The Old Dhakaites ( bn, পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, Puran Dhakaiya) are an Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group viewed as the ''original'' inhabitants of

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

. They are sometimes referred to as simply Dhakaiya. Their history dates back to the

Mughal period The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

with the migration of

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

cultivators and merchants to the city. The cultivators came to be known as Kutti and they speak

Dhakaiya Kutti Dhakaiya Kutti ( bn, ঢাকাইয়া কুট্টি, Dhakaiya Kutti, Dhakaiya of the rice-huskers), also known as Old Dhakaiya ( bn, পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, Purān Dhākāiyā) or simply Dhakaiya, is a Bengali dialec ...

, a dialect of

and the merchants came to be known as Khoshbas and speak

Dhakaiya Urdu Dhakaiya Urdu sometimes referred to as Sobbasi Language, Khosbasi Language and the Language of Dhaka Nawab Family '' is a dialect of Urdu that is native to Old Dhaka and its immediate surrounding areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is spoken by t ...

. There are sizeable populations in other parts of

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. The Dhakaiyas maintain a distinct identity in addition to their

identity, due to cultural, linguistic, geographical and historical reasons. They have been described as a wealthy but very closed-off community; evidently being a minority in their own hometown. It is said that some people living in

Greater Dhaka Greater Dhaka is the conurbation surrounding the Bangladeshi capital city of Dhaka, which has grown into one of the world's largest megacities, and shows a very rapid rate of expansion. Dhaka not only grows because it is the capital and largest ur ...

are even unaware of the existence of an

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Bihari minority community although their presence dates back centuries.

History

During the

Mughal era The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

, the

Bengal Subah The Bengal Subah ( bn, সুবাহ বাংলা; fa, ), also referred to as Mughal Bengal ( bn, মোগল বাংলা), was the largest subdivision of the Mughal Empire (and later an independent state under the Nawabs of Be ...

was famous for rice cultivation and the city of

Jahangirnagar Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ� ...

(now

Old Dhaka Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ� ...

) was the province's capital. Rice was a very important export product in the mid-eighteenth century, centred in Dhaka. The merchants who exported the rice were predominantly Marwaris and Central Indians of noble descent. These merchants would go to different areas in

Eastern Bengal Eastern Bengal may refer to: * East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British ...

and collect the rice. The rice was first needed to be cleaned up using before packaging, and this process is called (কুটা) in Bengali. Many local rice cultivators from villages across Bengal were employed to do this. They would travel to the city to complete this job, and as it was lengthy journey, many of them started to permanently start residing in Dhaka. This migration took place circa 1760. However, not all were involved in the rice trade. The presence of the Mughals in Dhaka meant that there was generally a lot more employment opportunities there and so they took other occupations such as , footsoldiers, guards, chefs and chauffeurs for the

Nawabs of Dhaka The Nawab of Dhaka (Bengali: "ঢাকার নবাব"), originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of ''na ...

and other aristocratic families. These groups of people lived together and engaged in conversations and addas with their Hindustani counterparts and their main occupation led them to be known as (other less-common names included and ). The interactions with different cultures and languages led to the birth of an Urdu-influenced dialect of Bengali known as Dhakaiya Kutti, and with that - a new identity. The merchants from

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

also eventually settled in Dhaka and came to be known as meaning happily-settled. Other names for them included and . Originally an

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Dhakaiya Urdu Dhakaiya Urdu sometimes referred to as Sobbasi Language, Khosbasi Language and the Language of Dhaka Nawab Family '' is a dialect of Urdu that is native to Old Dhaka and its immediate surrounding areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is spoken by t ...

