেছেন। কলকাতায় অ্যাংলো-ইন্ডিয়ানদের দেখা পাওয়া যায়। উনাদের পিতা ইংলিশ ও মাতা বাঙালি ছিলেন।


আমেরিকাকে বিশ্বের ‘মেল্টিং পট’ বলা হয়। হাজারো পদের জাতিগোষ্ঠীর মিশ্রিত রূপ আজকের এই আমেরিকা। ওদের নিজস্ব জাতীয়তা বলে কিছু নেই। ‘’আমেরিকান ট্রেজার’ মুভিটা দেখলে দেখবেন যে ওরা জোড়াতালি আর মিথের সমন্বয়ে একটা কাল্পনিক হিস্ট্রির অবয়ব দেয়ার চেষ্টা করছেন! আশ্চর্যজনক হলেও সত্য যে, আজ বিশ্বের নেতৃত্ব যার হাতে, সেই আমেরিকানদের কোন নিজস্ব জাতিসত্ত্বা নেই! ওদের প্রগ্রেসের কারণটা ডিফ্রেন্ট। ওরা সকল দেশ থেকে ব্রেইনটা ড্রেইন আউট করে নিজের দেশে নিয়ে গিয়েছে। ফলে আজ আপনি মাদারটেকে বসে আমেরিকানদের গালিগালাজ করলেও, ঐ দেশের ভিসা পাহিবামাত্র সেই গালিগালাজ বাদ দিয়ে দেন। আপনার বিপ্লবটা গরম হয়, স্ফিত হয়, প্রসারিত হয় কিন্তু দীর্ঘজীবী হয় না। বামপন্থা হারবাল ইউজ করেও সেই দীর্ঘজীবনের দেখা মেলে না।


বর্তমানে বাংলাদেশে ৯৮% বাঙালি এবং প্রায় ২% অন্যান্য ক্ষুদ্র নৃ-গোষ্ঠীর সদস্যরা বসবাস করছেন, সংখ্যায় ৪৭ লাখ। আমাদের এনথ্রোপলজিকাল হিস্ট্রিটা অর্থাৎ রক্তের ইতিহাসটা কিছুটা অ্যামেরিকান ধারার। তাই আমাদের কালচারটাও মিক্সড। তাই আমেরিকাকে বিশ্বের ‘মেল্টিং পট’ বলা হলে বাংলাদেশকেও বিশ্বের ‘মিনি মেল্টিং পট’ বলা যায়। একারণেই আমাদের চিন্তা-ভাবনা মিক্সড। ফিলোসফিও ডিফ্রেন্ট। মতাদর্শ ভিন্ন। এটাকে ‘সিঙ্ক্রিয়াসস্টিক’ কালচার বলা চলে।না।.......  অসমাপ্ত   ৷


         
বাংলা সন কোথা থেকে এলো?


