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The historic period of Bengal is usually classified into the Ancient, Medieval and Modern periods.

Ancient Period:

Prehistoric stone implements have been discovered in various parts of West Bengal in the
districts of Midnapur, Bankura and Burdwan. But it is difficult to determine, even approximately, the time
when people using them first settled in Bengal. It might have taken place ten thousand years (or even
more) ago. The original settlers were the non-Aryan ethnic groups- Nisadas or Austric or Austro-Asiatics
who are now represented by the primitive peoples known as Kola, Bhil, Santal, Shabara, Pulinda etc.

In 2000 BC, the Aryan came to India and made a developed civilization. After many days of this
time they came to Bangla. Before the time of Aryan the history and the life style of the people of Bangla
is unknown. In the earliest period Bengal was known to be inhabited by different groups of people, whose
names came to be associated with the area inhabited by them. There were 16 ancient Janapadas, such as:
Vanga, Pundra, Radha, Gauda, Harikela, Samatata, Magadha etc.

 Vanga: Vanga (also known as Banga) or Greater Bengal was a kingdom located in the eastern
part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern
Bangladesh.
 Pundra: Pundra (also known as Paundra, Paundraya, Purnia etc.) was an eastern kingdom located
in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia (now in Bihar, India). A Pundra king challenged
Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva.
 Radha: Radha A distinct geopolitical unit of ancient Bengal which probably included a large part
of the modern Indian state of West Bengal.
 Gauda: The geographical limit of the Gauda country is not mentioned, the fact that it is linked
with Vanga and Pundra definitely indicates its location in eastern India.
 Harikela: Harikela was a kingdom in ancient Bengal encompassing much of the eastern regions
of the Indian Subcontinent. There are numerous references to the kingdom in historical texts as
well as archeological artifacts including silver coinage.
 Samatata: The Kingdom of Samatata (or Samata) was a kingdom in ancient Bengal, located at
the mouth of the Brahmaputra River (near Comilla) in the south east of Bengal. It was a vassal to
the Gupta Empire. Samatata was a distinct entity, well-known and well-recognised since
Samudragupta's time (4th century AD).

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 Magadha: Magadha was one of the sixteen Jnapadas. Magadha was the seat of the Maurya
Empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya, which extended over nearly all of South Asia and
parts of Persia and Afghanistan under Ashoka the Great; and, later, of the powerful Gupta
Empire, which extended over the northern Indian subcontinent and parts of Persia and
Afghanistan.

Gupta Dynasty (c.240-550 CE):

In 321BC, Chandra Gupta Morjo established Gupta dynasty in India. In Northern Bangla Gupta
dynasty established in the period of Ashak (269-232 BC). It was in Bagura MOhasthan Gour and the
Pundra Nagar was the capital of this reign. According to Huen Shang, a Chinese visitor, not only northern
side of Bangla but also the south-east Bangla Samatat, Tamralipi, Kornosuborno (Murshidabad) ware
under the Gupta rule. Under Gupta rule Bengal was an important province. The period of the Imperial
Guptas is generally considered to be the golden age of Indian history. The people of this period enjoyed
an environment of religious tolerance.

Fa-hsien, the Chinese visitor, states that in the east Tamralipti was the great emporium of trade.
The discovery of a large number of Gupta coins and imitation Gupta coins in Bengal prove the economic
prosperity of the region under the Guptas.

In the first half of the sixth century AD, the invasions of the Hunas broke down the Gupta
Empire. Southern and Eastern Bengal shook off the suzerainty of the Guptas and attained importance as
an independent kingdom under local rulers. During this time there were two independent state established
in Bangla, namely Vanga and Gouda.

