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| Welcome to Sylhet |
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Tea Garden, Sylhet |
| About Sylhet |
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| 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 eventually incorporated into Assam. It remained a part of Assam for the rest of the era of British rule. In 1947, following a referendum, almost all of erstwhile Sylhet became a part of East Pakistan, barring the Karimganj subdivision which was incorporated into the new Indian state of Assam. |
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| History |
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| 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. |
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| In the ancient and early medieval period, Sylhet was ruled primarily by local chieftains. There is evidence to suggest that the , 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. |
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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 long for him to become a highly respected figure in Sylhet. He died in Sylhet a few years later; his tomb is a revered shrine in Bangladesh. |
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| 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 BattutaIbn Battuta. |
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Shah Jalal Mazar (Tomb), Sylhet |
| Total Area |
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| 12595.95 sq km |
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| Population |
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| 7899816; male 50.47%, female 49.53%; Muslim 81.16%, Hindu 17.80%, Christian 0.06%, Buddhist 0.02% and others 0.96%. |
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| Literacy |
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| Average literacy 27.9%; male 33.7%, female 21.8%. |
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| Religious Institutions |
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| Mosque 6144, temple 960, pagoda 7, church 52, tomb 45 and sacred place 2. |
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| Main Occupations |
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| Agriculture 36.93%, fishing 3.07%, agricultural labourer 18.81%, wage labourer 7.49%, commerce 9.24%, transport 1.94%, service 6.43%, industry 1.33%, house renting out 3.1% and others 11.66%. |
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| Main Crops |
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| Paddy, wheat, tea, mustard seed, onion, garlic, betel leaf, vegetables. |
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| Main Fruits |
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| Orange, pineapple, mango, jackfruit, litchi. |
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| Health
Centers |
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| Hospital and clinic 52, upazila health complex 29, union health and family planning centre 76, satellite clinic 30, maternity and child welfare centre 5, mission hospital 4, leprosy hospital 3, family welfare centre 37 and veterinary hospital 10. |
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