বাংলা সনের উৎপত্তি নিয়ে দু’টি মত রয়েছে। ধারণা করা হয় প্রাচীন বঙ্গদেশের রাজা শশাঙ্ক বাংলা সন চালু করেন। রাজা শশাঙ্কের রাজত্বকাল ছিলো আনুমানিক ৫৯০ থেকে ৬২৫ খ্রিস্টাব্দ পর্যন্ত। সুতরাং সে সময় বাংলা সন চালু হলে হিজরি সাল নয় বরং জুলীয় বর্ষপঞ্জী কিংবা গ্রেগরীয় বর্ষপঞ্জীর সাথে তাল মিলিয়েই বাংলা সনের সূচনা হয়েছে বলে ধরে নেয়া যায়।
দ্বিতীয় মতটিই সবচেয়ে নির্ভরযোগ্য মত হিসেবে বিবেচিত হয়। ধারণা করা হয়, ১৫৮৪ খ্রিস্টাব্দে মুঘল সম্রাট আকবর বাংলা সনের গোড়াপত্তন করেন। ১৫৮৪ খ্রিস্টাব্দে প্রথম গণনা শুরু হলেও বাংলা সনের আরম্ভ ধরা হয় সম্রাট আকবরের সিংহাসনে আরোহনের সময়কাল অর্থাৎ ১৫৫৬ সাল থেকে। আরবি হিজরি সালের সাথে তাল মিলিয়ে বাংলা সনের সূচনা হয় এবং প্রাথমিক লগ্নে এই গণনা পদ্ধতি ‘তারিখ-ই-এলাহি’ নামে পরিচিত ছিলো।
মূলত বাদশাহ আকবরের রাজত্বকালে রাজস্ব আদায়ে কিছু সুবিধার জন্যই এই বাংলা সনের জন্ম ঘটে। হাজারও দেব-দেবীর পূজাকারী এই ভারতের হিন্দুরা তখন সৌর বছর অনুযায়ী তাঁদের দিন গণনা করতো। কিন্তু মুসলিম মোঘল শাসকগণ আরবি চন্দ্র বছর অনুযায়ী দিন গণনা করতে অভ্যস্ত ছিলো। ফলে স্থানীয় কৃষকদের চাষাবাদের সময় আর বাদশাহের রাজস্ব আদায়ের দিনক্ষণে বিরাট সমস্যা সৃষ্টি হয়।
এই সমস্যার সমাধান খুঁজতে গিয়েই বাদশাহ আকবর প্রখ্যাত বৈজ্ঞানিক এবং জ্যোতির্বিদ আমির ফাতুল্লাহ শিরাজী’র পরামর্শে বাংলা সনের গোড়াপত্তন করেন।
বাংলা সন যেহেতু হিজরি সালের পিছন পিছন এগিয়ে যায় তাই চন্দ্র ও সৌর বছরের মাঝে সময়ের একটা পার্থক্য থেকেই যায়। এই সমস্যা নিরসনের জন্য ১৯৬৬ সালের ১৭ই ফেব্রুয়ারী ভাষাবিজ্ঞানী ড. মুহাম্মদ শহীদুল্লাহের নেতৃত্বে বাংলা একাডেমীর তত্ত্বাবধায়নে বাংলা সনে একটু পরিবর্তন আনা হয়।
পরিবর্তন অনুযায়ী বৈশাখ থেকে ভাদ্র মাস পর্যন্ত প্রত্যেক মাস কে ৩১ দিন এবং আশ্বিন থেকে চৈত্র মাস পর্যন্ত ৩০ দিনের হিসাবে গননা করা শুরু হয়। এছাড়া চার বছর পর পর ফাল্গুন মাসকে এক দিন বাড়িয়ে ধরা হয় শুধুমাত্র লিপ ইয়ারের সঙ্গে তাল মিলিয়ে চলার জন্য।
নববর্ষকে ঘিরে মুসলিম মোঘল শাসনামলে কোনরকম বাড়াবাড়ি না থাকলেও পুণ্যাহের দিন (রাজস্ব আদায়ের দিন) অল্পস্বল্প আনন্দ-ফূর্তি করা হতো। কালক্রমে সেই আনন্দ-ফুর্তিই বর্তমানের রূপ পেয়েছে।
এই হচ্ছে বাংলা সনের উৎপত্তির ঘটনা। বলে রাখা ভালো, যদি দ্বিতীয় মতটি সঠিক হয়, তাহলে বাংলা সনের বয়স খুব বেশি নয়।
( calected from an online paper )
       

    The Bengali people (বাঙালি Bangali), not to be confused with Bangladeshi people, are the principal ethnic group to the region ofBengal, which is politically divided between Bangladesh and India. The Bengali language (বাংলা Bangla) is associated with the Bengali people as the predominant native tongue. They are natively concentrated in the nation of Bangladesh and in the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura.

      Ancient history 

Remnants of civilisation in the greater Bengal region date back 4,000 years, when the region was settled by Dravidian,Tibeto-Burman and Austroasiatic peoples. The origin of the word Bangla ~ Bengal is unknown, though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang that settled in the area around the year 1000 BCE.[25]
After the arrival of Indo-Aryans, the kingdoms of Anga, Vanga and Magadha were formed in and around Bengal and were first described in the Atharvaveda around 1000 BCE. From the 6th century BCE, Magadha expanded to include most of the Bihar and Bengal regions. It was one of the four main kingdoms of India at the time of Buddha and was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. Under the Maurya Empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya, Magadha extended over nearly all of South Asia, including parts ofBalochistan and Afghanistan, reaching its greatest extent under the Buddhist emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE.[26]One of the earliest foreign references to Bengal is the mention of a land ruled by the king Xandrammes named Gangaridai by theGreeks around 100 BCE. The word is speculated to have come from Gangahrd (Land with the Ganges in its heart) in reference to an area in Bengal.[27] Later from the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE, the kingdom of Magadha served as the seat of the Gupta Empire.

