HIS 103: Emergence of Bangladesh

Lecture-2: Ancient Bengal

Dr. Mohammad Humayun Kabir

 Sources of the History of Ancient Bengal
.
The Sources
of the History
of Ancient Bengal

Written Archaeological
Sources
Books

Inscriptions/
Historical Auto Archaeological
Literature
Literature
biography
Travelogues Copper Coins Relics
-Plates
 Sources of the History of Ancient Bengal
Historical Literature
• Rajatorongini by Kalahan- History of all india, Lalitaditya, the king of Kashmir influenced in Gaur, Some myths of
janapadas
• Ramacharitam by Sandhyakar Nondi- Deals with the story of Ramapala and the Kaivartya revolt in Varendra, written in
1159, discovered by HP Shastry from Nepal in 1897, published in 1910 with notes
Literature
• Aurthoshastro by Koutillya, 3rd Centuy B.C., Koutillya was a minster of Chandragupta Mourya, Original Name Chanakya, pen
name Vishnugupta, Describes : 1. Fine Cotton Cloths of Bengal 2. Beauty of Bengali Women 3. The diversity of Weather in
Bengal
• Raghuvangsa Kavya by Kalidasa, Raghu was the Gupta King Samudra Gupta, He established the sign of Decree in
Ganga-Vagirathi Delta, The bengali people were expert in Navy,
• Udaysundarikatha by Soddhol, was a Gujrati poet, There are information about Dharmapala Called him Uttarapathswami
• Aryamanjushreemulakalpa, Unknown writer, Written in 9th-10th Century, A hisory of Northern India, Describes Sasanka as an
anti-buddhist, anti-jaina
• Sodukti Karnamrito, Edited by Sridhar Das, Poem by Saran, Umapoti Dhar, Joydev and others, Written in the Sena Period
Deals with nature of Bengal and the Condition of the People of Bengal
• Arya Sapta Swati by Govardhan Bhattacharya, Poems written during the Sena Period- Social, religious information
• Subhasito Ratnakosha, Edited by Vidyakar,
th th
Poems by 111 poets of the Sena periods, There was information about
socio-economic condition during the 8 -12 centuries
• Pavanduta by Kavindra Dhoyee, Geeta-Govinda by Joydev, Brihat Samhita by Borahmihir, Mahabhaysa by Patanjali
Sources of the History of Ancient Bengal
Auto-biography
• Harsha Charita by Banvatta, biography of king Harshavardhana conflict with Sasanka
• Vallala Charita by Gopalvatta (1 part,1300) and Anandavatta (2part,1510) biography of
king Vallala Sena, Based on Myths

Travelogues
• Tibetan Accounts- History of the Buddhism in India by Lama Taranath in 1608
• Greek-Latin & Roman Accounts, The Periplus of the Eythraean Sea, Natural History by
Pliny, Geography by Ptolemy - Gangridai
• Chinses Accont- Fa Hien, Youan Chuang (Hieuen Tsang), Itsing, Sang Chi, Teng, Tao Nin,
Tang Kuang, Hieune Ta
• Arabian Accounts- Masudi, Idrishi, Ibn Khurdad, Sulaiman- Description about Maslin,
Samandar and Tamralipti Ports
Sources of the History of Ancient Bengal
Archaeological Sources
• Epigraphs- a. Copper plates b. Epigraphs on Stone
• Inscriptions- a. Local Inscriptions b. Foreign Inscription
Coins
• Punchmarked Coins - Gold Coins-Copper Coins
Archaeological Relics
• Varendra Region
• Pundravardhana (3rd-12th Century)
• Mainamati-Devaparvata (7th-11th Century)
• Vangarh
• Mahisantosh
• Chandraketugarh
• Vikrampura-Rampala-Savar
• Pandurajar Dibi
• Wari Bateshwar
Ancient Bengal

