Sylhet
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- This article is about the city. For the district or the administrative division, see Sylhet District or Sylhet Division
Sylhet is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the capital of Sylhet Division (Bangla: সিলেট বিভাগ Sileţ Bibhag) and Sylhet District (Bangla: সিলেট জেলা Sileţ Jela). The city has approximately 290,000 residents.
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History
Sylhet is an ancient settlement. Historians believe that Sylhet or, as it was known in ancient times, Sreehatta ("enriched marketplace"), was an expanded commercial center from the ancient period, which explains its original namesake. During this time, Sreehatta was probably inhabited by Indo-Aryan Hindu Bengalis, though ethnically much of the population would also have been of Munda, Assamese, and Dravidian ancestry.
In the ancient and early medieval period, Sylhet was ruled primarily by local chieftains. There is evidence to suggest that the Maharaja Sri Chandra, of northern Bengal, conquered Bengal in the 10th century, although this is a much disputed topic amongst Bangladeshi historians and archaeologists. This was a period of relative prosperity and there is little evidence to suggest this was marred by wars or feuds. Sylhet was certainly known by the rest of India, and is even referred to in the ancient Hindu sacred Tantric text, the Shakti Sangama Tantra, as 'Silhatta'. The last chieftain to reign Sylhet was Gaur Gobinda.
The 14th century marked the beginning of Islamic influence in Sylhet. In the early 14th Century, a Turkish Muslim saint arrived in Sylhet from Yemen, Hazrat Shah Jalal, and his companions (reported to be about 360) triumphed over Sylhet and began to spread Islam. Although Shah Jalal was a native of Konya in Turkey, it didn't take much time for him to become a very respected figure in Sylhet. He died in Sylhet a few years later; his tomb is a revered shrine in Bangladesh.
Saints such as Shah Jalal and Shah Paran were responsible for the conversion of most of the populace from Hinduism to Islam. Shortly thereafter, Sylhet became a centre of Islam in Bengal. During this era of Muslim rule, Sylhet was often known as 'Jalalabad' in official documents and historical accounts, such as that of Ibn Battuta.
Much later, the British East India Company began to be interested in Sylhet as early as 1765, as an area of strategic importance in the war against Burma. Sylhet gradually was absorbed into British control and administration and was governed as a part of Bengal. After the British administrative reorganization of India, Sylhet was incorporated into Assam. It remained a part of Assam for the rest of the era of British rule. In 1947, Sylhet became a part of East Pakistan.
Important historical places include the Stone Monument of Jaintapur, Mound of Gharduara, Gaiyabi Mosque, tombs of Hazrat Shah Jalal and Shah Paran, Abu Torab Mosque, Nawabi Masque, Mughal Mosque at Akhalia, Dhaka Dakshmin Temple and the Thin Mandir (trio temple).
People
The Sylheti language (Silôţi or Sileţi) is spoken throughout Sylhet Division, with some minor dialectal variations. Sylheti is an Eastern Indic language closely related to Bengali (Bangla), Chittagonian, and Assamese (Ôxômiya). Most Sylhetis are at least bilingual to some degree, as they are taught Bengali at all levels of education in Bangladesh.
Sylhet is the home of most Bangladeshi migrants to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. Certain parts of the United Kingdom are heavily populated with people from Sylhet, most notably the East End of London, especially the boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, which includes Brick Lane, a famous street dubbed "Banglatown" for its large Bangladeshi, almost entirely Sylheti, population. The town of Sylhet is twinned with St Albans, United Kingdom. As so many Sylhetis are resident abroad, Sylhet has a major flow of foreign currency from non-resident Bangladeshis; many Sylheti families' sole source of income comes from relatives abroad.
Land and development
The city is noted for its picturesque rolling hills, such as the Jaintia and Khasia hills. Sylhet is also famed for its tea gardens, most notably those in the Srimongol area. The construction industry in Sylhet is currently booming with many shopping centres and apartments being built to luxurious standards, funded by foreign investment from Sylhetis abroad.
Places of interest
- The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal (R)
- The Shrine of Hajrat Shah Paran (R)
- Haripur Gas Field
- Madhabkunda
- Tamabil & Jaflong
- Srimangal
- Temple of Sri Chaitannya Dev
- Shahi Eidgah
- Gour Gobinda Fort
- Shahjalal University of Science and Technology