#Murshidabad is a town in the state of #WestBengal, #Indian. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, a distributary of the Ganges River. It forms part of the Murshidabad district. During the 18th-century, Murshidabad was a prosperous city. The last capital city of independent #Bengal before British rule was named after Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, the Dewan of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi, it is a city of splendors and is famous for its silk, famous Murshidabad Silk, much in demand for making saris and scarves, is produced here besides agriculture, handicrafts and sericulture.
Originally called Makhsudabad, it was reputedly founded by the #Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century. In 1704 the nawab Murshid Qulī Khan following emperor Aurangzeb’s orders transferred the capital there from #Dacca (now #Dhaka, #Bangladesh) and renamed the town Murshidabad. It most famous for Hazarduari Palace. Located in the Kila Nizamat area of Murshidabad, West Bengal, the Hazarduari Palace was commissioned by Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah of Bengal. The architecture was designed by Duncan MacLeod and its foundation stone laid on 9 August 1829.
The palace is by far the most prominent building in the town and the centre of #tourism. Near it is the Muradbagh Palace and the Khushbagh Cemetery, where the remains of Ali Vardi Khan and Siraj Ud Daulah are interred.. Murshidabad is known for its magnificient building. The area was part of the Gauda Kingdom and Vanga Kingdom in ancient Bengal. It was home to wealthy banking and merchant families from different parts of the Indian subcontinent and wider Eurasia, including Jagat Seth and #Armenians.
#European companies, including the British East India Company, the French East India Company, the Dutch East India Company and the Danish East India Company, conducted business and operated factories around the city. Silk was a major product of Murshidabad and numerous shops sell variety of Murshidabad silk sarees.. The city was also a center of art and culture, including for ivory sculptors, Hindustani classical music and the Murshidabad style of Mughal painting. Murshid Quli Khan transformed Murshidabad into a capital city with an efficient administrative machinery.. He built a palace and a caravanserai with a grand mosque, known as the Katra Masjid..
Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah established a palace near the Motijhil (Pearl Lake). The Nizamat Imambara was built for Shia Muslims. The present Nizamat Imambara was built in 1847 AD by Nawab Nazim Mansoor Ali Khan Feradun Jah, who succeeded his father Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah in Murshidabad, India. It was built after the fires of 1842 and 1846 which burnt the wooden Imambara built by Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah. This Imambara is the largest one in India and Bengal. The palace complex was fortified and known as the Nizamat Fort.. Nasipur Palace is a miniature version of the Hazarduari, the Nasipur Royal Palace is situated a little to the north of Akhra, very close to Jagat Seth’s house.
It was built in the 2nd half of the 19th century by Raja Kirtichand Bahadur The city has a Bengali majority population, including Bengali Muslims and Bengali Hindus. Bacchawali Tope is a gun, rather cannon which lies in the Nizamat Fort Campus on the garden space between the Nizamat Imambara and the Hazarduari Palace and to the east of the old Madina Mosque.
The cannon consists of two pieces of different diameters. The cannon was made between the 12th and 14th centuries, probably by the Muslim rulers of Gaur. Also worth seeing is the Jahankosha Cannon.
The city is an education hub and well connected by road, and rail with all major cities with Kolkata and Behrampur providing the air link. Murshidabad is the home of #Bollywood singers like Shreya Ghoshal, and Arijit Singh, and writers like Mahasweta Devi. Also worth visiting is Cossimbazar, Azimganj. The food is traditional #Bengali #cuisine with a touch of Mughal / Nawabi flavor that is available in various restaurants. Accommodation is available in a variety of mid-sized and budget hotels and lodges. The best time to visit is from September to April.
