List of rulers of Bengal facts for kids

Bengal is a region with a very long and interesting history. For much of its past, Bengal was divided into many separate kingdoms. It was only fully united a few times. In ancient times, Bengal had kingdoms like Pundra, Suhma, Vanga, Samatata, and Harikela. Around 400 BCE, during the Nanda Empire, powerful rulers from a kingdom called Gangaridai used their strong war elephants. This helped make Alexander the Great decide to leave the Indian subcontinent.

In 750 AD, a ruler named Gopala brought Bengal together again under the Pala Empire. This empire followed Buddhism and Shaivism (a part of Hinduism). The Pala period is seen as a golden age for Bengal. It brought peace and wealth after many years of fighting. During this time, amazing art and buildings were created. The early Bengali language also started to develop, including its first famous writings. After the Palas, other dynasties like the Buddhist and Hindu Chandra dynasty, Sena dynasty and Deva dynasty ruled. The Deva dynasty's rule was also a time of peace and creativity, often called a "golden age." Later, Hindu Maharajas ruled kingdoms like Chandradwip and Cooch Behar.

In the early 1200s, Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji conquered parts of Western and Northern Bengal. He set up the first Muslim kingdom there. Different Islamic dynasties, like the Mamluk Sultanate, the Khalji dynasty, and others, ruled Bengal for over 320 years. A notable ruler was Razia Sultana, the only female ruler, who shared her reign with her husband Malik Altunia. After the Delhi Sultanate, the Bengal Sultanate was formed by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah. This was a very important trading nation. The Ilyas Shahi dynasty and later the Hussain Shahi dynasty ruled it. During the Hussain Shahi rule, the sultanate grew to include the port of Chittagong, where the first Portuguese merchants arrived.

Ancient Bengal's Kingdoms

How Bengal Was Divided Long Ago

Bengal was once split into several ancient regions. Each had its own name and location.

Ancient region	Modern region
Pundravardhana	Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division in Bangladesh; Malda division of West Bengal in India
Vanga	Khulna Division and Barisal Division in Bangladesh; West of the Padma river.
Tirabhukti	Mithila area of India and Nepal
Gauda	Modern Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal, India
Suhma	Burdwan division, Medinipur division and Presidency division of West Bengal in India
Rarh	Corresponds to the modern Bardhaman, Bankura, Hooghly and Nadia districts of West Bengal in India
Samatata	Dhaka Division, Barisal Division and Chittagong Division in Bangladesh
Harikela	Sylhet Division, Chittagong Division, Dhaka Division and Barisal Division in Bangladesh

Early Kingdoms in Bengal

Here are some of the earliest kingdoms that existed in Bengal:

Anga Kingdom (around 1100 – 530 BCE)

The Anga kingdom is mentioned in old texts like the Atharvaveda. It was later taken over by the Magadha kingdom during the time of King Bimbisara.

Some known Anga rulers include:

• Maharaj Anga (the kingdom's founder)
• Romapada
• Angaraj Karna
• Brahmadatta (the last king)

Vanga Kingdom (around 1100 – 340 BCE)

Vanga was an old kingdom located in southern Bengal, near the Ganges delta. It covered parts of what is now southwestern Bangladesh and southern West Bengal in India.

Some known Vanga rulers include:

• Samudrasena
• Chadrasena

Pundra Kingdom (around 1100 – 340 BCE)

The Pundra Kingdom was an ancient state. It included parts of today's Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions in Bangladesh. It also covered the West Dinajpur district of West Bengal, India.

A known Pundra ruler was:

• Paundraka Vasudeva

Suhma Kingdom (around 1100 – 340 BCE)

Suhma was an ancient state in the eastern part of Bengal during the Vedic period. It is mentioned in the epic story of the Mahabharata.

Videha Dynasty of Mithila (around 1100 – 700 BCE)

The Mithila region is bordered by several rivers and the Himalayan foothills. The Videha dynasty ruled this area first. There were 52 kings, called Janaka, in this dynasty.

The first Janaka was Mithi, who founded Mithila. The last king was Kriti Janak. He was a harsh ruler and was removed from power by the people. After this, the Licchavi clan took control of the Mithila region around the 8th century BCE.

Gangaridai Kingdom (around 350 – 100 BCE)

Ancient Greek and Roman writers used the term Gangaridai to describe a group of people or a region in ancient India. Some writers said that Alexander the Great decided not to invade India because of the strong war elephant army of the Gangaridai. At that time, the Nanda Empire also ruled this area.

Many modern experts believe Gangaridai was located in the Ganges Delta region of Bengal. The capital city, Gange or Ganges, might have been Chandraketugarh or Wari-Bateshwar.

Magadha Dynasties and Bengal

Brihadratha Dynasty (around 1700 – 682 BCE)

This was one of the early dynasties that ruled the Magadha region, which influenced Bengal.

Some rulers of this dynasty were:

• Brihadratha
• Jarasandha
• Ripunjaya (the last ruler, overthrown in 682 BCE)

List of Brihadratha dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Brihadratha	- BCE
Jarasandha	- BCE
Sahadeva of Magadha	- BCE
Somadhi	1661–1603 BCE
Srutasravas	1603–1539 BCE
Ayutayus	1539–1503 BCE
Niramitra	1503–1463 BCE
Sukshatra	1463–1405 BCE
Brihatkarman	1405–1382 BCE
Senajit	1382–1332 BCE
Srutanjaya	1332–1292 BCE
Vipra	1292–1257 BCE
Suchi	1257–1199 BCE
Kshemya	1199–1171 BCE
Subrata	1171–1107 BCE
Dharma	1107–1043 BCE
Susuma	1043–970 BCE
Dridhasena	970–912 BCE
Sumati	912–879 BCE
Subala	879–857 BCE
Sunita	857–817 BCE
Satyajit	817–767 BCE
Viswajit	767–732 BCE
Ripunjaya	732–682 BCE

(Ripunjaya was the last ruler of dynasty, dethorned by Pradyota in 682 BCE)

Pradyota Dynasty (around 682 – 544 BCE)

This dynasty followed the Brihadrathas.

