This is a list of rulers of Bengal. For much of its history,

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

was split up into several independent kingdoms, completely unifying only several times. In

ancient times Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...

, Bengal consisted of the kingdoms of Pundra,

Suhma Suhma Kingdom was an ancient state during the Late Vedic period on the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. The kingdom included present day districts of Midnapore and parts of Hoogly and Howrah. Thi ...

Vanga The family Vangidae (from ''vanga'', Malagasy for the hook-billed vanga, ''Vanga curvirostris'') comprises a group of often shrike-like medium-sized birds distributed from Asia to Africa, including the vangas of Madagascar to which the family ...

Samatata Samataṭa (Brahmi script: ''sa-ma-ta-ṭa'') was an ancient geopolitical division of Bengal in the eastern Indian subcontinent. The Greco-Roman account of ''Sounagoura'' is linked to the kingdom of Samatata. Its territory corresponded to much ...

and

Harikela Harikela () was an ancient empire located in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, it was a neighboring independent and independent township of ancient East Bengal, which had a continuous existence of about 500 years. The st ...

. In the 4th century BCE, during the reign of the Nanda Empire, the powerful rulers of

Gangaridai Gangaridai ( gr, Γανγαρίδαι; Latin: ''Gangaridae'') is a term used by the ancient Greco-Roman writers (1st century BCE-2nd century AD) to describe a people or a geographical region of the ancient Indian subcontinent. Some of these wri ...

sent their forces with the

war elephant A war elephant was an elephant that was trained and guided by humans for combat. The war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elepha ...

s which led the withdrawal of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

. As a province of the Mauryan Empire, much of Bengal was part of it except for the far eastern Bengali kingdoms which maintained friendly relationships with

Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

. The kingdoms of Bengal continued to exist as tributary states before succumbing to the Guptas. With the fall of the

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

, Bengal was united under a single local ruler, King

Shashanka Shashanka ( IAST: Śaśāṃka) was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom and is a major figure in Bengali history. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his rule between cir ...

, for the first time. With the collapse of his kingdom, Bengal split up into

petty kingdoms A petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or "petty" (from the French 'petit' meaning small) by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into t ...

once more. With the rise of Gopala in 750 AD, Bengal was united once more under the Hindu Buddhist

Pala Empire The Pāla Empire (r. 750-1161 CE) was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffi ...

.The Pala period is considered as one of golden eras of bengali history as it brought stability and prosperity to Bengal after centuries of Civil War, created outstanding works of art and architecture ,proto- bengali language develop under them including its first literary work, the Charyapada and so on .Until the 12th century than being succeeded by the Hindu

Chandra dynasty The Chandra kingdom was a Buddhist kingdom, originating from the Indian subcontinent, which ruled the Samatata region of Bengal, as well as northern Arakan. Later it was a neighbor to the Pala Empire to the north. Rulers of Chandra kingdom were ...

Sena dynasty The Sena dynasty was a Hindu dynasty during the early medieval period on the Indian subcontinent, that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak covered much of the north-eastern region of the Indian subcont ...

and deva dynasty. The rule of deva dynasty was a period ofpeace,propersity and creative excellence and may be designed as "golden age" After them, Bengal was ruled by the Hindu Maharajas of kingdoms such as Chandradwip and Cooch Behar. In the early 13th century, Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji conquered Western and part of Northern Bengal, and established the first Muslim kingdom in Bengal. The Islamic

Mamluk Sultanate The Mamluk Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة المماليك, translit=Salṭanat al-Mamālīk), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz (western Arabia) from the mid-13th to early 16t ...

, the Khalji dynasty, the Turko-Indian

Tughlaq dynasty The Tughlaq dynasty ( fa, ), also referred to as Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty, was a Muslim dynasty of Indo- Turkic origin which ruled over the Delhi sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the ...

, the

Sayyid dynasty The Sayyid dynasty was the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, with four rulers ruling from 1414 to 1451. Founded by Khizr Khan, a former governor of Multan, they succeeded the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled the sultanate as a vassal of the Ti ...

and the

Lodi dynasty The Lodi dynasty ( ps, لودي سلسله; fa, سلسله لودی) was an Afghan dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. It was the fifth and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi when he ...

ruled Bengal for over 320 years. Notable was

Malik Altunia Malik Ikhtiyar-ud-din Altunia was the governor of Bhatinda (Punjab) in India under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate under the Mamluk dynasty. He was the husband of Razia Sultana. Early life Mirza Altunia born was some time around 1202-04 CE ...

's reign with his wife

Razia Sultana Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din ( fa, ) (died 15 October 1240, ), popularly known as Razia Sultana, was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. She was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, and ...

, the only female sovereign ruler. Following Delhi Sultanate's reign, the Bengal Sultanate, a major

trading nation A trading nation (also known as a trade-dependent economy, or an export-oriented economy) is a country where international trade makes up a large percentage of its economy. Smaller nations (by population) tend to be more trade-dependent than larg ...

in the world, was founded by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, and ruled by the

Ilyas Shahi dynasty The Ilyas Shahi dynasty ( bn, ইলিয়াস শাহী খান্দান, fa, الیاس شاهی خاندان) was the first independent dynasty to set the foundations of the late medieval Sunni Muslim Sultanate of Bengal. Hailin ...

, succeeded by the

Hussain Shahi dynasty The Hussain Shahi dynasty ( bn, হোসেন শাহী খান্দান, fa, حسين شاهی خاندان) was a family which ruled the late medieval Sunni Muslim Sultanate of Bengal from 1494 to 1538. History The dynasty's founder, ...

founded by

Alauddin Husain Shah Ala-ud-din Husain Shah ( bn, আলাউদ্দিন হোসেন শাহ (1494–1519)Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2006). ''The Delhi Sultanate'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp.215-20 was an independent late medieval Sultan of Bengal, who ...

