Islam in West Bengal

Muslims in West Bengal
	West Bengal's oldest mosque located at Murshidabad district
Total population
	24,654,825 (2011 census) ; (27% of the state population)
Regions with significant populations
	Majority in Murshidabad (66.3%), Maldah (51.3%), Uttar Dinajpur (50%). Significant minority in Birbhum (37.1%), South 24 Parganas (35.6%), Howrah (26.20%).
Languages
	Majority Bengali, Minority Urdu, Surjapuri, and others

According to the 2011 census, West Bengal has over 24.6 million Muslims, making up 27% of the state's population.^[6] The vast majority of Muslims in West Bengal are ethnic native Bengali Muslims, numbering around over 22 million and comprising 24.1% of the state population (mostly they reside in Rural areas). There also exists an Immigrants Urdu-speaking Muslim community numbering 2.6 million, constituting 2.9% of the state population and mostly resides in Urban areas of the state.^[7]^[1]^[3]^[2]^[4]^[8]

Muslims form the majority of the population in three districts: Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur.^[9] Among these, Uttar Dinajpur is notable as ethnic Bengali Muslims comprise 28% of the district's population, with the remaining 22% being Urdu and Surjapuri speakers.^[10]

History

Islam first arrived in Bengal in the year 1204.^[11] The establishment of the first Muslim state in Bengal, the Bengal Sultanate, in 1352 by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah is credited to giving rise to a Bengali socio-linguistic identity.^[12] The Sultanate's influence was expansive, with the Hindu-born sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah funding the construction of Islamic institutions as far as Makkah Al Mukarramah and Madinah Al Munawwarah, which came to be known as al-Madaris al-Banjaliyyah (Bengali madrasas). Sufis also became prominent in this period, such as Usman Serajuddin, also known as Akhi Siraj Bengali, who was a native of Gaur in western Bengal and became the Sultanate's court scholar during Ilyas Shah's reign.^[13]^[14]^[15] Alongside Persian and Arabic, the Sultanate also used the Bengali language to gain patronage and support, contrary to previous states which exclusively favored liturgical languages such as Sanskrit and Pali.^[16]^[17] Islam became especially widespread when the region was under Mughal rule from 1576 to 1765 and was commonly known as Bengal Subah.^{[citation needed]} The Mughal Emperors considered Bengal their most prized province. The Mughal emperor Akbar is credited with developing the modern Bengali calendar.^[18]

The Bengal Sultanate, 16th century covering whole Western part of Bengal

Population

Historical Muslim Population
Year	Pop.	±%
1901	3,954,776	—
1911	2,955,098	−25.3%
1921	4,101,516	+38.8%
1931	4,521,313	+10.2%
1941	5,506,442	+21.8%
1951	4,402,330	−20.1%
1961	5,515,348	+25.3%
1971	7,983,963	+44.8%
1981	9,743,209	+22.0%
1991	12,050,000	+23.7%
2001	18,240,543	+51.4%
2011	24,654,825	+35.2%
Source: ^[19]

As per as Indian Census figures, The Muslim population have increased from (5.1 million) 20 per cent in 1951 to (24.6 million) 27 per cent in 2011 (a growth of 19.5 million in absolute numbers and an increasement of 7 per cent points from last 6 decades) respectively.^[20]

Partition and immigration

The Muslim population in West Bengal before 1947 partition was around 33%.^[21] After partition of Bengal in 1947, some Muslims from West Bengal left for East Pakistan, (Present-Day-Bangladesh). Estimates show that 1,634,718 Muslim refugees from West Bengal settling permanently in East Pakistan during 1947–1951.^[22]

Population by district (2011)

Muslims in West Bengal by district (2011)^[23]
#	District	Total population	Muslim population	%
1	Murshidabad	7,103,807	4,707,573	66.88%
2	South 24 Parganas	8,161,961	2,903,075	35.57%
3	North 24 Parganas	10,009,781	2,584,684	25.82%
4	Malda	3,988,845	2,045,151	51.27%
5	Bardhaman	7,717,563	1,599,764	20.73%
6	Uttar Dinajpur	3,007,134	1,501,170	49.92%
7	Nadia	5,167,600	1,382,682	26.76%
8	Birbhum	3,502,404	1,298,054	37.06%
9	Howrah	4,850,029	1,270,641	26.20%
10	Kolkata	4,496,694	926,414	20.60%
11	Hooghly	5,519,145	870,204	15.77%
12	Purba Medinipur	5,095,875	743,436	14.59%
13	Cooch Behar	2,819,086	720,033	26.54%
14	Paschim Medinipur	5,913,457	620,554	10.49%
15	Jalpaiguri	3,872,846	445,817	11.51%
16	Dakshin Dinajpur	1,676,276	412,788	24.63%
17	Bankura	3,596,674	290,450	8.08%
18	Purulia	2,930,115	227,249	7.76%
19	Darjeeling	1,846,823	105,086	5.69%

