In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “ethnoreligious group native to the region of bengal”. Today it says “adherents of islam who ethnically”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2025
Ethno-linguistic and religious population in Bangladesh and India For the people of Bangladesh, who are overwhelmingly Bengali Muslims, see Bangladeshis and Islam in Bangladesh . Ethnic group Bengali Muslims ( Bengali : বাঙালি মুসলমান ; pronounced [baŋali musɔlman] ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis . Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ethnic group among Muslims after Arabs . Bengali Muslims make up the majority of Bangladesh 's citizens, and are the largest minority in the Indian states of West Bengal , Tripura and Assam . They speak or identify the Bengali language as their mother tongue . The majority of Bengali Muslims are Sunnis who follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Due to its extensive trade contacts, Bengal has had a Muslim presence in the region since the early 8th century CE, but conquest of the Bengal region by the Delhi Sultanate brought Muslim rule to Bengal. The governors of the region soon broke away to form a Bengal Sultanate, which was a supreme power of the medieval Islamic East. European traders identified the Bengal Sultanate as "the richest country to trade with". The Sultans of Bengal promoted the development of Bengali as a language and the writing of Islamic literature in Bengali, paving the way for the development of a distinct Bengali Muslim culture, while many intellectuals and scholars from throughout the Muslim world migrated to Bengal. Although Islamic culture had long developed in Bengal, it was after the Mughal Conquest of Bengal in the early 17th century and their subsequent attempt to expand cultivation in the still-forested eastern part of Bengal that a majority of Bengal would develop an Islamic identity. Mughal revenue policies encouraged Muslim adventurers to organise the development of agricultural societies among indigenous peoples with weak ties to Hinduism, who increasingly blended aspects of Islamic cosmology with folk religious worldviews and practices. Thus the majority of the rural population of central, northern and eastern Bengal would develop an Islamic identity, and the majority of Bengali Muslims today descend from these indigenous peoples. This expansion of cultivation also led to tremendous economic growth, and the increasingly-independent Bengal Subah would be one of the wealthiest regions in the world. Bengal viceroy Muhammad Azam Shah assumed the imperial throne. Mughal Bengal became increasingly independent under the Nawabs of Bengal in the 18th century. After the East India Company conquered Bengal from the Mughals in the 18th century, they implemented the Permanent Settlement, which led to the creation of a new class of mostly upper-caste Hindu Zamindars, while putting additional burdens on the peasants, who were largely Muslims. Inspired by increasingly available travel to Arabia, religious revivalists such as Titumir and Haji Shariatullah urged an abandonment of perceived non-Islamic folk practices among the lower class Bengali Muslims, and later organised them in agitations against the zamindars and the East India Company. In Bengal, the British Government organised the 1905 Partition of Bengal , which created a new Muslim-dominated province of Eastern Bengal and Assam , although this would be reversed in 1911. Starting in the early 20th century, British efforts to bring what they considered 'waste' land under cultivation resulted in the large-scale immigration of Bengali Muslim peasants to Lower Assam and Arakan in what would become Myanmar. Increasingly in the early 20th century, tensions between Bengali Muslims and Hindus, particularly Bengali Muslim resentment of landowning Hindus, resulted in widespread support among Bengali Muslims for a separate Pakistan, which near Partition resulted in widespread communal violence. After the Partition of India in 1947, they comprised the demographic majority of Pakistan until the independence of East Pakistan (historic East Bengal ) as Bangladesh in 1971 . The Muslim Heritage of Bengal: The Lives, Thoughts and Achievements of Great Muslim Scholars, Writers and Reformers of Bangladesh and West Bengal . Bengali-speaking Muslims as a group consists of around 200 million people. " 'Not cows to be milked' — Muslims in Bengal, Kerala, Assam are now assertive, want recognition" . "Explained: Why religious fault lines are emerging in Tripura" . scroll.in . Ethnic Bengalis in Pakistan – an estimated two million – are the most discriminated ethnic community Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy. [ Mussalman also used in this work.] Choudhury, A. The Independence of East Bengal: A Historical Process . [ Mussalman also used in this work.] Richard Eaton (2009). Islam in South Asia in Practice . The Bangladesh Reader: History, Culture, Politics . Bengal: the unique state . Bengal [...] was rich in the production and export of grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals, and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton. Europe referred to Bengal as the richest country to trade with. Transitions – History and Civics – 8 . 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This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1297812243.
The opening as it stood in 2015
With a population of more than 190 million, they are the second largest ethnic Muslim community in the world. The majority of Bengali Muslims are adherents of the Sunni branch of Islam. A minority adheres to the Shia and Ahmadiya branches. Bengali Muslims are concentrated in Bangladesh , in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam , in Saudi Arabia and in Pakistan . They have a worldwide diaspora, with significant communities in North America and the United Kingdom, and expatriate populations in the Middle East and East Asia. Malaysia cuts Bangladeshi visas BBC News (BBC) (11 March 2009).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 666977574.
