800 years of Ramadan's evolution in Bengal

Islam existed in Bengal long before the arrival of the Mughals in the 16th century. Islam had a presence in the region during the era of the Sultanate, which lasted for about 300 years.

During the 13th century, renowned Islamic lawyer Sharfuddin Abu Tawama built an Islamic University in Sonargaon. Apart from Islamic studies, the university taught mathematics, geography and chemistry. 

Before Tawama, Shah Sultan Mahiswar – in North Bengal – and Baba Adam Shaheed – in Bikrampur – worked to disseminate Islamic knowledge and education around 1129.

The Sufis preached Islam in peaceful ways. They used to build langar khana (charity meal centres), musafir khanas (rest houses), hospitals, etc. Many Khankas (a ribat or a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood and a place for spiritual practice and religious education) also had large libraries. But Islamic customs had not yet spread widely among the masses.

The first Mughal subah (state) was established in Bengal in 1610; during this time, subahdar (provincial governor) Islam Khan was sent to Dhaka. His influence had a big impact on the culture of Bengal. He inspired curiosity regarding religious rituals, and people started developing their own traditions and customs.

Every day was like a festival during the month of Ramadan. There were not many religious sects or sub-sects at the time. Rather, people from different neighbourhoods celebrated the month in their own ways.  Neighbourhoods competed to organise the best celebrations.

An early account of Iftar is found in the Baharistan-i Ghaybi (a 17th-century chronicle on the history of Bengal) written by Mughal General Mirza Nathan. 

The year was 1610. One afternoon, during the month of Ramadan, Nathan was pondering how great it would have been if he could spend his Ramadan in the capital, Delhi, with his family. But he was a commander, so he had to stay in Bengal.

With this realisation, Nathan went to his friend Mirza Alam Beg's tent for iftar.  Nathan felt restless, but as he went inside, he felt at ease looking at the arrangements and the food. 

The Mughals were great lovers of food. One might run out of paper in an attempt to describe the feasts they arranged after a victory in battle. They always took with them dozens of chefs on their journeys, whether it was to war or a hunting expedition. 

Mughal kitchens in Dhaka also had many Mughal chefs.

These chefs were incomparable when they prepared Naan-taftan (bread with almonds), shirmal (bread made of semolina), and kebabs. After all, can you imagine a Mughal restaurant without the aroma of Parsander Seekh Kebab, Sutli Kebab, Mosallam Kebab, Shami Kebab, and Handi Kebab? 

Mughal chefs also knew how to make fish kebabs. They also prepared biryani, keema, polao, and bakarkhani for Iftar.

Nathan mentions in his Baharistan-i-Ghaybi that the start of Ramadan was announced by firing cannons and guns in Dhaka. This custom continued until the latter part of the 19th century.

Around 1639, Shah Suja became the subahdar of Bengal and 300 Shia families moved to Dhaka with him. These families introduced the Khorasani Polao. Mughal chefs were also adept at making jalebi. 

However, because of the warm weather of the region, iftar started with sherbet in Bengal. 

But all of these records are of aristocratic families. No accounts give us a glimpse of the Ramadan and iftar traditions shared by the common people.

However, many of the servants of Mughal Amirs – such as chefs, dressers, gardeners, cleaners, weavers, soldiers, stablemen, and housekeepers – were Muslims, and if you think about it, their number should exceed a few times more than the number of Amirs. 

However, their traditions are not recorded in history because they did not know how to read and write, so Tarikh-e-Zamir Baburchi – like Tarikh-e Shershahi or Tarikh-i Firuz Shahi – was never written about. We don't know what they ate, where they slept, or what they wore!

Aminuddin of Barisal

400 years later, Aminuddin Talukdar sold bananas at a corner of the road towards Kaltabazar, which runs around the St. Thomas Church opposite the Dhaka Judge Court. Seventy years old Aminuddin was from Toraki in Barisal. It had been 25 years since he came to Dhaka. 

Back in Barishal, he was not familiar with fakes or duplicates. There was a time when there were chickens and rice in his home and cows on the farm. There was fish in the pond. Kolmi shaak (Water spinach) and paat shaak (Jute spinach) were readily available in the fields near the house.

