Malda district, also spelt Maldah or Maldaha (, , often ), is a district in
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of
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 ...
, the capital of West Bengal.
Mango,
jute and
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...
are the most notable products of this district. The special variety of mango,
Fazli Fazli ( fa, فضلی) may refer to:
Given name
* Fazli Husain (1877–1936), Pakistani politician
* Fazlı Teoman Yakupoğlu, Turkish rock singer
Surname
* Fereydoon Fazli, Iranian footballer
* Nida Fazli, Indian lyricist
* Samir Fazli, Albanian- ...
, produced in this region is popularly known by the name of the district and is exported across the world and is internationally acclaimed. The folk culture of
gombhira
Gombhira (or gambhira or gamvira) is a type of song originating in the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, what is today northeastern West Bengal, India and northwestern Bangladesh.
In West Bengal (India), gombh ...
is a feature of the district, being a unique way of representation of joy and sorrow in daily life of the common people, as well as the unique medium of presentation on national and international matters. According to the
National Investigation Agency
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the primary counter-terrorist task force of India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written ...
Malda is believed to be a hub of a
fake currency
Counterfeit money is currency produced without the legal sanction of a state or government, usually in a deliberate attempt to imitate that currency and so as to deceive its recipient. Producing or using counterfeit money is a form of fraud or fo ...
racket. It is reported that 90 percent of the fake currency that enters India originates in Malda.
The headquarters of Malda district is in
English Bazar
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
, also known as ''Malda'', which was once the
capital of
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 ...
. The district maintains the traditions of the past in culture and education.
Old Malda
Old Malda is a census town in Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the Malda Metropolitan Area (Urban Agglomeration). It is located on the eastern bank of the river Mahananda.
Geography
Old Malda is located at . ...
, the town which lies just east of the confluence of the
Mahananda and
Kalindi
Yamuna is a sacred river in Hinduism and the main tributary of the Ganges River. The river is also worshipped as a Hindu goddess called Yamuna. Yamuna is known as Yami in early texts, while in later literature, she is called Kalindi. In Hindu sc ...
rivers, is part of the English Bazar metropolitan city. The town rose to prominence as the river port of the old capital of
Pandua. During the 18th century, it was the seat of prosperous cotton and silk industries. It remains an important distribution centre for rice, jute, and wheat. The area between the historical monument of Jame Masjid (1566) and the landmark of Nimasarai Tower across the river Mahananda, constituted a municipality in 1867. Rice, jute,
legumes, and
oilseed
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or f ...
are the chief crops in the surrounding area. Malda is the largest producer of excellent quality jute in India.
Mulberry plantations and mango orchards also occupy large areas; mango trade and silk manufacture are the main economic activities.
History
Pre-Gour Era
Pāṇini
, era = ;;6th–5th century BCE
, region = Indian philosophy
, main_interests = Grammar, linguistics
, notable_works = ' ( Classical Sanskrit)
, influenced=
, notable_ideas=Descriptive linguistics
(Devanaga ...
mentioned a city named ''Gourpura'', which by strong reason may be identified as the city of ''Gouda'', ruins of which are situated in this district. Examples are legion of the relics of a predecessor kingdom being used in the monuments of the successor kingdoms.
It had been within the limits of ancient ''Gour'' and ''Pandua'' (
''Pundrabardhana''). These two cities had been the capital of Bengal in ancient and medieval ages and are equidistant, north and south, from
English Bazar
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
town (once known as Engelzavad established by the British rulers).
The boundary of Gour was changed in different ages since the fifth century BC, and its name can be found in
Puranic
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
texts.
Pundranagara was the provincial capital of the
Maurya Empire. Gour and
Pundravardhana
Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom ( sa, Puṇḍravardhana), was an ancient kingdom during the Iron Age period in India with a territory that included parts of present-day Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions of Bangladesh as well as the West Din ...
formed parts of the Mourya empire as is evinced from the
inscription
Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the w ...
s,
Brahmi
Brahmi (; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' ...
script on a seal discovered from the ruins of
Mahasthangarh
Mahasthangarh ( bn, মহাস্থানগড়, ''Môhasthangôṛ'') is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj upazila of Bogra District contains the remain ...
in the
Bogra District
Bogra District, officially known as Bogura District, is a district in the northern part of Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi Division. Bogra is an industrial city where many small and mid-sized companies are sited. Bogra was a part of the ancient Pun ...
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 ...
.
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
saw many
Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
n
stupas at Pundravardhana.
