"While researching for his first book, Zamindars and Nawabs of Bengal, the author came across numerous names of erstwhile capitals in Bengal, which inspired him to write this book. The time span covered in this work exceeds 3,000 years. The region known as Bengal during these centuries encompassed present-day West Bengal, Bangladesh, and parts of Odisha, Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Before Calcutta became the capital, there were forty-five known capitals. This book includes the history of thirty-five of them, as lack of information led to the exclusion of ten others. Of the thirty-five capitals, fourteen are in West Bengal, sixteen in Bangladesh, and one each in Bihar and Jharkhand. The book chronicles the history of these capitals and their inhabitants. Most of these capitals were thriving cities with amenities that were on par with, if not more advanced than, contemporary capitals around the world." About the AuthorSamir Ganguli, a Chemical Engineer from Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India, has been an ardent student of history for decades. His first book, Zamindars and Nawabs of Bengal, has been well received by the readers. This is his second book on erstwhile capitals of Bengal before Calcutta, the result of extensive research of Indian and foreign archives. He is working on his third book, Battles Won by Us, which will tell us about battles won by us Indians which have left an indelible mark on the history of our nation, exhibiting the resilience, valour and the enduring spirit of us Indians.