'' as they were a minority in comparison to the Kuttis. Many of the Kutti community became a lot wealthier over the years due to their occupation and many became landowners. With thousands of Kutti being involved in the rice supplying industry by 1787, they also formed a merchant class by monopolising rice retail in the city. Notable landowners in

New Paltan New Paltan (Azimpur Natun Paltan in Dhaka City Corporation records) is near Dhaka's New Market in Azimpur. Several markets and a number of educational institutions ( Dhaka University's Institute of Social Welfare and Research and arts faculty, Dh ...

included Gulenur Khatun and Ayub Ali Sardar. Khatun owned a large portion of the northern part of New Paltan where she also owned a thatched hut residence as well as a tea stall. Named as Lalur Maar Dokan (লালুর মার দোকান, Lalu's mother's shop), it was located just beside the 3rd gate of the erstwhile

East Pakistan Rifles East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

. Sardar, who lived on the other side of Khatun's tea stall, was a horse operator and had a number of horses. These horses would engage in horse races in the famous

Ramna Race Course Suhrawardy Udyan ( bn, সোহরাওয়ার্দী উদ্যান) formerly known as Ramna Race Course ground is a national memorial located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is named after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. Originally it serve ...

, from which not only he made a fortune from, but also won medals from the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

. They can also be found in other localities such as Narinda. Presently, the Old Dhakaiyas are a minority in

following the mass migration of

Bengalis Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of ...

from districts all over

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

during the

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and second partitions during the British colonial period. With the expansion of the city, new residential areas were created to supply housing to the more recent migrants. The traditional trade hub at

Sadarghat The Port of Dhaka is a major river port on the Buriganga River in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. The port is located in the southern part of the city. It is Bangladesh's busiest port in terms of passenger traffic. The port has s ...

was shifted to Nilkhet and

Gulistan Gulistan, Golestan or Golastan ( fa, گلستان) means "flower land" in Persian language (''gol'' meaning "flower", and ''-stan'' or meaning "land"). It may refer to: Places Iran "Golestan" most often refers to: * Golestan province in nor ...

, decreasing Old Dhakaiya influence. The new educated migrant community (now also commonly known as Dhakaiyas with the former now being referred to as "Old Dhakaiyas") spoke in

Standard Bengali Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second most widely spoken of t ...

, the standardised register of Bengali. Some of the Old Dhakaiya community began to see the new migrant community as their opponents due to these linguistic and cultural differences. This division was the source of modern troubles in the identities of the Old Dhakaiyas (who view themselves as original inhabitants) and the post-partition migrant community (who currently form the majority in the city). Shakrain Kite Flyer

Culture

Clothing

A common tradition of the Kutti group was that they would wear white shirts and white

lungi The lungi is a type of sarong that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. The Lungi, which usually multicoloured, is a men's skirt usually tied around the lower waist below the navel. it can be worn as casual wear and night wear, in places and ...

s. The Khoshbas would dress very formally, sporting black

sherwani Sherwani is a long-sleeved outer coat worn by men in South Asia. Like the Western frock coat it is fitted, with some waist suppression; it falls to below the knees and is buttoned down the front. It can be collarless, have a shirt-style collar, ...

s. Covering ones head in both communities is seen as more respectful, and notable headgear include the tupi, karakul, rumi topi and taqi. Women are famed for the

Dhakai A Dhakai ( Daccai) is a type of sari (traditional cloth for women of South Asia) made with cotton. The name comes from the Dhaka (Dacca)city, capital of Bangladesh, where this type of sari is usually made. History The unique hand technique of wea ...

jamdani Jamdani ( bn, জামদানি) is a fine muslin textile (figured with different patterns) produced for centuries in South Rupshi of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh on the bank of Shitalakhwa river. The historic production of jamdani was ...

sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...

, a clothing originating in Dhaka using a fine muslin textile. Dating back centuries, it is popular amongst

in general. The traditional art of weaving jamdani was patronised by the Mughals but under British colonial rule, the jamdani and muslin industries rapidly declined due to colonial import policies favouring industrially manufactured textiles. In more recent years, the production of jamdani has witnessed a revival in Bangladesh and in 2013,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

classed it as an

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergover ...

. In 2016, Bangladesh received

geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

(GI) status for the Jamdani Sari.

Cuisine

Dhakaiya food is one of the most notable regional

Bangladeshi cuisine Bangladeshi cuisine ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রান্না) is the national cuisine of Bangladesh. Bangladeshi cuisine has been shaped by the diverse history and river-line geography of Bangladesh. The country has a tropical m ...

s. The rich culinary customs are influenced by Mughlai,

Central Asian Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former S ...