.
The
Janapada

Vanga Radha Gauda Pundra Samatat Harikela

Vanga

• It is difficult to ascertain its exact location in different periods of

history, but broadly it may be said it have denoted areas in the south
and southeastern part of present Bangladesh.
• May have extended to areas in southern West Bengal in the earlier
period, but the area within the two main streams of the Ganges (from
the Bhagirathi to the Padma-Meghna) formed the core of this
territorial unit.
• Greater Dhaka and Mymensingh areas and to some extent Barisal
and Faridpur region was part of Vanga
Radha
• Probably included a large part of the modern Indian state of West Bengal.
• Epigraphic and literary records of the 9th-10th century AD mention two
divisions of Radha, viz, Daksina Radha (south Radha) and Uttara Radha
(north Radha)
• The river Ajay is usually regarded as constituting the boundary line between
north and south Radha.
• Northern Radha comprised the western parts of the modern district of
Mursidabad, the entire district of Birbhum, including some parts of Santal
Parganas, and the northern part of the Katwa sub-division of Burdwan
district.
• Daksina Radha included different large settlements of the modern districts
of Howrah, Hughli and Burdwan in West Bengal, or considerable portions of
West Bengal lying between the rivers Ajay and Damodar.
Gauda
• Lay to the north-west of Bhagirathi river and its core area was
Murshidabad. Gauda was the capital city of many rulers of ancient and
medieval Bengal.
• Apart from Murshidabad, Birbhum, and western Burdwan formed the
territory of ancient Gauda.
Pundra
• situated in the district of Bogra and adjacent areas. From
archaeological sources, it is known that the capital of Pundra,
Pundranagara, was the earliest urban centre in Bangladesh.
Samatata
• Situated in the Meghna river valley. It appears to have consisted of
Cumilla and Noakhali areas of Bangladesh and some areas of Tripura
in India.
• Its boundaries are well defined by the lofty hills and mountains of
Tripura and Arakan in the east and the Meghna (combined waters of
the Padma-Meghna-Brahmaputra) in the west.
Harikela
• Identified as Chittagong and its adjacent areas. Probably situated
somewhere in the Ramu, Dianga, or in Chittagong metropolitan area.
• I-tsing, the 7th century Chinese traveller, has defined its position as
'the eastern limit of eastern India'.
 The Name Bangla or Bangladesh
• Bangla derives from Vanga
The word Vanga has a Chinese-Tibbetan root- There is a relation of the
syllable Ang of the word Vanga with Howangho, Yang-Sikiang, Ganga etc.
And Ang means Wet land, or where there is water
• Abul Fazl’s Theory in Ain-i-Akbari
Bangalah or Bangal is derived from Vanga+Al
Al is a dam, usually 10 yards high and 20 yards wide
• RC Majumdar’s explanation
Vanga and Bangal was different entity during 8th Century AD or earlier
Early Accounts
• The name Bangla did not exist in the ancient period
• It appeared first during the medieval period, specially during Muslim
rule
• Bangalah means the area of Pundra and Varendra in North Bengal,
Radha and Tamralipti in the West Bengal and Vanga, Samatata and
Harikela in the South and Eastern Bengal
• The Bengala of the Portugueses, and the Bengal in English came from
the same word, it become Bangladesh in the end
The Boundary
• Unification of the Janapadas
Sasanka was the first independent ruler to unite some of the
Janapadas, with the capital at Gaur
More Janapadas were included during the Pala and Sena rule
• The United Bangalah
Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah united the whole country into one Kingdom and
took the title ‘Shah-i-Bangala’
During the Mughal rule it was Subah Bangla that included Rajmahal,
Srihatta, Purnia, Saontal Pargana and Himalaya
In 1874 the British rulers divided the region and more changes
occurred in 1905 and 1947
 Bangla Language
.
Aryan Language

