Dictionary of Historical Places: Bengal, 1757-1947

Few would recall that Digha, a popular beach resort in West Bengal, was once a small fishing village called Birkul or Beerkul, home to the Malangis who were the traditional producers of salt. Birkul also finds mention in British settlement records. Similarly, Jadavpur (now well known for Jadavpur University), located on the southern fringe of Kolkata, was once a small village called Ibrahimpur. Though Ibrahimpur is forgotten, there still exists a road in the area that bears this name.

Dictionary of Historical Places: Bengal, 1757-1947 is the first of its kind to deal with hundreds of such little known histories. Given the recurring geophysical and climatic disruptions in West Bengal, repeated changes of administrative units and names, lack of collective memory or adequately documented folk sources or oral traditions, the compilation of such a dictionary brings its own challenges. The entries in this dictionary are but an attempt at writing aspects of local history during a particular period, and demonstrate how numerous factors affected the landscape of West Bengal.