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

, Hindustani and

Bengali cuisine Bengali cuisine ( bn, বাঙ্গালী রন্ধনপ্রণালী) is the culinary style of Bengal, a region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent encompassing Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura ...

s. However, it also has dishes unique to Dhaka. Haji biryani is a dish, invented by a restaurateur in 1939, made with highly seasoned rice,

goat's meat Goat meat or goat's meat is the meat of the domestic goat ''(Capra aegagrus hircus)''. The common name for goat meat is simply "goat", while that from young goats can be called ''capretto'' (It.), ''cabrito'' (Sp. and Por.) or ''kid''. In South ...

and number of spices and nuts. The restaurant has become an integral part of Dhakaiya culture. Old Dhaka boasts a variation of the famous pilaf - the Morog Polao - in which the rice is cooked after and the chicken pieces are cut. Other include and . Dhakaiyas are noted for introducing

paneer Paneer (), also known as ponir () is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting sof ...

and boiled eggs to khichuri. Dhakai bakarkhani is a thick, biscuit-like

flat-bread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are Unleavened bread, unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. ...

which is a traditional street-food snack, famed for its quality and taste. It is mainly dished up with tea. Dhakaiyas proudly hold a heritage of creating the best '' khili paan'' using various herbs and spices. They also offer a khili paan for diabetic patients called the "paan afsana". Common Dhakaiya beverages include

borhani Borhani, ( bn, বোরহানী) is a traditional yogurt-like drink from Bangladesh. Borhani is made from sour doi, green chilli, mustard seeds, black salt, coriander and mint. It is considered by some to be a type of lassi. It is very commo ...

Rooh Afza Rooh (English: Soul) is an Indian one hour horror supernatural thriller television series which was broadcast on Zee TV from 6 November 2004 to 6 August 2005. It used to air every Saturday at 8 P.M. Each story has a different cast and crew. Shi ...

, shorbot, traditional fruit juices as well as

basil seed Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also kno ...

-based drinks.

Falooda A ''falooda'' is a Mughlai Indian version of a cold dessert made with noodles. It has origins in the Persian dish '' faloodeh'', variants of which are found across West, Central, and South Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, ...

shahi jilapi Shahi jilapi ( bn, শাহী জিলাপি, Shahī Jilapi, Royal Jalebi) is a famous and traditional sweetmeat originating from Chowk Bazaar in Old Dhaka of Bangladesh, which is very popular throughout the country. Especially, in Ramada ...

and

shemai Shemai () is a traditional dessert item in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. It is a popular item during Eid. While popular in Eid it is consumed throughout the year. Shemai is sweet dessert form of Vermicelli. Ingredients The staple ingredients ...

are popular sweet foods and desserts.

Festivals

In the holy

Islamic month The Hijri calendar ( ar, ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ, translit=al-taqwīm al-hijrī), also known in English as the Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or ...

of Ramadan, it was a custom for every household to send a food offering to their local

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

. A dostorkhan would be laid in the mosque for the fasting people to eat on.

Chowk Bazaar Chawk Bazaar is a bazaar in Chowkbazar Thana, Old Dhaka, Bangladesh. It dates back to the Mughal period. Shai Mosque Chowk Bazaar Shai Mosque was built in 1676. This three domed mosque was made by Shaista Khan. Made on 10 feet high platfor ...

was one of the most famous business and social meeting centres of Old Dhaka in the Mughal period and even today, during Ramadan, it is famous for the availability of hundreds of

Iftar Iftar ( ar, translit=Iftar Ramadan, إفطار رمضان), also known as (from , , 'breakfast'), (), is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. They break their fast at the time of the call to prayer ...

items. At the end of the month, Chowk Bazaar would host a two-day mela for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Popular toys and gifts, known as eidi, emerged in the Dhakaiya culture such as the ''bhotbhoti''; a motor using kerosene that would spin around in water, as well as the drum-carriage.