Prakrita

Udicchya Moddhya Prachya

Paschimi

Purvi

Magadhi

Bangla
 Ethnic Origin of the Bangalis
Ò†n_vq Avh©, †n_v Abvh©
†n_vq `ªvweo-Pxb
kK-ûb`j-cvVvb-†gvNj
GK‡`‡n nj jxb|Ó
• Negrota : Came from Africa through Persian Coast
The Naga’s of Eastern Assam and the Andamanese
• Austric : Not an ethnic group, a group based on Language
Kola, Munda were of this language group
Came from west Mediterranean region, Now in Arab, Afghanistan, Australia,
Sumatra, Java
Kuri (20), Kadali (Banana), Tambul (Beatle-leaf)
 Ethnic Origin of the Bangalis
• Alpine : Alpine Short-headed
They came in that region before the Aryan.
Origin not known but existence unquestionable
Strong body, Short-head, sharp nose, plenty of beard
• Nodic :
The tall blond Long-headed Germanic people- Strong body, Long-head, Long sharp nose, Fair
complexion
Punjab, Kashmir, Rajputana
In Bengal they contributed in our mental development
• Other Elements :
Sena from Karnatak- Social system
Persian & Turks Shak – Short- heads
Arabian Family
Slav Sultan- Curly hair, Deep-lip
Assyrian, Alamite, Persian, Macedonian, Greek, Syrian, Phoenician, Afghan, Mugal,
European, etc.
Political History of Ancient Bengal
• Bengal during the Maurya Empire
- The first great and well-organised empire of the subcontinent was the
Mauryan Empire (c. 320--180 BC). Mauryan rule was established in Bengal
by Emperor Asoka.
- During the time of the Mauryas, Bengal probably continued to be divided
into the different janapadas, and the janapada called Pundra formed part of
the Empire's eastern province. Mahasthangarh of Bogra was probably the
provincial capital of the region.
- The Arthashastra includes references to the fine cotton fabric of Vanga
(south-eastern Bengal) as an important item of trade throughout India.
Political History of Ancient Bengal
• Before the Gupta Reign
- We know little about the history of Bengal from the fall of the Mauryas
(2nd century BC) to the rise of the Guptas (4th century AD).
- It is known from the accounts of Greek scholars, such as Ptolemy, that in
the first two centuries AD there was a powerful Bengal kingdom with its
capital at Gange, a great market town on the banks of the Ganges.
- Bengal remained divided into independent states on the eve of Gupta
expansion under Samudragupta (4th century AD)
- Samatata remained outside his empire, but was reduced to the status of
a tributary state.
Political History of Ancient Bengal
• Bengal under the Guptas
• The golden age
- The period of the Guptas (from the mid-to-late 3rd century CE to 543 CE. At
its zenith, from approximately 319 to 543 CE,) is generally considered to be
the 'golden age' of Indian history. During this period, India was controlled by
a strong central government, which brought peace and prosperity and
political stability for a considerable time. This period is remarkable for its
trade and commerce, in which Bengal participated fully.
- Tamralipti (located on the bank of the Ganges in West Bengal) was a great
trading emporium.
- The discovery of a large number of Gupta coins and ornaments in Bengal
prove the economic prosperity of the region under the Guptas.
-Towards the end of the sixth century AD, the Gupta rule in Bengal weakened
and around 600 AD, Shashanka, a minor military officer of the Guptas,
became ruler of Bengal. Shashanka's rise marked a new era in the history of
Bengal.
The First Independent Ruler of Bengal
• Shasanka was a small chieftain of Rohtasgarh under the Moukhari Gaura King of Karna
Suvarna
• He ruled the maximum part of Western Bengal during 606-637 AD
• His capital was at Karna Suvarna, now in Raktamrittika near Rajbaridanga in
Murshidabad
• Described as the king of Gaura in Litterature and inscriptions
• Harshavardhana was a king of Thaneswar
• Shasanka attempted to extend his rule outside Bengal
• Harsha’s Brother Rajyavardhana was killed by Shasanka, while in a diplomatic mission
after defeat
• Harsha was out to take revenge, with a huge army under Bhandi. Shasanka was
defeated in a battle near Pundravardhana, according to Harshacharita
• But other sources suggest, he still ruled most part of Bengal, and his empire even
included ‘Dandabhukti’ janapada, near Orrissa
The Matsanyam
• For about a century after the death of Shashanka and the rise of the Pala’s (c.
650-750 AD), Bengal was in despair.

