Khulna on historical maps
Map is an important innovation in the development of human civilization. Map not only shows the country's borders, communication systems, rivers, canals or geographical location, but also describes a wide variety of history of the land. On this page we are showing you the evolution of Khulna region through analysis of historical maps.
1794 Map of Bangla by James Rennell
Source: David Rumsey Map Collection
Major James Rennell was an English geographer, historian and a pioneer of oceanography. Rennell produced some of the first accurate maps of Bengal at one inch to five miles as well as accurate outlines of India. Rennell has been called the Father of Oceanography. In 1767 Lord Robert Clive, the then Governor of Bengal and Bihar, appointed him as surveyor-general of the East India Company's dominions in Bengal. His headquarters were at Dacca, and in the successive working seasons he gradually completed his difficult, laborious, and dangerous task. Mapping was accomplished on the field by army men with distances measured using a perambulator - a calibrated wheel whose revolutions were counted to calculate distance - and a compass.
If you carefully observed this map you might noticed that the location of Khulna City was on the other side of the Bhairab river than the current city location. This was not a mistaken location of city. In 1794 the ancient Khulna was in that location. Various litterateurs and maps are supporting this hypothesis.
1827 Map of Hindustan by Sidney Hall
Source: David Rumsey Map Collection
In 1827 Sidney Hall prepared this map with James Rennell’s surveyed data. In this map the name of Khulna was mentioned as “Culnah”. In 1827 this map was published from London by Longman, Rees, Orme Brown & Green.
1833 Map of India
Source: David Rumsey Map Collection
Statistical and general map of India number 8. Published from London by Letts, Son & Co. Limited. Tree symbols around Khulna on this map gave an impression that it was the part of Sundarbans.
1838 Map of Bengal published by James Wyld
Source: Map Georeferencer
A map of Bengal, Bahar, Oude and Allahabad with part of Agra and Delhi. Exhibiting the course of the Ganges from Hurdwar to the sea. By James Rennell, F.R.S., Ganges River Valley (India and Bangladesh). Published from London by James Wyld 1838. This was an early general atlas of modern geography consisting of a complete collection of maps of the four quarters of the globe.
1915 Railway Maps of India
Source: David Rumsey Map Collection
The name of Khulna was mentioned as “Khoolna” in 1915’s Railway Map of India. This map showed how Khulna was connected with other cities and towns in Indian Subcontinent through railway.
1937 Detail Map of Khulna
Source: The British Library
This is the first detail map of Khulna City. It showed the earliest administrative area on the bank of Bhairab river and how residential areas were grown surrounding by it. It also depicted the railway connection between Khulna and Bagerhat cities.
1947 Partition Map of East Pakistan
Source: Columbia University
Do you know Khulna was included into the India in first proposal (3rd June 1947) of Radcliffe boundary Commission? Only after two months later in 12th August 1947 it was revised and then Khulna was included into East Pakistan. In this Radcliffe map you might find lots of hidden history of India-Pakistan partition of 1947.