Hakim Habibur Rahman Hakim Habibur Rahman ( bn, হাকিম হাবিবুর রহমান, ur, حکیم حبیب الرحمان ) (23 March 188123 February 1947) was an ''Unani'' physician, litterateur, journalist, politician and chronicler in early 20 ...

mentions in his book, ''Dhaka Panchas Baras Pahle'' (Dhaka, fifty years ago) that during

sehri Sehri ( fa, سهري, also Romanized as Sehrī and Seḩrī) is a village in Bala Khiyaban-e Litkuh Rural District, in the Central District of Amol County, Mazandaran Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, ...

time (pre-dawn), groups of people would sing

qasida The qaṣīda (also spelled ''qaṣīdah''; is originally an Arabic word , plural ''qaṣā’id'', ; that was passed to some other languages such as fa, قصیده or , ''chakameh'', and tr, kaside) is an ancient Arabic word and form of writin ...

s to wake up the neighbourhood. This tradition was patronised by the

nawab Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...

s and

sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been ...

s of Dhaka and on

Eid day There are two official holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Both holidays occur on dates in the lunar Islamic calendar, which is different from the solar-based Gregorian calendar, so they a ...

, the Chief Sardar would present awards and

baksheesh ''Baksheesh'' or ' (from fa, بخشش ) is tipping, charitable giving, and certain forms of political corruption and bribery in the Middle East and South Asia. Etymology and usage ''Baksheesh'' comes from the Persian word (), which originat ...

to the best qasida singers. Qasidas were generally sung in Urdu but in the 1980s, Bengali qasidas also came into fashion. This tradition is experiencing a revival with the efforts from the likes of Shamsher Rahman of Posta.

Qawwali Qawwali (Punjabi language, Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nastaʿlīq, Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali language, Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali alphabet, Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Isl ...

s as well as

Urdu poetry Urdu poetry ( ur, ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the cultures of South Asia. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu which are Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghali ...

recital was very common amongst the Khoshbas in particular. The

Shakrain ''Shakrain Festival'' ( bn, সাকরাইন; also known as Kite festival and ''Ghuri Utsob'') is an annual celebration in Dhaka, Bangladesh, observed with the flying of kites. It occurs at the end of Poush, the ninth month of the Bengali c ...

festival is an age-long Dhakaiya kiting tradition celebrating the arrival of winter in the

Bengali calendar The Bengali Calendar or Bangla Calendar ( bn, বঙ্গাব্দ , , Baṅgābda), colloquially ( bn, বাংলা সন, Baṅgla Śon), is a solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. A revised version of th ...

. Kite fighters would assemble in their rooftops, lighting up the skyline. Dhakaiya weddings are also typically seen as very "extravagant". Other sports that were popular amongst Old Dhakaiyas were hockey, horse riding and

Nouka Baich Nouka Baich ( bn, নৌকা বাইচ, lit. ''Boat Race'', also spelt ''Nowka Bais'') is a traditional dragon boat-style paddling sport of Bangladesh. The ''Bangladesh Rowing Federation'', established in 1974, is the authority of all rowing ...

(boat racing). The latter was originally practised in rural areas, but its popularity in urban areas increased in the 18th century as the Nawabs would organise many races.

Language

Two languages emerged in Old Dhaka during the Mughal period due to the interactions between the Urdu and Bengali speakers. The Khoshbas and the

spoke a Bengali-influenced dialect of

(which is distinct to the Hindustani creole spoken by the Bihari community). The Kuttis spoke

, a

Bengali dialect The dialects of the Bengali language are part of the Eastern Indo-Aryan language group of the Indo-European language family widely spoken in the Bengal region of South Asia. The spoken dialects of Bengali are mutually intelligible with neighbo ...

with an Urdu influence. Humour is an important part of Kutti culture and in the past, their jokes - told in the Dhakaiya Kutti language - used to generally consist of short stories in which Dhakaiyas mess around with the

bhadralok Bhadralok (, literally 'gentleman', or 'well-mannered person') is Bengali for the new class of 'gentlefolk' who arose during British rule in India in the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. Caste and class makeup Accordi ...

gentry. The Kuttis refer to outsiders or non-Dhakaiya Bengalis by the name "Gaiya" (গাঁইয়া), meaning ''from the village'', and

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

ns in particular as ''Demchi'' (ডেমচি). Dhaka was also an esteemed centre for the study of

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, as it was an official language up until the colonial period and due to the high population of merchants and businessman from

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

and

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

that settled in Dhaka. The

Naib Nazim of Dhaka The Naib Nazim of Dhaka, officially the Naib Nazim of Jahangir Nagar, was the chief Mughal political officer in the city of Dhaka, the present-day capital of Bangladesh, between the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries. It was the second highest office ...