Middle Ages 

One of the first recorded independent king of Bengal was Shashanka, reigning around the early 7th century. After a period of anarchy, Gopala came to power in 750. He founded the Bengali Buddhist Pala Empire which ruled the region for four hundred years, and expanded across much of Southern Asia, from Assam in the northeast, to Kabul in the west, to Andhra Pradesh in the south. Atisha was a renowned Bengali Buddhist teacher who was instrumental in revival of Buddhism in Tibet and also held the position of Abbot at the Vikramshila university. Tilopa was also from Bengal region.
The Pala dynasty was later followed by a shorter reign of the Hindu Sena Empire. Islam was introduced to Bengal in the twelfth century by Sufi missionaries. Subsequent Muslim conquests helped spread Islam throughout the region.[29] Bakhtiar Khilji, an Turkic people general of the Slave dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, defeated Lakshman Sen of the Sena dynasty and conquered large parts of Bengal. Consequently, the region was ruled by dynasties of sultans and feudal lords under the Delhi Sultanate for the next few hundred years. Islam was introduced to the Sylhet region by the Muslim saint Shah Jalal in the early 14th century. Mughal general Man Singh conquered parts of Bengal including Dhaka during the time of Emperor Akbar. Few Rajput tribes from his army permanently settled around Dhaka and surrounding lands. Later on, in the early 17th century, Islam Khan conquered all of Bengal. However, administration by governors appointed by the court of the Mughal Empire gave way to semi-independence of the area under the Nawabs of Murshidabad, who nominally respected the sovereignty of the Mughals in Delhi. After the weakening of the Mughal Empire with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, Bengal was ruled independently by the Nawabs until 1757, when the region was annexed by the East India Company after the Battle of Plassey.

Bengal Renaissance 

The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the region ofBengal in undivided India during the period of British rule. The Bengal renaissance can be said to have started with reformer and humanitarian Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1775–1833), considered the "Father of the Bengal Renaissance", and ended with Asia's first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), although there have been many stalwarts thereafter embodying particular aspects of the unique intellectual and creative output.[30] Nineteenth century Bengal was a unique blend of religious and social reformers, scholars, literary giants, journalists, patriotic orators and scientists, all merging to form the image of a renaissance, and marked the transition from the 'medieval' to the 'modern'.[31]
Other figures have been considered to be part of the Renaissance. Swami Vivekananda is considered a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and America[32] and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a world religion during the 1800s.[33] Jagadish Chandra Bose was a Bengali polymath: a physicist, biologist, botanist,archaeologist, and writer of science fiction[34] who pioneered the investigation of radio and microwave optics, made significant contributions to plant science, and laid the foundations of experimental science in the Indian subcontinent.[35] He is considered one of the fathers of radio science,[36] and is also considered the father of Bengali science fiction. Satyendra Nath Bose was a Bengali physicist, specializing in mathematical physics. He is best known for his work on quantum mechanics in the early 1920s, providing the foundation for Bose–Einstein statistics and the theory of the Bose–Einstein condensate. He is honoured as the namesake of theboson.

Independence movement

Bengal played a major role in the Indian independence movement, in which revolutionary groups such as Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar were dominant. Bengalis also played a notable role in the Indian independence movement. Many of the early proponents of the freedom struggle, and subsequent leaders in movement were Bengalis such asChittaranjan Das, Khwaja Salimullah, Surendranath Banerjea, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Titumir (Sayyid Mir Nisar Ali), Prafulla Chaki, A. K. Fazlul Huq, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Bagha Jatin, Khudiram Bose, Surya Sen, Binoy-Badal-Dinesh, Sarojini Naidu, Aurobindo Ghosh, Rashbehari Bose.
Some of these leaders, such as Netaji, did not subscribe to the view that non-violent civil disobedience was the best way to achieve Indian Independence, and were instrumental in armed resistance against the British force. Netaji was the co-founder and leader of the Indian National Army (distinct from the army of British India) that challenged British forces in several parts of India. He was also the head of state of a parallel regime, the Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind, that was recognized and supported by the Axis powers. Bengal was also the fostering ground for several prominent revolutionary organisations, the most notable of which was Anushilan Samiti. A number of Bengalis died during the independence movement and many were imprisoned in Cellular Jail, the much notorious prison in Andaman.

