Historical Memory Journey
Willem van Schendel
A study of borderlands, partition, and state formation across Bengal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma.
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1905
In 1905, the British colonial government partitioned Bengal and created the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam with Dacca as its capital. Officials defended the move as an administrative reform, but many opponents in Bengal saw it as a divide-and-rule measure that weakened Bengali political influence. The decision triggered boycott campaigns, Swadeshi activism, and a lasting reconfiguration of political alignments across the region.
1947
In 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan, and Bengal itself was split into West Bengal and East Bengal. This chapter traces how rushed borders, communal politics, and mass displacement reshaped the region and set the stage for later struggles over language, autonomy, and identity.
1971
The 1971 Liberation War was the final resistance of the people of East Pakistan against long-standing political, economic, and cultural discrimination. After the denial of the people's mandate in the 1970 election and the military crackdown of 25 March, this struggle transformed into an armed war of liberation that led to the birth of independent Bangladesh.