• Mentioned in the Khalimpur Copperplate of Dharmapala -

“Gopal was made king by the people to put an end to a lawless state of things in
which everyone was prey of his neighbour”

• Ramacharitam also tells about the situation

• Matsanyam means a situation where there is no rule of law, powerful people

can gallop the weaker ones like the big fishes eat smaller
 The Pala Dynasty
• Ruled for more than 400 years in Bengal, Bihar and part of Orrissa
• Established when Gopala was chosen by the Prokritipunja to ascend the throne of
Gaura
• It was not an election by the people, rather by the powerful people
• The Pala’s were the first powerful dynasty of Bengal to indulge in the politics of
Central and Northern India
Dharmapala- the Uttarapathswami
• According to Khalimpura copperplate, Dharmapala, the son of Gopala conquered
Kanouj and established his protégé there
• He had encounters with the Gurjara-Parihara’s of Western India and the
Rastrakuta’s of Deccan
• All the three dynasties had their eye on the throne of Kanouj, the then centre of
Indian empire like later Delhi
• Described as Uttarpathswmi
Devpala and the Decline
• Devpala also continued the missions by his Father
• But after his death, there was a complicated problem regarding the succession
• Although the Pala’s ruled for about 300 years more, none of the rest could match the
successes of Dharmapala and Devpala
• The Kaivartya Revolt
• Kaivartyas were fishermen, tribals of Northern Bengal
• During Mahipala II (1075-80) they started the famous Varendra revolt under Divya or
Divvok
• They succeded to confine the Pala’s in and around there capital in Patliputra in Bihar
• Rampala ended this by defeating them
• He also extended the empire towards Orrissa, Kamrupa and Madhyadesha
• Glories of the Palas
• Ruled 400 years
• Extended outside Bengal
• Had Firm administration
• Business and Commerce flourished
• Education got importance
• Built the Vihara’s like the Somapura
• Paintings and Manuscripts are found profusely
 Contributions of the Palas
• Religious Contributions
• After the death of Buddhist king Harshabhardhana, Buddhism faced the
possibility of extinction. However, The Palas emerged as the survivors of
Buddhism, and they patronized Mahayana Buddhism in all over northern India.
The Palas supported the Universities of Vikramashila and Nalanda which
became the premier seats of learning in Asia.
• The Palas were responsible for the spread of Mahayana Buddhism to Tibet,
Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and the Malay archipelago.
• Bengal became famous in the Buddhist world for the cultivation of Buddhist
religion, culture and other knowledge in the various centres that grew under
the patronage of the Pala rulers.
 Contributions of the Palas
• Administrative Contributions
• More laudable achievements of the Palas is in the field of administration. The Pala
copperplates bear ample testimony to their well-organised system of
administration.
• The Pala rule was monarchial. The king was the center of all power. Pala kings
appointed Prime Ministers. The position of Garga served as the Prime Ministers
of the Palas for 100 years.
• An organised system of administration prevailed from the village level to the central
government level. They inherited an administrative structure from the Guptas and
they made the structure more efficient and added many new characteristics. They
built up an efficient structure for revenue collection.
• The long list of state-officials, found in the Pala copperplates, clearly indicate that
the administration was taking care of every aspect of public life - from the ferry ghats
to the river ways, land routes, trade and commerce and towns and ports. The basis
of their long rule was the efficient administrative system.
 Contributions of the Palas
• Public Policy
• The most glorious aspect of Pala rule was their policy of public-welfare. The
Pala rulers were Buddhists, but majority of their subjects were Hindus.
• Dharmapala had adopted the policy of religious toleration as the state policy.
This policy was followed by his successors. There is no doubt that the Hindu
