History

Posted on 18. Feb, 2010 by Mikey Leung in 3. Dhaka

Dhaka’s history essentially begins in 1608 when the Mughal rulers proclaimed it as the new capital of Bengal, and thus 2008 saw a few celebrations of Dhaka’s 400th birthday. Before then, Dhaka was a functional trading port consisting of a small township served by many bazaars. It would not be until the Mughals relocated the capital from Sonargaon that the city began its expansion. The next century would see the city hosting a number of international interests with scores of Portuguese, French, English and Dutch merchants visiting Dhaka’s trading ports, where a finewoven cotton known as muslin was produced for export and famed internationally for its quality, showing up on the tailoring tables of Europe. These early economic successes prepared the city to one day become the future capital of East Pakistan and eventually Bangladesh.

History: Ancient Bengal to the Mughal Empire

Posted on 01. Sep, 2009 by Mikey Leung in 1. General Information, Podcast

To see the Bangladesh of today against its glorious history, it is both enlightening and depressing to imagine that Bengal used to occupy such a place of glory and power in the subcontinent. During the 16th century, its wealth supported the Mughal Empire, and at its zenith in the mid-18th century, Bengal’s cotton and silk textiles were in demand worldwide with Dutch, Portuguese, British and French traders landing on its shores. However, the late colonial period marked a substantial change as the British proved themselves successful at draining Bengal of its wealth and destroying its cotton industry.

Touring Old Dhaka? Talk to the Urban Study Group

Posted on 14. Apr, 2008 by Mikey Leung in Best of Bangladesh

Homaira and Taimur of Dhaka’s Urban Study Group have started offering guided explorations of Old Dhaka, on both the weekends and weekdays, in an effort to see some of the older buildings preserved and restored. Here’s a quote from their recent mailings regarding the preservation work they’re attempting to do:
While our documentation of the other [...]