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Murshidabad district

Murshidabad
মুর্শিদাবাদ
Murshidabad district.svg
Country  India
State West Bengal
Government
 • Lok Sabha constituencies Jangipur, Baharampur, Murshidabad
 • Vidhan Sabha constituencies Farakka, Samserganj, Suti, Jangipur, Raghunathganj, Sagardighi, Lalgola, Bhagabangola, Raninagar, Murshidabad, Nabagram, Khargram, Burwan, Kandi, Bharatpur, Rejinagar, Beldanga, Baharampur, Hariharpara, Naoda, Domkal, Jalangi
 • Administrative Division Malda
 • Headquarters Baharampur
Area
 • City 5,324 km2 (2,056 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • City 7,103,807
 • Density 1,334/km2 (3,460/sq mi)
 • Urban 1,400,692
 • Rural 5,703,115
Demographics
 • Population Growth 21.09%
 • Literacy 66.59%
 • Sex Ratio 958
Languages
 • Official Bengali, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Website Official Website

Murshidabad district (Bengali: মুর্শিদাবাদ জেলা) is a district of West Bengal, in eastern India. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km² (2,062 sq mi) and having a population 5.863m (according to 2001 census), it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India (out of 640).Baharampur town is the headquarters of the district.

The Murshidabad city, which lends its name to the district, was the seat of power of the Nawabs of Bangla. All of Bengal was once governed from this town. A few years after Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula lost to the British at the Battle of Plassey, the capital of Bengal was moved to the newly founded city of Calcutta.

It borders West Bengal's Malda district to the north, Jharkhand's Sahebganj district and Pakur district to the north-west, Birbhum to the west, Bardhaman to the south-west and Nadia district due south. The international border with Bangladesh Rajshahi Division is on the east.

The district is named after the historical town of Murshidabad, which was named after Murshidabad.

The capital city of Shashanka, the great king of Gauḍa region (comprising most of Bengal) in the seventh century AD and perhaps that of Mahipala, one of the later Pala kings of Bengal, were in this district. The earliest evidences of the history of the district date back to the pre-historic days, perhaps as early as circa 1500 BCE.


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