The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History

In the early 16th century, Portuguese adventurers and traders carved a violent but transformative presence along the coast of Bengal. This episode explores how they established the settlement of Bandel near Hooghly, their role as pirates and mercenaries in the Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal, and the complex relationship with the Mughal and Arakanese powers. We also delve into their involvement i...

In 1770, Bengal was devastated by a famine that killed an estimated ten million people — roughly a third of the population. This episode explores the causes: British East India Company policies, the disastrous diwani system under the Treaty of Allahabad, the doubling of land taxes, and the collapse of the monsoon. We follow the role of officials like Warren Hastings and the response (or lack there...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating intersection of Bengal and the Silk Roads, focusing on the 14th-century travels of Venetian merchant Niccolò da Conti. After Ibn Battuta's visit, da Conti spent months in the Bengal Sultanate under Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, documenting its wealth, textiles, and the unique practice of sati. They delve into the architecture of Bagerhat, a UNESC...

In 1346, the Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta arrived in Bengal during the reign of Sultan Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, the first ruler to style himself 'Shah-e-Bangalah.' This episode follows Battuta's travels through the lush delta of the Bengal Sultanate—a land of abundant rice, powerful Sufi saints, and a thriving textile trade that stretched from China to the Middle East. We explore his visit to the po...

This episode of The Hidden History of Bengal uncovers the dramatic rebellion of Prince Khurram, the future Emperor Shah Jahan, against his father Jahangir in the 1620s—a conflict that played out largely in Bengal. We explore how Bengal became a refuge for rebellious Mughal princes, the shifting alliances with the Portuguese and Dutch, and the tragic fate of Prince Khurram's sons. Through the lens...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the story of Shashanka, the first independent king of Bengal who ruled the Gauda Kingdom in the 7th century CE. They explore his rise from a vassal of the Gupta Empire to a powerful monarch who expanded his territory from Kannauj to the Bay of Bengal. The conversation covers his controversial legacy, including his conflict with Rajyavardhana of Thanesar, t...

In the early 17th century, as the Mughal Empire expanded into Bengal, it encountered a bizarre obstacle: a confederation of Afghans, Hindu zamindars, and Portuguese pirates who had turned the Ganges delta into a pirate republic. At its heart was Musa Khan, the teenage son of a fallen Afghan sultan, who led a guerrilla war from the waterlogged stronghold of Bhati. Lucas and Luna explore how this un...

In this episode of The Hidden History of Bengal, Lucas and Luna explore the 1905 Partition of Bengal, a watershed moment in British colonial policy that aimed to weaken the region's growing nationalist movement. They discuss Lord Curzon's justification for splitting Bengal along religious lines, the fierce opposition led by the Indian National Congress and figures like Surendranath Banerjee, and t...

In this episode of The Hidden History of Bengal, Lucas and Luna explore the rise and fall of Bengal's silk industry, centered on Murshidabad. They trace how Mughal-era silk production became a global luxury, attracting European traders like the Dutch and English East India Companies. The discussion covers the unique breed of silkworms, the intricate weaving techniques of the tanti weavers, and the...

This episode dives into the history of the independent sultanate that ruled Bengal for over two centuries, bridging the gap between the early Muslim conquests and Mughal rule. We explore the rise of Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, who united Bengal and first styled himself 'Shah-e-Bangalah.' Lucas and Luna discuss the architectural legacy of the Bengal Sultanate, including the Adina Mosque, the largest in...

In the mid-19th century, British indigo planters forced Bengali peasants to grow indigo under brutal conditions, leading to the Indigo Revolt of 1859–60. This episode explores the roots of the oppression in the Permanent Settlement, the role of the planters' 'neel kar' system, and the flashpoint in Nadia district where peasants led by Digambar Biswas and Bishnu Charan Biswas rose up. We examine th...

Before the Battle of Plassey, Bengal was the banking capital of Asia. This episode dives into the House of Jagat Seth, the Oswal Jain family from Marwar who became the financiers of the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Bengal, and even the British East India Company. Lucas and Luna explore how Jagat Seth Mahtab Rai and his uncle Maharaja Swaroop Chand controlled the mint in Murshidabad, issued the fir...

