Bibi Mariam Cannon

Bibi Mariam Cannon

বিবি মরিয়ম কামান
Bibi Mariam at Osmani Udyan, Dhaka
Location	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Type	Cannon
Material	Wrought Iron[1]
Completion date	17th century

The Bibi Mariam Cannon (Bengali: বিবি মরিয়ম কামান) is a large early modern artillery piece on display on the grounds of the Dhaka Gate in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[2] The cannon dates from the 17th century.[3]

History

The cannon was manufactured by local technicians on the orders of Mir Jumla II, the Mughal governor of Bengal under Emperor Aurangzeb. It was one of two large cannons; the other was the "Kaley Khan Jam Jam". The two cannons were given male and female names. They were used during Mir Jumla's invasion of Assam and later placed in front of the Bara Katra to ward off Arakanese pirates. The Bibi Mariam Cannon survived, but its male named counterpart was lost. In 1832, the British administration moved the Bibi Mariam from Bara Katra to the Chowk Bazaar area of Old Dhaka. It was later moved to Gulistan[4] during the East Pakistan period and to the Osmani Udyan in 1983. After 40 years the cannon was moved from Osmani Udyan to its present location near Dhaka Gate.[5]

Bibi Mariam Cannon located in front of Chawk Mosque in 1885

Bibi Mariam Cannon at Gulistan in late 1950s

See also

• List of the largest cannon by caliber

References

1. "Mir Jumla's great Cannon: "Bibi Mariam"". DhakaDailyPhoto.blogspot.com. 2006-11-05. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
2. 400-year-old Dhaka Gate brought back to life, Dhaka Tribune, 24 January 2024
3. "Shahbagh Thana - Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
4. "The great cannons of Dhaka". Bangladesh, Dhaka: Thebangladeshpost.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
5. "400-year-old Dhaka Gate brought back to life". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2025-01-10.

External links

• Media related to Bibi Mariam Cannon at Wikimedia Commons