Nusrat Jang was known to have written a history book titled ''Tarikh-i-Nusrat Jangi'' around the late 18th century. Agha Ahmad Ali is considered to be the greatest among Persian scholars of Bengal, famed for his Persian lexology works like ''Muayyid-i-Burhan'' and ''Shamsher-i-Teztar'', rivalling contemporaries like

Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

, and are still read today across

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

. He had learn the language at a yougn age, with a local Munshi of Dhaka. The

Nawab family of Dhaka The Nawab of Dhaka (Bengali: "ঢাকার নবাব"), originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of ''na ...

were also strong patrons of the Persian language, most notably Haydar Jan Shayeq, Abdur Rahim Saba, Kawkab,

Khwaja Ahsanullah Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah KCIE (22 August 1846 – 16 December 1901) was the third Nawab of Dhaka. He also authored books in Persian and Urdu under the pen name of Shaheen. Ahsanullah is recognised for his philanthropic works in Ben ...

Khwaja Atiqullah Khwaja Atiqullah ( ur, ; 1876–1945) was a Bengali British Indian politician and member of the Dhaka Nawab Family. Early life He was born on 26 July 1876. He was taught by private British teachers. He learned English, Persian and Urdu. He w ...

Khwaja Abdul Ghani Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani (30 July 1813 – 24 August 1896) was the second Nawab of Dhaka and the first to assume the title of Nawab as hereditary, recognized by the British Raj. He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, wat ...

, Khwaja Muhammad Afzal,

Khwaja Yusuf Jan Nawab Khan Bahadur Khwaja Yusuf Jan (21 January 1850 – 8 November 1923), was a Kashmiri-Bengali politician and member of Dhaka Nawab family. Early life Jan was born on 21 January 1850 to a Kashmiri Muslim family in Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, Bri ...

and

Khwaja Nazimuddin Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin ( bn, খাজা নাজিমুদ্দীন; ur, ; 19 July 1894 – 22 October 1964) was a Pakistani politician and one of the leading founding fathers of Pakistan. He is noted as being the first Bengali to ha ...

. The Department of Persian at the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

was opened in 1921.

In media

In 2008,

Ekushey Television Ekushey Television ( bn, একুশে টেলিভিশন; , in reference to 21 February), also known by its acronym ETV, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language privately owned satellite and cable television channel owned by S. Alam Group of ...

launched a serial called "Tuntuni Villa" centred on an Old Dhakaite family. Shakib Khan played an Old Dhakaiya character in the 2015

Dhallywood The Bangladeshi Cinema, better known as Dhallywood ( bn, ঢালিউড), is the Bengali-language film industry based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It has often been a significant film industry since the early 1970s. The dominant style of Bangl ...

film "Love Marriage".

Notables

* Shamsur Rahman, Bengali poet, columnist and journalist *

, Unani physician, historian, editor of ''Al Mashriq'' (Dhaka's first Urdu newspaper) * Agha Ahmad Ali, scholar of Persian and Urdu poet *

Bulbul Ahmed Bulbul Ahmed (born Tabarruk Ahmed; 4 September 1941 – 15 July 2010) was a Bangladeshi actor and director. He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor award three times for his roles in the films ''Shimana Periye'' (1977), '' Badhu Bi ...

, actor and film director *

Sayeed Ahmed Sayeed Ahmed (1 January 1931 – 21 January 2010) was a Bangladeshi dramatist, playwright, writer and sitar player. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1974 and Ekushey Padak in 2010 by the Government of Bangladesh. Background Ahmed ...

, playwright * Muhammad Enamul Huq,CSP officer and Ex Establishment secretary of Bangladesh Government.

References

{{Ethnic groups in Bangladesh Indo-Aryan peoples Old Dhaka Ethnic groups in Bangladesh People from Dhaka Culture in Dhaka