The taste of eating fana bhaat (starchy rice) with kolmi shaak for Iftar still lingered in his mouth. These produce were pure, and a little amount was enough to last for a few days. Take mustard oil, for example; if you bought an ounce, you would have enough to apply on your body and feet and use it for cooking for two days. 

During his childhood, Aminuddin saw only two mosques in the whole area – one was at their own house, and another was in the market. Taraweeh prayers were offered at home. 

At that time, there were no such things as shingara or beguni (oil-fried fritters) in the market. During Iftar, he used to eat flattened bread, or ruti, made of flour or rice, and panta bhaat (soaked rice) with two or three kinds of fish. 

Older people smoked tobacco after Iftar. During the day, the women of the house made chahi (a kind of vermicelli) before noon.

After Aminuddin came to Dhaka, he found that the food was not as pure as he remembered. In Dhaka, he broke his fast on the street. Like him, other street hawkers gathered together and had Iftar with muri bharta, sherbet and fruits, but nothing tasted as good as before.

At the Star Hotel at half past two

I once had a meeting with Hashem Sufi, a Dhaka researcher. We met at the Star Hotel. Sufi Bhai was always at his best. He turned 75 last year but still has excellent eyesight, hears well, and does not face difficulty walking. And the best part is he has a sharp memory. 

He spoke about Shab-e-Barat. During his childhood, this day was a reminder that Ramadan was on the horizon.

There were not many mosques in Dhaka back then. Mosques built during the Mughal period (concrete mosques) had water reservoirs inside the premises. Vistiwalas (who carried water in leather mules) filled the reservoirs. The people of the neighbourhood used the water to clean the mosque. 

Another group made dilis (earthen lamps). Dilis were fueled by mustard oil and lit with used wicks. They were placed on the wall of the mosque's balcony. 

As Sufi bhai was explaining this, it reminded me of Diwali. But he said this custom originated in Iran. It is a Zoroastrian custom. India adopted it much later.

Among the Shab-e-Barat meals, bread and halwa were particularly prominent. Bread, or ruti, was made of flour and rice. Several types of halwa were made from chickpeas, carrots, lentils or moong, etc. Before Maghrib, the custom was to send the halwa from house to house. 

After Maghrib, the boys used to go from one mosque to another in groups and play with firecrackers.

The name Mir Abu Saeed comes to mind in the context of Shab-e-Barat. During the period of Nayeb Nazims until 1857, he sent tehari to the mosques of Dhaka. Tehari was distributed in paper packets of shaal leaves. 

Mirza Quader Sardar also maintained this tradition until 1964. He was the last head of the panchayat system of Dhaka.

At that time, there were not so many beggars in Dhaka as today. When a beggar came to a house on Shab-e-Barat, they were greeted.

During Shab-e-Barat, Sufi Bhai also mentioned that he loved Shirberange. It was a sherbet-like liquid made with milk, sugar, and polao rice. A bun-like bread was soaked in it and eaten. 

When Sufi Bhai took a break, I inquired about the movement of Haji Shariatullah. I had heard that the people of Bengal did not know the customs of Islam (how to pray, how to fast). I wanted to know if this was correct. 

According to Sufi Bhai, Islam came to Bengal in three ways – through merchants, missionaries or Sufi dervishes and politics. The Pala and Sen dynasties ruled over Dhaka from 750 to 1229. Then the Turks, Afghans and Pathans began coming through the Khiljis. At that time, Muslims came in groups to Bengal. 

The people of Bengal should have known about most of the obligations of the religion. However, for those who were converted through Sufis or guides, the religion reached them with some modifications.

The Sufis did not take the sword and did not force the rules of religion. Since the converts followed traditional customs for generations, even after conversion, they did not completely break away from the old customs but practised a kind of mixed religion. 

There were not many mosques and madrasas. Hence, after the visit of Haji Shariatullah to Makkah, a reformist movement started, which could be called the followers of original Islam. But it was during the end of the nineteenth century. Even in the 20th century, we find examples of mixed cultures.