Partitions of Bengal  

Bangladesh Liberation War

Religion

Religions in Bengal Region
Religion


Percent

Muslim
  
55.9%
Hindu
  
42.05%
Buddhist
  
0.6%
Others
  
1.45%
Religions in Bangladesh[37]
Religion


Percent

Muslim
  
86.6%
Hindu
  
12.1%
Buddhist
  
1%
Others
  
0.3%

Religions in West Bengal[38]
Religion


Percent

Hindu
  
72%
Muslim
  
25.2%
Buddhist
  
0.2%
Others
  
2.6%
Main articles: Demographics of Bangladesh, Demographics of West Bengal, Demographics of Tripura, and Demographics of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The largest religions practiced in Bengal are Islam and Hinduism. In Bangladesh 86.6% of the population follow Islam (US State Department est. 2007) while 12.1% follow Hinduism. In West Bengal, Hindus are the majority with 72% of the population whileMuslims comprise 25.2%. Other religious groups include Buddhists compromising around 1% of the population in Bangladesh and the others are Christians.[21]

Culture 

Bengali cuisine 

Bengali cuisine is the culinary style originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, which is now divided between Bangladesh and West Bengal . Other regions, such as Tripura, and the Barak Valley region of Assam (in India) also have large native Bengali populations and share this cuisine. With an emphasis on fish,vegetables and lentils served with rice as a staple diet, Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle flavours, and its huge spread of confectioneries and desserts. It also has the only traditionally developed multi-course tradition from the Indian subcontinent that is analogous in structure to the modern service à la russe style of French cuisine, with food served course- wise rather than all at once.

Festivals 

West Bengal celebrates many holidays and festivals. The Bengali proverb "Baro Mase Tero Parbon" ("Thirteen festivals in twelve months") indicates the abundant of festivity in the state. In West Bengal throughout the year many festivals are celebrated. Durga Puja is solemnized as perhaps the most significant of all celebrations in Bengal.

Bengali language 

Bengali or Bangla is the language native to the region of Bengal, which comprises present-day Bangladesh and the Indian states West Bengal, Tripura and southern Assam. It is written using the Bengali script. With about 220 million native and about 250 million total speakers, Bengali is one of the most spoken languages, ranked seventh in the world.[39][40] The National Anthem of Bangladesh, National Anthem of India, National Anthem of Sri Lanka and the national song of India were first composed in the Bengali language.
Along with other Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, Bengali evolved circa 1000–1200 CE from eastern Middle Indo-Aryan dialects such as the Magadhi Prakrit and Pali, which developed from a dialect or group of dialects that were close, but not identical to, Vedic and Classical Sanskrit.

Bengali literature

The earliest extant work in Bengali literature is the Charyapada, a collection of Buddhist mystic songs dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries. Thereafter, the timeline of Bengali literature is divided into two periods − medieval (1360-1800) and modern (after 1800). Bengali literature is one of the enriched literature in Modern India.

Old Bengali literature

The first works in Bengali, written in new Bengali, appeared between 10th and 12thcenturies C.E. It is generally known as the Charyapada . These are mystic songs composed by various Buddhist seer-poets:Luipada, Kanhapada, Kukkuripada, Chatilpada, Bhusukupada, Kamlipada, Dhendhanpada, Shantipada, Shabarapada etc. The famous Bengali linguist Haraprasad Shastri discovered the palm leaf Charyapada manuscript in the Nepal Royal Court Library in 1907.