, which saw the extension of the sultanate to the port of Chittagong, witnessing the arrival of the earliest

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

merchants. After being absorbed to the

Bengal Subah The Bengal Subah ( bn, সুবাহ বাংলা; fa, ), also referred to as Mughal Bengal ( bn, মোগল বাংলা), was the largest subdivision of the Mughal Empire (and later an independent state under the Nawabs of Be ...

by Babur in the 16th century during the defeat of Sultan

Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah Nāsir ad-Dīn Naṣrat Shāh ( bn, নাসিরউদ্দীন নুসরত শাহ, fa, ناصر الدین نصرت شاه; r. 1519–1533), also known as Nusrat Shah, was the second Sultan of Bengal belonging to the Hussain Shahi ...

in the Battle of Ghaghra, Bengal became the most economically advanced region in the world, and started to be ruled by the Subahdars of the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. Emperor Akbar began to preach the newly invented religion of

Din-i Ilahi The Dīn-i-Ilāhī ( fa, , ), known during its time as Tawḥīd-i-Ilāhī ("Divine Monotheism", ) or Divine Faith, was a new syncretic religion or spiritual leadership program propounded by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1582, intending to merge ...

, which was declared by the

Qadi A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a '' sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and mino ...

of Bengal to be a blasphemy.

Islam Khan I Shaikh Alauddin Chisti (1570–1613; known as Islam Khan Chisti) was a Mughal general and the Subahdar of Bengal. He transferred the capital of Bengal from Rajmahal to Dhaka and renamed it Jahangirnagar. He was awarded the titular name of Isla ...

declared

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

as the capital of Bengal, which was then known as Jahangir Nagar, renamed after emperor Jahangir. The reign of prince Shah Shuja under emperor Shah Jahan's orders represented the height of Mughal architecture. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the

Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, a ...

ruled over Bengal and

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

. Nawab

Alivardi Khan Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself. During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequent Mar ...

came victorious against the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Sh ...

in the Battle of Burdwan. Following the Battle of Plassey and the execution of

Siraj ud-Daulah Mirza Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah ( fa, ; 1733 – 2 July 1757), commonly known as Siraj-ud-Daulah or Siraj ud-Daula, was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. The end of his reign marked the start of the rule of the East India Company over Beng ...

, the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

formally established control over Bengal, and the

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

was established by Robert Clive, with the subdivision remaining the economic, cultural and educational hub of the Company and the Raj. The position of the Prime Minister of Bengal was established in 1937, being held by A. K. Fazlul Huq and

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy ( bn, হোসেন শহীদ সোহ্‌রাওয়ার্দী; ur, ; 8 September 18925 December 1963) was a Bengali barrister and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 t ...

. After the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

and

Partition of Bengal (1947) The Partition of Bengal in 1947, part of the Partition of India, divided the British Indian province of Bengal based on the Radcliffe Line between the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The Hindu-majority West Bengal became a st ...

, the

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

became a major state of the Republic of India, while the Muslim majority

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

became known as

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...

. In 1971 East Bengal became an independent nation,

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

, following the Bangladesh Liberation War, governed by

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengali politi ...

Ziaur Rahman Lt. General Ziaur Rahman (19 January 1936 – 30 May 1981), was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981. He was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in Chittagong in an army coup d ...

and

Hussain Muhammad Ershad Lt. Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad ( bn, হুসেইন মুহাম্মদ এরশাদ; 1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi Army Chief politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990, a time ma ...

Ancient Bengal

Ancient Geopolitical divisions

The founders of Angas, Vangas, Kalingas,

Pundras Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom ( sa, Puṇḍravardhana), was an ancient kingdom during the Iron Age period in India with a territory that included parts of present-day Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions of Bangladesh as well as the West Dinaj ...

, Odras and Suhmas shared a common ancestry. They were all adopted sons of a king named Bali, born by a sage named Gautama Dirghatamas, who lived in

Magadha Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...

close to the city of Girivraja. ;Bengal from c. 1100 to c. 600 BCE Late Vedic Culture (1100-500 BCE)

;Bengal from c. 600 to c. 350 BCE Mahajanapadas (c

;Bengal in c. 350 BCE Nanda Empire, c

Anga kingdom (c. 1100 – 530 BCE)

The earliest mention occurs in the Atharvaveda (V.22.14) where they are listed alongside the Magadhas, Gandharis and the Mujavatas. Anga was annexed by Magadha in the time of

Bimbisara Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika () and Seniya () in the Jain histories (c. 558 – c. 491 BCE or during the late 5th century BCE) was a King of Magadha (V. K. Agnihotri (ed.), ''Indian History''. Allied Publishers, New Delhi ...

. This was the one and only conquest of Bimbisara. Known Anga rulers are- * Maharaj Anga - (founder of the kingdom and son of King Bali) * Romapada *

Brihadratha Brihadratha ( sa, बृहद्रथ; IAST: Bṛhadratha), also known as ''Maharatha'', was the initiator of his dynasty and also because of his greatness, his dynasty came to be known as ''Brihadratha dynasty'', the earliest ruling dynasty o ...

* Angaraj Karna *

Vrishaketu Vrishaketu ( sa, वृषकेतु ) is a figure in the Hindu Sanskrit epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the son of Karna and Vrushali and also the youngest of Karna's sons. He was the only surviving son of Karna as he didn't participate b ...

- (son of Karna) * Tamralipta * Lomapada * Chitraratha * Vrihadratha * Vasuhoma * Dhatarattha * Dhadivahana * Brahmadatta - (last king of Anga kingdom)

Vanga kingdom (c. 1100 – 340 BCE)

Vanga was an ancient kingdom and geopolitical division on the Ganges delta. It was located in southern Bengal, with the core region including present-day southwestern

and southern

(

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

). Known Vanga rulers are: * Samudrasena * Chadrasena * Karna * Bhagabhatta

Pundra kingdom (c. 1100 – 340 BCE)

Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom, was an ancient kingdom, that included parts of present-day

Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. Located on the north bank of the P ...

and Rangpur Divisions of

as well as the West Dinajpur district of

.Hossain, Md. Mosharraf, ''Mahasthan: Anecdote to History'', 2006, pp. 69–73, Dibyaprakash, 38/2 ka Bangla Bazar, Dhaka, Known Pundra rulers are: * Paundraka Vasudeva

Suhma kingdom (c. 1100 – 340 BCE)

Suhma Kingdom was an ancient state during the

Vedic period The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betwe ...

on the eastern part of the

.This kingdom was mentioned in the epic

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

along with its neighbouring kingdom ''Prasuhma''.