The inscriptions discovered in the district of undivided
Dinajpur
Dinajpur ( bn, দিনাজপুর ) is a city and the District headquarters of Dinajpur district situated in Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. It was founded in 1786. It is located 413 km north-west of Dhaka in Bangladesh. It is bound ...
and other parts of North Bengal, along with the
Allahabad pillar inscriptions of
Samudragupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the ...
, clearly indicate that the whole of
North Bengal as far east as
Kamrup formed a part of the
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
.
After the Guptas at the beginning of seventh century AD
Sasanka
Shashanka ( IAST: Śaśāṃka) was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom and is a major figure in Bengali history. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his rule between cir ...
, the king of Karnasubarna, as well as the king of
Gauda, ruled independently for more than three decades. From the middle of the eighth century to the end of the 11th century the Pala dynasty ruled Bengal, and the kings were devoted to
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
. It was during their reign that the Jagadalla Vihara (monastery) in Barindri flourished paralleling with
Nalanda, Vikramshila and Devikot.
Gour Era
The
Pala empire
The Pāla Empire (r. 750-1161 CE) was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffi ...
yielded to the emergence of the
Sen Dynasty
The Sena dynasty was a Hindu dynasty during the early medieval period on the Indian subcontinent, that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak covered much of the north-eastern region of the Indian subco ...
. The Sen rulers were
orthodox Hindus, and in the habit of moving from place to place within their kingdom. During this time, Buddhism went on the defensive. It eventually disappeared from the demographic map of Bengal. At the time of Gaudeshwara
Lakshman Sen
Lakshmana Sena (reign: 1178–1206), also called Lakshman Sen in modern indian languages, was the ruler from the Sena dynasty of the Bengal region on the Indian subcontinent. His rule lasted for 28 years; and extended to much of the eastern regi ...
, Goud was known as Lakshmanabati. During his reign Bengal was attacked by the Turkic force of
Bakhtiyar Khilji
Ikhtiyār al-Dīn Muḥammad Bakhtiyār Khaljī, (Pashto :اختيار الدين محمد بختيار غلزۍ, fa, اختیارالدین محمد بختیار خلجی, bn, ইখতিয়ারউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ ...
. King Lakshman Sen defeated Khilji in battle and successfully resisted Turkic invasion in his empire. After him Keshava Sen, Biswarup Sen, Madhava Sen etc. many Sena dynasty rulers ruled Gauda and hold the title Gaudeshwara Then Deva dynasty kings of Chandradwip ruled Bengal. Deva dynasty king
Danujmardandeva and
Mahendra Deva both hold the title Gaudeshwara.
The name Mal Daha was coined (from ''Mal'' meaning riches and ''Daha'' meaning lake).
Sultans Ilyas Shah
Haji Ilyas, better known as Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah ( bn, শামসুদ্দীন ইলিয়াস শাহ, fa, ), was the founder of the Sultanate of Bengal and its inaugural Ilyas Shahi dynasty which ruled the region for 150 year ...
,
Firuz Shah,
Sikandar Shah
Abul Mujāhid Sikandar Shāh ( bn, আবুল মুজাহিদ সিকান্দর শাহ, fa, ), commonly known as Sikandar Shah; was the second Sultan of Bengal and the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. He was the son of Shamsuddin Ilyas S ...
,
Raja Ganesha
Raja Ganesha ( bn, রাজা গণেশ) was a Hindu Brahmin zamindar ruler of Bengal, who took advantage of the weakness of the first Ilyas Shahi dynasty and seized power in Bengal. Contemporary historians of the medieval period consider ...
,
Alauddin Hussain Shah
Ala-ud-din Husain Shah ( bn, আলাউদ্দিন হোসেন শাহ (1494–1519)Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2006). ''The Delhi Sultanate'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp.215-20 was an independent late medieval Sultan of Bengal, who ...
and
Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah
Nāsir ad-Dīn Naṣrat Shāh ( bn, নাসিরউদ্দীন নুসরত শাহ, fa, ناصر الدین نصرت شاه; r. 1519–1533), also known as Nusrat Shah, was the second Sultan of Bengal belonging to the Hussain Shahi ...
were the notable rulers of the medieval age.
Afghan
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
*Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
warrior
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri ( ps, شیرشاه سوری)
(1472, or 1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān ( ps, فرید خان)
, was the founder of the Sur Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He standardized the silver coin ...
conquered
Gour and was repelled by
Mughal emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northe ...
.
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northe ...
, loving the
mango of Gour, named the place ''Jannatabad'' (garden of heaven).