Middle Bengali literature  ]

The Middle Bengali Literature is a period in the history of Bengali literature dated from 15th to 18th centuries. Following Mughal invasion of Bengal in the 13th century, literature in vernacular Bengali began to take shape. The oldest example of Middle Bengali Literature is believed to be Shreekrishna Kirtana by Boru Chandidas.

Modern Bengali literature ]

In the middle of 19th century, Bengali literature gained momentum. During this period, the Bengali Pandits of Fort William College did the tedious work of translating the text books in Bengali to help teach the British some Indian languages including Bengali. This work played a role in the background in the evolution of Bengali prose.

Notable people

Noted Bengali saints, authors, scientists, researchers, thinkers, music composers, painters and film-makers have played a significant role in the development of Bengali culture . The Bengal Renaissance of the 19th and early 20th centuries was brought about after the British introduced Western education and ideas. Among the various Indian cultures, the Bengalis were relatively quick to adapt to the British rule and actually used its principles (such as the judiciary and the legislature) in the subsequent political struggle for independence. The Bengal Renaissance contained the seeds of a nascent political Indian nationalism and was the precursor in many ways to modern Indian artistic and cultural expression.
Famous Bengali musicians include Lalon Fakir, Baba Alauddin Khan, Rajanikanta Sen, Atulprasad Sen, Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Ajoy Chakrabarty, Pankaj Mullick, R. C. Boral, Anil Biswas, Sachin Dev Burman, Rahul Dev Burman, Salil Chowdhury. Famous Bengali singers include Krishna Chandra Dey, Pankaj Mullick, Debabrata Biswas, Suchitra Mitra, Ritu Guha, Kanika Banerjee, Kishore Kumar, Kumar Sanu, Chinmay Chattopadhyay, Abbas Uddin, Runa Laila, Dhananjay Bhattacharya, Pannalal Bhattacharya, Nirmalendu Choudhury, Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, Hemanta Mukherjee, Manna Dey, Shyamal Mitra, Ram Kumar Chattopadhyay,Geeta Dutt, Sandhya Mukherjee, Srikanta Acharya, Nachiketa, Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan, Bappi Lahiri, Abhijeet, Kalim Sharafi, Kabir Suman and Rezwana Chowdhury Banya.
Famous Bengali entrepreneurs include Birendranath Sircar, Sake Dean Mahomed, Amar Bose, Jawed Karim and Subrata Roy.
Chhanda Gayen was a mountaineer, martial artist, explorer, teacher of self-defense, best known for being the first civilian woman from India to climb to the summit of Mount Everest (at 7 A.M.,18 May 2013). She summited Mount Everest and Lhotse in 2013 in the same expedition.

 

  (  Source ;-   Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

 

The Origin of Bangla new year and celebrating Pahela Baishakh

Syed Ashraf Ali


Pahela BaishakhWE celebrate Pahela Baishakh or the Bangla New Year's Day today. Everything under the sun looks gay and cheerful and colourful, one is suddenly struck by the beauty of the grass, the sky, the trees - each and everything around looks pretty and radiates joy and happiness. It seems that the tired and weary sun of 1405 that set last evening carried along with it all the gloom, all the sorrows, all the melancholy and misery. Nothing that is painful or dull or dreary is left for 1406, and the sun rising with a new spirit and vigour this morning, rises in its full glory, radiating nothing gloomy, nothing sad, nothing pensive but only hope and happiness for the days to come.