Some rulers were:

• Pradyota Mahasena
• Varttivarddhana (the last ruler, overthrown in 544 BCE)

List of Pradyota dynasty Rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)	Period
Pradyota Mahasena	682–659 BCE	23
Palaka	659–635 BCE	24
Visakhayupa	635–585 BCE	50
Ajaka	585–564 BCE	21
Varttivarddhana	564–544 BCE	20

(Varttivarddhana was last ruler of dynasty dethroned by Bimbisara in 544 BCE)

Haryanka Dynasty (around 544 – 413 BCE)

This dynasty was important in the history of Magadha.

Some rulers included:

• Bimbisara
• Ajatashatru
• Nāgadāsaka (the last ruler, overthrown in 413 BCE)

List of Haryanka dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Bimbisara	544–491 BCE
Ajatashatru	491–461 BCE
Udayin	461–428 BCE
Anirudha	428–419 BCE
Munda	419–417 BCE
Darshaka	417–415 BCE
Nāgadāsaka	415–413 BCE

(Nāgadāsaka was last ruler of dynasty overthrowed by Shishunaga in 413 BCE)

Shishunaga Dynasty (around 413 – 345 BCE)

This dynasty continued to rule the Magadha region.

Some rulers were:

• Shishunaga
• Mahanandin (the last ruler, whose empire was taken by his son in 345 BCE)

List of Shishunga dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Shishunaga	413–395 BCE
Kalashoka	395–377 BCE
Kshemadharman	377–365 BCE
Kshatraujas	365–355 BCE
Nandivardhana	355–349 BCE
Mahanandin	349–345 BCE

(Mahanandin lost his empire by his illegitimate son Mahapadma Nanda in 345 BCE)

Nanda Empire (around 345 – 322 BCE)

The Nanda Empire was a very powerful empire that conquered all of Bengal.

Some rulers were:

• Mahapadma Nanda (the founder)
• Dhana Nanda (the last ruler, defeated by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE)

List of Nanda dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Mahapadma Nanda	345–340 BCE
Pandukananda	340–339 BCE
Pandugatinanda	339–338 BCE
Bhutapalananda	338–337 BCE
Rashtrapalananada	337–336 BCE
Govishanakananda	336–335 BCE
Dashasiddhakananda	335–334 BCE
Kaivartananda	334–329 BCE
Dhana Nanda	329–321 BCE

(Dhana Nanda lost his empire to Chandragupta Maurya after being defeated by him in 322 BCE)

Maurya Empire (around 322 – 184 BCE)

The Maurya Empire was the first large, united empire in India, and it included Bengal.

Some important rulers were:

• Chandragupta Maurya (founder of the empire)
• Ashoka (a very famous emperor, known for his victory in the Kalinga war)
• Brihadratha (the last ruler, killed by his general in 185 BCE)

Ruler	Reign	Notes
Chandragupta Maurya	322–297 BCE	Founder of first Indian united empire.
Bindusara Amitraghata	297–273 BCE	Known for his foreign diplomacy and crushed of Vidarbh revolt.
Ashoka	268–232 BCE	Greatest emperor of dynasty. His son Kunala was blinded and died before his father. Ashoka was succeeded by his grandson. Also known for Kalinga war victory.
Dasharatha Maurya	232–224 BCE	Grandson of Ashoka.
Samprati	224–215 BCE	Brother of Dasharatha.
Shalishuka	215–202 BCE
Devavarman	202–195 BCE
Shatadhanvan	195–187 BCE	Mauryan Empire had shrunk by the time of his reign
Brihadratha	187–184 BCE	Assassinated by his Commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Shunga in 185 BCE.

(Brihadratha was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by Pushyamitra Shunga in 185 BCE)

Shunga Empire (around 185 – 73 BCE)

This dynasty came after the Mauryas.

Some rulers were:

• Pushyamitra Shunga (the founder)
• Devabhuti (the last ruler, overthrown in 73 BCE)

List of Shunga dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Pushyamitra Shunga	185–149 BCE
Agnimitra	149–141 BCE
Vasujyeshtha	141–131 BCE
Vasumitra	131–124 BCE
Bhadraka	124–122 BCE
Pulindaka	122–119 BCE
Ghosha	119–108 BCE
Vajramitra	108–94 BCE
Bhagabhadra	94–83 BCE
Devabhuti	83–73 BCE

(Devabhuti was the last ruler of dynasty dethroned by, dethroned Vasudeva Kanva in 73 BCE)

Kanva Dynasty (around 73 – 28 BCE)

This was a short-lived dynasty that followed the Shungas.

Some rulers were:

• Vasudeva Kanva
• Susarman (the last ruler, overthrown by the Satavahana Empire)

List of Kanava dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign	Period
Vasudeva Kanva	73–64 BCE	9
Bhumimitra	64–50 BCE	14
Narayana	50–38 BCE	12
Susarman	38–28 BCE	10

(Susarman was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by Simuka of Satavahana Empire)

Classical Era Kingdoms

Chandra Dynasty (around 202 – 1050 CE)

The Chandra Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom that ruled the Samatata region of Bengal. It was a neighbor to the Pala Empire.

This dynasty had many rulers, including:

• Chandrodaya (the first ruler)
• Kuverami (a queen)
• Traillokyachandra (a ruler of the Harikela branch)
• Govindachandra (the last ruler of this branch)

List of Chandra dynasty Rulers

#	King	Period	Reign (CE)
1	Chandrodaya	27	202–229
2	Annaveta	5	229–234
3	Chandranveta	77	234–311
4	Rimbhiappa	23	311–334
5	Kuverami (Queen)	7	334–341
6	Umavira	20	341–361
7	Jugna	7	361–368
8	Lanki	2	368–370
9	Dvenchandra	55	370–425
10	Rajachandra	20	425–445
11	Kalachandra	9	445–454
12	Devachandra	22	454–476
13	Yajnachandra	7	476–483
14	Chandrabandu	6	483–489
15	Bhumichandra	7	489–496
16	Bhutichandra	24	496–520
17	Nitichandra	55	520–575
18	Virachandra	3	575–578
19	Pritichandra	12	578–590
20	Prithvichandra	7	590–597
21	Dhirtichandra	3	597–600
22	Mahavira	12	600–612
23	Virayajap	12	612–624
24	Sevinren	12	624–636
25	Dharmasura	13	636–649
26	Vajrashakti	16	649–665
27	Dharmavijaya	36	665–701
28	Narendravijaya	2 yr 9 months	701–703
29	Dharmachandra	16	703–720
30	Anandachandra	9+	720–729+
Harikela dynasty
1	Traillokyachandra	30	900–930
2	Srichandra	45	930–975
3	Kalyanachandra	25	975–1000
4	Ladahachandra	20	1000–1020
5	Govindachandra	30	1020–1050

Gupta Empire (around 240 – 550 CE)

The Gupta Empire was a powerful empire that also included parts of Bengal. It is often called a "Golden Age" of India.