Firuz Shah Tughlaq,
Ghiyasuddin and the
Mughal army invaded
Gour to suppress rebellion several times.
Relics of
Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...
structures are present in Malda district, such as
Firuz minar
Firoz Minar (also known as Firuz Minar) (''English'': Tower of Firoz/Firuz) is a five-storeyed tower situated at Gaur, West Bengal, India. It was built by Sultan Saifuddin Firuz Shah of the Habshi dynasty between 1485 and 1489. It was built in th ...
,
Adina Mosque
The Adina Mosque is a former mosque in Malda District, West Bengal, India. It was the largest such structure in the Indian subcontinent and was built during the Bengal Sultanate as a royal mosque by Sikandar Shah, who is also buried inside. T ...
(the largest
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, ...
of
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 ...
at the time), and
Qutwali Gate. During the Mughal rule, the capital was removed to
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 ...
due to a course change of the river
Ganges
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
. Muslim rule ended in 1757.
Koch army invasion increased during the downfall of Gour.
Post-Gour Era
![Jungleterry District Map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Jungleterry_District_Map.jpg)
After the
war of Palassy, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
rule started in 1757. The English traders settled in the southern bank of the river
Mahananda. Some indigo plant chambers, trade centre, and offices were established.
William Carey worked here. But the glory days were gone.
This district was formed out of some portions of outlying areas of
Purnia
Purnia ()(also romanized as Purnea) is a city that serves as the administrative headquarters of both Purnia district and Purnia division in the Indian state of Bihar.
Total geographical area of Purnia Urban Agglomeration is which is nex ...
,
Dinajpur
Dinajpur ( bn, দিনাজপুর ) is a city and the District headquarters of Dinajpur district situated in Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. It was founded in 1786. It is located 413 km north-west of Dhaka in Bangladesh. It is bound ...
and
Rajshahi
Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. Located on the north bank of the P ...
districts in 1813. At the time of Dr. B. Hamilton (1808–09), the present thanas of
Gazole, Malda, Bamongola, and part of
Habibpur were included in the district of Dinajpur and the thanas of Harischandrapur, Kharba, Ratua, Manikchak, and Kaliachak were included in the district of Purnia. In 1813, in consequence of the prevalence of serious crimes in the Kaliachak and Sahebganj thanas and also on the rivers, a Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector were appointed at English Bazar, with jurisdiction over a number of police stations centering that place and taken from the two districts. Thus the district of Malda was born. The year 1832 saw the establishment of a separate treasury and the year 1859 the posting of a full-fledged magistrate and collector.
Up to 1876, this district formed part of
Rajshahi Division
Rajshahi Division ( bn, রাজশাহী বিভাগ) is one of the eight first-level administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population at the 2011 Census of 18,484,858. Rajshahi Division consists of 8 district ...
and between 1876 and 1905, it formed part of
Bhagalpur Division
Bhagalpur division is an administrative geographical unit of Bihar state of India, with Bhagalpur as the administrative headquarters of the division. , the division consists of Bhagalpur district, Banka district and is located on the bank of ...
. In 1905, it was again transferred to Rajshahi Division and until 1947, Malda remained in this division. During the first
Partition of Bengal of 1905, this district was attached to the newly created province of
Eastern Bengal and Assam
Eastern Bengal and Assam was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India between 1905 and 1912. Headquartered in the city of Dacca, it covered territories in what are now Bangladesh, Northeast India and Northern West Bengal.
Hist ...
. Malda has a history of the Indigo movement led by
Rafique Mondal. The Santhals got insurgent and captured historic
Adina Mosque
The Adina Mosque is a former mosque in Malda District, West Bengal, India. It was the largest such structure in the Indian subcontinent and was built during the Bengal Sultanate as a royal mosque by Sikandar Shah, who is also buried inside. T ...
in support of Jeetu. Again in August 1947, this district was affected by partition. Between 12–15 August 1947, the fate of the district as to which side it should go, to Pakistan or to India, was undecided because the announcement of the partition award of Sir Radcliffe did not make this point clear. During these few days, the district was under a Magistrate of
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...
. When the details of the
Radcliffe Award were published, the district came over to
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
on 17 August 1947. However, the sub-division of
Nawabganj was severed from Malda and was given to East Pakistan as a sub-division of the
Rajshahi
Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. Located on the north bank of the P ...
district.
Geography
The
latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...
range is 24°40’20" N to 25°32’08" N, and the
longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east– west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lette ...
range is 87°45’50" E to 88°28’10" E. The district covers an area of . The total population (as of 2001 Census) was recorded as 3,290,160.