Videha dynasty of Mithila (Tirabhukti) (c. 1100 – 700 BCE)

Tirabhukti or Mithila region is bounded by the

Mahananda River The Mahananda River (Pron:/ˌməhɑːˈnʌndə or ˌmɑːhəˈnʌndə/) is a trans-boundary river that flows through the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal, and Bangladesh. It is an important tributary of the Ganges. Course The Mahananda ...

in the east, the

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

in the south, the

Gandaki River The Gandaki River, also known as the Narayani and the Gandak, is one of the major rivers in Nepal and a left bank tributary of the Ganges in India. Its total catchment area amounts to , most of it in Nepal. In the Nepal Himalayas, it is notab ...

in the west and by the foothills of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

in the north. Mithila region firstly ruled by Videha dynasty. There were 52 ''Janaka'' (kings) ruled Videha dynasty of Mithila- # Mithi - (founder of Mithila and the first Janaka)''Encyclopaedia of Hinduism''. Nagendra Kumar Singh, p. 3239. # Udavasu # Nandivardhana # Suketu # Devarata # Brihadvrata # Mahavira # Sudhriti # Dristaketu # Haryasva # Maru # Pratindhaka # Kritiratha # Devamidha # Vibhuta # Mahidhrata # Kirtirata # Mahorama # Swarnorama # Hrisvaroma # Seeradhwaja # Bhaanumaan # Shatadyumn # Shuchi # Oorjnaamaa # Kriti # Anjan # Kurujit # Arishtnemi # Shrutaayu # Supaarshwa # Srinjaya # Kshemaavee # Anenaa # Bhaumarath # Satyarath # Upagu # Upagupt # Swaagat # Swaanand # Suvarchaa # Supaarshwa # Subhaash # Sushrut # Jaya # Vijaya # Rit # Sunaya # Veetahavya # Dhriti # Bahulaashwa # Kriti - (last King of Videha or Janaka dynasty, Kirti Janak was atrocious ruler who lost control over his subjects. He was dethroned by public under leadership of

Acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a ...

s (Learned Men). During this period of fall of Videha dynasty, the famous republic of Licchavi was rising in Vaishali and Mithila region came under control of Licchavi clan of Vajji confederacy in around eight century BCE.

Gangaridai kingdom (c. 350 – 100 BCE)

Gangaridae is a term used by the ancient Greco-Roman writers to describe a

people A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

or a geographical region of the ancient

. Some of these writers state that

withdrew from the Indian subcontinent because of the strong

force of the Gangaridai. However, the geographical region was annexed and governed by the Nanda Empire at the time. A number of modern scholars locate Gangaridai in the Ganges Delta of the

region, although alternative theories also exist. Gange or Ganges, the capital of the Gangaridai (according to

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

), has been identified with several sites in the region, including

Chandraketugarh Chandraketugarh is a 2,500 years old archaeological site located near the Bidyadhari river, about north-east of Kolkata, India, in the district of North 24 parganas, near the township of Berachampa and the Harua Road railhead. Once it was ...

and

Wari-Bateshwar The Wari-Bateshwar (Bengali: উয়ারী-বটেশ্বর,''Uari-Bôṭeshshor'') ruins in Narsingdi, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites in Bangladesh. Excavation in the site unearthed a ...

Magadha dynasties of Bengal

Brihadratha dynasty (c. 1700 – 682 BCE)

;Rulers- ('' Ripunjaya was the last ruler of dynasty, dethorned by

Pradyota Pradyota dynasty, also called ''Prthivim Bhoksyanti'' (lit. enjoying the earth), is an ancient Indian dynasty, which ruled over Avanti and Magadha, though most of the Puranas ''(except a manuscript of the Brahmanda Purana, preserved in the Uni ...

in 682 BCE'')

Pradyota dynasty (c. 682 – 544 BCE)

;Rulers- (''Varttivarddhana was last ruler of dynasty dethroned by

in 544 BCE'')

Haryanka dynasty (c. 544 – 413 BCE)

;Rulers- (''

Nāgadāsaka Nāgadāsaka was the last ruler of Haryanka dynasty from 437 to 413 BCE and son of Munda. He murdered his father and ruled for twenty-four years. The people deposed him and made Shishunaga king in his place. Shishunaga was the founder of Shishuna ...

was last ruler of dynasty overthrowed by

Shishunaga Shishunaga ( IAST: Śiśunāga, or Shusunaga) (c. 413 – 395 BCE) was the founder of the Shishunaga dynasty of the Magadha Empire in the present day northern India. Initially, he was an ''amatya'' (official) of the Magadha empire under the Hary ...

in 413 BCE'')

Shishunaga dynasty (c. 413 – 345 BCE)

;Rulers- ''(

Mahanandin Mahanandin was the last king of the Shishunaga dynasty of the Indian subcontinent. The dynasty ruled parts of ancient India around the city of Pataliputra (present day Patna, Bihar). Life ''Puranas'' list Nandivardhana as the ninth Shishunaga ...

lost his empire by his illegitimate son

Mahapadma Nanda Mahapadma Nanda (IAST: ''Mahāpadmānanda''; c. mid 4th century BCE), according to the Puranas, was the first Emperor of the Nanda Empire of ancient India. The Puranas describe him as a son of the last Shaishunaga king Mahanandin and a Shudra ...

in 345 BCE)''

Nanda Empire (c. 345 – 322 BCE)

;Rulers- ''(

Dhana Nanda Dhana Nanda (died c. 321 BCE), according to the Buddhist text '' Mahabodhivamsa'', was the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty of ancient India. He was the youngest son of Mahapadma Nanda. Chandragupta Maurya raised an army that eventually conquere ...

lost his empire to Chandragupta Maurya after being defeated by him in 322 BCE)''

