The History of Dhaka

Early Settlements and the Pre-Mughal Era

The region where Dhaka now stands has been inhabited since at least the 1st millennium BCE, with archaeological and textual evidence suggesting early settlements dating between roughly 500 BCE and 200 BCE. These early communities took advantage of the rich alluvial floodplains created by the Ganges–Brahmaputra delta, fertile soils ideal for rice cultivation and crisscrossed by waterways that facilitated transportation, trade, and cultural exchange.

Before Dhaka emerged as a defined city, the surrounding region formed part of a succession of powerful South Asian polities. These included:

The Gupta Empire (c. 4th–6th century CE): Under the Guptas, Bengal became a vibrant cultural center, with advances in art, architecture, and trade. Although Dhaka itself did not yet rival later urban hubs, the region was integrated into broader economic networks connecting to northern India.
The Pala Empire (c. 8th–12th century CE): A Buddhist dynasty that governed much of Bengal and Bihar, the Palas presided over a flowering of Buddhist scholarship and monastic networks reaching as far as Tibet. Bengal’s waterways, including those near present‑day Dhaka, were arteries of commerce and communication.
The Sena and Deva Dynasties (12th–16th century CE): After the decline of the Palas, the Sena dynasty rose to prominence, followed by the Hindu Deva rulers of Bikrampur. This period saw regional consolidation, courtly culture, and expansion of agrarian settlements – laying foundations for later urbanization.

These early centuries did not leave behind extensive records of an urban center at Dhaka’s exact location, but they created the political and economic backdrop against which Dhaka’s eventual rise would unfold.

The Advent of Muslim Rule and the Birth of Dhaka

The character of the region began to shift dramatically with the arrival of Turkic and Afghan governors from the Delhi Sultanate during the 13th and 14th centuries. While their presence did not immediately confer urban status on Dhaka, it did introduce new administrative structures, land revenue systems, and links with broader Islamic cultural networks extending westward.

The Bengal Sultanate, which emerged in the 14th century as a semi‑independent Muslim polity after breaking away from Delhi’s control, further anchored Islamic governance in Bengal. Dhaka was part of this shifting political landscape, though it was yet to become the focal point of power.

The Mughal Turning Point

It was not until the early 17th century that Dhaka truly began to emerge as a significant urban center. In 1608–1610, the Mughal Empire — then the dominant power in South Asia — consolidated control over Bengal, marking a turning point for Dhaka’s history.

Recognizing the strategic and economic potential of the region, the Mughal leadership appointed Islam Khan I as governor and shifted the provincial capital to Dhaka around 1610. This newly elevated status ushered in an era of rapid urban growth, administrative expansion, and economic transformation. Dhaka was renamed “Jahangirnagar” in honor of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

Under the Mughals, Dhaka’s prominence exploded. The city became not only the administrative heart of Bengal Subah — one of the richest and most productive provinces of the Mughal Empire — but also a hub of global maritime commerce.

Mughal Flourishing: Capital of Bengal Subah

The 17th century was Dhaka’s first golden age, marked by prosperity, cosmopolitanism, and architectural splendor.

Economic Powerhouse

One of the most striking aspects of Mughal Dhaka was its economic importance. The city became a center of textile production and trade, particularly famed for luxurious muslin fabrics — extremely fine cotton textiles that were coveted across Asia and Europe. The Mughal administration encouraged artisanal production, attracting investment, skilled labor, and traders from across the Indian Ocean world.

Dhaka’s waterways — including its direct access to the Buriganga and other tributaries of the great Ganges system — made it perfectly positioned for riverine and maritime trade. Merchants from England, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal frequented the port, establishing trading posts and engaging in commerce that linked Bengal to global markets.

Urban Expansion and Architecture

Under Mughal governance, Dhaka expanded from a modest settlement into a true imperial city. The administration invested in grand public works and monumental architecture:

Bara Katra: Mughal Caravanserai and Palace — A sprawling caravanserai that illustrates the importance of Dhaka as a stopping point for traders and travelers. It also served as a residence for Mughal officials.
Lalbagh Fort — A grand fort complex begun in 1678 under Prince Muhammad Azam Shah. Though left unfinished, its architecture reflects the blending of strategic and aesthetic functions typical of Mughal urban design.
Other significant monuments included caravanserais like Chhota Katra and religious sites that underscored Dhaka’s multicultural fabric.