Some rulers were:

• Sri-Gupta I (founder)
• Ghatotkacha
• Chandra Gupta I
• Samudra Gupta
• Rama Gupta
• Chandra Gupta II (Chandragupta Vikramaditya)
• Kumara Gupta I
• Skanda Gupta
• Puru Gupta
• Kumara Gupta II
• Buddha Gupta
• Narasimha Gupta
• Kumara Gupta III
• Vishnugupta (last imperial Gupta ruler)

Jaintia Kingdom (around 525 – 1835 CE)

This kingdom had a very long history, with different groups of rulers over time.

Some rulers from different periods include:

• Urmi Rani (early ruler)
• Jayanta (partitioned Jaintia ruler)
• Kedareshwar Rai (Brahmin dynasty ruler)
• Prabhat Ray Syiem Sutnga (new dynasty ruler)
• Rajendra Singh Syiem Sutnga (last ruler)

Gauda Kingdom (around 550 – 626 CE)

The Gauda Kingdom was an important independent kingdom in Bengal.

Known rulers include:

• Shashanka (the first recorded independent Hindu king of Bengal, who united Bengal)
• Manava (ruled for a short time before being conquered)

Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Empire (around 606 – 647 CE)

This empire united much of Northern India.

A key ruler who influenced Bengal was:

• Harshavardhana (he ruled Northern India for over 40 years)

Khadga Dynasty (around 625 – 730 CE)

This dynasty ruled parts of Bengal.

Some rulers were:

• Khadgodyama
• Rajabhatta

Titular Name	Reign	Notes
Khadgodyama	625-640	Father of Jatakhadga
Jatakhadga	640-658	Father of Devakhadga
Devakhadga	658-673	Queen Prabhavati
Rajabhatta	673-707	Son of Devakhadga
Balabhata	707-716	Son of Devakhadga
Udirnakhadga	??

Bhadra Dynasty (6th to 7th century)

The Bhadra dynasty was a Hindu royal family of Brahmin origin in Bengal. Not much is known about them, but their kings had names ending in "Bhadra."

Known rulers include:

• Narayanabhadra
• Jyeshthabhadra

Mallabhum Kingdom (around 694 – 1147 CE)

This kingdom also had a long line of rulers.

Some rulers were:

• Adi Malla (the first king)
• Hambir Malla Dev (Bir Hambir)
• Kalipada Singha Thakur (ruled until 1947)

Name of the king	Reign	Notes
Adi Malla	694–710
Jay Malla	710–720
Benu Malla	720–733
Kinu Malla	733–742
Indra Malla	742–757
Kanu Malla	757–764
Dha (Jhau) Malla	764–775
Shur Malla	775–795
Kanak Malla	795–807
Kandarpa Malla	807–828
Sanatan Malla	828–841
Kharga Malla	841–862
Durjan (Durjay) Malla	862–906
Yadav Malla	906–919
Jagannath Malla	919–931
Birat Malla	931–946
Mahadev Malla	946–977
Durgadas Malla	977–994
Jagat Malla	994–1007
Ananta Malla	1007–1015
Rup Malla	1015–1029
Sundar Malla	1029–1053
Kumud Malla	1053–1074
Krishna Malla	1074–1084
Rup II (Jhap) Malla	1084–1097
Prakash Malla	1097–1102
Pratap Malla	1102–1113
Sindur Malla	1113–1129
Sukhomoy(Shuk) Malla	1129–1142
Banamali Malla	1142–1156
Yadu/Jadu Malla	1156–1167
Jiban Malla	1167–1185
Ram Malla	1185–1209
Gobinda Malla	1209–1240
Bhim Malla	1240–1263
Katar(Khattar) Malla	1263–1295
Prithwi Malla	1295 -1319
Tapa Malla	1319–1334
Dinabandhu Malla	1334–1345
Kinu/Kanu II Malla	1345–1358
Shur Malla II	1358–1370
Shiv Singh Malla	1370–1407
Madan Malla	1407–1420
Durjan II (Durjay) Malla	1420–1437
Uday Malla	1437–1460
Chandra Malla	1460–1501
Bir Malla	1501–1554
Dhari Malla	1554–1565
Hambir Malla Dev (Bir Hambir)	1565–1620
Dhari Hambir Malla Dev	1620–1626
Raghunath Singha Dev	1626–1656
Bir Singha Dev	1656–1682
Durjan Singha Dev	1682–1702
Raghunath Singha Dev II	1702–1712
Gopal Singha Dev	1712–1748
Chaitanya Singha Dev	1748–1801
Madhav Singha Dev	1801–1809
Gopal Singha Dev II	1809–1876
Ramkrishna Singha Dev	1876–1885
Dwhaja Moni Devi	1885–1889
Nilmoni Singha Dev	1889–1903
Churamoni Devi (Regency)	1903–1930
Kalipada Singha Thakur	1930–1947

Post-Classical Era

Pala Empire (around 750 – 1161 CE)

The Pala Empire was a very important empire in Bengal. Historians have different ideas about the exact dates of their rule.

