Explore the West Bengal district map showing the 23 districts, district headquarters and capital of West Bengal state of India.
District of West Bengal
Below is the list of all the districts of West Bengal state and these districts with their headquarters are also marked on the West Bengal map.
S.N.
District Name
Headquarter Name
1
Alipurduar
Alipurduar
2
Bankura
Bankura
3
Birbhum
Suri
4
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar
5
Dakshin Dinajpur
Balurghat
6
Darjeeling
Darjeeling
7
Hooghly
Chinsura
8
Howrah
Howrah
9
Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri
10
Jhargram
Jhargram
11
Kalimpong
Kalimpong
12
Kolkata
Kolkata
13
Malda
English Bazar
14
Murshidabad
Baharampur
15
Nadia
Krishnanagar
16
North 24 Parganas
Barasat
17
Paschim Bardhaman
Asansol
18
Paschim Medinipur
Medinipur
19
Purba Bardhaman
Bardhaman
20
Purba Medinipur
Tamluk
21
Purulia
Purulia
22
South 24 Parganas
Alipore
23
Uttar Dinajpur
Raiganj
About West Bengal
West Bengal is one of the eastern states of India, renowned for its cultural, historical and economic background. The state is positioned on an area of about 88,752 sq. miles and has borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan as international borders and with Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and Assam as domestic borders. The geographical region of the state extends from the Himalayas in the north, through the fertile and narrow Gangetic plains in the central region, to the Sundarbans delta in the south – the largest mangrove forest in the world.
Geography and Climate
Geographical diversity of West Bengal starts from the high altitude regions of Darjeeling to the vast alluvial plains of river Ganges delta. There are several large rivers in the state - Ganges, Hooghly, Teesta and Damodar. The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its peculiar environment and the Royal Bengal Tiger, which is listed as an endangered species. The climate is tropical, warm; summer is hot, the rainfall is monsoon, June to September, and winter is cool. The rainfall is between 1,500 and 3,000 mm annually, counting the plains and more than 3,000 in the hilly areas.
History and Political Significance
Ancient and medieval India, West Bengal was a region of learning and trade. Cities like Kolkata (Calcutta) were key hubs during ancient and medieval times. The British made Kolkata the capital of British India until 1911, which made it a colonial administrative and commercial center. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay were leaders from the state who influenced nationalist thought in the Indian independence movement. After the partition of Bengal in 1947, there were significant demographic changes and socio political challenges.
Economy and Industrial Development
The state of West Bengal has a mixed type of economy that relies on agriculture, industry and services. The state is one of the biggest producers of rice, jute, tea and potatoes in India. Darjeeling tea industry is famous all over the world for producing very fine tea. The industrial sector includes steel, textiles, chemicals and manufacturing and the major industrial centres are in Kolkata, Durgapur and Haldia. The IT and services sector has developed fast, with development of technology parks and business hubs in cities like Kolkata and Siliguri. In the year 2023, the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was about $220 billion, this makes the state one of the India's most significant economy.
Culture, Language, and Literature
The cultural entity belongs to West Bengal because it is a place with a rich literary and artistic heritage. Bengali is the dominant language of the people. Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, were several Nobel laureates of the state. Indian cinema, particularly the Bengali film industry, popularly known as Tollywood, has also contributed significantly to Indian cinema, and filmmakers like Satyajit Ray has, already, gained global recognition. The music, dance and festival i.e. Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) are also the vital part of the cultural identity of the state.
Education and Research Institutions
The state of West Bengal has a very strong education system and has a number of high reputation universities. Some of the best academic centers are the University of Calcutta, Jadavpur University and the Indian Statistical Institute. There are also many research institutions in the state such as the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER). Intelligentsia was and Kolkata has been a historical centre of intellectual movements, and educational and scientific advancements in India.
Tourism and Natural Attractions
The economy of West Bengal is one of the largest in India and tourism is a major part of it. Darjeeling's hill station is renowned for its tea gardens, the scenic views of Kanchenjunga mountain range and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eco-tourists visit the Sundarbans because of the rare wildlife and mangrove forests. Some of the other popular destinations are the beaches of Digha and Mandarmani, the terracotta temples of Bishnupur and the colonial heritage sites of Kolkata. The Dakshineswar Kali Temple and Tarapith are also important pilgrimage centres for religious tourism.
Transportation and Connectivity
The Indian state of West Bengal has well developed transport infrastructure in terms of roads, railways and airways. One of the busiest airports in India is Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. Of the two, one of the largest railway networks is in the state and Kolkata is a major hub for the Eastern and South Eastern Railways. A key trade gateway, the Port of Kolkata also acts as a domestic and international commerce gateway. The state has a vast network of roads with national highways that link the state with major cities of India.
Demographics and Urbanization
Being the fourth largest in population, approximately one hundred million people, West Bengal has. The largest metropolitan city is the state capital, Kolkata, followed by Asansol, Siliguri, Durgapur and Howrah. The literacy rate has been higher than 77% and there has been significant urbanization in the last few decades. Kolkata still remains the economic and cultural hub; but Siliguri and Durgapur are also coming up as new growth centers.
Governance and Administration
West Bengal has a parliamentary system of governance. The state legislature is the West Bengal Legislative Assembly with 294 elected members. The government is headed by the Chief Minister; the Governor is a ceremonial head. West Bengal has a decentralized administrative structure with districts, municipalities and panchayats dealing with local governance.
