It was made a city corporation in 1991 . During the British Raj , it was also known as " Beuleah " and was the administrative headquarters of Rajshahi district in Eastern Bengal and Assam . It was originally chosen as a commercial factory for the silk trade , which was being officially encouraged by the agricultural department of that time . The town contained a government college , and an industrial school for sericulture . Most of the public buildings were severely damaged by the earthquake of 12 June 1897 . Throughout much of the early part of the twentieth century there was a daily steamer service on the Ganges which connected it to rail-heads that led to the then provincial capital of Calcutta as well as other cities in the province of Bengal
earthquake of 12 June 1897
1897 Assam earthquake
Rajshahi