Pahela Baishakh is indeed a momentous occasion in the life of each and every Bengalee. It is the first day of Bangla calendar year. To every Bengalee, young and old, rich and poor, wise and ignorant, it is a time of gaiety to be celebrated with great merry-making, to be enjoyed in every possible manner, an occasion which enables us, in the words of Tennyson, to drink life to the lees.' It is a cruel irony of fate that a few orthodox Muslims in our country, shrouded by sheer ignorance, look down upon this Nababarsha festival, simply because they inadvertently consider it to be a festival of non-Muslim origin. But there is no shadow of doubt that the Bangla calendar that we follow today was introduced by the Muslims in this sub-continent.
The Pahela Baishakh so warmly celebrated all over the country today originated not from Bangladesh, but from an entirely different part of this sub-continent more than thousand miles away. What is more, the Bangla Saal was introduced not by any Bangladeshi but by a non-Bengalee in whose grandfather's vein flowed the blood of both Gengis Khan and Tamerlane.
Yes, what is popularly known as Bangla Saal today saw the light of day through an ordinance promulgated by Akbar the Great, the renowned grandson of Zahiruddin Muhammad Babar whose mother and father were descendants of Gengis Khan and Tamerlane respectively. It was to immortalise a momentous occasion, a crucial juncture of history that the great Moghul introduced this new system of calendar 415 years ago.
The calendar so introduced was originally known as Tarikh-e-Elahi and it was introduced on the 10th or the 11th March in the 29th year of Akbar's reign i.e. in 1585 A. D. It , however, dates from the day of Akbar's ascension to the throne of Delhi and commemorates his coronation as the Emperor of India in 1556. The Second Battle of Panipath and the Coronation of Akbar as the Emperor of India are indeed great events in the annals of history. The Moguls had nearly lost the throne of Delhi for good. Akbar was not even an adult when the life of Humayun was suddenly cut short on the stairs of his own library.
What is more, the mighty and competent Hindu general Himu, the Commander-in-Chief of Islam Shah, had conquered both Delhi and Agra and declared himself Raj Chakravarty. It seemed that the days of the Great Moghuls were numbered and they would be driven out from the sub-continent for ever. But the brave and indomitable Akbar rose to the occasion and faced the music with courage and conviction. With the able guidance and help of Bairam Khan, Akbar created history by defeating the invincible' army of Himu at the Second Battle of Panipat on the 5th of November, 1556. This was indeed a momentous occasion in the annals of history. It not only re- established the Moghul dynasty on the Indian soil but also ensured its continuation for many a year to come. As a result, the Moghuls ruled over this sub-continent with glory and greatness for three hundred years more. It was the greatest achievement in Akbar's chequered life and undoubtedly one of the greatest events in the Moghul history. It was to glorify and immortalise the historic event and also to facilitate the collection of revenue during harvest in a more systematic way that Akbar the Great introduced Tarikh-e-Elahi form the 10th of Rabiul Awal in 963 A.H.
It may be mentioned in this connection that from the very beginning of his reign, Akbar felt the need of introducing a uniform scientific, workable and acceptable system of calculating days and months through a reformed calendar. With this end in view, he commissioned Amir Fathullah Shirazi, a distinguished scientist and the most famous astronomer of the day, to make a recommendation for the reformed calendar. Abul Fazal, the renowned scholar and a minister of Akbar the Great, in his scholarly work Akbar Namah, gives details of the events leading to the new era under the Royal Forman of Akbar. Abul Fazal explains that the use of the Hijrah (Hegira) Era was unfair to the peasantry, because 31 lunar years were equal to 30 solar years and the revenue was collected on the basis of lunar years whereas the harvest depended on the solar ones. Abul Fazal was right because the lunar year consists of 354 days and the solar years has 365 or 366 days. Thus there is difference of II or 12 days between the lunar and the solar years.
