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Murshidabad (/ ˈ m ʊər ʃ ɪ d ə ˌ b ɑː d /, /-b æ d / or / ˈ m ɜː-/) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district. During the 18th century, Murshidabad was a prosperous city.
Aug 29, 2020 · Remains of the Day: The forgotten city of Murshidabad. The last capital of independent Bengal, a city of splendour wrapped in glistening strands of the finest silk, home to the palace of a thousand doors. Murshidabad was a shining example of cosmopolitan glamour, a place where cultures mixed freely and trade thrived, business boomed.
Jul 23, 2023 · Welcome to Murshidabad, a city and district steeped in history and heritage, located in the Indian state of West Bengal. Nestled along the banks of the River Bhagirathi, Murshidabad bears witness to the grandeur of Bengal’s bygone era and boasts a rich cultural legacy. In this article, we will embark on a captivating journey through the city ...
Murshidabad also was home to perhaps the greatest of all the Company School landscape painters - Sita Ram. He worked for the Governor General, Lord Hastings for a few years after 1814. His watercolours, with their vigorous colours, animated figures and clever atmospheric effects, recalls the work of arguably the greatest European landscape painter to visit Bengal - William Hodges.
- History of Murshidabad
- Trading Settlements Established in The 17th Century
- The Hazarduari Palace
- Kathgola Palace
- The First Nawab of Bengal
- Calcutta Declared The Capital
- Local Craft Industries
- The Art of Baluchari
- Ivory Carving and Furniture Makers
Edited by Neeta Das and Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, the book tells the history of Murshidabad through chapters split into people (the nawabs and Jains), places (palaces, rajbarisand mansions and religious buildings) and arts and crafts (textiles, painting and ivory-carving). It expertly reveals what life was like for the city’s residents – the nawabs an...
Between 1653 and 1688 the Dutch, British, Armenians and the French founded their trading settlements in the district, fully aware of the city’s great potential. In 1704, the Nawab of Bengal transferred his capital here from Dhaka, also aware of the city’s resources. However, in 1757 a succession of military rows between the Nawab and the English Ea...
This classical style palace is most noted for its doors, of which there are a thousand, some real, some not – it is estimated, in fact, that up to 900 are false. Housing an astonishing array of antiquities from the 18th and 19th centuries throughout its 114 rooms, the palace is still visited today by those keen to see the collections and the famous...
Kathgola Palace – another must-visit – is where William Watts (assigned by Robert Clive to act as the representative of the Company to the Nawab’s court at Murshidabad) met Mir Jafar, to discuss payment linked to the Battle of Plassey. It is a four-storey palace with an ornamented facade located in Kathgola Gardens which was once famous for its bla...
Murshidabad is perhaps best known though for one man: Murshid Quli Khan (1665-1727), the first Nawab of Bengal. Later known under his grand, imperial title ‘Motamul-ul-Mulk Alauddowla Jaffer Khan Noseri Nasir Jang’ (‘guardian of the country, promoter of the state, helper in war, the defender’) he reigned over Bengal, as well as Bihar and Orissa, fr...
When Calcutta was declared the capital of British India (India’s ‘city of cities’) Murshidabad found itself eclipsed and its power slipped. The book notes that ‘Deserted buildings were being swallowed up by rampant vegetation, lakes silted up, and the weavers’ looms were silent.’ Through it all though, and helped by the vast wealth of the local naw...
Local artisanal work in Murshidabad includes the unusual shola pithwork. Shola is an off-white porous wood which is carved into delicate objects of art. West Bengal is known for shola as its wet humid climate is beneficial for this herbaceous plant, which tends to grow wild in marshy wetlands. The craftsmen work with the pith (usually around an inc...
Around 200 years ago the art of Baluchari was commonly practised in a small village called Baluchar in Murshidabad. It was brought there by the first Nawab of Bengal who had witnessed the craft in Dhaka. He encouraged the industry to flourish, but following a devastating flood – which submerged Baluchar – the industry moved to the Bankura district....
India has long been a major centre for ivory carving and Murshidabad in particular can lay claim as a centre for this controversial art form. At the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata a set of ivory table and chairs is an exquisite example of carving done by Murshidabad carvers, who tend to use the solid end of the elephant tusk to work with. The carvers...
Murshidabad, town, central West Bengal state, northeastern India. The town, lying just east of the Bhagirathi River, is an agricultural trade and silk-weaving centre. Murshidabad, India. Originally called Makhsudabad, it was reputedly founded by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century. In 1704 the nawab (ruler) Murshid Qulī Khan ...
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Murshidabad is a district and a hisorical town in West Bengal. Located on the eastern bank of Bhagirathi river, the city once hosted the seat of Nawabs of Bengal. The records of ancient history of Murshidabad, however traceable from the period when Sasanka, the king of Gouda, establishing his capital in the region.
