T H E L O N G V I E W

THE AGRARIAN FRONTIER

The agrarian frontier refers to the process of agricultural expansion into previously uncultivated or
underutilized lands, typically associated with the colonization and settlement of new territories.
THE AGRARIAN FRONTIER

In the delta, embanked fields irrigated by

monsoon rainwater and worked by ploughs

agrarian frontier gradually increased with the

destruction of the luxuriant Bengalian rainforest
& this process had converted most forests into
farmland.
THE AGRARIAN FRONTIER

With the disappearance of the forest, delta agriculture ran into a

brick wall.

Bangladeshi cultivators who were unable to reclaim new fields,

tried to combat looming stagnation by means of two strategies.

agrarian involution Migration

THE AGRARIAN FRONTIER

• used more labour to intensify cultivation and

increase production

• raised two or three crops on the same field during

the year

• introduced more market crops.

agrarian involution

• moved into the regions beyond the eastern

boundaries of Bengal delta

• Moving into regions occupied by other ethnic groups,

they initiated a political dynamic that took on ethnic
overtones

Migration
 THE STATE FRONTIER

refers to the boundary or interface between different forms of political organization, particularly
between states and other types of rule
THE STATE FRONTIER

states first emerged in the south and west of the

delta and gradually spread throughout the region,
eventually becoming the dominant form of rule

other forms of rule persisted in some areas, particularly in the hills surrounding
the delta. These areas were often characterized by small-scale and unstable
alliances of village leaders, rather than large centralized states.
 The emergence of large states occasionally occurred in the delta,
but they were often unable to conquer the hilly regions, which
remained outside their control.

The British colonial state was eventually able to extend its control over the
hilly areas, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts, in the southeast of what is
now Bangladesh, in 1860.

the forms of state rule in this region continue to differ from those in the plains
THE RELIGIOUS FRONTIER

refers to the boundary or interface between different religious groups or traditions

 THE RELIGIOUS FRONTIER

The early history of religious identities in Bangladesh is still poorly understood

Early Chinese pilgrims described cities in Bangladesh as places of religious learning.

From the archaeological artifacts , representations of powerful

God & Goddess, we know little about the community
religion. It indicates that idolatry was introduced here many
years ago.

Those broader religious traditions found in the Bengal delta now known as Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism

There were some religious belief among the people about the god/goddess
 Monosha

worshippers against snakebites

Chandi

the goddess of forest life and hunting

Shitola

guards against smallpox

 Kali

goddess of time, doomsday, and

death, or the black goddess 

Shiva

a benevolent, kindly deity, who shares only a name with that

majestic being who churned the ocean and drank down its
tide of poison. To his people, he is gosa¯i, the owner of the
herd, and prabhu, master, simple terms for the simple deity
of men who lived by the soil
 Islam entered here in two
separate waves

It first reached coastal Bangladesh as a by-product

of seaborne trade between the eighth and twelfth In the early thirteenth century Islam also
centuries as Arab and Persian travellers and reached Bangladesh by the land route, this
traders were Muslims time as the religion of powerful invaders.
 The Muslim rule began to rise in Bengal with the conquest
of Nadia or Navadwip by Ikhtiyaruddin Muhammad bin
Bakhtiyar Khalji in 1204 AD

Before the britsih rule most of the part of

Bengal was under the Muslim rulers
(Sultanate period).

Sufi saint Shah Jalal from Sylhet, played an important role to

spread Islam all over the Bengal

Day by day Islam evolved into an ideology of taming the forest

and promoting settled agriculture.
The people living in the hills and mountains surrounding the Bengal delta never adopted either Bengali or
Islamic identities. Now they are know as minority ethnic group in Bangladesh living in the hill tracts like
Chottogram.
THE LANGUAGE FRONTIER
 For centuries, other languages were widely spoken in the region,
including Garo, Khasi, Arakanese, and Koch. These are now often
seen as marginal or "hill" languages.

The Bengali language evolved from regional forms of Prakrit

whose speakers had first arrived in Bengal in the last few centuries
BCE.

The first writings in Bengali appear by 1000 CE, so Bangladesh's national language is usually assumed to have
originated some ten centuries ago.

Bengali was not always the language of rule, ritual, or trade in the region. Over the centuries, state power in
the Bengal delta has been held by a variety of non-Bengalis, and the dominant ritual languages of the region
were Sanskrit, Pali, and Arabic.
As new speakers adopted Bengali, the language developed distinct dialects, including Sylheti, Chittagonian, and
Chakma.

These dialects are sometimes considered separate languages, as they are incomprehensible to speakers of standard
Bengali.

The Chakma language developed in the eighteenth century and is related to Chittagonian in structure but has a
distinct vocabulary and pronunciation.
• surface meanings and stereotypes often hide inner understandings that are quite different and can be
diametrically opposed. The portrayal of gender relations as power differences between men and women
fails to acknowledge the cultural traditions that Bangladeshi women have access to, which can challenge
prevailing gender roles.

• the simple juxtaposition of monotheistic Islam and polytheistic Hinduism is untenable, as most Bangladeshis
who consider themselves Muslims combine a belief in Allah with a belief in other superhuman protectors.
Bangladeshi Muslims have pragmatically incorporated worship of many deities, some in animal or bird form,
into their religious practices, which are also worshipped by Hindus and Muslims alike

• the religious practices and cultural resistance in Bangladesh go beyond the binary categorization of "Muslim"
and "Hindu.the Swing Festival of Krishna attracted both Hindus and Muslims, and the devotional songs of
the Baul community, which refer to themselves as followers of the path of unorthodoxy. The Baul draw on
Tantric, Vaisnava, and Sufi traditions, which continue to resonate with Bangladeshis of different religious
persuasions.
• the process of identity formation was not homogeneous and there were continual transformations.

• The hyphenation of Bengali and Muslim occurred in the region and became the leitmotiv of the
delta’s modern history.

• The struggle for identity and recognition contributed to a tortuous course of state formation,
with various emancipation movements insisting upon it.

• Ultimately, the failure of ruling elites to gauge the centrality of this merged identity among the
majority of the population would increase its salience, leading to the emergence of the state that we
now know as Bangladesh.