Linguistic groups

According to the 2021 census estimation, there were around 28-29 million Muslims living in West Bengal, constituting 28-29% respectively.^[24] Nearly most of them (25-26% of state population), about 25-26 million are native Bengali Muslims, constituting around 90% of the total Muslim population in the state, and are mostly concentrated in rural and Semi Urban areas. The Urdu-speaking Muslims from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh constitute rest 3%, numbering around 3 million and are mainly concentrated in Kolkata, Asansol, Islampur subdivision of West Bengal.^[25]^[3]^[26]

Notable Muslims from West Bengal

Murshid Quli Khan, the first Nawab of Bengal, Murshidaabad.
Siraj ud-Daulah, last independent nawab of Bengal, Murshidaabad.
Alivardi Khan, Nawab of Bengal, Murshidaabad.
Titumir, Indian Bengali Revolutionary, Barrackpur
Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bengali poet and music lyricist composer, writer known as Bidrohi Kobi, Aasansol.
Begum Rokeya, Bengali feminist thinker, writer, Philanthropist in Pre Independent India, Belgharia.
Syed Mustafa Siraj, Indian Bengali Writer, Murshidaabad
Masudur Rahman Baidya, First physically disabled Asian swimmer to cross the English Channel.
Mohammed Ali Qamar is a first Bengali Indian to win a gold medal in Commonwealth Games,kolkata.
Abu Sayeed Ayyub, Indian philosopher, teacher, literary critic, Kolkata.
Farha Khatun is a National Awarded documentary filmmaker, Kolkata

Kolkata

Abu Sayeed Ayyub, Indian philosopher, teacher, literary critic and writer.
Altamas Kabir, Indian former Chief Justice of India
Abdul Masood, Indian Former cricketer.
Hashim Abdul Halim, Indian Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Mohammed Ali Qamar, boxer, medalist in Commonwealth Games.
Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former Vice President of India
Mohammed Salim (footballer), Indian footballer
Mohammed Salim (politician), The Minister for Technical Education and Training, Youth Welfare
Nusrat Jahan, Indian Bengali Actress.
Firhad Hakim, Mayor of Kolkata, MIC Urban Development and Municipal Affairs
Begum Rokeya, Bengali feminist thinker, writer, Philanthropist
Farha Khatun, Documentary Filmmaker
Sultan Ahmed (politician), Indian politician and former Union Minister of State Tourism.
Noor Alam Chowdhury, Former Minister of Animal Resources Development.
Mohammed Rafique (footballer), Indian footballer
Sahil Khan, Indian gymnast and model of India
Nafisa Ali, Indian actress, politician and social activist
Pinky Lilani, Indian author, motivational speaker, food expert and women's advocate
Rupam Islam, Indian Musician, lyricist, Writer.
Shehla Pervin, Indian Scientist
Wajid Ali Shah, last king of calcutta from Lucknow.

Malda

Shahzada Barbak, the Sultan of Bengal
Saifuddin Firuz Shah, the Sultan of Bengal
Alaul Haq, Bengali Islamic scholar
Ghulam Husain Salim, Historian
Usman Serajuddin, Bengali Islamic scholar
A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury, former Railways Minister (India)
Mausam Noor former M.P of Maldaha Uttar
Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury M.P of Maldaha Dakshin and Ex-State Health Minister
Isha Khan Choudhury current M.L.A of Sujapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Abu Nasar Khan Choudhury Ex-M.L.A of Sujapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency) and Ex-Minister of Science and Technology
Sabina Yeasmin current M.L.A of Mothabari and Minister of North Bengal Development, Irrigation Department
Rubi Noor former three times M.L.A of Sujapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)

Murshidabad

Murshid Quli Khan, the first Nawab of Bengal
Alivardi Khan, Nawab of Bengal
Amina Begum, Princess of Bengal.
Siraj ud-Daulah, last independent nawab of Bengal
Abul Hayat, actor
Atiul Islam, Indian Filmmaker
Mir Afsar Ali, radio jockey, actor
Abdul Alim, folk singer, songwriter
Baby Islam, cinematographer and director
Syed Mustafa Siraj, Bengali writer
Mujibar Rahaman, Bengali Documentary Filmmaker
Moinul Hassan, writer, member of Parliament of India
Mabinul Haq, Bengali writer
Moniruddin Khan, Bengali poet and writer
Abul Bashar, Bengali writer
Syed Badrudduja, politician and former mayor of Kolkata
Jahanara Imam, writer and political activist
Zainal Abedin, politician and four time former MP of Jangipur
Niamot Sheikh, M.L.A of Hariharpara, Hariharpara
Babar Ali (teacher), "youngest headmaster in the world" by BBC