Maurya Empire (c. 322 – 184 BCE)

;Rulers- ''(

was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by Pushyamitra Shunga in 185 BCE)''

Shunga Empire (c. 185 – 73 BCE)

;Rulers- ''(

Devabhuti Devabhuti (), also known as Devbhomi', was the last king of the Shunga Empire in ancient India. He was assassinated by his minister Vasudeva Kanva. Following his death, the Shunga dynasty was then replaced by the subsequent Kanvas. Reign The lat ...

was the last ruler of dynasty dethroned by, dethroned

Vasudeva Kanva Vasudeva Kanva () was the founder of the Kanva dynasty. He was originally an Amatya (minister) of last Shunga ruler Devabhuti. Vasudeva killed the last Shunga ruler and established Kanva dynasty. Bana's Harshacharita informs us that he came to p ...

in 73 BCE)''

Kanva dynasty (c. 73 – 28 BCE)

;Rulers- ''(Susarman was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by

Simuka Simuka ( Dhamma lipi𑀲𑀺𑀫𑀼𑀓, ''Si-mu-ka'') was an Indian king belonging to the Satavahana dynasty. He is mentioned as the first king in a list of royals in a Satavahana inscription at Nanaghat. In the Puranas, the name of the first A ...

Satavahana Empire The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the late ...

)''

Classical Era

Chandra dynasty (c. 202 – 1050 CE)

The Chandra Kingdom was a Kayastha kingdom, which ruled the

region of

, as well as northern

Arakan Arakan ( or ) is a historic coastal region in Southeast Asia. Its borders faced the Bay of Bengal to its west, the Indian subcontinent to its north and Burma proper to its east. The Arakan Mountains isolated the region and made it accessi ...

. Later it was a neighbor to the

to the north. Rulers of Chandra kingdom were followers of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. ;Rulers-

Gupta Empire (c. 240 – 550 CE)

;Rulers- * Sri-Gupta I (240–280), founder of dynasty * Ghatotkacha (280–319) * Chandra Gupta I (320–335) *

Samudra Gupta Samudragupta ( Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the ...

(335–380) * Rama Gupta (6 Months) * Chandra Gupta II (

Chandragupta Vikramaditya Chandragupta II (r.c. 376-415), also known by his title Vikramaditya, as well as Chandragupta Vikramaditya, was the third ruler of the Gupta Empire in India, and was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta dynasty. Chandragupta continue ...

) (380–413/415) * Kumara Gupta I (415–455) * Skanda Gupta (455–467) * Puru Gupta(467–473) * Kumara Gupta II (473–476) * Buddha Gupta (476–495) * Narasimha Gupta(495–550) * Kumara Gupta III (500–540) * Vishnugupta (540–550), last imperial Gupta ruler.

Jaintia kingdom (c. 525 – 1835 CE)

Old dynasty rulers

*Urmi Rani (?–550) *Krishak Pator (550–570) *Hatak (570–600) *Guhak (600–630)

Partitioned Jaintia rulers

*Jayanta (630–660) *Joymalla (660–?) *Mahabal (?) *Bancharu (?–1100) *Kamadeva (1100–1120) *Bhimbal (1120)

Brahmin dynasty rulers

*Kedareshwar Rai (1120–1130) *Dhaneshwar Rai (1130–1150) *Kandarpa Rai (1150–1170) *Manik Rai (1170–1193) *Jayanta Rai (1193–1210) *Jayanti Devi *Bara Gossain

New dynasty rulers

*Prabhat Ray Syiem Sutnga (1500–1516) *Majha Gosain Syiem Sutnga (1516–1532) *Burha Parbat Ray Syiem Sutnga (1532–1548) *Bar Gosain Syiem Sutnga I (1548–1564) *Bijay Manik Syiem Sutnga (1564–1580) *Pratap Ray Syiem Sutnga (1580–1596) *Dhan Manik Syiem Sutnga (1596–1612) *Jasa Manik Syiem Sutnga (1612–1625) *Sundar Ray Syiem Sutnga (1625–1636) *Chota Parbat Ray Syiem Sutnga (1636–1647) *Jasamanta Ray Syiem Sutnga (1647–1660) *Ban Singh Syiem Sutnga (1660–1669) *Pratap Singh Syiem Sutnga (1669–1678) *Lakshmi Narayan Syiem Sutnga (1678–1694) *Ram Singh Syiem Sutnga I (1694–1708) *Jay Narayan Syiem Sutnga (1708–1731) *Bar Gosain Syiem Sutnga II (1731–1770) *Chattra Singh Syiem Sutnga (1770–1780) *Yatra Narayan Syiem Sutnga (1780-1785) *Bijay Narayan Syiem Sutnga (1785–1786) *Lakshmi Singh Syiem Sutnga (1786-1790) *Ram Singh Syiem Sutnga II (1790–1832) *Rajendra Singh Syiem Sutnga (1832–1835)

Gauda kingdom (c. 550 – 626 CE)

;Rulers- * ''Early Gaunda rulers are unknown'' *

(590–625), first recorded independent Hindu king of Bengal, created the first unified political entity in Bengal. *

Manava Manava (c. 750 BC – 690 BC) is an author of the Hindu geometric text of ''Sulba Sutras.'' The Manava Sulbasutra is not the oldest (the one by Baudhayana is older), nor is it one of the most important, there being at least three Sulbasut ...

(625–626), ruled for 8 months before being conquered by Harshavardana and Bhaskarvarmana in 626 CE.

Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Empire (c. 606 – 647 CE)

;Rulers of Bengal- *

Harshavardhana Harshavardhana (IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a Pushyabhuti emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the Alchon Huna invaders, and the younger brother of Rajya ...

