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9. Major Ruling Dynasties in Northern India and Bengal Early Kingdoms, The Maurya, Gupta, Pala, Rata, Chandra, Deva, Khadgda, Varman and Sena Dynasties.
9. Major Ruling Dynasties in Northern India and Bengal Early Kingdoms, The Maurya, Gupta, Pala, Rata, Chandra, Deva, Khadgda, Varman and Sena Dynasties.
Presented By
Prof. Dr. Ashit Boran Paul
Department of Archaeology
Jahangirnagar University
Savar, Dhaka – 1342.
❖ Paucity of sources: Vedic, Epic, Puranic literature and archaeological evidences:
❑ Gupta Dynasty
❖ The history of Bengal from the fall
of the Mauryas (2nd century BCE) to
the rise of the Guptas (4th century
ACE) is unclear.
❖ The discovery of some beautiful
terracotta figurines at Mahasthan,
Tamralipti and Chandraketugarh,
datable in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE,
proves that Bengal continued to flourish
in the Sunga and Kusana periods.
Ancient Dynastic Rule in northern India and Bengal
❑ Gupta Dynasty
❖ The period of the rule of the Guptas has
been regarded as one of the most glorious
periods of Indian history.
❖ Religion, literature,
sciences, fine arts,
economic prosperity and the
rest developed in his age.
The inscription of king Chandra
Ancient Dynastic Rule in northern India and Bengal
❖ But there can hardly be any doubt regarding the fact that
the rule of the Palas formed a glorious chapter in the
history of ancient Bengal. The history of the long line of
Pala rulers can be viewed under different phases:
The Pala Dynasty
❖ (I) Period of Ascendancy under Dharmapala (c 781-
821 ACE) and Devapala (c 821-861 ACE);
❑ Devapala
❖ Devapala, the son of Dharmapala, maintained the
aggressive policy of his father and during his reign the
struggle for supremacy over northern India continued.
❑ Pala Administration:
❖ The long rule of the Pala dynasty, spreading over about
four centuries, gave to Bengal the blessings of a stable
government, which bore rich fruits in the arts of peace.
❑ Pala Administration:
❖ The long reign of the Palas form a glorious period in the
history of ancient Bengal. The achievements of Bengal
during this long period are indeed the glories of the Palas:-
▪ 1.Widespread empire,
▪ 2. Organised administrative system,
▪ 3. Ruling policy oriented towards welfare of the people,
▪ 4. Unprecedented excellence in the field of arts and
cultivation of knowledge and
▪ 5. Literature all these are the achievements and glories of
the Pala dynasty.
The Pala Dynasty
▪ The most glorious aspect of Pala rule:
❑ Religious tolerance
❖ 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. He had declared that he is ‘conversant with the
precepts of shastras’ and he made ‘the castes conform to their
proper tenets’.
❑ Social condition
❖ This social peace over a long period of time must have
contributed to developments in other fields. There are
instances of welfare activities of the Pala rulers.
❑ Social condition
❖ Remains of many buildings of the Pala period bear
testimony to the welfare activities of the rulers of the
dynasty. The long Pala period produced an atmosphere of
accommodation and admixture of Hindu-Buddhist culture
and as a result were evolved the Sahajiya and Tantrik
cults.
❑ Sculptural Art
❖ Of all the arts of the period
sculptural art witnessed
phenomenal development.
❑ Development of literature
❖ It is not possible to assess the development of
literature in the Pala period. So far only a few
literary works have been found.
❑Development of literature
❖ There are evidences of works in different Shastras.
Gaudapada wrote the famous Gaudapadakarika, known as
Agamashastra, a very important philosophical work.
❖ Thus, the long rule of the Pala dynasty for about four
centuries bestowed glories on Bengal in various fields of
human activities.
❑ Kingdom of Vanga
❖ As early as the first half of the sixth century ACE
southeastern Bengal formed an independent
kingdom, the kingdom of Vanga, and the names of
Gopachandra, Dharmaditya and Samacharadeva are
preserved in six copperplates.
▪ Samalavarman and
▪ Bhojavarman.
❖ They ruled for less than a century (c 1080- 1150 ACE)
before they were toppled by the Senas.
The Sena Dynasty
❑ Introduction
❖ Sena dynasty ruled Bengal for little over a
century (c 1097-1225). The emergence of the
dynasty, who ousted the Palas in Bengal
towards the close of the 11th century ACE, is a
very important chapter in the history of
ancient Bengal. Vijayasena, the founder of the
Sena dynasty, gradually consolidated his
position in Western Bengal and ultimately
Map of the Bengal during the Sena Dynasty
assumed an independent position during the
reign of Madanapala.
❑ Hemantasena
❖ His son and successor Hemantasena seem to have been a
ruling chief. The disruption of the Pala kingdom following
the revolt of the Samantas probably offered him an
opportunity to carve out an independent principality in
Radha.
The Sena Dynasty
❑ Vijayasena
❖ Vijayasena, son of Hemantasena, laid the
foundation of the independent rule of the
Senas. Vijayasena, however, made full use of
the weakness of the Pala rule in Bengal.
❑ Vijayasena
❖ Therefore, by the middle of the 12th century ACE
Vijayasena ousted the Varmans, ousted the Palas
and succeeded in establishing the rule of his own
dynasty over the whole of Bengal. He had a very
long reign of abort 62 years (c 1098-1160 ACE).
❑ Laksmanasena
❖ Laksmanasena succeeded his father Vallalasena. It
is evident from the records of his reign that before
he came to power he defeated the king of Gauda
and Varanasi (Kasi) and made expeditions against
Kamarupa and Kalinga.
▪ Architecture
❖ The Sena dynasty is famous for building Hindu temples and
monasteries, which include the renowned Dhakeshwari
Temple in what is now Dhaka, Bangladesh. In
Kashmir, the dynasty also likely built a temple knows as
Sankara Gaureshwara.
❑ Achievements of the Senas
▪ Literature
❖ Vallalasena and Laksmanasena were royal authors of
Sanskrit texts, Danasagara and Adbhutasagara.
Jayadeva, Umapatidhara, Sharana, Dhoyi,
Shridharadasa, Halayudha Mishra and Govardhana
were literary personalities of the period.