Malda is called the gateway of North
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 ...
. It was once the capital of
Gour-Banga with its lay of the land classified into Tal, Diara, and Barind.
To the south is
Murshidabad district, to the north are
North Dinajpur district and
South Dinajpur district
Dakshin Dinajpur () or South Dinajpur is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal, India. It was created on 1 April 1992 by the division of the erstwhile West Dinajpur District. The Headquarter (sadar) of the district is at Balurghat. It ...
. To the east is the international border with Bangladesh. To the west is
Santhal Parganas
Santhal Pargana division constitutes one of the five district administration units known as the divisions of Jharkhand state in eastern India.
Origin of name
Santhal Pargana derives its name from two words: " Santhal", a major tribe of India ...
of
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
and
Purnea
Purnia ()(also Romanization, romanized as Purnea) is a city that serves as the administrative headquarters of both Purnia district and Purnia division in the Indian state of Bihar.
Total geographical area of Purnia Urban Agglomeration is ...
of
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
.
Malda City
Malda, the district headquarters which lends its name to the district, during its early days grew up only near the side of the river Mahananda, and now the place is known as Phulbari. Some of the oldest houses can be found here. The city started to grow from 1925 to 1930. Now nearly a half-million people live in this city, and it is one of the biggest cities of West Bengal. It was a part of the historic city of
Gour. Malda is recognized as the
Old Malda municipality and the
English Bazar municipality. Its notable railway station is named as
Malda Town
Malda or English Bazar is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the sixth largest city (urban agglomeration) in West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Malda district as well as of the Malda division of West Bengal. It consists o ...
.
Mahadipur international border crossing
The Mahadipur international border crossing is on the Malda-
Rajshahi
Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. Located on the north bank of the P ...
route at Mahadipur town in Malda district.
Local newspapers
The first monthly periodicals published from Malda was ''Kusum'', edited by Radhesh Chandra Seth, a noted personality of the then Malda. Though the exact date of its first publications is not known, it has been assumed by the informed sources that Kusum was first published in the 1890s. In 1896, Radhesh Chandra published two weekly newspapers ''Gourdoot'' and ''Gourbarta''. In 1897 Maldaha Samachar edited by Kaliprasanna Chakrabarty began to be published. Maulavi Abdul Ganikhan published 'Malda Akhbar' in 1914. In the same year, another periodical Gambhira' edited by Krishna Charan Sarkar was published. Damru, Adina and Minar—three weekly newspapers were published in 1941. The editors were Nanda Gopal Chowdhury, Akbar Munshi and Abdur Rahaman respectively.
The most important among them was ''Gourdoot'' which was first published on 1896 by Radhesh Chandra Seth. But within a short period, the publication of the newspaper came to an end as the editor faced a serious financial loss. The 'Gourdoot' again began to be published from 1912 under the editorship of Lalbihari Majumdar. Majumdar was a great scholar and his literary sense was appreciated by Benoy Kumar Sarkar and Radhesh Chandra Seth. In this endeavor, the editor was greatly supported by them and financed by Sarat Chandra Roy Chowdhury, Maharaja of Chancal. The Gourdoot was used to be published on Thursday of each week. The paper contained 6 pages and the price is one anna in 1944. The political outlook of the newspaper is pro-congress. Moreover, Lalbihari Majumdar, its editor took a pioneering role in organizing the congress movement in Malda. He has for a long time been the vice-president of the district Congress. The periodical had an implied antipathy towards Gandhian ideology.
In modern times there are also some local newspapers published in Malda, the most prominent among them are ''Maldaha Samachar'', ''Rupantorer Pothe'', ''Gour Malda Sambad'' ''Aamader Malda'', etc. 'Rupantorere Pothe' is published in every Sunday in each week. ''Maldaha Samachar'' and ''Gour Maldaha Sambad'' are published every Wednesday and Friday respectively.
Popular movements in Malda
The most important among the popular movement is the one led by Jitu Santhal in 1932. Historians like Tanika Sarkar observes Jitu's movement was rooted in the rich tradition of tribal struggle in Malda. The early form of Santhal resistance was migration, which Professor Ashim Sarkar thinks amounted to a kind of passive resistance. Active struggle between the Santhals and their landlords began about 1910.