List of the rulers of Gupta Empire

N Name of the rulers Duration

o
01 Sri-Gupta I c. 240-290
02 Ghatotkacha 290-305
03 Chandra Gupta I 305-335
04 Samudra Gupta 335-370
05 Rama Gupta 370-375
06 Chandra Gupta II ( Chandragupta Vikramaditya ) 375-415
07 Kumara Gupta I 415-455
08 Skanda Gupta 455-467
09 Kumara Gupta II 467-477
10 Buddha Gupta 477-496
11 Chandra Gupta III 496-500
12 Vainya Gupta 500-515
13 Narasimha Gupta 510-530
14 Kumara Gupta III 530-540
15 Vishnu Gupta c. 540-550

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Shashanka:

Shashanka was a prestigious ruler of the history of Bangla. He was first recorded independent
kingof Bangla, reigning from 606. By the beginning of the seventh century Shashanka captured power in
Gauda. Magadha formed a part of his dominions. Shashanka is the first known king of Bengal to extend
his suzerainty over territories far beyond the geographical boundaries of that province. He attempted to
establish a north Indian empire and defended the independence of the Gauda Empire against a very
powerful northern Indian adversary, Harsavardhana.

The Pala Dynasty:

The dynasty founded by Gopala, the first Buddhist Pala king of Bengal, in the middle of the 8th
century AD, ruled Bengal for about four hundred years. During this long period of eighteen generations
of kings ruled over the Bangla. Gopala I came to power in 750 in Gaur by election. This event is
recognized as one of the first democratic elections in South Asia since the time of the Janapadas. The Pala
Empire extended beyond the boundaries of Bengal and Bihar as far as Kanauj.

Dharmapala was a devout Buddhist and a great patron of Buddhism. Somapura Mahavihara at
Paharpur (in Naogaon district of Bangladesh) is monumental architectural work of Dharmapala. The
empire reached its peak under Dharmapala and Devapala. Dharmapala extended the empire into the
northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent.

The death of Devapala ended the period of ascendancy of the Pala Empire and several
independent dynasties and kingdoms emerged during this time.

Mahipala 1 succeeded in bringing back the lost territories in northern and western Bengal and
restored the position of his dynasty to a firmer footing. After Mahipala I the Pala dynasty again saw its
decline until Ramapala, the last great ruler of the dynasty, managed to retrieve the position of the dynasty
to some extent. He crushed the Varendra rebellion and extended his empire farther to Kamarupa, Orissa
and Northern India.

The vigor and energy of Ramapala (c 1082-1124 AD) was the last significant flicker in the life of
the Pala dynasty. He succeeded in restoring Pala authority in northern Bengal and in demonstrating vigor
in expansion programs.

The list of the ruler of Pala Dynasty

No Name of the rulers Duration

01 Gopala I c. 750-c. 770
02 Dharmapala c. 770-c. 810
03 Devapala c. 810-c. 850
04 Vigrahapala I c. 850-c. 875
05 Narayanapala c. 875-c. 908
06 Rajyapala c. 908-c. 935
07 Gopala II c. 935-c. 952
08 Vigrahapala II c. 952-c. 988

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09 Mahipala I c. 988-c. 1038

10 Nayapala c. 1038-c. 1055
11 Vigrahapala III c. 1055-c. 1070
12 Mahipala II c. 1070-c. 1075
13 Shurapala c. 1075-c. 1077
14 Ramapala c. 1077-c. 1120
15 Kumarapala c. 1120-c. 1125
16 Gopala III c. 1125-c. 1144
17 Madanapala c. 1144-c. 1161

Dynasties of South-Eastern Bengal:

During the period of Pala dynasty most of the South-Eastern part of Bangla was independent. These
provinces ware under the Vanga state.

 The Deva dynasty: In the 8th century AD the capital of Deva dynasty was Devaparvata (a city in
the Mainamati-Lalmai area, the exact location of which is not yet settled). Four generations of
rulers (Shantideva, Viradeva, Anandadeva and Bhavadeva) ruled Samatata, the area of Deva
dynasty.
 The Chandra dynasty: The Chandra dynasty was the most powerful dynasty of Southern
Bangla. The Chandras followed the Harikela rulers and from the beginning of the 10th century
AD five generations of Chandra rulers (trailokyachandra, Srichandra, Kalyanachandra,
Ladahachandra and govindachandra) ruled for about 150 years (c 900-1050 AD). Their empire
embraced a large area in Vanga and Samatata comprising the whole of southern and southeastern
Bangladesh and extending as far northeast as Sylhet area. 1
 Varman Dynasty: In the last 11th century, taking advantage of the weak point of Pala dynasty
established their independent rule in the south-eastern Bangla. Five generations of the Varman
dynasty (Jatavarman, Harivarman, Samalavarman and Bhojavarman) ruled for less than a century
(c 1080-1150 AD) before they were toppled by the Senas. The Varmans were Hindus and their
capital was also at Vikramapur.

