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The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between India and Bangladesh ) on the Indian Subcontinent with a history dating back four millennia. They speak Bengali (বাংলা ''Bangla''), a language of the eastern Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European Languages . In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী ''Bangali''. They are descended from the Aryans, Austric, Dravidian and the Proto-Australoids, closely related to the Oriya , Assamese , Biharis , and other East India ns, as well as to other British, Indo-Aryan , Munda , Proto-Australoid , Tibeto-Burman , Austro-Asiatic and Dravidian peoples. As a result, Bengalis are a Heterogeneous and considerably diverse ethnic group. They are mostly concentrated in Bangladesh and in the state of West Bengal in India . There are also a number of Bengali communities scattered in New Delhi and several other states of India, such as Assam , Jharkhand , Bihar , Maharastra , Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh , Orissa , and the North-East India n states, as well as in other countries such as Pakistan , the Middle East , United Kingdom and United States . HISTORY See Also: History of Bengal History of Bangladesh Ancient history Middle Ages Renaissance See Also: Bengal Renaissance The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the region of Bengal in Undivided India during the period of British Rule . The Bengal renaissance can be said to have started with Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1775-1833) and ended with Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), although there have been many stalwarts thereafter embodying particular aspects of the unique intellectual and creative output.''History of the Bengali-speaking People'' by Nitish Sengupta, p 211, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 81-7476-355-4. Nineteenth century Bengal was a unique blend of religious and social reformers, scholars, literary giants, journalists, patriotic orators and scientists, all merging to form the image of a renaissance, and marked the transition from the 'medieval' to the 'modern'.''Calcutta and the Bengal Renaissance'' by Sumit Sarkar in ''Calcutta, the Living City'' edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Vol I, p 95. Independence movement Bengalis also played a notable role in the Indian independence movement. Many of the early proponents of the freedom struggle, and subsequent leaders in movement were Bengalis such as Chittranjan Das, S. N. Bannerjee, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose , Prafulla Chaki , Khudiram Bose and Rashbehari Bose . Some of these leaders, such as Netaji, did not subscribe to the view that non-violent civil disobedience was the best way to achieve Indian Independence, and were instrumental in armed resistance against the British force. Netaji was the founder of the Indian National Army (distinct from the army of British India) that challenged British forces in several parts of India. Among the Muslims, A. K. Fazlul Huq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy were the most prominent Bengali leaders of British India 's independence movement. Partitions of Bengal See Also: 1905 Partition of Bengal 1947 Partition of Bengal Bangladesh Liberation War See Also: Bangladesh Liberation War RELIGION See Also: Islam in Bangladesh See Also: Hinduism in Bangladesh , Bangladesh]] In his 1996 book, ''Comparing State Polities'', Michael J. Sullivan indicated that the 183 million Bengalis are divided into about 112 million Bengali Muslims in Bangladesh and about 71 million Bengali Hindus in India.Comparing State Polities: A Framework for Analyzing 100 Governments By Michael J. III Sullivan, pg. 119 However, recent census information from Bangladesh and India show the total population of Bengalis to be 230 million, among which 152 millions or 66% are Muslims, while 76 million or 33% are Hindus. According to U.A.B Razia, "Islam's greatest missionary triumphs has been amongst the Bengali people".Islam in Bangladesh By U. A. B. Razia Akter Banu, pg. 2, quoting Arnold Various theories have been espoused on how Bengalis accepted Islam. Some claim that there were mass conversions to Islam from Hinduism. However, Ayesha Jalal debunks this claim as a "creative Islamist Imagining " and attributes this claim to Islamic Fundamentalist Propaganda A. Jalal, History as Official Imagining, International Journal of Middle East Studies, 27, (1995), 73-89 Others note the influx of famous Muslim missionaries into the region such as Shah Jalal . While others note that there were waves aristocrats who migrated to the Bengal and bolstered the number of adherants. Islam in Bangladesh By U. A. B. Razia Akter Banu, pg. 3.Today, Bengalis constitute a significant body of the world's Muslims. CULTURE See Also: Culture of Bangladesh Culture of West Bengal The Bengalis are known for their artistic and cultural achievements. Noted Bengali authors, playwrights, music composers, painters and film-makers have played a significant role in the evolution and development of Indian artistic expression. The Bengal Renaissance of the 19th century was brought about when the British introduced Western education and ideas. Among the various Indian cultures, the Bengalis were relatively quick to adapt to the British rule and actually use its principles (such as the judiciary and the legislature) in the subsequent political struggle for independence. The Bengali renaissance contained the seeds of a nascent Political Indian Nationalism and was the precursor in many ways to modern Indian artistic and cultural expression. The Bengali poet and novelist, Rabindranath Tagore became the first Nobel laureate from Asia when he won the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature. Along with Kazi Nazrul Islam (another Bengali poet), they are considered the greatest poets in South Asia. SEE ALSO NOTES |
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