(606–647), unified Northern India and ruled it for over 40 years, he was the last non-Muslim emperor to rule a unified Northern India

Khadga dynasty (c. 625 – 730 CE)

;Rulers-

Bhadra dynasty (6th to 7th century)

The Bhadra dynasty was a

Bengali Hindu Bengali Hindus ( bn, বাঙ্গালী হিন্দু/বাঙালি হিন্দু, translit=Bāṅgālī Hindu/Bāṅāli Hindu) are an ethnoreligious population who make up the majority in the Indian states of West Ben ...

royal house of

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...

origin, their rule flourished during the first half of the 7th century, though little is known about their history. The kings of the dynasty bore names with the suffix "Bhadra". ;Known rulers are- * Narayanabhadra * Jyeshthabhadra

Mallabhum kingdom (c. 694 – 1947 CE)

;Rulers-

Post-Classical era

Pala Empire (c. 750 – 1161 CE)

Most of the Pala inscriptions mention only the regnal year as the date of issue, without any well-known

calendar era A calendar era is the period of time elapsed since one '' epoch'' of a calendar and, if it exists, before the next one. For example, it is the year as per the Gregorian calendar, which numbers its years in the Western Christian era (the Copti ...

. Because of this, the chronology of the Pala kings is hard to determine. Based on their different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, different historians estimate the Pala chronology as follows:

Chola Empire (ruled part of southwestern Bengal from 1019 – 1070 CE)

;Chola rulers of Bengal are- *

Rajaraja Chola I Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Varman or Arulmozhi Varman and often described as Raja Raja the Great or Raja Raja Chozhan was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful Tamil king in South ...

(985–1014), ruled Bengal from 1019 CE *

Rajendra Chola I Rajendra Chola I (; Middle Tamil: Rājēntira Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Rājēndradēva Cōla; Old Malay: ''Raja Suran''; c. 971 CE – 1044 CE), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, and also known as Gangaikonda Chola (Middle Tamil ...

(1014–1018) *

Rajadhiraja Chola I Rajadhiraja I (994 CE - 1052 CE) was a Chola emperor, the most skilled military commander among the Chola rulers and the successor of his father, Rajendra I. He was the only Chola emperor who was killed while leading his army in war, and alth ...

(1018–1054) *

Rajendra Chola II Rajendra Chola II (997 CE - 1064 CE) often referred to as Rajendradeva Chola was a Chola emperor who reigned from 1052 CE to 1064 CE. He was made Rajendra succeeded his brother Rajadhiraja I after his death at the Battle of Koppam.''The ...

(1054–1063) *

Virarajendra Chola Virarajendra Chola (1002 CE – 1070 CE) was a Chola emperor, who spent a major part of his life as a subordinate to two of his elder brothers Rajadhiraja I and Rajendra II, he is the son of Rajendra I. During his early reign he granted the ...

(1063–1070) * Athirajendra Chola (1067–1070), last chola ruler of Bengal

Sena dynasty (c. 1070 – 1230 CE)

Sena dynasty ruled southwestern Bengal from 1070 and ruled East Bengal until 1230.

Vijaya Sena Vijaya Sena (Bengali: বিজয় সেন), also known as Vijay Sen in vernacular literature, was the son of Hemanta Sena, and succeeded him as a Sena dynasty ruler of Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. This dynasty ruled for more ...

conquered entire Bengal by 1154 CE. ;Rulers- *

Hemanta Sena Hemanta Sena ( sa, Hemantasena), the founder of the Hindu Sena dynasty in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. Biography Hemanta was born to a Hindu Vaishnavite family, and was the son of Samanta Sena; who settled in the Rarh region. Th ...

(1070–1096) *

(1096–1159) * Ballala Sena (1159–1179) *

Lakshmana Sena Lakshmana Sena (reign: 1178–1206), also called Lakshman Sen in modern indian languages, was the ruler from the Sena dynasty of the Bengal region on the Indian subcontinent. His rule lasted for 28 years; and extended to much of the eastern re ...

(1179–1206) * Vishvarupa Sena (1206–1225) *

Keshava Sena Keshav-Sen, also known as "Keshab Sen" in vernacular literature, was the sixth and last known ruler of the Sen dynasty of the Bengal region on the Indian subcontinent. He was succeeded by Suryasena, who was a vassal of the Devas, with his lineage ...

(1225–1230)

Deva dynasty (c. 1150 – 1294 CE)

;List of rulers is disputed- *

Purushottamadeva Vira Pratapa Purushottama Deva ( Odia: ବୀରପ୍ରତାପ ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ଦେବ) was the second Gajapati emperor of Odisha who ruled from 1467 to 1497 C.E. He was the second ruler from the Suryavamsa Gajapati Empire. ...

* Madhusudanadeva * Vasudeva * Shantideva * Viradeva * Anandadeva * Bhavadeva * Damodaradeva (1231–1243) * Dasharathadeva (1243–1281) * Vikramadityadeva (1281–1294)

Delhi Sultanate era

The

Khalji dynasty of Bengal The Khalji dynasty ( bn, খলজী খান্দান, fa, ) was the first Muslim dynasty to rule Bengal. The dynasty, which hailed from the Garmsir region of present-day Afghanistan, was founded in 1204 by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji, a ...

(c.1203–27) were at times independent, and at times subordinate to the Delhi Sultanate.

Governors of Bengal under
Tughlaq dynasty The Tughlaq dynasty ( fa, ), also referred to as Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty, was a Muslim dynasty of Indo- Turkic origin which ruled over the Delhi sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the ...
(1324–1338)

Bengal Sultanate era

Independent Sultans of Bengal during Tughlaq dynasty (1338–1352)

Ilyas Shahi dynasty (1352–1414)

House of Raja Ganesha (1414–1435)

Restored Ilyas Shahi dynasty (1435–1487)

Habshi rule (1487–1494)

Hussain Shahi dynasty The Hussain Shahi dynasty ( bn, হোসেন শাহী খান্দান, fa, حسين شاهی خاندان) was a family which ruled the late medieval Sunni Muslim Sultanate of Bengal from 1494 to 1538. History The dynasty's founder, ...
(1494–1538)

Governors of Bengal under
Sur Empire The Sur Empire ( ps, د سرو امپراتورۍ, dë sru amparāturəi; fa, امپراطوری سور, emperâturi sur) was an Afghan dynasty which ruled a large territory in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent for nearly 16 year ...
(1532–1556)

