Map of Rajshahi
Rajshahi is a first-level division of Bangladesh. Its largest mapped city is Rajshahi, with about 810,000 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Rajshahi, and the tables list its 5 mapped cities along with the World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 5
- Largest City
- Rajshahi
- Country
- Bangladesh
Interactive Map of Rajshahi
About Rajshahi
Rajshahi (Bengali: রাজশাহী, pronounced [radʒ.ʃaɦi] ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, administrative, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. It is also the largest city of North Bengal. Located on the north bank of the Padma River, near the Bangladesh–India border, the city is surrounded by the satellite towns of Nowhata and Katakhali of Paba Upazila, which together form an urban agglomeration of about 1 million population.
Rajshahi is a historic center of silk production. Varendra Research Museum, the oldest of its kind in Bangladesh, is located in the city. Sometimes the city is referred to as the City of Education, on account of being home to many renowned educational institutions of Bangladesh. The head office of Rajshahi Agricultural Development Bank and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority is situated in the city. The Shah Makhdum Airport and Rajshahi railway station serves Rajshahi.
According to The Guardian, Rajshahi is the cleanest city of Bangladesh, and it is also the most environmentally friendly city in the country.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Rajshahi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rajshahi in Depth
History
Modern Rajshahi lies in the ancient region of Pundravardhana. The foundation of the city dates to 1634, according to epigraphic records at the mausoleum of Sufi saint Shah Makhdum. The area hosted a Dutch settlement in the 18th century.
Rajshahi district was a part of the Pundra region of ancient Bengal ruled by the Pundra Kingdom. The capital of Prince Vijaya, the king who led military operations in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia was located 14 kilometres (9 mi) to the west of Rajshahi town. Rajshahi was dominated by various Maharajas, Rajas and Zamindars. During Deo Raja's period, the region was known as Mohakalgarh. In 1288-89 the Raja was defeated by Shah Makhdum Rupos. The administrative district was established in 1772 and the municipal corporation during the British Raj in 1876.
Geography
Geographically Rajshahi is situated within Barind Tract, 23 m (75 ft) above sea level, and lies at 24°22′26″N 88°36′04″E. The city is located on the alluvial plains of the Padma River, which runs through the southern side of the city. It is bounded on the east, north, and west by Paba Upazila (a subdivision of a district) of the district.
Rajshahi District is bounded by Naogaon District to the north, Natore District to the east, and Chapai Nawabganj District and the river Padma & Kushtia District to the south.
Under the Köppen climate classification, Rajshahi has a humid subtropical climate (Cwa), with its coldest month being below 18 °C (64 °F). The climate of Rajshahi is generally marked with monsoons, high temperature, considerable humidity and moderate rainfall.
Economy
Rajshahi’s economy is composed of trade (42%), transportation and storage (23%), education (17%), manufacturing (8%), accommodation (6%), health (2%), and other sectors (2%).
Rajshahi has been famous for its silk textiles since the British period, which has a special status as clothing material in the Indian subcontinent. There are also several jute mills in Rajshahi. It is the home of the region's best mangoes. The lichis of the city also has a great popularity.
Rajshahi City Corporation has constructed two Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation. Industrial City-01 is located near the Rajshahi Cantonment, and Industrial City-02 is located in Paba Upazila. BSCIC-1 is operational, but BSCIC-2 did not attract any significant investment.
Demographics
Bengali is the main language for the citizens of the city. Many distinctive Bengali dialects and regional languages are also spoken. There is a minority Urdu-speaking population, who are descendants of displaced Muslims from the eastern part of British India who sought refuge during the separation of India and Pakistan in 1947.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Rajshahi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rajshahi: Key Facts
| Population | 448,087 (2011) |
|---|---|
| Area | 96.7 km² |
| Established | 1700 |
Facts from Wikidata Q322155 (CC0).
History of Rajshahi: Empires and States
The atlas records 27 polities whose mapped territory included part of Rajshahi, from Magadha - Haryanka dynasty in 450 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Magadha - Haryanka dynasty | 450–405 BCE |
| Mahajanapadas | 450–351 BCE |
| Magadha - Shaishunaga dynasty | 404–334 BCE |
| Nanda Empire | 333–319 BCE |
| The Maurya Empire | 318–171 BCE |
| Mahameghavahana Dynasty | 170–165 BCE |
| Shunga Empire | 170–67 BCE |
| Kanva Dynasty | 66–28 BCE |
| The Gupta Empire | 347–554 CE |
| Maukhari Dynasty | 555–611 CE |
| Harsha's Empire | 612–655 CE |
| Pala Empire | 750–1071 CE |
| Kamarupa Kingdom | 960–1055 CE |
| Sena Dynasty | 1072–1235 CE |
| Mamluk Dynasty | 1236–1293 CE |
| The Delhi Sultanate | 1236–1343 CE |
| Khalji Dynasty | 1294–1325 CE |
| Tughlaq Dynasty | 1326–1343 CE |
| Sultanate of Bengal | 1352–1533 CE |
| Hussain Shahi Dynasty | 1534–1539 CE |
| Sur Empire | 1540–1578 CE |
| The Mughal Empire | 1579–1717 CE |
| Nawabs of Bengal | 1718–1761 CE |
| The British Empire | 1762–1946 CE |
| British Raj | 1859–1946 CE |
| Islamic Republic of Pakistan | 1947–1972 CE |
| People's Republic of Bangladesh | 1973–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Rajshahi
Rajshahi on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Rajshahi
Rajshahi is the capital of Rajshahi Division in Bangladesh. The city is near many ancient capitals of Bengal, notably Lakhnoiti (or Lokhnaboti), and Pundra. Rajshahi is famous for trade in many exotic items, including pure silk, mangoes and lychees. Attractive silk products are cheaper in Rajshahi than anywhere else in the country, with the city often referred to as the 'silk city'. There are also a number ancient mosques, shrines and temples in and around Rajshahi.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Rajshahi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Rajshahi
5 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajshahi | 810,000 | Rajshahi | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Rangpur | 285,564 | Rajshahi | Populated place |
| 3 | Saidpur | 232,209 | Rajshahi | Populated place |
| 4 | Nawabganj | 142,361 | Rajshahi | Populated place |
| 5 | Pabna | 137,888 | Rajshahi | Populated place |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Rajshahi
1 World Heritage Site mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somapura Mahavihara | 1985 | Cultural | (i) (ii) (vi) |
Rajshahi: Quick Answers
- Where is Rajshahi?
- Rajshahi is a first-level division of Bangladesh, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 24.9016° N, 88.8966° E.
- What is the largest city in Rajshahi?
- Rajshahi is the largest city mapped in Rajshahi, with a metropolitan population of about 810,000.
- How many cities are in Rajshahi?
- YearMaps maps 5 cities and towns in Rajshahi, with a combined metropolitan population of about 1.61 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.