Gauda Kingdom - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Gauda_Kingdom

Gauda Kingdom
Coordinates: 24.18°N 88.27°E

The Gauḍa Kingdom (Gauṛa Rājya) or Shashankas,

was a classic kingdom during the Classical period on the Kingdom of Gauḍa
Indian subcontinent, which originated in the Gauda region Gāuṛa Rājya, Shashankas
of Bengal (modern-day West Bengal and Bangladesh)[2][3]
in 4th century CE or possibly earlier.[4] 4th century CE (before 320 CE)–626
CE

Location and extent

A Buddhist Mahāyāna Text Mañjuśrī-Mūlakalpa records
the existence of Gauda Kingdom in Bengal before it was
replaced by Gupta Empire in the 4th century. King Loka
who was born in Vardhamāna (Bardhamān) is mentioned
who must have ruled in the early 4th century CE.[5] Coin of Shashanka, king of Gauda, circa
600–635. Samatata type, Assam mint.
King Shashanka is often attributed with creating the first
separate political entity in a unified Bengal called Gauda.
He reigned in 7th century, and some historians place his
rule approximately between 590 and 625. His capital was
at Karnasubarna, 9.6 kilometres (6.0 mi) south-west of
Baharampur, headquarters of Murshidabad district.[2] The
Chinese monk, Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) travelled from the
country of Karnasubarna to a region in the present-day
state of Orissa ruled by Shashanka.[3] There is mention of
Pundravardhana being part of Gauda in certain ancient
records.[6] Not much is known about the early life of
Shashanka. Historian D K Ganguly is reported to have
concluded that he was a native of Magadha.[7] The same Map of the Shashankas or "Gauda
source reports that the historian Padmanath Bhattacharya Kingdom", circa 600 CE.[1]
took Shashanka to be a son of Mahāsenagupta. R D Banerji
Capital Karnasuvarna
concluded that he was descended from the Magadha (present day
Guptas. Nagendranath Basu has argued that Shashanka Murshidabad
was the son / descendant of Raja Karnadeva, who founded district, West
the city of Karnasubarna in Bengal.[8] Bengal, India)

In some sources, Shashanka is described as a tribal leader Religion Hinduism (

Shaivism )
of Bengal.[10] Shashanka's name appears in multiple
forms, including Śaśānka and Śaśānka-deva. The name is Demonym(s) Indian
derived from Sanskrit, as another name for the Moon.
Government Monarchy
Śaśānka-deva therefore loosely translates to "moon god".
King

1 of 4 13-Feb-24, 14:01
Gauda Kingdom - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauda_Kingdom

The Hindu god Shiva bears • 590 - 625 CE Shashanka

the epithet • 625 - 626 CE Manava
Shashankasekhara, meaning, History
"he who bears the moon". The
Chinese monk Xuanzang's • Established 4th century CE
(before 320 CE)
writings, he is mentioned as
• Disestablished 626 CE
She-Shang-Kia. He is also
called Śaśānka Preceded by Succeeded by
Narendragupta, which initially
lent credence to the claim that Later Pala
Gupta Empire
he was descended from the
dynasty Mallabhum
later Guptas.[11] In Sinha's kingdom
Royal Seal of Shashanka. Dynastic History of Magadha, Kamarupa
the names 'Śaśānka' and
'Soma' are used Today part of India, Bangladesh
interchangeably. Some historians believe that Shashanka
began his career as a feudatory chief (maha samanta)
WESTERN TOCHARIANS
South Asia
under Mahasenagupta, of the Later Gupta TURKS 600 CE
Dynasty.[12] And that after the death of NEZAKS
GONANDAS

Mahasenagupta, Shashanka drove the later Guptas SASANIAN

ALCHONS
TAKKA
ZHANGZHUNG

and other prominent nobles out of the region and EMPIRE PUSHYA-
BHUTIS
established his own kingdom with his capital at RAIS PRATIHARAS M AUKHARIS
LICCHAVIS

KAM ARUPA
Karnasubarna. Other historians like Sailendra Nath MORIS LATER GUPTAS
SHASHANKAS
GAUDA

Sen is of the opinion that Mahasenagupta - already MAITRAKAS EARLY

KALA-
PANDUVAMSHIS
SAMATATAS

under pressure from the Maukharis (for failing to CHURIS

KALINGAS
SHAILODBHAVAS

provide adequate protection) - wouldn't have

CHALUKYAS
VISHNU-
KUNDINAS

knowingly appointed Shashanka to such an PALLAVAS

ALUPAS

important position. Middleton (2015) argues in a CHOLAS

CHERAS

similar vein that Shashanka served as maha PANDYAS

samanta to a Gauda king, possibly Jayanaga. [13]

