Cambridge O Level

BANGLADESH STUDIES 7094/01

Paper 1 History and Culture of Bangladesh May/June 2022
1 hour 30 minutes

You must answer on the enclosed answer booklet.

You will need: Answer booklet (enclosed)

*4094584900*

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer three questions in total:
Answer Question 1.
Answer two other questions.
• Follow the instructions on the front cover of the answer booklet. If you need additional answer paper,
ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet.

INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 75.
• The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 12 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

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You must answer all parts of Question 1.

1 The Culture and Heritage of Bangladesh

You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this question.

(a) This question tests your knowledge.

(i) Zainul Abedin contributed to the cultural life of Bangladesh through his work in:

A dance
B music
C painting
D poetry
[1]
(ii) Which poem did Jasimuddin write while he was a student?

A Bagalir Hashir Golpo

B Kabar
C Padmavati
D Saogat
[1]
(iii) Who wrote the words for the national anthem of Bangladesh?

A Jasimuddin
B Kazi Nazrul Islam
C Rabindranath Tagore
D Zainul Abedin
[1]
(iv) Who is known as a legendary Baul?

A Lalon Shah
B Kazi Nazrul Islam
C Begum Rokeya
D Alaol
[1]
(v) Begum Rokeya’s Abarodh Basini was a:

A workshop
B school
C poem
D political book
[1]

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(b) This question tests your knowledge and understanding.

(i) Describe the life and work of Mir Mosharraf Hossain. [5]

(ii) Explain why Mir Mosharraf Hossain is so important to the culture of Bangladesh. [3]

(c) This question tests your understanding and judgement.

(i) Explain the importance of each of the following to the culture of Bangladesh:

• early architecture up to 1600

• the development of Bangla language up to 1800.
[8]

(ii) Which of these two contributes more in Bangladesh to people’s knowledge of their
culture and heritage? Explain your answer. [4]

[Total: 25]

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Choose two of Questions 2 to 4.

Answer all parts of the two questions you choose.

2 Pre-Mughal Bengal

A stele of Vishnu Vasudeva from West Bengal

The Sena dynasty

The Sena dynasty was founded in Bengal as the Pala dynasty’s power declined at the
end of the eleventh century. The Sena dynasty lasted until 1204. The Pala kings had
taken control of northern and western Bengal. South-east Bengal remained independent
at this time. The Sena kings sought to control all of Bengal. The Sena Empire was
founded by Samanta Sena and extended by Vijaya Sena. Vallala Sena is said to have 5
helped to extend the area controlled by the Senas into south-east Bengal. The Senas
were more than conquerors. They were scholars and great authors.

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(a) This question tests your knowledge.

(i) From where did the Senas come to take control of Bengal? [1]

(ii) Who were the Brahma-Ksatriyas? [1]

(iii) Where did Samanta Sena settle in Bengal? [1]

(iv) What was the religion of the Varman rulers? [1]

(v) What was the capital city of the Varman dynasty? [1]

(b) This question tests your knowledge and understanding.

(i) Describe how Vijaya Sena achieved the title of ‘the first ruler of the Sena dynasty’. [5]

(ii) Explain how the Senas earned their reputation as ‘people of culture’. [5]

(c) This question tests your understanding and judgement.

(i) Explain how each of the following led the Senas to capture south-east Bengal:

• the attraction of the wealth of south-east Bengal

• the warrior nature of the Senas.
[8]

(ii) Which of these contributed more to the strength of the Senas in Bengal? Explain your
answer. [2]

[Total: 25]

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3 The Mughal Period

A portrait of Emperor Jahangir

The early Mughal Empire

Central power in Delhi was weak when Babur began to look towards the subcontinent
for lands to conquer. Babur’s Mughal forces swept across the region, first through
northern India and then into Bengal. Babur did not have an easy victory partly because
Nusrat Shah held up his progress and Afghans resisted his advance. Local resistance
was stronger than expected. 5

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(a) This question tests your knowledge.

(i) Who was defeated by Babur at the First Battle of Panipath in 1526? [1]

(ii) Who succeeded Humayun as Mughal Emperor? [1]

(iii) Who led the army that defeated Raja Mansingh’s forces in 1597? [1]

(iv) Name the tomb that Jahangir built for Mumtaz, his wife. [1]

(v) Who was recalled from Bengal by Shah Jahan, resulting in Prince Suja taking over as
the new Viceroy of Bengal? [1]

(b) This question tests your knowledge and understanding.

(i) Describe the actions that led to Babur taking control of the lands up to Saran. [5]

(ii) Explain how Emperor Humayun struggled to defeat Sher Khan. [5]

(c) This question tests your understanding and judgement.

(i) Explain how each of the following led to a period of peace and prosperity for the people
of Bengal:

• the rule of Jahangir

• the rule of Shah Jahan.
[8]

(ii) Which of these had the greater impact on Bengal? Explain your answer. [2]

[Total: 25]

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4 The British Period

The All India Muhammadan Educational Conference

Bengal in the early twentieth century

As early as 1905 Britain struggled to rule the subcontinent efficiently. Bengal, in

particular, troubled the British who felt that it was a state too big to be managed by one
office. The outcome was the partition of Bengal in 1905. Lord Curzon stated that partition
would improve the government of Bengal. Many believed that this partition had nothing
to do with government efficiency but was a means of weakening the majority population. 5
This period in the history of Bengal achieved two outcomes. Firstly, the Muslim population
lost trust in the British. Secondly, the British learned that there were two communities
in Bengal who found living together unsatisfactory.

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(a) This question tests your knowledge.

(i) What major decision was taken at the twentieth session of the All India Muhammadan
Educational Conference at Dhaka in 1906? [1]

(ii) Which report in 1917 announced the British intention to increase the involvement of the
people of the subcontinent in their government? [1]

(iii) Identify one transferred subject in the Government of India Act, 1919. [1]

(iv) What was described as a ‘charter for slavery’ by Jawaharlal Nehru and as ‘thoroughly
rotten, fundamentally bad and totally unacceptable’ by Mohammad Ali Jinnah? [1]

(v) What announcement in 1940 explained that the time had come to consider a Muslim
state? [1]

(b) This question tests your knowledge and understanding.

(i) Describe the reactions of the Hindu communities in West Bengal to the 1905 partition
of Bengal. [5]

(ii) Explain the effect of the 1905 partition of Bengal on the Muslim population. [5]

(c) This question tests your understanding and judgement.

(i) Explain how each of the following affected Muslim-Hindu unity:

• the Lucknow Pact, 1916

• the Khilafat movement, 1919–1924.
[8]

(ii) Which of these had the greater impact on Muslim-Hindu unity? Explain your answer.
[2]

[Total: 25]

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