The Forman (Royal Proclamation) ran as follows: "In this dominion adorning time and auspicious epoch, when a Qarn (cycle) of the victorious session on throne of sovereignty has elapsed, and good day of fortune has begun to smile, a world- obeyed' Forman was issued to the effect that the governors of the Imperial dominions, and the other offices of state and finance, who in accordance with their degrees and positions, are recipients of the royal favou rs, should know as follows:
'Whereas the great officers of the court have represented to us as follows:" It is not hidden from the Inspired Kind that the object of establishing an era is that the seasons of affairs and events may be known with ease, and no one has any occasion for alteration.
Suppose, for example, someone makes a contract, or takes a favour or a loan, and the period of execution be 4 years, 4 months: unless the exact date of the beginning be known, it will be difficult, or rather impossible, to determine the date of completion. It is event too that whenever an era has prevailed for a long time, the establishment of a new one opens the gates of ease and prosperity for all mankind.
The repeated representation of this body of men, and regard for their positions, prevailed and were accepted, and an order was issued that the new year, which followed close on the year of ascension, should be made the foundation of the Divine Era, and that the gates of joy and comfort should be opened.
Also that in the almanacs of India they (the almanac writers) should enter this new era instead of their discordant eras..... and that they do away with their various eras. And whereas in the almanacs current in India the years were solar, and the months lunar, we ordered that the months of the new era should be solar.'
Abul Fazal eulogises the Forman of 992 A.H. (1584 A.D.) in the following way: The pillar of the founders of the Sacred Era was the learned of the age, the Plato of cycles (Alwani) Amir Fathullah Shirazi whose title was Azad-ud-Daula. It was he who in a happy hour laid the foundation of this heavenward soaring edifice. Although the foundation (i.e. the Forman) took place in 992 A.H. yet the position of events dates from the beginning of the sacred accession of Akbar.
He further adds: The Forman ordered that the new year which followed close on the year of accession should be made the foundation of the Divine Era and accordingly the first of Muharram (the first month of the Hegira calendar) of 963 A.H. being close to the historic occasion was also made the starting point of the Tarikh-e-Elahi." Since the month of Muharram coincided with the Bengali month of Baishakh in 963 A.H., the month of Baishakh in Bengal was made the first month of the Bengali Era instead of the month of Chaitra which was the first month of the Shaka Era being practised in the then Bengal.
The months of the new Bengali Era (or Tarikh-e-Elahi) were initially known as Karwadin, Ardi, 'Vihisu, Khordad, Teer, Amardad, Shahriar, Aban, Azur, Dai, Baham and Iskander Miz. Nobody knows for sure how and when we started naming the months as Baishakh, Jaishtha, etc. It is presumed that these months, based on the names of the stars, were derived from the Shakabda which was introduced in 78 A.D. to commemorate the reign of the Shaka dynasty in this subcontinent.
The star-based names of the months were derived as follows:
1.     Baishakh from the star known as Bishakha
2.     Jiashthya from Jaishtha
3.     Ashara from Shar
4.     Sraban from Srabani
5.     Bhadra from Bhadrapada
6.     Ashwin from Aswaini
7.     Kartik from Kartika
8.     Agrahayon from Agraihon
9.     Poush from Poushya
10. Magh from Magha
11. Falgun from Falguni, and
12. Chaitra from Chitra stars.
Some claim inadvertently that the Bangla calendar was introduced by Shashanka, king of Bengal, to commemorate his conquest of Assam. But records testify to the fact the Shashanka, son of Maha Sengupta, conquered Benaras and moved towards Chilka lake and never towards Assam.
The system of celebrating Nababarsha or Pahela Baishakh (Ist of Baishak) was also introduced by Akbar the Great. After introducing Tarikh-e-Elahi, he abolished the hitherto practised Muslim festivals and replaced them by 14 new festivals, one of which was Nawroze or the celebration of the New Year's Day. It was the celebration of Nawroze which enabled Prince Selim (later emperor Jehangir) to meet and fall in love with Meherunnisa (known as Nurjahan in history). It was again in one such Nawroze festival that the Prince Khurram (known as the Emperor Shahjahan in history) first came across Mumtaz Mahal, whom he immortalised through the great "poetry in marble" known the world over as Taj Mahal. Had there been no Nababarsha (or Nawroze) festival, there perhaps would be no Nurjahan, and no Taj Mahal.