The opening as it stood in 2020 6 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Ethno-linguistic and religious population from Bengal region in the Indian subcontinent For Bengali Muslims who settled in Pakistan, see Muhajir people .Ethnic group Bengali Muslims ( ) are an ethnic, linguistic and religious population who make up the majority of Bangladesh 's citizens and the largest minority in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam .They are Bengalis who adhere to Islam and speak the Bengali language .They form the largest Bengali and the second largest Muslim ethnic group in the world (after Arab Muslims ).Bengal was a leading power of the medieval Islamic East.Europeans traders identified the Bengal Sultanate as "the richest country to trade with".During Emperor Aurangazeb 's rule, the Bengal Subah , as the richest region of the Mughal Empire , was described as the Paradise of Nations and its citizens, chiefly Muslims, had the highest standard of living and real wages in the world.Two Bengal viceroys – Muhammad Azam Shah and Azim-us-Shan – assumed the imperial throne.Mughal Bengal became increasingly independent under the Nawabs of Bengal in the 18th century.The endogamous Bengali Muslim population emerged as a synthesis of Islamic and Bengali cultures.After the Partition of India in 1947, they comprised the demographic majority of Pakistan until the independence of East Pakistan (historic East Bengal) as Bangladesh in 1971.Muslim population in Bangladesh excluding Urdu-speakers 24.6 million Muslims in West Bengal and 10.7 million Muslims in Assam "Five million illegal immigrants residing in Pakistan" .CT0341_2011 Census – Religion by ethnic group by main language – England and Wales ONS.[ Mussalman also used in this work.] Choudhury, A.[ Mussalman also used in this work.] Andre, Aletta; Kumar, Abhimanyu (23 December 2016).Islam in South Asia in Practice .Meghna Guhathakurta; Willem van Schendel (30 April 2013).The Bangladesh Reader: History, Culture, Politics .Bengal: the unique state .Bengal [...] was rich in the production and export of grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton.Europe referred to Bengal as the richest country to trade with.The Wealth of Nations: Integration and Polarization in the Global Economy since 1760 .The Daily Star (Op-ed).Transitions – History and Civics – 8 .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 965193144.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 9 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Bengalis who follows Islam For the people of Bangladesh, who are overwhelmingly Bengali Muslims, see Bangladeshis .Ethnic group Bengali Muslims ( ; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis .Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ethnic group among Muslims after Arabs .Bengali Muslims make up the majority of Bangladesh 's citizens, and are the largest minority in the Indian states of West Bengal , Tripura and Assam .They speak or identify the Bengali language as their mother tongue .The majority of Bengali Muslims are Sunnis who follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.The Bengal region was a supreme power of the medieval Islamic East. European traders identified the Bengal Sultanate as "the richest country to trade with". Bengal viceroy Muhammad Azam Shah assumed the imperial throne. Mughal Bengal became increasingly independent under the Nawabs of Bengal in the 18th century. The Bengali Muslim population emerged as a synthesis of Islamic and Bengali cultures. After the Partition of India in 1947, they comprised the demographic majority of Pakistan until the independence of East Pakistan (historic East Bengal ) as Bangladesh in 1971 . The Muslim Heritage of Bengal: The Lives, Thoughts and Achievements of Great Muslim Scholars, Writers and Reformers of Bangladesh and West Bengal .Bengali-speaking Muslims as a group consists of around 200 million people." 'Not cows to be milked' — Muslims in Bengal, Kerala, Assam are now assertive, want recognition" ."Explained: Why religious fault lines are emerging in Tripura" . scroll.in .Ethnic Bengalis in Pakistan – an estimated two million – are the most discriminated ethnic community Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy. CT0341_2011 Census – Religion by ethnic group by main language – England and Wales ONS. [ Mussalman also used in this work.] Choudhury, A. [ Mussalman also used in this work.] Richard Eaton (8 September 2009). Islam in South Asia in Practice . Meghna Guhathakurta; Willem van Schendel (30 April 2013). The Bangladesh Reader: History, Culture, Politics . Bengal: the unique state . Bengal [...] was rich in the production and export of grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals, and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton. Europe referred to Bengal as the richest country to trade with. Transitions – History and Civics – 8 .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1178864398.
Today
In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “ethnoreligious group native to the region of bengal”. Today it says “adherents of islam who ethnically”. Read the current article and compare.
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2015, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
ethnoreligious group native to the region of bengal
Now
adherents of islam who ethnically
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