As the barind (barindra) area began to be transformed into a developed agricultural zone, the zamindars of barind began to enhance the rent and curb the rights so far enjoyed by the Santhal from 1910 onwards. M.O Carter mentions cases were commonly found in which the lands cultivated by the adhiars, which were previously their occupancy holdings but had been sold up in rent or mortgage sales. This caused friction among zamindars and Santhals. The friction took an alarming proportion as early as 1910 when a zamindar of Bulbulchandi tried to enhance the rent. The Santhal tenants rose into protest. The gravity of the situation compelled Mr. Vas, the District Magistrate, to interfere and fix the rent. It was in this backdrop of oppression, exploitation and injustice. Jitu Santhal of Kochakandahar village of Habibpur began to mobilise the Santhals for a widespread movement. In 1926 Jitu became the leader of the Santhals by
converting
Converting companies are companies that specialize in modifying or combining raw materials such as polyesters, adhesives, silicone, adhesive tapes, foams, plastics, felts, rubbers, liners and metals, as well as other materials, to create new pro ...
them to
Manuvadi Hinduism. In the same year 'Jitu's Sanyasi Dal' defied police order to perform a Kali puja to assert its new Hindu status. In September 1928 Santhals under Jitu's leadership
looted
Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...
the autumn crop of
Sikharpur
Sikharpur is a village in Sindhupalchok District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics.
Working with ...
which had recently been taken away from them in
barind Barind Tract (alternately called the Varendra Tract in English and Borendro Bhumi in Bengali) is the largest Pleistocene era physiographic unit in the Bengal Basin. It covers most of Dinajpur, Rangpur, Pabna, Rajshahi, Bogra, and Joypurhat d ...
region. The District Magistrate and the Superintendent of the Police rushed to the spot with armed police. After much skirmishes, Jitu along with his sixty followers arrested at the hand of the police.
Economy
In 2006 the
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India. Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating to the Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions. It was created in May 2004. The ministry is headed by a ...
named Malda one of the country's 283
most backward districts (out of a total of
640).
[ It is one of the eleven districts in West Bengal currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
No notable industry is made here. Most of the people of the district are agricultural labourer and unskilled labourer.
]
Divisions
Administrative subdivisions
The district comprises two subdivisions: Chanchal
Chanchal is a census town in Malda district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Chanchal subdivision.
Geography
Area overview
The area shown in the adjacent map covers two physiographic regions – the '' Barind ...
and Malda Sadar. Chanchal consists of six community development blocks: Chanchal–I, Chanchal–II, Ratua–I, Ratua–II, Harishchandrapur–I and Harishchandrapur–II. Malda Sadar subdivision consists of Old Malda
Old Malda is a census town in Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the Malda Metropolitan Area (Urban Agglomeration). It is located on the eastern bank of the river Mahananda.
Geography
Old Malda is located at . ...
municipality, English Bazar
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
municipality and nine community development blocks: English Bazar, Gazole, Habibpur, Kaliachak–I, Kaliachak–II, Kaliachak–III, Manickchak, Old Malda and Bamangola. English Bazar
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
is the district headquarters. There are 12 police stations, 15 development blocks, 2 municipalities, 146 gram panchayat
Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bo ...
s and 3,701 villages in this district.
Other than municipality areas, each subdivision contains community development blocs, which in turn, are divided into rural areas and census towns. In total there are 10 urban units, 2 municipalities and 3 census towns. English Bazar
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
and Old Malda
Old Malda is a census town in Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the Malda Metropolitan Area (Urban Agglomeration). It is located on the eastern bank of the river Mahananda.
Geography
Old Malda is located at . ...
form an urban agglomeration
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...
.
Chanchal subdivision
* Chanchal I (community development block)
Chanchal I is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Chanchal subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History Gauda and Pandua
Gauda was once the "capital of the ancient bhukti or politica ...
consists of rural areas (8 gram panchayats) and town Chanchal
Chanchal is a census town in Malda district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Chanchal subdivision.
Geography
Area overview
The area shown in the adjacent map covers two physiographic regions – the '' Barind ...
,(second largest town in Malda).
* Chanchal II (community development block) consists of rural areas only (7 gram panchayats).
* Ratua I (community development block) consists of rural areas only (10 gram panchayats).
* Ratua II (community development block) consists of rural areas only (8 gram panchayats).
* Harishchandrapur I (community development block) consists of rural areas only (7 gram panchayats).
* Harishchandrapur II (community development block) consists of rural areas only (9 gram panchayats).
Malda Sadar subdivision
* English Bazar
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
: municipality
* Old Malda
Old Malda is a census town in Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the Malda Metropolitan Area (Urban Agglomeration). It is located on the eastern bank of the river Mahananda.
Geography
Old Malda is located at . ...