In 1781, Warren Hastings founded the Calcutta Madrasa (now Aliah University), the first modern institution of Islamic learning in British India. This episode explores the political and educational motivations behind its creation: Hastings' desire to train Muslim legal experts for the East India Company's courts, the challenge of preserving Islamic scholarship under colonial rule, and the madrasa's...

In this episode, we explore the pivotal battles that sealed Bengal's fate under British control. We begin with a brief recap of the Battle of Plassey in 1757, where Robert Clive's victory over Siraj-ud-Daulah, aided by the traitor Mir Jafar, established British influence. But the real turning point came in 1764 at the Battle of Buxar, where the British East India Company, under Hector Munro, defea...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the 19th-century Bengali social reformer, educator, and champion of widow remarriage. They discuss his early education in Sanskrit and English, his tenure as principal of Sanskrit College, and his tireless campaign to pass the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. The conversation delves into the conservative o...

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Bengal experienced an extraordinary cultural and intellectual flowering known as the Bengal Renaissance. This episode explores how figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and scientists like Jagadish Chandra Bose and Satyendra Nath Bose reshaped Bengali identity. We discuss Vidyasagar's campaign for widow remarriag...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Sannyasi Rebellion of the late 18th century, a fascinating and often overlooked uprising against the British East India Company in Bengal. Wandering ascetics, or sannyasis, banded together to challenge Company rule following the devastating Bengal Famine of 1770. Lucas delves into the roles of prominent leaders like Bhabani Pathak and Devi Chaudhurani, t...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna journey to 16th-century Bengal, exploring the little-known invasion by Kalapahad, the Hindu-turned-Muslim general of the Bengal Sultanate. They discuss his campaign against the Gajapati kingdom of Odisha, the destruction of temples including the Jagannath Temple in Puri, and the legendary revenge of the Hindus. The conversation delves into the historical context of...

Before the Senas and the Sultans, Bengal was ruled by the Pala Empire — a Buddhist dynasty that dominated North India for four centuries and built one of the ancient world's greatest centers of learning: Somapura Mahavihara. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise of Gopala I, the empire's founder, and the reign of Dharmapala, who turned Somapura into a magnet for monks from Tibet, China,...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad, the agreement that handed the diwani—the right to collect revenue—of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa to the British East India Company. They examine how Mir Jafar, the Nawab who betrayed Siraj ud-Daulah at Plassey, was replaced and died in disgrace, and how his son-in-law Mir Qasim fought the British before fleeing. The treaty, signed...

This episode explores the dramatic end of the Sena dynasty and the fall of Lakshmanasena, the last Hindu king of Bengal. We trace his reign from the capital at Nadia, his patronage of literature and the Dhakeshwari temple, to the sudden and devastating invasion by Muhammad Bhaktiyar Khalji in 1204. Lucas and Luna discuss how a small band of Turkish cavalrymen captured the royal palace through a da...

The Sena dynasty ruled Bengal from the late 11th to the early 13th century, but their origins lie in the Carnatic region of South India. This episode explores how a Brahmin warrior named Samantasena founded a kingdom during the chaos of the Pala decline, and how his grandson Vijayasena transformed it into a major power. We cover the Sena military campaigns against the Palas and the Varmans, their...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the cataclysmic 1897 Assam earthquake, also known as the Great Bengal Earthquake, which devastated the northeastern Indian subcontinent. They discuss how the 8.0+ magnitude quake on June 12, 1897, leveled Shillong, triggered landslides, and altered the course of the Brahmaputra River. Lucas delves into the British colonial response, including the work of geo...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the transformative reign of Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan emperor who briefly but decisively conquered Bengal in the 16th century. They discuss his early career under the Mughals, his rebellion against Humayun, and his revolutionary administrative reforms. The show focuses on his massive infrastructure projects, particularly the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam),...

In 1793, Governor-General Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, fixing land revenue forever and creating a new class of zamindar landlords. But this seemingly administrative reform had devastating consequences: peasant revolts, the destruction of traditional patron-client relationships, and a rural economy enslaved to moneylenders. Historian Lucas and co-host Luna explore...