Written by London Swaminathan

 

Date: 9 September 2016

 

Time uploaded in London: 17-51

 

 

Post No.3139

 

Pictures are taken from various sources; thanks.

 

I have already listed the Pala Vamsa (dynasty) kings of Bengal in part 15. Recent discoveries have revealed names of more kings who ruled Bengal area, now called West Bengal state of India and Bangladesh.

 

So let me add those kings to our 10,000 kings who ruled India from ancient days.

 

Source book

The Art Heritage of Bangladesh by Enamul Haque,Dhaka, 2007

 

Archeological materials are available from 450 BCE in Bangladesh

Tha Bodhayana Dharmasutra, Ramayana, Mahabharata and later books mentioned the Vangas and adjacent Lauhitya (Brahmaputra river).

Greek and Latin authors also mentioned these areas as Prasii and Gangaridai. Prasii is identified with Magadha. Market town Gange, Gangaridum are also found in their books. Gange is identified with Chandraketugarh in West Bengal (India).

 

Scholars think that the Greeks mentioned both Prasii and Gangadirai together because when Alexander invades India, these two empires formed joint command of their armies. Greeks say the two Indian Kingdoms had an army of

20,000 to 80,000 cavalry

200000 to 600 000 soldiers

2000 to 8000 chariots

4000 to 9000 elephants

Since various authors give different numbers approximate numbers are given. Having heard about the mighty Indian army Alexander turned back.

Vijaya, a banished king of Vanga established the first kingdom in Sri Lanka according to Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa.

After Alexander’s departure Magadha kings might have ruled Bengal area. Indirect evidence comes from the 2^nd century BCE inscription of Mahasthangarh (also known as Pundranagara).

 

Samudragupta inscription in Allahabad says that Vanga (Bangladesh) was part of his kingdom.

Probably it came under the Gupta Kings Chadragupta II and Samudra Gupta.

New Kings discovered

1.Maharaja Vainyagupta (507 CE) according to Gunaighar copper plate grant (Comilla District)

2.Sasanka (594-637)

At least five copper plate inscriptions discovered in and around Kotalipara revealed three more kings

3.Gopachandra

4.Dharmaditya

5.Samacharadeva

They had Maharajadiraja title and issued god coins

6.Tibetan king Srong-tsan invaded northern Bengal in the end of 7^th Century CE

7.Yasovarman, King of Kanauj slayed King of Gaur (Gaur=Gauda=Bengal)

Following feudatory chiefs are also known from Comilla area

8.Samanta Lokanatha

9.Jivadharana Rata

10.Sridharana Rata (Samatatesvara)

11.Shrimad Devatideva Bhattaraka of Chittacong 715 CE

12.Kanti deva, Chittacong, 9^th Century

Akara Dynasty kings came to light recently are

13.Lalitakara

14.Ramyakara

15.Pradyumnakara

16.Antakara

 

17.In 2007 a new copper plate inscription was discovered and a new king’s name Shriman Attakaradeva is found in it.

After this period, the area came under Harshavardhana and then Pala Dynasty began its rule

 

LOVE STORY

Kashmiri chronicler Kalhana gives an interesting story about Bengal. According to him Kashmiri Prince Jayanta came to Pundra nagar in Bengal and fell in love with a temple dancer named Kamala. Later, one night, when a man eater lion strayed into the city, Jayanta valiantly killed the beast. Soon his identity became known and the local king offered his daughter in marriage to the prince. It is told that the prince left for Kashmir with both the ladies. Two birds in one stone!

 

Later Pala kings ruled the area. Rajendra Choza from the South defeated one of the Pala kings in 1022.

 

Ramacharitam of Sandhyakaranandi gives a list of feudatory chiefs.

Before the Pala dynasty established their rule, Kadga, Deva, Chandra and Varman dynasties were ruling certain parts of Bengal. Following kings are known from newly discovered copper plates: –

18.Khadgodyama

19.Jatakhadga

20.Devakhadga (Queen Prabhavati)

21.Rajarajabhata

Excavations at Salban Monastery of Mainamati gave the names of unknown kings:-

22.Shri Santi Deva

23.Shri Vira Deva

24.Shri Ananda Deva

25.Shri Bhava Deva

The discoveries of the last fifty years or so now have clearly established genealogy of the kings of the Chandra Dynasty:-

26.Purnachandra

27.Suvarnachandra

28.Trilokyachandra (900-930)

29.Shri Chandra (930-975)

30.Kalyanachandra (975-1000)

31.Ladahachandra (1000- 1020)

32.Govindachandra (1020-1050)

Varmans supplanted the Pala kings in the last quarter of 11^th century. The Varmans probably came from Orissa;

33.Jatavarman (who married Kalachuri King Karna’s daughter Virashri)

34.Harivarman

 

SENA DYNASTY

35.Samanta sena (from Karnataka region)

36.Hemantasena

37.Vijayasena (who ruled for an amazing seventy-three years! From 1095-1168). If it is correct it is a world record!

38.Vallasena (1168-1178)

39.Laksmanasena

40.Vishvarupasena(1206-1220)

41.Keshavasena (1220-1223)

 

After this period, Muslims conquered large areas in Bengal.

From epigraphic record we get the names of following kings:

42.Purushottama

43.Madhusuthana deva

44.Vasudeva

45.Damodaradeva

46.Dasarathadeva

A book worth buying!!!! 536 illustrations! 408 pages!!!

–subham–