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Migration of Bengalis from the Indian sub-continent to the outside world started with taking up jobs as Lascars (sailors) in the British East India Company's ships more than a hundred years before the Company received the grant of the Dewani of Bengal, Behar and Orissa. Due to religious taboo on crossing Kalapani (black waters or oceans) that applied to Hindus, almost all the Lascars were Bengali Muslims. From the second half of the nineteenth century, Bengali educated and wealthy Hindu gentlemen began travelling to England mainly to pursue higher education breaking such taboo; they were subjected to severe punishments after their return. When support for the taboo waned off considerably towards the end of the nineteenth century, highly educated Bengali Hindus began settling in England. Though Bengali Lascars had migrated much earlier, their goal was not to live permanently in England but to return to their native country. They began settling sparsely in England from 1950s, a pattern of which became widespread after 1975.

 

Today, the descendants of these Bengali settlers are identified as British-Bengalis. They have taken themselves to new heights through their success in all major sectors, be it in the mainstream education or careers, business or politics; the community is thriving in all aspects of life, as well as maintaining their rich Bengali cultural identity.

 

Faruque Ahmed has conducted extensive research on the Bengali Community in England for almost three decades, and has authored this book with a history of about 400 years of migration of Bengalis to England. He went to the grass-roots, from which he extracted many untold or forgotten stories into this book. The book will not only fascinate the history readers, it will also thrill the general readers. It will assist the future generation in searching for their roots too.