Some important Pala rulers were:

• Gopala I (founder)
• Dharmapala
• Devapala
• Mahipala I
• Ramapala
• Madanapala (last major ruler)

	RC Majumdar (1971)	AM Chowdhury (1967)	BP Sinha (1977)	DC Sircar (1975–76)	D. K. Ganguly (1994)
Gopala I	750–770	756–781	755–783	750–775	750–774
Dharmapala	770–810	781–821	783–820	775–812	774–806
Devapala	810–c. 850	821–861	820–860	812–850	806–845
Mahendrapala	NA (Mahendrapala's existence was conclusively established through a copper-plate charter discovered later.)				845–860
Shurapala I	Deemed to be alternate name of Vigrahapala I			850–858	860–872
Gopala II	NA (copper-plate charter discovered in 1995. Text of inscription published in 2009.)
Vigrahapala I	850–853	861–866	860–865	858–60	872–873
Narayanapala	854–908	866–920	865–920	860–917	873–927
Rajyapala	908–940	920–952	920–952	917–952	927–959
Gopala III	940–957	952–969	952–967	952–972	959–976
Vigrahapala II	960–c. 986	969–995	967–980	972–977	976–977
Mahipala I	988–c. 1036	995–1043	980–1035	977–1027	977–1027
Nayapala	1038–1053	1043–1058	1035–1050	1027–1043	1027–1043
Vigrahapala III	1054–1072	1058–1075	1050–1076	1043–1070	1043–1070
Mahipala II	1072–1075	1075–1080	1076–1078/9	1070–1071	1070–1071
Shurapala II	1075–1077	1080–1082		1071–1072	1071–1072
Ramapala	1077–1130	1082–1124	1078/9–1132	1072–1126	1072–1126
Kumarapala	1130–1140	1124–1129	1132–1136	1126–1128	1126–1128
Gopala IV	1140–1144	1129–1143	1136–1144	1128–1143	1128–1143
Madanapala	1144–1162	1143–1162	1144–1161/62	1143–1161	1143–1161
Govindapala	1158–1162	NA	1162–1176 or 1158–1162	1161–1165	1161–1165
Palapala	NA	NA	NA	1165–1199	1165–1200

Sena Dynasty (around 1070 – 1230 CE)

The Sena dynasty took over after the Palas. Vijaya Sena conquered all of Bengal by 1154 CE.

Some rulers were:

• Hemanta Sena
• Vijaya Sena
• Ballala Sena
• Lakshmana Sena
• Vishvarupa Sena
• Keshava Sena (last ruler)

Deva Dynasty (around 1150 – 1294 CE)

The list of rulers for this dynasty is debated by historians.

Some known rulers include:

• Damodaradeva
• Dasharathadeva
• Vikramadityadeva

Delhi Sultanate Period

Khalji Dynasty (around 1203–1231)

The Khalji dynasty of Bengal started as representatives of the Ghurid Empire. They later became independent but sometimes answered to the Delhi Sultanate.

Some rulers were:

• Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji (started the Khalji dynasty in Bengal)
• Ghiyasuddin Iwaz Shah
• Balka Khalji (last Khalji ruler)

Name	Reign	Notes
Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji	c.1203–1206	Began the Khalji dynasty in Bengal
Muhammad Shiran Khalji	1206–1208
Husamuddin Iwaz Khalji	1208–1210
Ali Mardan Khalji	1210–1212
Ghiyasuddin Iwaz Shah	1212–1227	Second term, killed for gaining independence from Sultan of Delhi Iltutmish
Alauddin Daulat Shah Khalji	1229–1230
Balka Khalji	1230–1231	Last Khalji ruler

Governors of Bengal under Mamluk Dynasty (1227–1287)

These governors were appointed by the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.

Some governors were:

• Nasiruddin Mahmud
• Tughral Tughan Khan
• Nasiruddin Bughra Khan (declared independence and started the Balban dynasty)

Name	Reign	Notes
Nasiruddin Mahmud	1227–1229	Appointed by his father Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi
Alauddin Jani	1232–1233
Saifuddin Aibak	1233–1236
Awar Khan Aibak	1236	Usurper
Tughral Tughan Khan	1236–1246	Restored Mamluk governor
Tughlaq Tamar Khan	1246–1247
Jalaluddin Masud Jani	1247–1251
Malik Ikhtiyaruddin Iuzbak	1251–1257	Claimed independence.
Ijjauddin Balban Iuzbaki	1257–1259
Tatar Khan	1259–1268	Claimed independence.
Sher Khan	1268–1272
Amin Khan	1272–1272
Tughral Tughan Khan	1272–1281	Second term as Mughisuddin Tughral
Nasiruddin Bughra Khan	1281–1287	Declared independence and founded the Balban dynasty

House of Balban (around 1287–1324)

This dynasty began when the Mamluk governor Nasiruddin Bughra Khan declared independence from Delhi.

Some rulers were:

• Nasiruddin Bughra Khan (declared independence)
• Shamsuddin Firoz Shah (conquered new areas like Sonargaon and Sylhet)
• Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah (lost Bengal's independence to the Delhi Sultan)

Name	Reign	Notes
Nasiruddin Bughra Khan	1287–1291	Declared independence from Delhi Sultanate
Rukunuddin Kaikaus	1291–1300	First Muslim ruler to conquer Satgaon kingdom, expanding Lakhnauti.
Shamsuddin Firoz Shah	1300–1322	First Muslim ruler to conquer Sonargaon, Mymensingh and Srihatta. Completed Kaikaus' Conquest of Satgaon.
Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah	1322–1324	Lost independence of Bengal to Delhi Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq.

Governors of Bengal under Tughlaq Dynasty (1324–1338)

After the Tughlaqs took over Bengal, they appointed governors for different regions.

Some governors included:

• Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah (governor of Sonargaon, later declared independence)
• Bahram Khan (governor of Sonargaon)
• Qadar Khan (governor of Lakhnauti)

Name	Region	Reign	Notes
Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah	Sonargaon	1324–1328	Appointed as governor by Sultan of Delhi Muhammad bin Tughluq, but later declared independence
Bahram Khan	Sonargaon	1328–1338
Qadar Khan	Lakhnauti	1328–1336
Mukhlis	Lakhnauti	1336–1339
Azam Khan	Satgaon	1324–1328
Izzuddin Yahya	Satgaon	1328–1338

Bengal Sultanate Era

Independent Sultans during Tughlaq Dynasty (1338–1352)

During this time, some rulers in Bengal declared independence from the Tughlaq dynasty.