Muhammad Shah dynasty (1554–1564)

Karrani dynasty The Karrani dynasty ( ps, کرلاڼي, Karlāṇī, bn, কররাণী, Korrāṇī) was founded in 1564 by Taj Khan Karrani, an ethnic Pashtun from the Karlani tribe, hailing from Bangash district. It was the last dynasty to rule the Sultan ...
(1564–1576)

Mughal ''Subahdars'' of Bengal Subah (1574–1717)

During the reign of Akbar

During the reign of Jahangir

During the reign of Shah Jahan

During the reign of Aurangzeb

Medieval Hindu dynasties of Bengal

Koch dynasty (c. 1515 – 1949 CE)

Rulers of undivided Koch dynasty (c. 1515 – 1586 CE)

* Biswa Singha (1515–1540 CE) *

Nara Narayan Naranarayan (reign 1554–1587) was the last ruler of the undivided Koch dynasty of Kamata Kingdom. He succeeded his father, Biswa Singha. Under him the Koch kingdom reached its cultural and political zenith. Under his rule, and under the ...

(1540–1586 CE)

Rulers of Koch Bihar (c. 1586 – 1949)

* Lakshmi Narayan * Bir Narayan * Pran Narayan * Basudev Narayan * Mahindra Narayan * Roop Narayan * Upendra Narayan * Devendra Narayan * Dhairjendra Narayan * Rajendra Narayan * Dharendra Narayan * Harendra Narayan * Shivendra Narayan * Narendra Narayan *

Nripendra Narayan Maharaja Nripendra Narayan (4 October 1862 – 18 September 1911) was the Maharaja of the princely state of Cooch Bihar, India, from 1863 to 1911. Early life Nripendra Narayan was only ten months old when his father, Narendra Narayan, died in ...

* Rajendra Narayan II * Jitendra Narayan (father of

Gayatri Devi Gayatri Devi (born as Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar; 23 May 1919 − 29 July 2009) was the third Maharani consort of Jaipur from 1940 to 1949 through her marriage to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Following her husband's signature for th ...

) *

Jagaddipendra Narayan Sir Jagaddipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, (15 December 1915 – 11 April 1970) was Maharaja of Cooch-Behar, in India. He served in British forces during World War II and ceded full ruling powers to the Government of India in 1949. Early l ...

(ruled till 1949)

Kingdom of Bhurshut (c. 16th–18th century)

* Maharaja Shivanarayan * Maharaja Rudranarayan, Maharaja (16th century) *

Bhavashankari Bhavashankari ( bn, মহারানী ভবশঙ্করী, Bhavaśaṅkarī) was a ruler of Bhurishreshtha kingdom of Bengal, who resisted the Lohani Pathan sultans of South Bengal and established hindu sovereignty in her kingdom. ...

, Maharani (16th century) *

Pratapnarayan Maharaja Pratapnarayan ( bn, মহারাজা প্রতাপনারায়ণ) was the king of Bhurishrestha who patronized literature and art. His mostly peaceful reign was devoted towards the welfare of his subjects. Bhurishrestha ...

, Maharaja (17th century) * Naranarayan, Maharaja (17th century) *

Lakshminarayan Lakshmi Narayana or Lakshmi-Narayan ( sa, लक्ष्मी-नारायण, IAST: ) is the dual representation of the Hindu deities Vishnu, also known as Narayana, and his consort, Lakshmi, traditionally featured in their abode, Vaikunth ...

, Maharaja (c. 1695–1712)

Kingdom of Chandradweep Or Basu Dynasty

Chandradweep Ruled By * Raja Paramananda Basu * Raja Jagganath Basu * Kandarpanarayan Basu ( 1582-1598) * Ramchandra Basu *

Kirtinarayan Basu Kirtinarayan Basu ( bn, কীর্তিনারায়ণ বসু; r. 1668), also spelt Kirti Narayan Basu, was the fifth ''raja'' of medieval Chandradwip, a ''zamindari'' which covered much of the Barisal Division of present-day Bangladesh ...

* Basudebnarayan Basu * Pratapnarayan Basu

Maharajas of Jessore region

;Known rulers are- *

Pratapaditya Pratapaditya was a Mughal vassal of Jessore and a powerful Zamindar of lower Bengal, before being crushed by the Mughal Empire. He was eulogized, in an ahistorical manner, by 20th century Bengali nationalists as a Hindu liberator from foreign (Is ...

Maharaja of Lower Bengal region

;Known rulers are: *

Raja Sitaram Ray Raja Sitaram Ray ( bn, রাজা সীতারাম রায়) (1658–1714) was an autonomous king, a vassal to the Mughal Empire, who revolted against the empire and established a short-lived sovereign Hindu dominion in Bengal region ...

(1688–1714 CE)

Maharaja of Bhawal region

Rulers of Gazipur and Madhupur forest are in central Bangladesh.

Nawabs of Bengal

Independent Nawabs of Bengal (1717–1757 CE)

Nawabs of Bengal under East India Company (1757–1838 CE)

Nawabs of Murshidabad

East India Company governors in Bengal

Governors of British East India Company in Bengal (1757–1793)

* Robert Clive 1757 – 1760 *

Henry Vansittart Henry Vansittart (3 June 1732 – 1770) was an English colonial administrator, who was the Governor of Bengal from 1759 to 1764. Life Vansittart was born in Bloomsbury in Middlesex, the third son of Arthur van Sittart (1691–1760), and his w ...

1760 – 1764 * Robert Clive (again) 1765 – 1766 * Harry Verelst 1767 – 1769 * John Cartier 1769 – 1772 *

Warren Hastings Warren Hastings (6 December 1732 – 22 August 1818) was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first Governor-General ...

1772 – 1773 ''see below'' As per the treaty of Allahabad in 1765, the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

(BEIC) was given the right to collect revenue (Diwani right). From 1769, the company collected revenue from Bengal.

