Murshidabad district is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km2 and having a population 7.103 million, it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India. Berhampore city is the headquarters of the district. The Murshidabad city, which lends its name to the district, was the seat of power of the Nawabs of Bengal. All of Bengal was once governed from this city.