Some of these independent rulers were:

• Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah (first independent ruler of Sonargaon)
• Ilyas Shah (became the first sole ruler of all Bengal)

Name	Region	Reign	Notes
Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah	Sonargaon	1338–1349	First independent ruler of Sonargaon
Ikhtiyaruddin Ghazi Shah	Sonargaon	1349–1352
Ilyas Shah	Satgaon	1339–1342
Alauddin Ali Shah	Lakhnauti	1339–1342
Ilyas Shah	Lakhnauti and Satgaon	1342–1352

Ilyas Shahi Dynasty (1352–1414)

This dynasty united Bengal under one ruler.

Some rulers were:

• Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah (first sole ruler of all Bengal)
• Sikandar Shah
• Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah

Name	Reign	Notes
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah	1352–1358	Became the first sole ruler of whole Bengal comprising Sonargaon, Satgaon and Lakhnauti.
Sikandar Shah	1358–1390	Killed in battle with his son and successor, Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah	1390–1411
Saifuddin Hamza Shah	1411–1412
Shihabuddin Bayazid Shah	1412–1414

House of Raja Ganesha (1414–1435)

This was a short period when a Hindu ruler and his family took control.

Some rulers were:

• Raja Ganesha
• Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah (son of Raja Ganesha, who converted to Islam)
• Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah

Name	Reign	Notes
Raja Ganesha	1414–1415
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah	1415–1416	Son of Raja Ganesha and converted into Islam
Raja Ganesha	1416–1418	Second Phase
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah	1418–1433	Second Phase
Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah	1433–1435

Restored Ilyas Shahi Dynasty (1435–1487)

The Ilyas Shahi dynasty returned to power after the House of Raja Ganesha.

Some rulers were:

• Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah
• Rukunuddin Barbak Shah
• Jalaluddin Fateh Shah

Name	Reign	Notes
Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah	1435–1459
Rukunuddin Barbak Shah	1459–1474	Son of Mahmud Shah
Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah	1474–1481	Son of Barbak Shah
Nuruddin Sikandar Shah	1481	Son of Mahmud Shah
Jalaluddin Fateh Shah	1481–1487	Son of Mahmud Shah

Habshi Rule (1487–1494)

Habshi rulers, who were from East Africa, took control for a short period.

Some rulers were:

• Saifuddin Firuz Shah
• Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah

Name	Reign	Notes
Shahzada Barbak	1487
Saifuddin Firuz Shah	1487–1489
Mahmud Shah II	1489–1490
Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah	1490–1494

Hussain Shahi Dynasty (1494–1538)

This dynasty is known for a time of great cultural growth in Bengal.

Some rulers were:

• Alauddin Hussain Shah (seen as one of the greatest sultans for cultural growth)
• Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah
• Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah

Name	Reign	Notes
Alauddin Hussain Shah	1494–1518	considered greatest of all sultans of Bengal for bringing cultural renaissance during his reign.
Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah	1518–1533
Alauddin Firuz Shah	1533
Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah	1533–1538

Governors of Bengal under Sur Empire (1532–1556)

The Sur Empire, based in Delhi, also appointed governors for Bengal.

Some governors were:

• Sher Shah Suri (later became the ruler of Delhi)
• Muhammad Khan Sur

Name	Reign	Notes
Sher Shah Suri	1532–1538	Defeated Mughals and became the ruler of Delhi in 1540.
Khidr Khan	1538–1541
Qazi Fazilat	1541–1545
Muhammad Khan Sur	1545–1554
Shahbaz Khan	1555

Muhammad Shah Dynasty (1554–1564)

This dynasty declared independence from the Sur Empire.

Some rulers were:

• Muhammad Khan Sur (declared independence)
• Khizr Khan Suri

Name	Reign	Notes
Muhammad Khan Sur	1554–1555	Declared independence and styled himself as Shamsuddin Muhammad Shah
Khizr Khan Suri	1555–1561
Ghiyasuddin Jalal Shah	1561–1563
Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah III	1563–1564

Karrani Dynasty (1564–1576)

This was the last independent Afghan dynasty to rule Bengal.

Some rulers were:

• Taj Khan Karrani
• Sulaiman Khan Karrani
• Daud Khan Karrani (the last ruler)

Name	Reign	Notes
Taj Khan Karrani	1564–1566
Sulaiman Khan Karrani	1566–1572
Bayazid Khan Karrani	1572
Daud Khan Karrani	1572–1576

Mughal Subahdars of Bengal Subah (1574–1717)

During the Reign of Akbar the Great

These governors served during the rule of the famous Mughal emperor Akbar.

Some Subahdars were:

• Munim Khan
• Raja Man Singh I

Name	Reign	Notes
Munim Khan	1574–1575	Khan-i-Khanan
Hussain Quli Khan	1575–1578
Muzaffar Khan Turbati	1579–1580
Mirza Aziz Koka	1582–1583
Wazir Khan Tajik	1583–1583
Shahbaz Khan Kamboh	1583–1585
Sadiq Khan	1585–1586
Shahbaz Khan Kamboh	1586–1587
Sa'id Khan	1587–1594
Raja Man Singh I	1597 – 1606

During the Reign of Jahangir

These governors served during the rule of Emperor Jahangir.

Some Subahdars were:

• Islam Khan Chishti (moved the capital of Bengal to Dhaka in 1612)
• Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang

Name	Reign	Notes
Qutubuddin Koka	2 Sep 1606 – 1607	killed in a battle against Sher Afghan. (Local history of Burdwan, West Bengal, India says that Qutub-ud-din Kokah died in a battle against Ali Quli Istajlu alias Sher Afgan in 1610 CE. The tomb where both of them were buried is presently under the surveillance of Archaeological Survey of India.)
Jahangir Quli Beg	1607–1608	In early life, a slave of Akbar's brother, Mirza Muhammad Hakim
Islam Khan Chishti	1608–1613	first governor to transfer the Bengal capital to Dhaka in April 1612
Qasim Khan Chishti	1613–1617	younger brother of Islam Khan Chishti
Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang	1617–1624	died in an attack by Prince Shahjahan
Darab Khan	1624–1625	while Shahjahan occupied Bengal. Killed by Mahabbat Khan.
Mahabat Khan	1625–1626
Mukarram Khan	1626–1627
Fidai Khan	1627–1628

During the Reign of Shah Jahan

These governors served during the rule of Emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal.

