See here for an explanation of the bengali transliteration
scheme used Before discussing bengali history, it is useful to
define the scope of the investigation. In these pages, Bengal,
as a historical entity, refers to the land bounded on the north
by himAlaya and the lands of nepAla, sikima, and bhoTAna; on the
north east by the brahmaputra river and its highlands; extending
to the northwest along the northern plains of bhAgirathi upto
dvArbhAGga; bounded on the east by the gAro, khAsia, jaintiA,
tripurA, and caTTagrAma ranges; and on the west by mountaineous
forests of rAjamahala, sA~otAla parganA, choTanAgpura,
mAnabhUma, dhalabhUma, keoJjar and mayUrabhaJja. It thus extends
beyond the combined region comprising the present state of West
Bengal in India and the country of Bangladesha; and is a people
united by a common language, Bengali, a common social structure,
a common religious mixture of Hindus and Muslims, and a largely
shared history. Little is known about the prehistory of Bengal,
or the origin of