: municipality
* English Bazar (community development block) consists of rural areas only (11 gram panchayats).
* Gazole (community development block)
Gazole (also spelled Gajol) is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History Gauda and Pandua
Gauda was once the “capital of the a ...
consists of rural areas only (15 gram panchayats).
* Habibpur (community development block)
Habibpur is a Community development block in India, community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal.
History Gauda ...
consists of rural areas (11 gram panchayats) and three census towns: Kachu Pukur
Kachu Pukur is a census town in the Habibpur CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Location
Kachu Pukur is located at .
Area overview
The area shown in the adjacent map cov ...
, Kendua and Aiho
Aiho is a census town in the Habibpur CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Etymology
Aiho is a beautiful village sandwiched between two rivers Tangon and Mahananda. Due to its confl ...
.
* Kaliachak I (community development block) consists of rural areas only (14 gram panchayats).
* Kaliachak II (community development block)
Kaliachak II is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History Gauda and Pandua
Gauda was once the "capital of the ancient bhukti or ...
consists of rural areas only (9 gram panchayats).
* Kaliachak III (community development block) consists of rural areas only (14 gram panchayats).
* Manikchak (community development block) consists of rural areas only (11 gram panchayats).
* Old Malda (community development block)
Old Malda is a Community development block in India, community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal.
History Gauda ...
consists of rural areas only (6 gram panchayats).
* Bamangola (community development block) consists of rural areas only (6 gram panchayats).
Assembly Constituencies
Demographics
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 ...
about 91% including Bengali Muslims
Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...
and Bengali Hindus
Bengali Hindus ( bn, বাঙ্গালী হিন্দু/বাঙালি হিন্দু, translit=Bāṅgālī Hindu/Bāṅāli Hindu) are an ethnoreligious population who make up the majority in the Indian states of West Beng ...
form the majority of the district population. Bengali Muslims about 51.27% form the majority of Malda District population whereas Bengali Hindus are the second largest community forming about 48% of District population. According to the 2011 census Malda district has a population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 3,988,845, roughly equal to the nation of Liberia or the US state of Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
. This gives it a ranking of 58th in India (out of a total of 640).[ The district has a population density of .][ Its ]population growth rate
Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 21.5%.[ Malda has a ]sex ratio
The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species d ...
of 939 females
Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction.
A female has larger gametes than a male. Females ...
for every 1000 males,[ and a ]literacy rate
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
of 62.71%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 20.94% and 7.87% of the population respectively.[
;Community
Malda has a largely diverse range of population groups. People from adjoining regions like Bihar and Murshidabad district came here since centuries. People of various classes and tribes like Polia, ]Shershabadia
Shershabadia is a community found in the state of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand in India. They belong to Shaikh community and also form a significant part of the Shaikhs of West Bengal and Bihar. Common surnames used by the community include Sh ...
, Khotta, Panjhra, Chain Mondal, Rajbanshi, and Santhal Santhal may refer to :
Places and jurisdictions
* Santhal Pargana division, in Jharkhand state, (north)eastern India
* Santhal State, former petty princely state in Mahi Kantha, Gujarat, western India
People
* Santhal people (part of the Tea ...
inhabit the district.
Religion
Muslims are the majority in the district, and are most dominant in the northwest and south along the Padma River. Hindus are majority in Gazole (74.51%), Barmangola (89.96%), Habibpur (94.96%), Old Maldah (70.00%), and Manikchak (55.96%) CD blocks as well as urban areas, and are a significant minority in Harischandrapur I (40.31%), English Bazar (48.34%) and Kaliachak III (49.01%) CD blocks.
Language
The language spoken by the populace of Malda district is predominantly 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 ...
. A dialect, called Shershabadia or Maldaiya is spoken by majority of Muslims here.This dialect is spoken by most people of Chapai Nababganj District of Bangladesh also. Khotta, Maithili and Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
are also spoken by some minority population throughout the district.
Culture
Malda has special cultural sorts like Gombhira
Gombhira (or gambhira or gamvira) is a type of song originating in the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, what is today northeastern West Bengal, India and northwestern Bangladesh.
In West Bengal (India), gombh ...
, Alkap
Alkap ( bn, আলকাপ) is a Bengali folk dance popular in the districts of Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum in West Bengal and Chapai Nawabganj, Randajshahi in Bangladesh. It has also spread to the adjoining areas of Jharkhand and Bihar such ...
, Kavigan
Kavigan, Kobi Gaan, Kobi Lorai or Kabigan ( bn, কবিগান) is a form of Bengali folk performance wherein folk poets sing and perform. A verbal duel among the poets, this mystic minstrels art was popular with rural folk form in ninet ...
etc.