A key Subahdar was:

• Prince Shah Shuja

Name	Reign	Notes
Qasim Khan Juvayni	1628–1632
Mir Muhammad Baqir	1632–1635	Known as Azam Khan
Mir Abdus Salam	1635–1639	Known as Islam Khan Mashadi
Prince Shah Shuja	1639–1647 again 1652–1660

During the Reign of Aurangzeb

These governors served during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb.

Some Subahdars were:

• Mir Jumla II
• Shaista Khan
• Prince Azim-us-Shan

Name	Reign	Notes
Mir Jumla II	1660–1663
Shaista Khan	1664–1678
Azam Khan Koka	1678–1678	Known as Fidai Khan II
Prince Muhammad Azam	20 July 1678 – 6 October 1679
Shaista Khan	1680–1688
Ibrahim Khan II	1689–1697
Prince Azim-us-Shan	1697–1712

Medieval Hindu Dynasties of Bengal

Koch Dynasty (around 1515 – 1949 CE)

This dynasty ruled for a very long time, even into the 20th century.

Rulers of Undivided Koch Dynasty

• Biswa Singha
• Nara Narayan

Rulers of Koch Bihar

After the Koch dynasty split, these rulers governed Koch Bihar.

Some rulers were:

• Lakshmi Narayan
• Nripendra Narayan
• Jagaddipendra Narayan (ruled until 1949)

Kingdom of Bhurshut (16th–18th century)

This kingdom was located in Bengal.

Some rulers were:

• Maharaja Shivanarayan
• Maharaja Rudranarayan
• Bhavashankari (a Maharani, or queen)

Kingdom of Chandradweep or Basu Dynasty

Chandradweep Ruled By

Some rulers were:

• Raja Paramananda Basu
• Kandarpanarayan Basu

Maharajas of Jessore Region

A known ruler from the Jessore region was:

• Pratapaditya

Maharaja of Lower Bengal Region

A known ruler from the Lower Bengal region was:

• Raja Sitaram Ray

Maharaja of Bhawal Region

These rulers governed the Bhawal region, including areas in central Bangladesh.

Nawabs of Bengal

Independent Nawabs of Bengal (1717–1757 CE)

These Nawabs ruled Bengal independently before the British took full control.

Title	Name	Born	Ruled	Died
Nasiri Dynasty
Ala ud-Daula	Murshid Quli Jafar Khan	1665	1717– 1727	30 June 1727
Mirza Asadullah	Sarfaraz Khan Bahadur	?	1727–1727	April 1740
Shuja ud-Daula	Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan	1670	July 1727 – 26 August 1739	26 August 1739
Mirza Asadullah	Sarfaraz Khan Bahadur	?	13 March 1739 – April 1740	April 1740
Afshar Dynasty
Husam ud-Daula	Muhammad Alivardi Khan Bahadur	10 May 1671	29 April 1740 – 16 April 1756	16 April 1756
Siraj ud-Daulah	Mîrzâ Muhammad Sirâj-ud-Daulah	1733	April 1756 – 2 June 1757	June 1757

Nawabs of Bengal under East India Company (1757–1838 CE)

After the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British East India Company gained much power. The Nawabs became rulers under the Company's influence.

Title	Name	Born	Ruled	Died
Najafi Dynasty
Ja'afar 'Ali Khan Bahadur	Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan	1691	June 1757 – October 1760	17 January 1765
Itimad ud-Daulah	Mir Kasim Ali Khan Bahadur	?	1760–1763	1777
Ja'afar 'Ali Khan Bahadur	Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan	1691	25 July 1763 – 17 January 1765	17 January 1765
Nazam-ud-Daulah	Najimuddin Ali Khan	1750	5 February 1765 – 8 May 1766	8 May 1766
Saif ud-Daulah	Najabut Ali Khan	1749	22 May 1766 – 10 March 1770	10 March 1770
	Ashraf Ali Khan	Before 1759	10 March 1770 – 24 March 1770	24 March 1770
Mubarak ud-Daulah	Mubarak Ali Khan	1759	21 March 1770 – 6 September 1793	6 September 1793
Azud ud-Daulah	Babar Ali Khan Bahadur	?	1793 – 28 April 1810	28 April 1810
Ali Jah	Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan	?	5 June 1810 – 6 August 1821	6 August 1821
Walla Jah	Ahmad Ali Khan	?	1810 – 30 October 1824	30 October 1824
Humayun Jah	Mubarak Ali Khan II	29 September 1810	1824 – 3 October 1838	3 October 1838
Feradun Jah	Mansur Ali Khan	29 October 1830	29 October 1838 –1881 (abdicated)	5 November 1884

Nawabs of Murshidabad

These Nawabs held a ceremonial role in Murshidabad after the British took full control.

Title	Name	Born	Reign	Died
Najafi Dynasty
Ali Kadir	Syed Hassan Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur	25 August 1846	17 February 1882 – 25 December 1906	25 December 1906
Amir ul-Omrah	Syed Wasif Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur	7 January 1875	December 1906 – 23 October 1959	23 October 1959
Raes ud-Daulah	Syed Waris Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur	14 November 1901	23 October 1959 – 20 November 1969	20 November 1969
N/A	Disputed/In abeyance	N/A	20 November 1969 – 13 August 2014	N/A
N/A	Syed Mohammed Abbas Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur	Circa 1942	13 August 2014 – Incumbent (titular)	N/A

East India Company Governors in Bengal

Governors of British East India Company (1757–1793)

The British East India Company started appointing governors in Bengal after gaining control. In 1765, they got the right to collect taxes (Diwani right).

Some governors were:

• Robert Clive
• Henry Vansittart
• Robert Clive (again)
• Harry Verelst
• John Cartier
• Warren Hastings (later became Governor-General)

Governors-General of British East India Company (1773–1793)

The Regulating Act of 1773 changed the title to Governor-General of Fort William. In 1793, the Company took full control of Bengal.

