The area encompassing modern-day Dhaka has been continuously inhabited since the first millennium, shifting hands among ancient empires including the Kamarupa, Pala, and Sena dynasties. However, its prominent history began in 1608 when the Mughal Empire established it as the provincial capital of Bengal. Renamed Jahangirnagar in honor of Emperor Jahangir, the city flourished as a cosmopolitan trading hub, dominating the worldwide trade in fine muslin and attracting merchants from Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British East India Company gained control of the region. During the British Raj, the modern administrative Division of Dhaka was formalized in 1829. The 19th century saw a decline in the traditional muslin trade due to British textile monopolies, but the region pivoted to become a major producer of jute. In 1905, Dhaka briefly became the capital of the short-lived province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, which spurred significant infrastructural and educational development, including the eventual founding of the University of Dhaka in 1921.
Upon the partition of India in 1947, Dhaka became the capital of East Pakistan. It was the epicenter of the Bengali Language Movement in 1952, a pivotal cultural awakening that laid the groundwork for Bengali nationalism. This culminated in the devastating 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Following a brutal nine-month conflict, Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation with Dhaka as its capital. In the decades since, the division has experienced explosive population growth and rapid urbanization, transforming from a quiet provincial town into a bustling, modernized megacity and industrial powerhouse.
