The story of 'Subeh Bangla' or 'Suba Bangla' is a story of a prosperous township, like a fairy tale. When Bengal became a full-fledged province during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar, it was named 'Suba Bangla'.
Below is a brief story of its rise and heritage:
1. What does 'Suba' mean?
In the Mughal administrative system, each province was called 'Suba'. In 1576 AD, Emperor Akbar defeated Dawood Khan Karrani in the Battle of Rajmahal and incorporated Bengal into the Mughal Empire. Since then, Bengal has been known as 'Suba Bangla'.
2. Why was it called 'Hell-Abad'?
Interestingly, Emperor Humayun, fascinated by the beauty and opulence of Bengal, named it 'Jannatabad' (Heavenly Place). But the Mughals were fed up with the climate, humidity and mosquito infestation of Bengal. Therefore, during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, Mughal historians jokingly called it 'Dojakh-pur-az-neyamat'—meaning 'hell full of blessings'. It means that food and wealth are abundant, but living there is very difficult!
3. India's 'treasure'
During the Mughal period, Subeh Bengal was the richest province of the entire empire. So much revenue (tax) went to Delhi from here that Bengal was called the 'milk cow' of the Mughals. By exporting muslin cloth, rice and silk, Bengal occupied a big place in the world economy.
4. The story of changing the capital
The capital of Subeh Bengal was not fixed in one place. Initially, it was Rajmahal, then Islam Khan Chishti moved the capital to Dhaka in 1610 and named it 'Jahangirnagar' after Emperor Jahangir. Later in 1717, Murshid Quli Khan moved the capital to Murshidabad.
5. The beginning of the Nawabi period
After the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, when the Mughal central power weakened, the rulers (Nazims) of Subeh Bengal became practically independent. From then on, the Nawab period began. Starting from Alivardi Khan to Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawabs of this Subeh Bengal ruled.
The fall of Siraj-ud-Daula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 essentially ended the golden chapter of this 'Subeh Bengal' and the beginning of British rule.