source: http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/bangla_year.html

 

    

           The history of the Bengali New Year

Most probably the celebration of the Bengali New Year is connected with the Bengali year. In Bengal, Emperor Akbar started the Bengali calendar-year on 10 March, 1585, but it became effective from 16 March, 1586 the day of his ascension to the throne. The basis of the Bengali year is the Hejiri lunar year [Muslim era counted from the year of Muhammad's (SM) going to Medina in 622 AD] and the Bengali solar year. The Bengali year was accepted even at the grass root level. A possible reason for this may be that the basis of the Bengali year is agriculture and the beginning of the Bengali year is a time of collection of taxes from the farmers. For instance, the farmer does not plough the field even if it rains in Chaitra (the last month of the Bengali year and corresponding to mid-march to Mid-April. The fields are generally ploughed in the month of Baisakh (April-May) and the prayer for the rains is also because of this. However, the common man still refers to the Bengali calendar of his day to day activities and the city-dwellers to the Julian calendar. In this context, Shamsuzzaman Khan has rightly remarked that Akbar had once started the pan-Indian Islamic year as well as the Bengali year. “The introduction of Bengali year had not only survived but at one time had also given the unique power of nationalistic feelings and pride to the separated and divided mainly joint Bengali society.”
The New Year begins in different seasons in different countries of the world. The Bengali New Year is in summer. Summer is not a pleasant time in Bangladesh. Festivals and merriments are not as much possible in summer as during the beginning of winter or spring.
Many people believe that the Bengali New Year should have begun in the month of Agrahayan (the eighth month of the Bengali year and corresponds to Mid-November to Mid-December) even considering from the point of agriculture as Agrahayan is, for instance, the month of reaping. Yet New Year is celebrated in Baisakh. Pallab Sengupta writes: “The New Year is calculated either from Hemanta or late autumn (between autumn and winter) or spring that is from the time when new crops, flowers and fruits start growing. This, at least, was the custom initially. Later, with the passage of time, it shifted to other seasons due to practical necessities. The custom of beginning the year from January 1 or Baisakh 1 is thus quite foolish.”
But that mystery has not been unraveled. As our country is located in the Tropics the importance of summer in this region is natural. Moreover, the drying up of the canals, rivers and streams at that time and the acute crisis for water makes the tremendous changes in season easily felt. And then comes the Nor’westers like wild buffaloes throwing everything in complete disorder. The rains start immediately lowering the temperature and making the conditions favourable for ploughing.
In any country the principal festival has been organised with respect to the particular season which has gained importance there. Moreover, the minor seasonal festivals are also regularly held. Bengal has a unique position in this regard. It is clear that its main seasonal festival was in summer. Just as elsewhere in the world, the main seasonal festival have been considered as the New Year festival, the main summer festival of our country is likewise considered as the New Year festival. One feels that the devastating form of nature and the consequent creativity of that one witnesses in Bangladesh must have made summer and the summer festivals so important in our ancient culture. Otherwise the New Year celebration and festival of Bangladesh would have been greatly influenced by religion. Our country is largely inhabited by the Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians but “no particular influence of these religions are observed in our New Year celebrations and festival.”
During the last four hundred years, which is after the introduction of the Bengali year by Akbar, many festivals connected probably with agriculture and seasons have become associated with it. And the first of Baisakh gradually changed in this way to become the New Year. To the special features of the Bengali New Year that Enamul Huq has mentioned, we can add here that the Bengali New Year saw the addition of a new political dimension from the 60′s of the present century. No season in any other country has such a political aspect.
The most important function of Baisakh and the first day of Baisakh is the fair. The New Year fairs of our country are also nothing but the changed forms of the oldest ‘seasonal festivals’ and ‘agricultural festivals’ of Bangladesh. This is because local agricultural products and handicrafts are sold in these fairs even today. According to a survey, about two hundred fairs are organized throughout Bangladesh on the first day and the first week of Baisakh.
It has already been mentioned before that in Bangladesh celebration of the first day of Baisakh began as a part of the cultural movement and it added a new dimension to the political movements. During the regime of Ayub Khan in the late sixties, when attack was made against Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore Song) and the Bengali culture, the Chhayanat group organized a programme of Rabindrasangeet on the first of Baisakh under the banyan tree at Ramna to celebrate the New Year. It was a protest against religious fundamentalism. This endeavor by Chhayanat gradually became popular and in the perspective of the freedom movement the Bengali New Year was celebrated in a grand way as a protest against the ideology of the ruling class. After the independence of Bangladesh, the Bengali New Year was declared as public holiday. Thus with the celebration of the New Year at the grass-root level was added the endeavor of the urban people.
We may conclude that the only secular festival of Bangladesh, in every sense of the term, is the Bengali New Year. Its specialty lies in the fact that in spite of being the festival of a country where the majorities are Muslims, it is not melancholic. Although the state has been successful in the other areas it has failed to incorporate the religious factor in this case. Moreover, the New Year still adds a new dimension to the movements against tyranny. Considering all these aspects we can refer to the Bengali New Year as a festival of the world which has rare characteristic.
-
Uttom Kumar Nag
Honorary Secretary

 



        

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