Sena dynasty (c 1097-1223 AD):

In Sena dynasty five generations of kings (Vijaysena, Vallalsena, Laksmansena, Vishvarupsena

and Keshavsena) ruled. They ruled over Bangla for more than a century. The first three rulers of the
following list were the important figure and the last two rulers had little power. The Sena rulers were
Hindus and their rule is considered to be a period of revival of Hinduism in Bengal. The development of
Sanskrit literature in Bengal was an important contribution of the dynasty. Many important books were
composed in this period and so many popular writers were belongs to the period, such as Bhavadeva
Bhatta and jimutavahana etc.

Medieval Period:

Sultanate Period:

1
Banglapedia, Published by Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

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The Turkic invasion of India (including Bengal) came in the early 13th century. The 17 horse
rider invaders under the leadership of Ikhtiar Uddin Muhammad Bin Bakhtiyar Khilji, defeated the last
Hindu Sena king Lakshman Sena at Nadia in 1204 AD. During the early Muslim period, the former
kingdom became known as the Sultanate of Bangla. Out of about 550 years of Muslim rule, Bangla was
ruled by Delhi-based all India empires for only about 200 years. For about 350 years Bangla remained
virtually independent. The Muslim rule in Bangla is usually divided into three phases.

 The first phase was lasted from 1204 to 1342 AD. It was characterized by extreme
political instability.
 The second phase which spanned the period 1342 to 1575 saw the emergence of
independent local dynasties such as the Ilyas Shahi dynasty (1342—1414), the dynasty of
King Ganesha (1414—1442) and Husain Shahi dynasty (1493—1539).
 The third phase was lasted from 1575 to 1757 witnessed the emergence of a centralized
administration in Bengal within the framework of the Mughal empire.

The rule of independent Sultan:

Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah (1338-1349 AD):

In 1338 Bahram Khan died. On his death at Sonargaon his armour-bearer Fakhruddin captured
power, he had established himself as independent Sultan of Sonargaon and after his death in 1349 was
succeeded by his son, Gazi Shah . However, more significant events were happening in Lakhnauti, where
an army commander, Ali Mubrak, seized control and established an independent kingdom. In 1342 he
was killed by his foster brother, Haji Iliyas , who established the Iliyas Shahi Dynasty which ruled Bengal
for the next hundred years.

Iliyas Shahi Dynasty (1342-1487 AD):

Haji Iliyas was the founder of the dynasty and the real founder of the Independent Sultanate of
Bengal; He took control of Lakhnauti in 1342 and assumed the long title of Sultan Shamsuddin Abul
Muzaffar Iliyas Shah. Some historians think that Iliyas was the first ruler who brought the three major
geographical units of Satgaon, Sonargaon and Lakhnauti under a single authority. This period is
important and significant for various reasons. The Muslim administration was given a distinct shape in
this period. Arts and literature, particularly Bangla literature, flourished. Haji Iliyas was succeeded by his
son, Sikandar Shah, who ruled a prosperous and politically stable Bengal for about thirty years and died
around 1390. He was the most popular ruler of the contemporary period. He also contact with the greatest
poet Hafiz by letter.