Festivals
Almost all of the major religious festivals are celebrated, like
* Durga puja
Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...
* Kali Puja
Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Kali. It is celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu calendar month ...
* Diwali
* Dussehra
Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...
* Eid al-Fitr
* Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's com ...
* Muharram
Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after ...
* Milad un-Nabi
* Shab-e-Barat
*Shab-e-Kadar
* Guru Nanak Jayanti
* Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
* Ratha-Yatra
Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...
* Maha Shivratri
Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava.
In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ca ...
Fairs
Some of the most reputed cultural fairs of the district are
* Ramkeli Fair, Gour
* Aiho
Aiho is a census town in the Habibpur CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Etymology
Aiho is a beautiful village sandwiched between two rivers Tangon and Mahananda. Due to its confl ...
and Bulbulchandi ' Kali Puja Fair
* Debipur Haribasar 32 Prahar Mela.
* Gobarjanna Kalipujo Mela
* Charu Babu Mela
* Charak Fair
* Chobbish (24) Prahor at Shingabad and Rishipur
* Dariapur Urush at Dariapur, Kaliachak
Kaliachak is a town in the Kaliachak I CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Kaliachak consists 4 Census Town Silampur,Karari Chandpur, Baliadanga and Alipur
Kaliachak is one of the big ...
* Gazole Utsab
* Kahala Urush at Mothabari
* Kahala Durga Puja Fair .
* Kartik puja Fair
* Moyna Bishohari Mela.
* Eid Fair, Pirana Pir Dargah
* Muharram Fair, at Sattari
Sattari (''Sot'tori'', pronounced ; ) is a sub-district of North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. The headquarters of Sattari taluka is Valpoi (वाळपई) municipal council. It lies in the north-eastern region of Goa where it is ...
* Maha Shivratri Fair or Bhole Bam at Amrity
* Christmas Carnival, Englishbazar, Malda
*32 prahar harinam sankirtan at Debipur (Ratua 1,Malda)
Tourist attractions
* Adina Relics
# Adina Mosque
The Adina Mosque is a former mosque in Malda District, West Bengal, India. It was the largest such structure in the Indian subcontinent and was built during the Bengal Sultanate as a royal mosque by Sikandar Shah, who is also buried inside. T ...
# Gol ghar
# Eklakhi 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, ...
# Adina deer park
* Relics of Gour
# Firoz minar
Firoz Minar (also known as Firuz Minar) (''English'': Tower of Firoz/Firuz) is a five-storeyed tower situated at Gaur, West Bengal, India. It was built by Sultan Saifuddin Firuz Shah of the Habshi dynasty between 1485 and 1489. It was built in th ...
# Chika Masjid
# Qutwali Gate
# 12-gated 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, ...
# Qudm-e-Rasul, dargah
A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...
shrine believed to contain the footprint of the Prophet
*Gobarjanna Kali Mandir
* Aquatic Bengal
* Jami Masjid
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.*
*
*
*
*
*
*
...
* Nimai Sarai Tower
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specifi ...
* Pandua Sharif
* Pirana Pir Dargah
A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...
.
* Lost monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
of Jagjivanpur
* Temple of Ramakrishna Mission
* Temple of Jahura Kali (Local avatar of Goddess Chandi)
* Chanchal
Chanchal is a census town in Malda district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Chanchal subdivision.
Geography
Area overview
The area shown in the adjacent map covers two physiographic regions – the '' Barind ...
Rajbari
* Sattari Jame Mosque
* Debipur Haribasar Radhagobinda Temple (Debipur,Ratua 1,Malda)
* Amrity Shiv Mandir
Education
Schools
Notable schools of the district include:-
* A. C. Institution
* Barlow Girls' High School
* Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School
Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School is a higher secondary school in Gangabag, Malda, West Bengal, India. This is a boys' school and is affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education for Madhyamik Pariksha (10th Board exams), and to ...
* Malda Railway High School
Malda Railway High School is higher secondary school with arts and science.
Establishment
The school was established in 1966.
Location
It is situated at the Railway Type1 Colony, P.O.-Jhaljhalia, Dist:Malda of English Bazar municipality of ...
* Malda Town High School
Malda Town High School is a higher secondary school situated at English Bazar of Malda district, in the state of West Bengal, India.
About School
This is a boys' school and is affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education for Madhy ...