◁▷
Whether Shashanka was a feudatory under the
Maukharis or the Guptas is not known. By 605 C.E. Location of the Shahshankas and fragmented
South Asian polities circa 600 CE, after the
following Mahasenagupta's death, Shashanka had
retreat of the Alchon Huns.[9]
established what became known as the Gauda
Kingdom. From there, he issued gold coins to
celebrate his triumph, and came to be addressed as
Maharajadhiraja (king of great kings). According to some sources the city of Gauda was founded
by King Shankaladeva. He, originally, was a native of Kannauj. In the book, History of Hindostan
(originally translated from the book Gulshan-i-Ibrahimi written by Firishta), it has been stated
that Shankaladeva (Sinkol) was a native of Kannauj (Kinoge) and established the city of Gauda
during the 8th century BC.[14] Following his death, Shashanka was succeeded by his son, Manava,
who ruled the kingdom for eight months. However Gauda was soon divided amongst
Harshavardhana and Bhaskarvarmana of Kamarupa, the latter even managing to conquer
Karnasuvarna.

Evidence is inconsistent regarding links of Gauda with the Rarh region. While Krishna Mishra
(11th or 12th century), in his Prabodha-chandrodaya, mentions that Gauda Rashtra includes Rarh
(or Rarhpuri) and Bhurishreshthika, identified with Bhurshut, in Hooghly and Howrah districts,
the Managoli inscription of the Yadava king Jaitugi I distinguishes Lala (Rarh) from Gaula

2 of 4 13-Feb-24, 14:01
Gauda Kingdom - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauda_Kingdom

(Gauda).[2]

According to Jain writers of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Gauda included
Lakshmanavati in present-day Malda district.[2]

The Pala emperors were referred to as Vangapati (Lord of Vanga) and Gaudesvara (Lord of Gauda).
Sena kings also called themselves Gaudesvara. From then Gauda and Vanga seem to be
interchangeable names for the whole of Bengal.[2]

See also
▪ Gauḍa (city)
▪ Karnasuvarna

References
1. Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia (https://dsal.uchicago.edu/ref
erence/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=183). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 146,
map XIV.2 (b). ISBN 0226742210.
2. Majumdar, R. C. (1971). History of Ancient Bengal. Calcutta: G. Bhardwaj & Co. pp. 6–8.
OCLC 961157849 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/961157849).
3. Ghosh, Suchandra (2012). "Gauda, Janapada" (http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Gau
da,_Janapada). In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia
of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
4. K. P. Jayaswal (1934). An Imperial History Of India (https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.
279518). p. 34.
5. K. P. Jayaswal (1934). An Imperial History Of India (https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.
279518).
6. Bandopadhyay, Rakhaldas, Bangalar Itihas, (in Bengali), first published 1928, revised edition
1971, vol I, p 101, Nababharat Publishers, 72 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata.
7. Sinha, Bindeshwari Prasad (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha (https://books.google.com/bo
oks?id=V3KDaZY85wYC). India: Abhinav Publications. pp. 131–133. Retrieved 16 September
2019.
8. Basu, Nagendranath (1937). Bonger Jatiya Itihash (Kayastha Kando) (https://bn.wikisource.org
/wiki/%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE:%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%99%
E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A
6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%B
F%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8_(%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E
0%A6%BC%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A5_%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A
6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1,_%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A
5%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B6,_%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E
0%A6%9C%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF_%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A
6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1).djvu/%E0%A7%AD%E0%A7%AF). India. p. 63. Retrieved
26 September 2019.
9. Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia (https://dsal.uchicago.edu/ref
erence/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=063). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 26 (htt
ps://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=063),146.
ISBN 0226742210.

3 of 4 13-Feb-24, 14:01
Gauda Kingdom - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauda_Kingdom

10. "Kingdoms of South Asia – Indian Kingdom of Bengal" (https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingLists

FarEast/IndiaBengal.htm). historyfiles.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
11. "Indian Antiquary" (https://books.google.com/books?id=yR3mAAAAMAAJ). Journal of Oriental
Research (Ed. J.A.S. Burgess). Popular Prakashan. VII: 197. 1878. Retrieved 16 September
2019.
12. Sen, N. S. (1999). Ancient Indian history and civilization (https://books.google.com/books?id=
Wk4_ICH_g1EC) (Second ed.). India: New Age International. ISBN 81-224-1198-3. Retrieved
15 September 2019.
13. Middleton, John (2015). World Monarchies and Dynasties (https://books.google.com/books?id=
R63ACQAAQBAJ). Routledge. p. 330. ISBN 9781317451587. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
14. Firishtah, Muḥammad Qāsim Hindū Shāh Astarābādī (1803). The History of Hindostan,:
Translated from the Persian (https://books.google.com/books?id=d2IOAAAAQAAJ&q=Kinoge).
Vernor and Hood, Cuthell and Martin, J. Walker, Wynne and Scholey, John Debrett, Blacks and
Parry, T. Kay, and J. Asperne.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gauda_Kingdom&oldid=1199656419"

4 of 4 13-Feb-24, 14:01