| Midnapore
district appears to have had a good impact of both Buddhism and Jainism. In the Gupta era
Fa-Hien and other foreign travelers had visited Tamralipta and had left descriptions of
the area. The kingdom of Sasanka and Harsha Vardhana had extended up to Ganjam in Orissa,
and, of course, comprised Midna- pore. Hiuen Tsang mentioned that he saw 50 Hindu temples
and 10 Buddhist Sangharams in Tamralipta, which is now called Taluk. The close contact with Orissa brought the culture of the South
closer to Midnapore district. We find, therefore, a cultural confluence of Bengal, Bihar
and Orissa in the district of Midnapore. As Orissan culture depends partially on the
culture of the further southern districts, we may say that Midnapore district, in a way,
had the cultural impacts of both Dakshinatiya and Aryavarta.
Throughout the rule of the Pathan,Moghals and the British,
Midnapore continued to be important in some way or the other. Midnapore has always been a
problem district in the days of the British rule. In recent times Midnapore district was
one of the first districts that was caught in the upsurge of nationalism in the first
decade of the 20th century due to the preaching of the Swadeshi cult.Midnapore district's
contribution by way of sacrifice for the cause of Swadeshi has been very great. |
