Presentation on

PRE HISTORY OF BENGAL

Submitted By : Submitted to:
Batch: 31st
Sonali Chowdhury
Semester: 2nd
Lecturer of Bangladesh History
Course: BHC 1101 Cultural
Id: 223071057
223071068
223071070
223071082
223071091
 ANCIENT BENGAL
•Geography conveys a chronological sense of space, location and distance, but also reveals
information on territorial evolution of a nation or state
• Used to be called Bangala, and later Bengal
• First reference to Bengal has been made in the early Vedic literature
• Known as Vanga an area covering the whole of the lower Ganges.
•The neighboring political and geographical units were known as Pundra, Prachya, Videha and
Kirata.
•During the advance of the Aryans into the northwestern India (c 1500-800 BC), most of
Vanga was under forest and was inhabited.
 BENGAL DURING BUDDHIST
PERIOD
• •Prachya, a macro-region merged into a number of political units, such as, Anga, Pundra,
Sumha and notably Vanga, with a new development to political prominence of Pragjyotisa in
the northeast along the Lohita river.
• •A major part of Anga, Pundra and a part of Vanga was conquered by Magadha (545 BC).
•During the subsequent Mauryan period (321 - 181 BC), Vanga further gained geopolitical
prominence over Anga, Pundra and Pragjyotisa.
 BENGAL DURING SHASANKA C 500
TO 700 AD

• Gained enormous political prominence in the south-west of Bengal (present day Orissa) and
Varmans in the north-east of Bengal (Kamarupa in Assam)
•Bhaskarvarman of Kamrup feared the expansionist policies of Shashanka when the latter
intruded into the Gaudas.
• Bhaskarvarman made alliance with Harsavardhana and ruled over northern India.
•This period was associated with cultural change caused by the spread of Buddhism in Bengal
and the political eminence of the Guptas in north India. Bengal during P
 BENGAL DURING PALA
• This period (c 700 to 925 AD) witnessed the highest development of Buddhism and Buddhist
culture across Asia and also in Bengal.
• As seen in the previous periods, the various kingdoms in Bengal have had a series of ups and
downs because of the political rivalries and local wars that continued up to the later Gupta
period
• Gopala, founder of the Pala dynasty, was elected by the local chieftains as the king of Vanga
or Bangala in 756 AD
•He consolidated his position in Vanga that extended as far as western Magadha.
•It included harikela and Pundravardhana in the north, Kamarupa in the east and Utkala in the
southwest.
 BENGAL DURING SENA (1000 -1200
AD)
• The Palas ruled over Bangala with intermittent feuds with Chandellas, Colas, Chalukyas and
Kalachuris till the rule of Mahipala (995-1043) and Ramapala (1082-1124).
• The last days of the Palas were characterised by internal revolt and factionalism that
weakened this vast kingdom.
• Senas, strict Brahmanic Hinduism, established control over much of Magadha, Vanga,
Pundra and Samatata, and ruled this region during the period from 1000 to 1200 AD.
• The flourishing Buddhism in Bengal suffered virtual destruction in the hands of the Senas.
 IDENTITY AND ETHNICITY
DEVELOPMENT
• By 500 BCE, Bengal region witnessed the rise of several powerful states against whom the
Aryan states of the Upper Ganges launched military campaigns
• Krishna raised his status as a warrior by defeating the kings of Vangas and Pundras.
Bhimsena, subdued all the local princes of Bengal.
• All these epic stories are indicative of the change of impression of the Aryans about the
peoples of Bengal and also of the beginning of the influence of the Aryan culture on the
indigenous societies.
• The Aryans occupying the upper Ganges Basin came in contact with a population group
whom they called the 'Nishadas', meaning wild people. Presumably, they were the aborigines
of the area now forming Bangladesh. IDENTITY AND
THANK YOU