This era also saw Dhaka’s population multiply, artisans flourish, and the city’s walls and gardens echo Mughal aesthetic sensibilities.

Political and Cultural Cosmopolitanism

Dhaka’s status as a Mughal capital drew not only administrators and traders but also scholars, religious figures, and artists. Persian became the administrative lingua franca, while Bengali remained the language of everyday life among the local population. Cultural life in the city blended Bengali traditions with Persianate court culture, Sufi influences, and global trade cosmopolitanism.

Decline and Transition: 18th Century Disruptions

The Mughal era of Dhaka reached its zenith under governors such as Shaista Khan (1644–1677 and later 1680–1688), a period noted for economic vitality and administrative strength. But the decline of centralized Mughal authority — particularly after 1707 — ushered in instability.

When the provincial capital was shifted to Murshidabad in 1704, Dhaka lost its political primacy. Combined with challenges such as competition in textile markets, emerging European colonial ambitions, and shifting trade patterns, Dhaka entered a period of relative decline.

Colonial Encounters

By the mid‑18th century, the British East India Company had begun to dominate Bengal’s political and economic life — particularly after the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the Battle of Buxar (1764), which consolidated British authority in Bengal. In 1765, the British formally gained the right to collect revenue in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, marking the beginning of nearly two centuries of colonial rule.

Under British governance, Dhaka’s earlier economic prominence waned further because the colonial economic system reoriented regional production and trade to benefit European markets. Bengal’s traditional textile industries declined under competition from industrially manufactured textiles in Britain, and Dhaka adapted slowly to this new order.

By the mid‑19th century, Dhaka was less central politically, but it remained an important urban and commercial center in eastern Bengal.

20th Century: Nationalism, Capital Status, and Modern Challenges

Dhaka in the Partition of 1905 and Colonial Politics

In 1905, the British colonial administration partitioned Bengal for the first time, creating the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, with Dhaka as its capital. Although this partition was reversed in 1911 due to opposition and protests, Dhaka’s designation as a capital raised its administrative profile and stimulated infrastructure development.

Cultural Institutions and Urbanization

The early 20th century saw the growth of civic institutions and cultural life in Dhaka. Among these:

Bangladesh National Museum — Founded in 1913 as the Dacca Museum, it became a major repository of cultural heritage, showcasing artifacts from Bengal’s prehistoric, medieval, and modern history.
Educational institutions, newspapers, and civic organizations proliferated, emboldening nationalist sentiment against colonial rule.

Dhaka became not just a regional administrative hub but also a crucible of political discourse and anti‑colonial activism.

Partition of India and the Pakistan Era

The partition of British India in 1947 radically redrew political maps. Bengal was divided: the western part went to India as West Bengal, while the eastern part became East Bengal under the new state of Pakistan, with Dhaka as its provincial capital.

The linguistic and cultural differences between East and West Pakistan soon surfaced as profound challenges. In 1952, protests against the imposition of Urdu as the sole state language erupted in Dhaka, leading to the deaths of student activists. This episode became a defining moment in East Pakistan’s struggle for recognition and set the stage for later political movements that culminated in independence.

Independence and the Birth of Bangladesh

After decades of political struggle, including the rise of the Awami League and demands for autonomy, tensions between East and West Pakistan exploded into full conflict in 1971. The Bangladesh Liberation War ensued, marked by widespread violence and immense sacrifice. Dhaka, as the epicenter of political demand and military confrontation, suffered greatly, yet it also became the symbolic heart of a new nation.

With independence in December 1971, Dhaka was declared the capital of Bangladesh — a role it continues to fulfill as the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.

Contemporary Dhaka: Urban Dynamism and Global Challenges

In the decades since independence, Dhaka’s population and urban footprint have expanded rapidly. Today, it is one of the fastest‑growing megacities globally – a place of intense economic activity, cultural diversity, and complex social dynamics.

The city’s traditional industries, such as textiles and handicrafts, now coexist with booming sectors like garment manufacturing, services, and finance. Its geographical position – at the confluence of major rivers – remains both a blessing for connectivity and a challenge for infrastructure planning.