List of the rulers of 1st Iliyas Shahi Dynasty

No Name of the rulers Duration

01 Ilyas Shah 1352–1358 AD
02 Sikandar Shah 1358–1390 AD

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03 Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah 1390–1411 AD

04 Saifuddin Hamza Shah 1411–1412 AD

Second phase of Iliyas Shahi Dynasty:

Following the murder of Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah, the nobles placed Nasiruddin, a descendant
of Sultan Shamsuddin Iliyas Shah, on the throne of Bengal in 1435-36 AD. Thus the Iliyas Shashi dynasty
was restored. Assuming the title of nasiruddin mahmud shah, the new sultan reigned peacefully for about
twenty-four years.

List of the rulers of 2nd Iliyas Shahi Dynasty

No Name of the rulers Duration

01 Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah 1435-1459 AD

02 Rukunuddin Barbak Shah 1459-1474 AD
03 Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah 1474-1481 AD
04 Sikandar Shah II 1481 AD
05 Jalaluddin Fateh Shah 1481-1487 AD

The Ganesh Dynasty:

Saifuddin Hamza Shah, was murdered by his slave, Shihabuddin, who took control but was soon
murdered himself. Taking advantage of the confusion, a Brahman noble of Dinanjpur, Raja Ganesh,
assumed power in Bengal. He appointed many Hindus in high posts and persecuted many Sufis.

House of Raja Ganesha

No Name of the rulers Duration

01 Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah 1415-1416
02 Raja Ganesha 1416-1418
03 Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah 1418-143
04 Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah 1433-1435

Habshi Dynasty (1487 to 1493 AD):

Shahzada, a Habshi eunuch and the leader of the Abyssinian slaves usurped the throne by
murdering Jalaluddin Fath Shah, the last ruler of the house of Iliyas Shah in 1487 AD. The rule of the
Habshis (Abyssinians) in Bengal lasted nearly six years (1487 to 1493 AD), during this time four rulers
ruled Bengal.

The list of the rulers of Habshi Dynasty

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No Name of the rulers Duration

01 Barbak Shah Shahzada 1487-1487 AD
02 Saifuddin Firuz Shah 1487-1489 AD
03 Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah II 1489-1490 AD
04 Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah 1490-1494 AD

Husain Shahi Rule (1494-1538 AD):

Alauddin husain shah, occupied the throne by assassinating the Habshi Sultan Shamsuddin
Muzaffar Shah, under whom he had served as wazir. He was elected sultan by the leading nobles in 1494
AD. It marked the zenith of the Independent Sultanate in Bengal. In this period Bengal's political isolation
from North India reached its culminating point, and this helped her to reinforce her cultural identity. He
conquered Kamarupa and Kamta, Comilla and Chittagong to his kingdom and sending expeditions to
Orissa.

The gumti gate, the qadam rasul, the Jahanian Mosque, the bara sona mosque and the chhota sona
mosque, the sura mosque and Hemtabad mosque in Dinajpur, the bagha mosque, the navagram mosque in
Pabna, the majlis aulia mosque of Pathrail in Faridpur, the Sankarpasha mosque of Sylhet and the goaldi
mosque represent the development of the period.

The list of the rulers of Husain Shahi dynasty

No Name of the rulers Duration

01 Alauddin Hussain Shah 1494-1518 AD
02 Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah 1518-1533 AD
03 Alauddin Firuz Shah 1533 AD
04 Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah 1533-1538 AD

Afghan Rule, 1539-1576:

Afghan Rule started in Bengal in 1539 after the discomfiture of Humayun at Chausa at the hands
of Sher Khan and ended in 1576 with the Mughal victory at rajmahal over daud karrani. But long before
Sher Khan who assumed the title of Sher Shah after his victory at Chausa had wrested Bengal from
Jahangir Quli Khan, the Mughal deputy, in October 1539, the Afghans had entered the services of the
Bengal sultans.

References: Dynastic History of Bengal, vol-1, Dhaka, 1948; Abdul Momin Chowdhury,

History of Ancient Bengal, Kolkata, 1971; RC Majumdar,

S Islam, ed., History of Bangladesh, I& II, Dhaka, 1992,

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JN Sarkar, ed, History of Bengal, II, Dhaka, 1948,

Wikipedia, Banglapedia.

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