gods and goddesses and the Brahmins received liberal patronage from the
Pala rulers, though they themselves were devout Buddhists.
• Brahmins occupied high official posts. Except one or two, all the Pala
copperplates record grant of land to temples of Hindu gods and goddesses or
to Brahmins. There is no evidence of any religious discord between the
Buddhists and the Hindus in the society. Religious toleration and mutual
coexistence can be identified as the characteristic of the social life of the
people in the Pala period.
 Contributions of the Palas
• Art and Architecture
• The brightest aspect of Pala glories was manifest in the field of different arts.
Distinctive achievements are seen in the arts of architecture, terracotta, sculpture
and painting.
• The Somapura Mahavihara at paharpur, a creation of Dhamapala, proudly
announces the excellence of the architectural art achieved in the Pala period. It is the
largest Buddhist Vihara in the Indian subcontinent and the plan of its central shrine
was evolved in Bengal.
• The terracotta plaques recovered from Paharpur amply demonstrate the excellence
of the art in the Pala period. These plaques, used mainly in surface decoration of the
walls, have been recognized as unique creation of the Bengal artists.
• No remains of Hindu temples of the Pala period have yet been found. But parts of
door-frames or pillars used in temples have been found, and replicas of temples
appear in the sculptures of the period. On the basis of these it can be surmised that
temple architecture was also developed in the period.
 Contributions of the Palas
• Development of Literature and Language
• It is not possible to assess the development of literature in the Pala period. So
far only a few literary works have been found. But the Prashastis in the
numerous Pala copperplates clearly indicate the development of Sanskrit
language and poetry.
• Sandhyakara Nandi, a poet from Varendra, composed his Ramacharitam
under the patronage of the last prominent Pala king Madanapala. It was
acclaimed as a marvellous poetic work for its unique poetic style and use of
words that carry double meaning. The anthologies produced in the Sena
period contain many poems composed by 10th and 11th century poets. These
poems could find place in the anthologies due to their literary value. These bear
ample evidence of literary excellence of the Pala period.
 Sena Dynasty
Origin of Sena
• Sena come from Karnatak of Deccan
• They were Brahmya-Khithriya according to Dewpara copper plate
• Samanta Sena was the first person who settled in Bengal near river
Ganga
• Shiva, Bishnu and Sun were their three Gods.
Samanta Sena & Hemanta Sena
• The founder of the Sena Dynasty in Bengal was Samanta Sena, who first
settled in Radha on the banks of the Ganges.
• He did not actually establish a kingdom, and therefore is not regarded as the
first ruler of the Sena Dynasty.
• Samanta Sena’s son, Hemanta Sena, ruled as a feudal king under the Pala
Emperor Ramapala.
 Sena Dynasty
Vijaya Sena
• Hemanta Sena's son, Vijaya Sena (1098 AD--1160 AD), laid the foundation of the Sena
Kingdom
• He was also a feudal king under Rampala, but he gradually consolidated his position in
Western Bengal.
• Most probably, Vijaya Sena established his own supremacy in North and North Western
Bengal by ousting the Palas sometime after 1152-53 AD.
• He is also recorded to have extended his hold over Bihar in the West and Vanga
(south-eastern Bengal) in the east.
• Vijaya Sena's first capital was in Vijayapura and his second at Vikramapura in the Dhaka
district.
• He ruled the kingdom for at least 32 years
• Vallala Sena (End of the Pala’s)
• Vallala Sena (1160 AD--1178 AD), the son and successor of Vijayasena, was an able general; during his
father’s rule he conquered Mithila
• Since it was during his reign that the last Pala ruler of Magadha, Govindapala, lost his kingdom, it is
probable that Vallala Sena played a significant part in the downfall of the Pala Dynasty.
• He was also a great scholar and renowned author. He wrote the Danasagara in 1168 and started writing