Some Governors-General were:

• Warren Hastings
• Charles Cornwallis

Governors-General of British East India Company (1793–1854)

The Governor-General of Bengal became the Governor-General of India in 1833.

Some Governors-General were:

• Sir John Shore
• Richard Wellesley
• Charles Cornwallis
• Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet
• Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto
• Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
• John Adam
• William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst
• William Butterworth Bayley
• Lord William Bentinck

Governor-Generals of British East India Company (1833–1858)

These leaders were called Governor-General of India, as Bengal was part of their larger rule.

Some Governors-Generals were:

• Lord William Bentinck
• Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe
• George Eden
• Edward Law
• William Bird
• Henry Hardinge
• James Broun-Ramsay
• The Viscount Canning

British Raj Era

With the establishment of the Empire of India in 1858, the position of Governor-General was replaced with Governor-General and Viceroy of India. Calcutta, the capital of Bengal also became the capital of India. As a result, the position of Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal was established to look after provincial matters.

Lieutenant-Governors (1858–1912)

These officials oversaw Bengal's provincial matters.

Some Lieutenant-Governors were:

• Frederick James Halliday
• John Grant
• Sir Cecil Beadon
• Sir William Grey
• George Campbell
• Sir Richard Temple
• Sir Ashley Eden
• Steuart Bayley
• Sir Augustus Thompson
• Horace Cockerell
• Sir Steuart Bayley
• Charles Eliott
• Anthony MacDonnell
• Alexander Mackenzie
• Charles Cecil Stevens
• Sir John Woodburn
• James Bourdillon
• Sir Andrew Fraser
• Lancelot Hare
• Francis Slacke
• Sir Edward Baker
• Sir William Duke

Governors (1912–1947)

In late 1911, the Indian Government decided to move the capital to New Delhi. As a result, the Governorship of Bengal Presidency was now necessary.

Name	Took office	Left office
Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael	1912	1917
Lawrence Dundas, Earl of Ronaldshay	1917	1922
Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton	1922	1927
Sir Stanley Jackson	1927	1932
Sir John Anderson	1932	1937
Michael Knatchbull, 5th Baron Brabourne	1937	1938
Sir John Arthur Herbert	1939	1943
Richard Casey	1944	1946
Sir Frederick Burrows	1946	1947

Prime Minister of Bengal (1937–1947)

The Government of India Act of 1935 gave more power to provinces. This made the position of Chief Minister or Premier of Bengal very important.

No	Name	Term(s)	Party	Governor	Viceroy
1	Sher-e-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq	1 April 1937 – 1 December 1941 12 December 1941 – 29 March 1943	Krishak Praja Party	Sir John Arthur Herbert	The Marquess of Linlithgow
2	Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin	29 April 1943 – 31 March 1945	Bengal Provincial Muslim League	Sir John Arthur Herbert (−1944) Sir Richard Casey (1944–)	The Marquess of Linlithgow The Viscount Wavell
3	H. S. Suhrawardy	23 April 1946 – 14 August 1947	Bengal Provincial Muslim League	Sir Richard Casey (−1946) Sir Frederick Burrows	The Viscount Wavell Earl Mountbatten

These three chief ministers later became important leaders in East Pakistan. Nazimuddin and Suhrawardy became Prime Ministers of Pakistan, while Huq served as Chief Minister and Governor of East Pakistan.

After Independence of India and Pakistan

British rule ended in 1947 when India and Pakistan became independent. Bengal was divided into two parts: West Bengal in India and East Bengal in Pakistan. East Bengal was later renamed East Pakistan in 1955.

Pakistani (East) Bengal (1947–1971)

Governors of East Bengal (1947–1955)

Tenure	Governor of East Bengal
15 August 1947 – 31 March 1950	Sir Frederick Chalmers Bourne
31 March 1950 – 31 March 1953	Sir Feroz Khan Noon
31 March 1953 – 29 May 1954	Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman
29 May 1954 – May 1955	Iskandar Ali Mirza
May 1955 – June 1955	Muhammad Shahabuddin (acting)
June 1955 – 14 October 1955	Amiruddin Ahmad

Chief Minister of East Bengal (1947–1955)

Tenure	Chief Minister of East Bengal	Political Party
August 1947 – September 1948	Sir Khwaja Nazimuddin	Muslim League
September 1948 – April 1954	Nurul Amin	Muslim League
April 1954 – 1955	Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq	United Front

Governors of East Pakistan (1955–1971)

East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan in late 1954.

Tenure	Governor of East Pakistan	Political Affiliation
14 October 1955 – March 1956	Amiruddin Ahmad	Muslim League
March 1956 – 13 April 1958	A. K. Fazlul Huq	Muslim League
13 April 1958 – 3 May 1958	Hamid Ali (acting)	Awami League
3 May 1958 – 10 October 1958	Sultanuddin Ahmad	Awami League
10 October 1958 – 11 April 1960	Zakir Husain	Muslim League
11 April 1960 – 11 May 1962	Lieutenant-General Azam Khan, PA	Military Administration
11 May 1962 – 25 October 1962	Ghulam Faruque	Independent
25 October 1962 – 23 March 1969	Abdul Monem Khan	Civil Administration
23 March 1969 – 25 March 1969	Mirza Nurul Huda	Civil Administration
25 March 1969 – 23 August 1969	Major-General Muzaffaruddin, PA	Military Administration
23 August 1969 – 1 September 1969	Lieutenant-General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, PA	Military Administration
1 September 1969 – 7 March 1971	Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan, PN	Military Administration
7 March 1971 – 6 April 1971	Lieutenant-General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, PA	Military Administration
6 April 1971 – 31 August 1971	Lieutenant-General Tikka Khan, PA	Military Administration
31 August 1971 – 14 December 1971	Abdul Motaleb Malik	Independent
14 December 1971 – 16 December 1971	Lieutenant-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, PA	Military Administration

Chief Minister of East Pakistan (1955–1971)

Tenure	Chief Minister of East Pakistan	Political Party
August 1955 – September 1956	Abu Hussain Sarkar	Krishan Sramik Party
September 1956 – March 1958	Ataur Rahman Khan	Awami League
March 1958	Abu Hussain Sarkar	Krishan Sramik Party
March 1958 – 18 June 1958	Ataur Rahman Khan	Awami League
18 June 1958 – 22 June 1958	Abu Hussain Sarkar	Krishan Sramik Party
22 June 1958 – 25 August 1958	Governor's Rule
25 August 1958 – 7 October 1958	Ataur Rahman Khan	Awami League

The role of Chief Minister of East Pakistan was ended on October 7, 1958. East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971.