Future Prospects and Challenges
In the recent time West Bengal is developing in all the sectors of the economy focusing on the development of infrastructure, technology and industrialization. Unemployment, congestion in cities and environmental pollution are some of the challenges which require attention. The state government has taken steps to enhance the healthcare, education and digital infrastructure. The development of renewable energy, smart city and industrial modernization are the main factors that determine the future economic development of West Bengal.
One of the most historically and culturally significant states of India is West Bengal, which though has balanced between the traditional and the modern. It is an integral part of India’s national identity because of its contributions to literature, education, industry and politics. If the state has to keep on growing economically and at the same time preserving culture then there are certain strategic initiatives and expansion that have to take place.
History of West Bengal
Ancient and Early Medieval Period
The history of West Bengal can be traced back to the Vedic period, or roughly 1000 BCE, when the region was known as Vanga. During different periods, Bengal was controlled by various ancient kingdoms, including the Mauryas and the Guptas. The Mauryan Empire, with Emperor Ashoka, expanded to encompass Bengal in the third century BCE. The Gupta Empire ruled the region in the 4th century CE after the Maurya's decline. During the Gupta rule, Bengal emerged as a significant center of art and culture and for trade. The Pala Empire which ruled Bengal from the 8th to 12th centuries CE, were an important dynasty in shaping the cultural and religious norms of Bengal. The Palas were strong supporters of Buddhism and set up major educational institutions like Nalanda and Vikramashila. After the Palas, the Sena dynasty continued to rule the region and they were Hinduists and added their share of contributions to Sanskrit literature.
The Medieval Era and Islamic Rule
It can be traced back to the 13th century when Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general of Delhi Sultanate, conquered Bengal in 1204. This is the beginning of Muslim rule in the region. Up to few centuries, several dynasties, Mamluks, Tughlaqs and the Bengal Sultanate ruled Bengal. The Bengal Sultanate which appeared in 14th century was an economically developed realm with maritime trade. The region was also a major trade hub; it exported textiles, rice and spices to market across Asia.
In the 16th century, Bengal was brought under the control of the Mughals and Emperor Akbar incorporated the region into the Mughal Empire. The Mughals are credited with the development of trade and infrastructure and Murshidabad became a key political and economic centre. During the Mughal period, Bengal's textile industry was very rich and attracted European traders, including the Portuguese, Dutch and British.
The British Colonial Period
The British East India Company’s arrival in Bengal in the 17th Century AD changed the history of the region for good. The British had founded trading posts in Kolkata, which was to become the capital of British India. The British political dominance in Bengal started from the Battle of Plassey in 1757, where Robert Clive defeated Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah. The British had control of Bengal's revenues after this victory which formed the basis of colonial rule for nearly two centuries.
During the British rule, Bengal was developed as a center of economic exploitation and administrative control. The Permanent Settlement Act of 1793 which was introduced by Lord Cornwallis led to the development of zamindari system i.e. absolute power of land lords which resulted in widespread agrarian distress. There were several famines in the region including the worst famine ever known, the Bengal famine of 1770 and the Bengal famine of 1943 in which millions of people died.
However, the region was also the cradle of several reform movements and nationalist activities even under colonial exploitation. The Bengal renaissance, which was headed by thinkers like Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, also did significant social and educational reform. The state was the heart of the Indian independence movement and Bose, Tagore, and Aurobindo Ghosh spurred anti-colonial resistance.
Partition of Bengal and Independence
One of the biggest events in the modern history of Bengal is the partition of Bengal in 1905, accomplished by the British, with the intention of dividing the Hindu and Muslim populations. This decision provoked widespread protests and the Swadeshi Movement, which was the first real organized protest against British rule. The partition was reversed in 1911 because of massive opposition, but communal tensions persisted.
India's independence in 1947 led to Bengal's partition once again to form West Bengal as a part of India and East Pakistan (Bangladesh). The partition led to large scale migration, communal violence and economic issues in the newly formed state. Kolkata, the economic backbone of British India, also declined as industries suffered from the break in trade with East Pakistan.
Post-Independence Developments
After independence, West Bengal, the state in East India, has gone through much in way of political and economic change. The state has seen the rise of the communist influence, the Left Front was in power for more than three decades, from 1977 to 2011. It was a period of land reforms, labor movements and industrial stagnation. There was political unrest and state crackdowns in the 1960s and 1970s, and the Naxalite movement, which was inspired by Maoist ideology, led all that.
Over the last 15 years, since the early 2000s, West Bengal has witnessed an industrial revival, enhancement of the infrastructure and promotion of technology and business processes. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) won power in 2011 putting an end to the Left Front's rule. The state has also maintained an economic growth and the IT, manufacturing and tourism sectors have received a boost.
Cultural and Intellectual Legacy
The home of the British Indian Nobel laureates, Rabindranath Tagore and Amartya Sen, and Indian filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, West Bengal has always been one of the cultural and intellectual capitals of the country. The Durga Puja festival, which has been marked as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, is a celebration of Bengal's spiritual, cultural, and artistic heritage.
The history of West Bengal is that of perseverance, change and cultural diversity. The state has been a continual entity, while also changing drastically, from ancient empires, through British colonial rule, to modern political changes. Today, it is an indispensable component of India’s economy, politics, and cultural life, and the legacy continues to help define the nation.