Governors-General of British East India Company in Bengal – Dual government (1773–1774)

Following the Regulating Act of 1773, the Governor of Bengal was officially called Governor-General of Fort William. *

1773 ''see above'' – 1774 *

Charles Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

1786 – 1793

Governors-General of British East India Company in Bengal (1793–1854)

In 1793, the British East India Company abolished Nizamat, i.e. local rule by Mughal emperor- appointed Nawabs and annexed Bengal. * Sir John Shore 1793 – 1798 * Richard Wellesley 1798 – 1805 *

1805 – 1805 *

Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet Sir George Hilaro Barlow, 1st Baronet, (20 January 1763 – 18 December 1846) served as Acting Governor-General of India from the death of Lord Cornwallis in 1805 until the arrival of Lord Minto in 1807. Career He was appointed to the Bengal ...

1805 – 1807 *

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto, (; 23 April 175121 June 1814), known as Sir Gilbert Elliott, 4th Baronet until 1797, and The Lord Minto from 1797 to 1814, was a British diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Comm ...

1807 – 1813 *

Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, (9 December 175428 November 1826), styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762, Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783, The Lord Rawdon from 1783 to 1793 and The Earl of Moira b ...

1813 – 1823 * John Adam 1823 – 1823 *

William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst, GCH, PC (14 January 177313 March 1857) was a British diplomat and colonial administrator. He was Governor-General of India between 1823 and 1828. Background and education Born at Bath, Somerset, Amhers ...

1823 – 1828 * William Butterworth Bayley 1828 – 1828 *

Lord William Bentinck Lieutenant General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (14 September 177417 June 1839), known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman who served as the Governor of Fort William (Bengal) from 1828 to 1834 and the First G ...

1828 – 1833

Governor-Generals of British East India Company (1833–1858)

As per

Charter Act of 1833 The Government of India Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will 4 c 85), or the Charter Act 1833, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, later retitled as the Saint Helena Act 1833. It extended the royal charter granted to the East India Company for an ...

, the Governor-General of Bengal would be called Governor-General of India *

1833 – 1835 *

Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe, (30 January 1785 – 5 September 1846), known as Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt between 1822 and 1845, was a British colonial administrator. He held appointments including acting Governor-General o ...

1835 – 1836 * George Eden 1836 – 1842 * Edward Law 1842 – 1844 * William Bird 1844 – 1844 *

Henry Hardinge Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, (30 March 1785 – 24 September 1856) was a British Army officer and politician. After serving in the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign he became Secretary at War in Wellington's ministry. After ...

1844 – 1848 *

James Broun-Ramsay James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie (22 April 1812 – 19 December 1860), also known as Lord Dalhousie, styled Lord Ramsay until 1838 and known as The Earl of Dalhousie between 1838 and 1849, was a Scottish statesman and co ...

1848 – 1856 * The Viscount Canning 1856 – 1858

British Raj era

With the establishment of the

Empire of India The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

in 1858, the position of Governor-General was replaced with Governor-General and Viceroy of India.

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

, the capital of Bengal also became the capital of India. As a result, the position of Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal was established to look after provincial matters.

Lieutenant-Governors (1858–1912)

Frederick James Halliday Sir Frederick James Halliday (25 December 1806 – 22 October 1901) was a British civil servant and the first Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. Early life and career Frederick James Halliday was born on 25 December 1806 at Ewell, Surrey. Acc ...

1858–1859 * John Grant 1859–1862 * Sir Cecil Beadon 1862–1866 * Sir William Grey 1866–1871 * George Campbell 1871–1874 * Sir Richard Temple 1874–1877 * Sir Ashley Eden 1877–1879 *

Steuart Bayley Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley (26 November 1836 – 3 June 1925) was a British civil servant and Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal from 1887 to 1890. Early life He was the son of William Butterworth Bayley, who rose to be acting Governor-General of In ...

1879–1882 * Sir Augustus Thompson 1882–1885 * Horace Cockerell 1885–1887 * Sir Steuart Bayley 1887–1890 * Charles Eliott 1890–1893 * Anthony MacDonnell 1893–1895 * Alexander Mackenzie 1895–1897 * Charles Cecil Stevens 1897–1898 * Sir John Woodburn 1898–1902 * James Bourdillon 1902–1903 * Sir Andrew Fraser 1903–1906 *

Lancelot Hare Sir Lancelot Hare (7 December 1851 – 7 October 1922) was a British civil servant and former Lieutenant Governor of the Bengal province of the British Raj. Early life Hare was born in London, Britain. He was educated at the City of London School. ...

1906–1906 * Francis Slacke 1906–1908 * Sir Edward Baker 1908–1911 * Sir William Duke 1911–1912

Governors (1912–1947)

In late 1911, the Indian Government decided to move the capital to New Delhi. As a result, the Governorship of Bengal Presidency was now necessary.

Prime Minister of Bengal (1937–1947)

The Government of India Act 1935 introduced provincial autonomy in India and the position of Chief Minister or Premier of Bengal became very prominent.

Office holders

Writers' Building, Calcutta, India (8136102863)

Subsequently, all three Bengali chief ministers moved to

, where they continued to be influential statesmen. Nazimuddin and Suhrawardy became

Prime Ministers of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Pak ...

, while Huq served as the

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

and

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of East Pakistan.

After Independence of India and Pakistan

British colonial period ended when

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

became independent nations in 1947.

fell into two parts – one in India, named

and the other part in

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

, later renamed to

in 1955.

Pakistani (East) Bengal (1947–1971)

Governors of East Bengal (1947–1955)

Chief Minister of East Bengal (1947–1955)

Governors of East Pakistan (1955–1971)

In late 1954, the prime minister

Muhammad Ali Bogra Sahibzada Syed Mohammad Ali Chowdhury ( bn, সৈয়দ মোহাম্মদ আলী চৌধুরী; Urdu: سید محمد علی چوہدری), more commonly known as Mohammad Ali Bogra ( bn, মোহাম্মদ আলী ...

initiated the One Unit policy which resulted in East Bengal province being renamed to East Pakistan.

Chief Minister of East Pakistan (1955–1971)

On 7 October 1958, the post of Chief Minister of

was abolished. And after the independence of

on 16 December 1971, the Province of

was dissolved.