Hooghly

Mohammad Abu Bakr Siddique, was a Bengali Islamic scholar and the inaugural Pir of Furfura Sharif, West Bengal
Abdul Mannan, politician
Muhammad Mohsin, Bengali social reformer, Islamic scholar, philanthropist
Syed Rahim Nabi, retired professional Indian international footballer who primarily played as a midfielder though he could play as a striker and defender.
Abbas Siddiqui, founder of Indian Secular Front

Bardhaman

Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bengali poet and music lyricist composer, writer known as Bidrohi Kobi.
Abul Hashim, Islamic thinker and Freedom Fighter.
Abdullah el Baqui, Bengali Islamic scholar, writer, Freedom Fighter.
Nawab Abdul Jabbar, Indian bureaucrat, Social worker.
Sheikh Saidul Haque, The first and incumbent M.P. from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency.
Abu Ayesh Mondal, Former chairman of West Bengal Minority Development & Finance Corporation.
Siddiqullah Chowdhury, politician, minister and president Of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.

Birbhum

Ekram Ali, Bengali poet

North 24 Parganas

Titumir One of the First Bengali Freedom Fighter
Azizul Haque (educator), Educationist, Education minister for Bengal .
Mohammad Akram Khan, Bengali journalist,
Masudur Rahman Baidya, Bengali swimmer.
Sheikh Sahil, Footballer
Rafikul Islam Mondal Indian politician, MLA from the Basirhat Uttar.
Haji Nurul Islam Indian politician, MLA from the Haroa.
Abdur Rahim Quazi Indian politician, MLA from the Baduria.
ATM Abdullah Indian politician.

South 24 Parganas

Abul Hasnat, Bengali physician .
Abdur Razzak Molla, Former Minister for Land and Land Reforms
Firdousi Begum, First Lady MLA of Sonarpur Uttar

Howrah

Azangachhi Shaheb, Indian Sufi saint.
Afsar Amed, Writer
Hannan Mollah, social worker and MLA

Uttar Dinajpur

Abdul Karim Chowdhury, Bengali Former Politician, Ex Minister for Mass Education Extension and Library Services.

Midanapur

Ubaidullah Al Ubaidi Suhrawardy, Bengali Educationist.
Khujista Akhtar Banu, writer, social reformer.
Begum Badar un nissa Akhtar, Indian social reformer.
Zahid Suhrawardy, jurist and lawyer.
Hasan Shaheed Suhrawardy, Translator, art critic, Diplomat.
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Prime minister of Bengal.

Cooch Behar

Abbasuddin Ahmed, Folk singer and Composer.
Ferdausi Rahman, Folk singer
Hussain Muhammad Ershad, military officer and politician who served as President of Bangladesh.

Jalpaiguri

Khaleda Zia, politician who served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Nadia

Mohammad Mozammel Huq, Poet, novelist
I'tisam-ud-Din, linguistic, Munshi in Mughal period.
Azizunnessa Khatun, a Bengali poet, writer, and philanthropist.
Nurun Nahar Faizannesa, Feminist.

References

^ ^a ^b "Population of West Bengal - West Bengal Population 2021".
^ ^a ^b "West Bengal assembly elections: Why getting Muslims votes could be tough for Mamata Banerjee". Times of India. 6 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Why the 30% Muslim vote share is crucial in Bengal, explains Robin Roy".
^ ^a ^b "West Bengal Population 2022".
^ Census of India - Religious Composition
^ "Why the 30% Muslim vote share is crucial in Bengal, explains Robin Roy".
^ Jayanta Ghosal (21 April 2021). "Decoding the Muslim vote in West Bengal". India Today. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
^ misu-2011-census.html "Census 2011 shows Islam is the fastest growing religion in India". Mint. 26 August 2015. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Saibal Sen (26 August 2015). "Bengal beats India in Muslim growth rate".
^ hajarduar (22 October 2013). "The curious case of the Surjapuri people". আলাল ও দুলাল | ALAL O DULAL. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
^ http://pu.edu.pk › historyPDF the diffusion of islam in bengal - Punjab University
^ Ahmed, ABM Shamsuddin (2012). "Iliyas Shah". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
^ 'Abd al-Haqq al-Dehlawi. Akhbarul Akhyar.
^ Abdul Karim (2012). "Shaikh Akhi Sirajuddin Usman (R)". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
^ Hanif, N (2000). Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis: South Asia. Prabhat Kumar Sharma, for Sarup & Sons. p. 35.
^ "What is more significant, a contemporary Chinese traveler reported that although Persian was understood by some in the court, the language in universal use there was Bengali. This points to the waning, although certainly not yet the disappearance, of the sort of cosmopolitan mentality that the Muslim ruling class in Bengal had exhibited since its arrival over two centuries earlier. It also points to the survival and eventual dominance of parochial Bengali culture at the highest level of official society." (Eaton 1993:60)
Eaton, Richard M. (1993). The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760. University of California. ISBN 978-0-520-20507-9. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ Rabbani, AKM Golam (7 November 2017). "Politics and Literary Activities in the Bengali Language during the Independent Sultanate of Bengal". Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics. 1 (1): 151–166. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017 – via www.banglajol.info.
^ Shoaib Daniyal (15 April 2015). "Bengali New Year: how Akbar invented the modern Bengali calendar". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
^ Nahid Kamal. "The Population Trajectories of Bangladesh and West Bengal During the Twentieth Century: A Comparative Study" (PDF).
^ "The Politics of Demography in Assam and West Bengal". 12 May 2023.
^ "Muslims of West Bengal" (PDF). core.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
^ Chatterji, Joya (2007). The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947–1967. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-46830-5.
^ Population by religious community: West Bengal. 2011 Census of India.
^ "Mamata's Muslim Gameplan". 17 January 2021.
^ "Owaisi's entry into Bengal likely to unsettle TMC's sway over minorities | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 13 November 2020.
^ "West Bengal elections 2021: Mamata Banerjee and Muslim votes - Times of India". The Times of India.

