Bengalencompassing

Bengalencompassing is a Dutch-language term used to describe something that covers or includes the Bengal region in geographic, cultural, or political terms. The word is a compound of Bengalen (Bengal) and omvattend (encompassing). Its precise meaning depends on context, scope, and the disciplinary lens of the writer.

Geographic scope and variation: The Bengal region traditionally spans present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. In some contexts, the term may extend to nearby areas with historical or cultural ties to Bengal, such as parts of Assam’s Barak Valley or Tripura, or to broader references to the Ganges Delta. The exact boundaries used in a discussion about Bengalencompassing can therefore differ according to historical period or analytical purpose.

Historical background: Bengal has long been treated as a cultural and linguistic region as well as a political unit. During the British Raj, Bengal referred to a large province that included territory now in India and Bangladesh. After the 1947 partition, Bengal was divided into West Bengal (India) and East Bengal (which became Bangladesh). The concept of a unified or “greater” Bengal has appeared in cultural, nationalist, or regional studies to describe shared heritage beyond formal borders.

Context and applications: In contemporary discourse, Bengalencompassing may be used to describe cross-border cooperation projects, such as trade and transport linkages, river-management initiatives on the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna system, and cultural or linguistic networks that span the India–Bangladesh boundary. It can also refer to research or policy themes that address Bengal as a cross-border region rather than a single sovereign state.

See also: Bengal, Bengali language, Greater Bengal, Bengal Presidency, Ganges Delta.