the Adbhutasagara in 1169 but could not complete it.
• Vallala Sena left the responsibility of his government to his son Lakshmana Sena in his old age and spent his
last days on the bank of the Ganges near Triveni with his wife.
Laksmana Sena: Disintegration of the Dynasty
• Lakshmana Sena succeeded his father in 1178.
• He had already shown great skills as a warrior during his father's reign, defeating the
king of Gauda and Varanasi (Kasi) and making expeditions against Kamarupa and Kalinga.
• His reign was famous for remarkable literary activities. He himself wrote many Sanskrit
poems and completed the Adbhutasagara, which was started by his father.
• His court contained renowned poets like Jayadeva, the author of Gitagovinda, Dhoyi, the
composer of Pavanduta and Sharana.
• He was also famous for his exceptional qualities and generosity.
• During the last years of his reign, there were signs of disruption and disintegration within
his kingdom. A number of independent chiefs seized power in different parts of the Sena
kingdom, which broke its solidarity and paved the way for its decline.
• The major blow to Sena rule came when the Muslim ruler, Ikhtiyaruddin Muhammad
Bakhtiyar Khalji, advanced into Bengal and defeated Lakshmana Sena at Nadia in 1204
AD.
• Lakshama Sena lost control of north and North-West Bengal and for the final two years
of his life he ruled only East Bengal.
 End of the Sena Dynasty
• The Sena rule in Eastern Bengal continued even after the death of Laksmana sena in
1206 AD
• His two sons Vishvarupa Sena and Keshava Sena tried to restore Sena power, but it
was the death of their father which really marked the end of Sena rule in Bengal.
• In a Buddhist work, Pancharaksa, the name of one Madhusena, who is given the title
Gaudeshvara is preserved. He was the last known ruler of Bengal with the
name-ending Sena.
Contributions of the Sena Dynasty
• The rule of the Senas in Bengal is usually connected with the emergence of orthodox
Hinduism in a Hindu-Buddhist society which for long had enjoyed the peaceful
coexistence of the two religions resulting in an atmosphere of amalgam of the two.
• The onslaught on the Buddhists in Bengal is believed to have started in this period,
which resulted in large scale Buddhist migration to the neighboring countries.
• The Sena period witnessed the development of Sanskrit literature. Sculptural art
developed under the patronage of the Sena kings and courtiers.
 Contributions of the Senas
• Administrative System of the Senas
• The Senas did not abandon the Pala system of administration rather they
continued the aged old system.
• Bhuktis, Vishayas, Mandals, etc. continued to be administrative divisions of
Bengal under the Senas. They introduced two new smallest administrative units
under the names of Patakas and Chaturakas.
• According to various inscriptions, these smallest units got maximum importance
in Sena rules.
• They also changed the name of the Prime Minister’s position. The Prime Minister
position of the Palas was called Mahamantri during the time of the Senas.
• In the copper plate of Iswar Ghosh there is reference to twenty-nine classes of
officers under the Senas. In no other time in independent Bengal there were so
many different classes or grades of officers.
 Contributions of the Senas
• Architectural Contributions
• The Sena dynasty was also responsible in building many temples and
monuments, which included amongst others, the famous Dhakeshwari
temple in Dhaka, made under the patronage of Vallala Sena. Some argue
that the city of Dhaka was named after the temple. The temple is considered
one of the integral part of the cultural heritage of Bangladesh.
• Development of Literature
• Sena period is significant from another point of view. This period saw the
development of Sanskrit literature in Bengal because of the direct
patronage of Sena rulers and environment created by them.
• By far the most important contribution of Bengal to poetic literature in
Sanskrit is Gitagovinda of Jayadeva, one of the chief court poet of
Lakshmanasena.