As can be found in Abul Mansoor Ahmad's (1898-1979) autobiography, 'At that time even the elderly did not fast. During the day, they consumed tobacco and water. They just refrained from eating only rice. Drinking water and tobacco would not spoil the fast – this was their belief then. But this was the story of the village. The people of the city, especially the people of Dhaka, were the exception.

The urban people fasted more than people from the villages; this information is available in the book Ketabapatti of Chowkbazar by Mohammad Abdul Qayyum. From his writings, it is known that the Muslims of Dhaka at that time, whether they accepted other aspects of Shariat or not, were very active during the month of Ramadan.

At that time, people took many initiatives to welcome this month, such as organising Taraweeh, forming youth groups to wake people up at Sahri, and organising Qasida. Iftar was then called Rosakholai.

Rozakholai was accompanied by sherbet. After Shab-e-Barat, earthen or cast-brass pots were thoroughly washed and perfumed with rose water. As there was no ice mill at that time, the pitchers were filled with different sherbet and after sealing them the pitchers were submerged in the well water.

They used to be taken out of the well before Iftar because, by then, they were chilled. The main ingredient of sherbet was milk mixed with almonds, raisins, pistachios, saffron, etc. Needless to say, there was no meeting to decide what the food items would be.

The elite Dhakaites did not buy iftar from the market. It was part of their nobility. They preferred making their meals at home. If these were available in the market, then how could there be aristocracy?

Then I inquired about the moon sighting that signals the beginning of Ramadan. I read in books that people used to go to the middle of Buringa by boat. Was it true?

Sufi Bhai said, "I have also heard that as well. But it's interesting, Buriganga was a place of recreation at that time, at least when compared to today's Buriganga. It goes without saying that some people would take their canoes to the middle of the river."

"I heard that some people used to sit on the top of a tall tree. The moon could also be seen from the minaret of the mosque. After it was spotted, they lit up fireworks. Cannons were also fired from the Nawabbari."

How did oil-fried fritters become an iftar tradition in Dhaka?

Chawkbazar was famous for shami and shuti kabab since the Mughal period. Halwa and sharbat were also available. Even during the Pakistan period, there were no fritter shops in the neighbourhood. 

According to Sufe Bhai, he saw this trend arrive during the eighties. People used to eat healthy meals during iftar and sehri. Now they prefer eating all the unhealthy but delicious foods.

How old is the custom of playing sirens during Iftar?

According to Sufi Bhia, the custom of playing sirens for Iftar and sehri was conducted under the supervision of DC in every district. 

Each of the five police stations in pre-independent Dhaka had sirens on their roofs. Various industrial establishments also did this at the invitation of the administration. Since these establishments had sirens to tell the time, during Ramadan, they announced the timings of iftar and sehri as a special service.

A letter was sent to them from the DC office informing them of the specific time. Dhaka's Hardeo Glass Factory comes to mind in this context.

I asked Sufi Bhai to tell me something about Qasida.

Researcher Shayla Parveen's book titled 'The Lost Qasida of Dhaka' can say various ghazals and qasidas were written in Urdu-Persian and Bangla around Ramadan.

But most of the Kasidais were in Urdu. Among them, two famous qasidas were: Allah ke bandeko hum aaye jagane ko (We are coming to wake up the servants of Allah) and Rozdaro jago utho, ae raat suhani hai (Wake up fasters, this night is very pleasant). 

Three other qasidas have also been mentioned by various researchers such as Chanrati Amad (sung to welcome the month of Ramadan from five to ten days), Khosh Amaded (sung until the middle of Ramadan, describing the importance of fasting and fasting) and Al-Bida (saying goodbye to the month of Ramadan with this qasida).

I also inquired where Dhakaites shopped for Eid. He said, "There was no alternative to Moulvibazar for oil, spices, pulao rice, etc." And for clothes, "Patuatuli and Sadarghat."

There was a swing-door AC tailor shop in Patuatuli. The Muslim tailors had no equal. Another profession they were very good at was baking.

What kind of food was eaten at sehri? Sufi Bhai replied, "Milk and rice were popular dishes of sehri. Rabri was also very popular; it is still prepared in the shops of Moranchand, Kalachand, and Sitaram. But it was expensive, so only the rich could afford it."