Murshidabad
The last capital city of independent Bengal before British rule was named after Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, the Dewan of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi, it is a city of splendours and is famous for its silk. It was made the capital of Bengal in 1717. The British shifted the capital to Kolkata in 1773. Plassey (Palashi), where the historic battle was fought in 1757 between Nawab Siraj-ud-Doula and Lord Clive of the East India Company, is only 40 km south of Murshidabad.