[indiaonlinepages-population-1] "Population of West Bengal - West Bengal Population 2021".

[times-of-india-assembly-elections-2] "West Bengal assembly elections: Why getting Muslims votes could be tough for Mamata Banerjee". Times of India. 6 February 2021.

[free-press-journal-muslim-vote-share-3] "Why the 30% Muslim vote share is crucial in Bengal, explains Robin Roy".

[india-census-4] "West Bengal Population 2022".

[5] Census of India - Religious Composition

[freepressjournal.in-6] "Why the 30% Muslim vote share is crucial in Bengal, explains Robin Roy".

[7] Jayanta Ghosal (21 April 2021). "Decoding the Muslim vote in West Bengal". India Today. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

[8] su-2011-census.html "Census 2011 shows Islam is the fastest growing religion in India". Mint. 26 August 2015. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[Saibal-9] Saibal Sen (26 August 2015). "Bengal beats India in Muslim growth rate".

[10] rduar (22 October 2013). "The curious case of the Surjapuri people". আলাল ও দুলাল | ALAL O DULAL. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

[11] ttp://pu.edu.pk › historyPDF the diffusion of islam in bengal - Punjab University

[Ahmed,_ABM_Shamsuddin-12] Ahmed, ABM Shamsuddin (2012). "Iliyas Shah". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 14 January 2025.

[13] 'Abd al-Haqq al-Dehlawi. Akhbarul Akhyar.

[bpedia-14] Abdul Karim (2012). "Shaikh Akhi Sirajuddin Usman (R)". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 14 January 2025.

[15] Hanif, N (2000). Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis: South Asia. Prabhat Kumar Sharma, for Sarup & Sons. p. 35.

[banglalang-16] "What is more significant, a contemporary Chinese traveler reported that although Persian was understood by some in the court, the language in universal use there was Bengali. This points to the waning, although certainly not yet the disappearance, of the sort of cosmopolitan mentality that the Muslim ruling class in Bengal had exhibited since its arrival over two centuries earlier. It also points to the survival and eventual dominance of parochial Bengali culture at the highest level of official society." (Eaton 1993:60)
Eaton, Richard M. (1993). The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760. University of California. ISBN 978-0-520-20507-9. Retrieved 13 July 2017.

[jol-17] Rabbani, AKM Golam (7 November 2017). "Politics and Literary Activities in the Bengali Language during the Independent Sultanate of Bengal". Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics. 1 (1): 151–166. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017 – via www.banglajol.info.

[18] Shoaib Daniyal (15 April 2015). "Bengali New Year: how Akbar invented the modern Bengali calendar". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 November 2016.

[BPSR_2019-19] Nahid Kamal. "The Population Trajectories of Bangladesh and West Bengal During the Twentieth Century: A Comparative Study" (PDF).

[20] "The Politics of Demography in Assam and West Bengal". 12 May 2023.

[core.ac.uk-21] "Muslims of West Bengal" (PDF). core.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2021.

[Chatterji-2007-22] Chatterji, Joya (2007). The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947–1967. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-46830-5.

[census_2011-23] Population by religious community: West Bengal. 2011 Census of India.

[24] "Mamata's Muslim Gameplan". 17 January 2021.

[25] "Owaisi's entry into Bengal likely to unsettle TMC's sway over minorities | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 13 November 2020.

[26] "West Bengal elections 2021: Mamata Banerjee and Muslim votes - Times of India". The Times of India.

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