Discover Bengal · Unfolded
❦George Michell / UNESCO
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8th century
Construction of Somapura Mahavihara
Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur emerged in the 8th century as one of the largest monasteries south of the Himalayas and an important intellectual center in pre-Islamic Bengal.
1204-1205
Bakhtiyar Khalji's Conquest of Nadia
Ikhtiyar al-Din Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji's capture of Nadia, associated with 1204-1205, marked a major turning point in Bengal's political history. The fall of the Sena capital center and subsequent movement toward Lakhnauti/Gaur shifted the region's ruling structure and opened a new phase of Turkic-led state formation in Bengal.
1,352
Bengal Sultanate Independence and Unification
By the mid-fourteenth century, Bengal came under a unified and effectively sovereign sultanate polity, commonly associated with the consolidation of Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah. This marked a major shift from fragmented regional authority to a distinct Bengal state with its own political center and durable institutional identity.
1,414
Raja Ganesha Seizes Power in Bengal
In 1414, Raja Ganesha, a powerful Hindu zamindar from north Bengal, captured effective control of the Bengal Sultanate during a period of dynastic weakness. His rise marked the start of the House of Ganesha period, which briefly interrupted Ilyas Shahi rule and reshaped court politics before the Ilyas Shahi restoration.
1,494
Alauddin Husain Shah Begins Hussain Shahi Rule in Bengal
In 1494, Alauddin Husain Shah took power in Bengal and founded the Hussain Shahi dynasty. His accession marked a major dynastic transition in the Bengal Sultanate and initiated a period often associated with administrative consolidation, territorial ambition, and expanded courtly patronage in Bengali and Persian cultural spheres.
15th century
Khan Jahan Ali and Bagerhat-Khalifatabad
Khan Jahan Ali is associated with the development of Khalifatabad, now Bagerhat, where a dense concentration of mosques, roads, tanks, and civic works emerged in the fifteenth century. The Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
1576 (July 12)
Battle of Rajmahal
On July 12, 1576, Mughal forces defeated Daud Khan Karrani at the Battle of Rajmahal. The victory marked the collapse of the Karrani regime, often treated as the terminal phase of independent Bengal Sultanate power, and accelerated Bengal's incorporation into the Mughal imperial framework.
1,612
Mughal Conquest Phase in Bengal Largely Completed
By 1612, the long Mughal conquest phase in Bengal was largely complete after sustained campaigns against regional resistance networks, including the Baro-Bhuiyan bloc. While local variation remained, the balance of power had shifted decisively toward Mughal provincial rule after the post-Rajmahal era.
1704-1717
Murshid Quli Khan Shifts the Capital to Murshidabad
In the early eighteenth century, Murshid Quli Khan shifted Bengal's effective administrative center from Dhaka to Makhsudabad, later known as Murshidabad. The move strengthened centralized revenue management, aligned court and banking networks around a new political hub, and reoriented the province's governing geography before Plassey.
1,757
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked a decisive shift in Bengal's political destiny. A short military encounter became a structural transfer of power as the East India Company worked through court conspiracy, military defection, and financial alliance to break Siraj ud-Daulah's position. The aftermath reshaped governance, revenue extraction, and sovereignty, laying the foundation for long-term colonial rule.
1666 (January 27)
Mughal Conquest of Chittagong
In 1666, Mughal forces under the Bengal administration captured Chittagong from Arakanese control after coordinated land-naval operations. The conquest integrated a strategic port frontier into Mughal Bengal.