* Malda Zilla School
* Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir
* Usha Martin School, Malda
Engineering Colleges
* Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering & Technology
Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering & Technology is a central government funded engineering college, one of the 24 CFTI/GFTI under Ministry of the Education located in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. Archived 14 Septemb ...
* IMPS College of Engineering and Technology, established - 2003
General degree Colleges
* Malda College
* Malda Women's College
* Gour Mahavidyalaya
* Chanchal College
* Gazole Mahavidyalaya
Gazole Mahavidyalaya is a college in Gazole Town in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga, offering undergraduate courses. It was established on 1 August 2006
Location
Gazole Mahav ...
* Harishchandrapur College
* Kaliachak College
Kaliachak College is a college situated at Sultanganj, Kaliachak I CD block in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga
University of Gour Banga is a public state university loc ...
* Manikchak College
* Pakuahat Degree College
Pakuahat Degree College is a college in Pakuahat in the Malda district of West Bengal, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-larg ...
* Samsi College
Samsi College is an undergraduate college at Samsi under Chanchol police station in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga, offering undergraduate courses.
History
This is the s ...
* South Malda College
Medical schools
* Malda Medical College and Hospital
Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMC&H) is a medical college run by the government of West Bengal in Malda, West Bengal, India. It is recognised by the Medical Council of India and affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences. ...
Polytechnic Colleges
* Malda Polytechnic
* Ratua Satyendra Nath Bose Government Polytechnic
University
* University of Gour Banga
University of Gour Banga is a public state university located in Malda, West Bengal, India. It is one of the newest state universities established in 2008 by the Government of West Bengal on Act XXVI 2007.
History
The university completed ...
Notable people
* Momtazuddin Ahmed
Momtazuddin Ahmed ( bn, মমতাজউদ্দিন আহমেদ; 24 December 1903 – 12 September 1971) was a Bangladeshi philosopher and educationist.
Early life and education
Ahmed was born to a Bengali Muslim family from Brahma ...
* Subhamita Banerjee
* Sandip Chakrabarti
Sandip Chakrabarti is an Indian astrophysicist. He developed a computer model to show how life on earth could have originated in outer space.
Education
He started his education in Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School in Malda. After finish ...
* Shibram Chakraborty
* A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury
* Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury
Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury (born 12 January 1938) is an Indian politician and former Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. He has represented the Maldaha Dakshin (Lok Sabha constituency) since 2009. He first elected M.P from hi ...
* Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury
Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury is an Indian advocate and politician currently serves as Chairman of English Bazar Municipality.He has served as the Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Minister of Food processing and Horticulture from West Bengal ...
* Raja Ganesha
Raja Ganesha ( bn, রাজা গণেশ) was a Hindu Brahmin zamindar ruler of Bengal, who took advantage of the weakness of the first Ilyas Shahi dynasty and seized power in Bengal. Contemporary historians of the medieval period consider ...
* Jiva Goswami
* Tafazzal Hossain, politician
* Sabitri Mitra
* Mausam Noor
Mausam Benazir Noor (Bengali: মৌসম বেনজির নূর; born 15 October 1979) is an Indian politician serving as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and Vice Chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Women. She ...
* Rubi Noor
Rubi Noor (12 August 1945 – 10 July 2008) was an Indian politician and the leader of the Indian National Congress who served as four term MLA from Sujapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency). She was younger sister of A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhur ...
* Uma Roy
* Krishna Jiban Sanyal
* Benoy Kumar Sarkar, Indian social scientist, professor, nationalist
* Santi Gopal Sen
* Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah
* Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah ( bn, জালালউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ শাহ; born as Yadu or Jadu) was a 15th-century Sultan of Bengal and an important figure in medieval Bengali history. Born a Hindu to his aristocratic fat ...
* Sikandar Shah
Abul Mujāhid Sikandar Shāh ( bn, আবুল মুজাহিদ সিকান্দর শাহ, fa, ), commonly known as Sikandar Shah; was the second Sultan of Bengal and the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. He was the son of Shamsuddin Ilyas S ...
* Bidhushekhar Shastri
* Tapan Sikdar
Tapan Sikdar (20 September 1944 – 2 June 2014) was a Union minister of state in the National Democratic Alliance government of India and a Bharatiya Janata Party politician. He was born on 20 September 1944 in Jessore. His father Dr. D. N. Si ...
* Sabina Yeasmin
See also
* History of Bengal
The history of Bengal is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It includes modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam's Karimga ...
* Gour
Notes
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malda District
Districts of West Bengal
Minority Concentrated Districts in India
1813 establishments in British India