Indian (West) Bengal (1947–present)

Governors of West Bengal

Sl. No.	Name	Took office	Left office
1	Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari	15 August 1947	21 June 1948
2	Kailash Nath Katju	21 June 1948	1 November 1951
3	Harendra Coomar Mookerjee	1 November 1951	8 August 1956
-	Phani Bhusan Chakravartti (acting)	8 August 1956	3 November 1956
4	Padmaja Naidu	3 November 1956	1 June 1967
5	Dharma Vira	1 June 1967	1 April 1969
-	Deep Narayan Sinha (acting)	1 April 1969	19 September 1969
6	Shanti Swaroop Dhavan	19 September 1969	21 August 1971
7	Anthony Lancelot Dias	21 August 1971	6 November 1979
8	Tribhuvana Narayana Singh	6 November 1979	12 September 1981
9	Bhairab Dutt Pande	12 September 1981	10 October 1983
10	Anant Prasad Sharma	10 October 1983	16 August 1984
-	Satish Chandra (acting)	16 August 1984	1 October 1984
11	Uma Shankar Dikshit	1 October 1984	12 August 1986
12	Saiyid Nurul Hasan	12 August 1986	20 March 1989
13	T. V. Rajeswar	20 March 1989	7 February 1990
(12)	Saiyid Nurul Hasan	7 February 1990	12 July 1993
-	B. Satyanarayan Reddy (additional charge)	13 July 1993	14 August 1993
14	K. V. Raghunatha Reddy	14 August 1993	27 April 1998
15	Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai	27 April 1998	18 May 1999
16	Shyamal Kumar Sen	18 May 1999	4 December 1999
17	Viren J. Shah	4 December 1999	14 December 2004
18	Gopalkrishna Gandhi	14 December 2004	14 December 2009
-	Devanand Konwar (additional charge)	14 December 2009	23 January 2010
19	M.K. Narayanan	24 January 2010	30 June 2014
-	D. Y. Patil (additional charge)	3 July 2014	17 July 2014
20	Keshari Nath Tripathi	24 July 2014	29 July 2019
21	Jagdeep Dhankhar	30 July 2019	17 July 2022
-	La. Ganesan (additional charge)	18 July 2022	22 November 2022
22	C. V. Ananda Bose	23 November 2022	Incumbent

Chief Ministers of West Bengal

Key:	INC Indian National Congress	BC (UF) Bangla Congress (United Front)	CPI(M) Communist Party of India (Marxist)	AITC All India Trinamool Congress

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Political Party
1	Prafulla Chandra Ghosh	15 August 1947	14 January 1948	INC
2	Bidhan Chandra Roy	14 January 1948	1 July 1962	INC
	President's rule	1 July 1962	8 July 1962
3	Prafulla Chandra Sen	8 July 1962	15 March 1967	INC
4	Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee	15 March 1967	2 November 1967	BC (UF)
(1)	Prafulla Chandra Ghosh	2 November 1967	20 February 1968	Independent (Progressive Democratic Alliance)
	President's rule	20 February 1968	25 February 1969
(4)	Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee	25 February 1969	19 March 1970	BC (UF)
	President's rule	19 March 1970	2 April 1971
(4)	Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee	2 April 1971	28 June 1971	INC
	President's rule	28 June 1971	19 March 1972
5	Siddhartha Shankar Ray	19 March 1972	21 June 1977	INC
6	Jyoti Basu	21 June 1977	6 November 2000	CPI(M) (Left Front)
7	Buddhadeb Bhattacharya	6 November 2000	13 May 2011	CPI(M) (Left Front)
8	Mamata Banerjee	20 May 2011	Incumbent	AITC

After Independence of Bangladesh

East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971, after the Bangladesh Liberation War.

In Bangladesh, the President was the main leader from 1975 to 1991. After that, the Prime Minister became the main leader, and the President's role became more ceremonial.

Key

Political parties

•      Bangladesh Awami League / BAKSAL
•      Bangladesh Nationalist Party
•      Jatiya Party

Other factions

•      Military
•      Independent

Status

•      Acting President

Presidents of Bangladesh

N	#	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office		Party
		Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920–1975)	—	17 April 1971	12 January 1972	Bangladesh Awami League
		Syed Nazrul Islam (1925–1975)	—	17 April 1971	12 January 1972	Bangladesh Awami League
		Abu Sayeed Chowdhury (1921–1987)	—	12 January 1972	24 December 1973	Bangladesh Awami League
		Mohammad Mohammadullah (1921–1999)	—	24 December 1973	27 January 1974	Bangladesh Awami League
			1974	27 January 1974	25 January 1975
		Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920–1975)	—	25 January 1975	15 August 1975 (assassinated in a coup d'état.)	BAKSAL
		Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (1918–1996)	—	15 August 1975	6 November 1975 (deposed.)	Bangladesh Awami League
		Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1916–1997)	—	6 November 1975	21 April 1977	Bangladesh Awami League
		Ziaur Rahman (1936–1981)	1977 1978	21 April 1977	30 May 1981 (assassinated.)	Military / Bangladesh Nationalist Party
		Abdus Sattar (1906–1985)	—	30 May 1981	20 November 1981	Bangladesh Nationalist Party
			1981	20 November 1981	24 March 1982 (deposed.)
		Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1930–2019)		24 March 1982	27 March 1982	Military
		Ahsanuddin Chowdhury (1915–2001)	—	27 March 1982	10 December 1983	Independent
		Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1930–2019)	1985 1986	11 December 1983	6 December 1990	Military / Jatiya Party
		Shahabuddin Ahmed {{small|(born 1930