Faridpur district
| Faridpur | ||
|---|---|---|
| District | ||
|
||
 Location of Faridpur in Bangladesh |
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| Coordinates: 23°30′N 89°50′E / 23.50°N 89.83°ECoordinates: 23°30′N 89°50′E / 23.50°N 89.83°E | ||
| Country |
 Bangladesh
|
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| Division | Dhaka Division | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,072.72 km2 (800.28 sq mi) | |
| Population (2011 census) | ||
| • Total | 1,912,969 | |
| • Density | 920/km2 (2,400/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | BST (UTC+6) | |
Faridpur (Bengali: ফরিদপুর জেলা) is a district in south-central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. It is bounded by the Padma River to its northeast. The district is named after the municipality of Faridpur. Historically, the town was known as Fathabad. It was also called Haveli Mahal Fathabad. Despite its importance in agriculture and transport, Faridpur remains one of Bangladesh's relatively poor districts. It was a railway and shipping centre under British rule in Bengal. The district is notable for its medieval and colonial architecture.
The town of Fathabad was located by a stream known as the Dead Padma, which was 20 miles from the main channel of the Padma River. Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah established a mint in Fathabad during his reign in the early 15th century. Fathabad continued to be a mint town of the Bengal Sultanate until 1538. In Ain-i-Akbari, it was named as Haweli Mahal Fathabad during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the Mughal Empire. The Portuguese cartographer João de Barros mentioned it as Fatiabas. The Dutch map of Van den Brouck described it as Fathur.
Its first mention in Bengali literature was by Daulat Uzir Bahram Khan in his adaption of Layla and Majnun. The medieval poet Alaol was born in Faridpur.
Fathabad was a strategically important base in south and southwestern Bengal. It was a well-developed urban centre. The town was home to important Mughal government officials, including generals, civil servants and jagirdars. During the reign of Emperor Jahangir in the 17th century, local zamindars Satrajit and Mukund resisted the Mughal government. By the 19th century, the town was renamed as Faridpur in honour of the Sufi saint Shah Fariduddin Masud, a follower of the Chishti order of Ajmer.Haji Shariatullah led the conservative Faraizi movement in Faridpur during the early 19th century.
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Wikipedia