History of Murshidabad

Murshidabad has a history that goes back to the pre historic times. Many kings and rulers had made the district one of the entities in their kingdom. However, very little is known about the prehistoric era of Murshidabad. It was in the early eighteenth century that the district got its present name and later on, its present shape. The earliest evidences of the history of Murshidabad dates back to the pre-historic days, perhaps as early as 1500 BC. To get detailed information on the origin & history of the district, browse through the following lines.

Not much is known about the prehistoric era of Murshibad. Coming straight to the time of the British rule over India, the place thrived as a town and district of British India, in the Presidency division of Bengal. Situated on the left bank of the Bhagirathi, or old sacred channel of the Ganges, the city of Berhampur served as the administrative headquarters of the district. It was during this time that the Nawab Murshid Quli Khan made Murshidabad the capital city of Sube Bangla, comprising of Bengal, Bihar and Orissal. 

In the year 1704, Nawab Murshid Quli Khan changed the seat of government from Dacca to Maksudabad, naming it after his own name. After the British conquest over Bengal, Murshidabad was retained as the seat of administration for some time. Though Warren Hastings had removed the supreme civil and criminal courts to Calcutta in 1772, the latter court was brought back to Murshidabad again, in 1775. In 1790, under Lord Cornwallis, the entire revenue and judicial staff of the Murshidabad was fixed at Calcutta. 

The town is still the residence of the Nawab, who ranks as the first nobleman of the province with the style of Nawab Bahadur of Murshidabad. Right from the Pre-Mauryan era to the affluence of the Gupta dynasty, the Gouda Kingdom and Sasanka, the Pala Era, the Sena Era and the British rule, the district of Murshidabad has undergone immense cultural and historical changes. Various cultures of many races and religions, like Buddhism, Brahmanism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, Islam & Christianity, have thrived here. European traders like the Dutch, British, French and Armenians have added a new dimension to its rich history.