Why is West Bengal called West Bengal when it is in East?

A hotbed of the Indian Independence movement through the early 20th century, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines. The western part went to India (and was named West Bengal) while the eastern part joined Pakistan as a province called East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan, giving rise to Bangladesh in 1971).

Why was East Punjab divided?

With the partition of the British Indian Empire, the Punjab province was to be divided in two as per the Indian Independence Act passed by the parliament of the United Kingdom. The northeast Hill States of the Punjab Province banded together and were declared a union territory in 1950 as Himachal Pradesh.

Which side is West Bengal?

West Bengal is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The state has a total area of 88,752 square kilometres (34,267 sq mi).

Why is West Bengal called West Bengal and not East Bengal?

However, the name EAST Bengal was later changed to East Pakistan. After the Indo-Pak war of 1971, the East Pakistan that the world had known for 24 years became BANGLADESH. So this is the reason why the West Bengal is still today known as WEST BENGAL even though it is on the EASTERN part of India. Although, things are getting a bit tricky.

What happened to Bengal after India gained independence?

Indian independence and afterwards. When India gained independence in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines. The western part went to the Dominion of India (and was named West Bengal), while the eastern part went to the Dominion of Pakistan as a province called East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan in 1956).

Why was the state of Bengal divided into two parts?

Before India’s partition into India and Pakistan there was a state called ‘Bengal’. At the time of partition the Muslim majority areas in Bengal demanded to become part of Pakistan rather than continue in India. As per the agreement the state of Bengal was divided into two parts, East and West.

What happened to the western part of India after independence?

Indian independence and afterwards. The western part went to the Dominion of India (and was named West Bengal), while the eastern part went to the Dominion of Pakistan as a province called East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan in 1956). The latter became the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971.