Indian (West) Bengal (1947–present)

Governors of West Bengal

Chief Ministers of West Bengal

After independence of Bangladesh

seceded from

West Pakistan West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was ...

on 16 December 1971 after the end of Bangladesh Liberation War and was named

as an independent nation. The

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

was the executive

Head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

of Bangladesh during Presidential system of government from 1975 to 1991. Thereafter, the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

is the executive

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

of this parliamentary republic while the President is the ceremonial Head of state, elected by the

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

Ancient Bengal

Ancient Geopolitical divisions

Anga kingdom (c. 1100 – 530 BCE)

Vanga kingdom (c. 1100 – 340 BCE)

Pundra kingdom (c. 1100 – 340 BCE)

Suhma kingdom (c. 1100 – 340 BCE)

Videha dynasty of Mithila (Tirabhukti) (c. 1100 – 700 BCE)

Gangaridai kingdom (c. 350 – 100 BCE)

Magadha dynasties of Bengal

Brihadratha dynasty (c. 1700 – 682 BCE)

Pradyota dynasty (c. 682 – 544 BCE)

Haryanka dynasty (c. 544 – 413 BCE)

Shishunaga dynasty (c. 413 – 345 BCE)

Nanda Empire (c. 345 – 322 BCE)

Maurya Empire (c. 322 – 184 BCE)

Shunga Empire (c. 185 – 73 BCE)

Kanva dynasty (c. 73 – 28 BCE)

Classical Era

Chandra dynasty (c. 202 – 1050 CE)

Gupta Empire (c. 240 – 550 CE)

Jaintia kingdom (c. 525 – 1835 CE)

Old dynasty rulers

Partitioned Jaintia rulers

Brahmin dynasty rulers

New dynasty rulers

Gauda kingdom (c. 550 – 626 CE)

Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Empire (c. 606 – 647 CE)

Khadga dynasty (c. 625 – 730 CE)

Bhadra dynasty (6th to 7th century)

Mallabhum kingdom (c. 694 – 1947 CE)

Post-Classical era

Pala Empire (c. 750 – 1161 CE)

Chola Empire (ruled part of southwestern Bengal from 1019 – 1070 CE)

Sena dynasty (c. 1070 – 1230 CE)

Deva dynasty (c. 1150 – 1294 CE)

Delhi Sultanate era

Bengal Sultanate era

Independent Sultans of Bengal during Tughlaq dynasty (1338–1352)

Ilyas Shahi dynasty (1352–1414)

House of Raja Ganesha (1414–1435)

Restored Ilyas Shahi dynasty (1435–1487)

Habshi rule (1487–1494)

Hussain Shahi dynasty The Hussain Shahi dynasty ( bn, হোসেন শাহী খান্দান, fa, حسين شاهی خاندان) was a family which ruled the late medieval Sunni Muslim Sultanate of Bengal from 1494 to 1538. History The dynasty's founder, ... (1494–1538)

Governors of Bengal under Sur Empire The Sur Empire ( ps, د سرو امپراتورۍ, dë sru amparāturəi; fa, امپراطوری سور, emperâturi sur) was an Afghan dynasty which ruled a large territory in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent for nearly 16 year ... (1532–1556)

Muhammad Shah dynasty (1554–1564)

Karrani dynasty The Karrani dynasty ( ps, کرلاڼي, Karlāṇī, bn, কররাণী, Korrāṇī) was founded in 1564 by Taj Khan Karrani, an ethnic Pashtun from the Karlani tribe, hailing from Bangash district. It was the last dynasty to rule the Sultan ... (1564–1576)

Mughal ''Subahdars'' of Bengal Subah (1574–1717)

During the reign of Akbar

During the reign of Jahangir

During the reign of Shah Jahan

During the reign of Aurangzeb

Medieval Hindu dynasties of Bengal

Koch dynasty (c. 1515 – 1949 CE)

Rulers of undivided Koch dynasty (c. 1515 – 1586 CE)

Rulers of Koch Bihar (c. 1586 – 1949)

Kingdom of Bhurshut (c. 16th–18th century)

Kingdom of Chandradweep Or Basu Dynasty

Maharajas of Jessore region

Maharaja of Lower Bengal region

Maharaja of Bhawal region

Nawabs of Bengal

Independent Nawabs of Bengal (1717–1757 CE)

Nawabs of Bengal under East India Company (1757–1838 CE)

Nawabs of Murshidabad

East India Company governors in Bengal

Governors of British East India Company in Bengal (1757–1793)

Governors-General of British East India Company in Bengal – Dual government (1773–1774)

Governors-General of British East India Company in Bengal (1793–1854)

Governor-Generals of British East India Company (1833–1858)

British Raj era

Lieutenant-Governors (1858–1912)

Governors (1912–1947)

Prime Minister of Bengal (1937–1947)

Office holders

After Independence of India and Pakistan

Pakistani (East) Bengal (1947–1971)

Governors of East Bengal (1947–1955)

Chief Minister of East Bengal (1947–1955)

Governors of East Pakistan (1955–1971)

Chief Minister of East Pakistan (1955–1971)

Hussain Shahi dynasty The Hussain Shahi dynasty ( bn, হোসেন শাহী খান্দান, fa, حسين شاهی خاندان) was a family which ruled the late medieval Sunni Muslim Sultanate of Bengal from 1494 to 1538. History The dynasty's founder, ...
(1494–1538)

Governors of Bengal under
Sur Empire The Sur Empire ( ps, د سرو امپراتورۍ, dë sru amparāturəi; fa, امپراطوری سور, emperâturi sur) was an Afghan dynasty which ruled a large territory in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent for nearly 16 year ...
(1532–1556)

Karrani dynasty The Karrani dynasty ( ps, کرلاڼي, Karlāṇī, bn, কররাণী, Korrāṇī) was founded in 1564 by Taj Khan Karrani, an ethnic Pashtun from the Karlani tribe, hailing from Bangash district. It was the last dynasty to rule the Sultan ...
(1564–1576)