The Kohinoor

The Kohinoor (Bengali: কোহিনূর, romanized: Kohinūr, lit. 'Mountain of light') was a Bengali language newspaper, first published in July 1898.^[1] Initially focusing on miscellaneous topics such as Islamic culture, its third relaunch was a pivot of Hindu-Muslim harmony.^[2] The paper targeted both Hindu and Muslim clientele.^[3]

The Kohinoor started publication in July 1898 in Kushtia District after Rowshan Ali Chowdhury met Mir Mosharraf Hossain. During its initial years, publication was irregular and lasted for about a year. It resumed publication in April 1904 and promoted harmony between Muslims and Hindus; the two largest religious groups in Bengal. On that same year,^[4] it also criticised the Urdu-speaking elite who looked down upon the Bengali language due to a superiority complex.^[5] This second phase lasted up until around 1907. It made another comeback in April 1911 continuing on for another year.^[2]

The newspaper moved its headquarters from Kushtia to Pangsha (then part of Faridpur District). It was edited by Mohammad Rowshan Ali Chowdhury, a resident of Pangsha. It later relocated to Calcutta.^[2]

Rowshan Ali Chowdhury was the founder and chief editor of The Kohinoor. It was managed by a 35-member committee containing both Muslims and Hindus.^[6] Ismail Hossain Siraji, Maniruzzaman Islamabadi and Abdullah Al-Mamun Suhrawardy regularly contributed to the magazine.^[7][8][9] In early 1914, Yakub Ali Chowdhury wrote an article relating to the language and literature of Bengali Muslims.^[10]