HISTORY OF BANGLADESH
AND BANGLA LANGUAGE
ANCIENT PERIOD
PART – 3
DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
DAFFODIL INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
TO BE DISCUSSED
• Matsyanyam. • Civilizational features.
• The Pala Rule of Bengal. • State and Administration.
• The Sena Dynasty. • Decline and Fall of an empire or
civilization.
• Development of Science & Technology
• Art, Architecture.
• Literary & Cultural Activities.
MATSANYAM
(650-750 A.C.)
MATSANYAM
• Found in Khalimpur copperplate.
• The phrase occurs in Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’ and in ‘Mahabharat’.
• When the law of punishment abeyance, it gives rise to such disorder as is implied
in the proverb of the fishes. The larger fish swallows a smaller one, for in absence
of a magistrate, the strong will swallow the weak.
• No central government.
• Years of Political unrest, Anarchy, Disorder, Lawlessness in Bengal after Shashanka.
• It lasts for 100 years.
THE PALA RULE OF BENGAL.
(8TH TO 12TH CENTURY)
Key Features
• Pala means ‘Protector’.
• First Buddist Dynasty.
• Staunch supporter of Mahayana Buddism.
• End of Anarchy & Disorder.
• Language: Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit.
• Bengali literature started her journey.
MAIN FIGURES AND STAGE
• Gopala, the founder. • First Stage: Establishment and
• Dharmapala. prosperity
• Devapala. • Second Stage: Period of stagnation
(861-995).
• Mahipala.
• Third Phase: Decline and fall.
• Madanpala – the last ruler.
GOPALA (750-770 A.D.)
• First elected ruler of Bengal.
• First Buddist Monarch of Bengal.
• Bengal and Magadh under his control.
• The Monastery of Odantipuri, Bihar, built by him.
• Power struggle among the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas for the
control of Kanauj and North India.
DHARMAPALA (770-810 A.D.).
• Most famous of the Pala king.
• Period of ascendancy of the dynasty.
• Extended the empire from the Bengal to Bihar and to North Indian state
Kanauj.
• Vikramshila monastery established by him.
• Religious tolerance and mutual coexistence policy.
TRIPARTITE WAR
• Dominance of Pala in Bengal, Gurjara Pratihars family of Rajputs in Western
India and Rashtrakut Dynasty of Deccan.
• Power Struggle.
• Dharmapala vs Vatsharaja of Pratihar.
• Drubadharavarsha of Rashtrakut vs Dharmapala & Vatsharaja. After victory
Rashtrakut king returned to Deccan.
• Though Dharmapala defeated in the Tripartite war, it costs him nothing. He
conquered Varansi, Proyaga, Kanauj, and Nepal.
DEVAPALA (810-850 A.D.)
• Pala kingdom was most widespread at that time.
• Bengal was reckoned as a powerful force in North Indian Politics.
• Relation with South-east Asian Buddist states.
PERIOD OF STAGNATION (861-995).
• First Vigrahapala, Second Vigrahapala, Narayanapala, Rajyapala,
second Gopala ascended the throne one after another.
• Lack of energy, vigor, ambition.
• In and out uprising.
• Pala kingdom confined to some parts of Bihar.
THIRD STAGE: RECONSTRUCTION, DECLINE AND FALL
Mahipala I: 995-1043
Brought back vigor, vitality and gave a second lease of life to the Pala’s.
Expand his territories to the northern and southern Bengal.
Public walfare.
DECLINE
• Foreign invasion during the reign of Narayanapala and Vigrahapala-III:
Kalchuri, Chalukya of Karnat and solders of Orissa
• Epmire broke into many pices.
• Kaivarta rebellion during the reign of Mahipala-II.
KAIVARTA REBELLION
• Land lords and farmers rebellion.
• Death of Mahipala-II.
• Kaivarta leader Dibya / Divyak captured the power in Borendra region.
LAST ATTEMPT AND FALL OF AN EMPIRE
• Rampala (1082-1124): defeat the kaivarta king Bhima and captured Borendra
with the help of Rashtrakut, Magadh and Rarh king.
• Ramavati (present Maldah) was the capital of Rampala.
• Komarapala, Gopala-III, Madanapala (1143-1161) – Last three king.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PALA DYNASTY
• Widespread influence: Successful involvement in north Indian politics.
• Administrative development.
• Public welfare.
• Social peace and religious harmony.
• Development of Art & Architecture.
• Development of Literature.
POLITICS AND ADMINISTRATION
• Law and Order
• Justice
• Patronization of religious figures, specially to Buddist.
• Village Administration
• Administrative post belongs to the Royals.
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
• Terracotta, Painting, Sculpture.
• Somapura Mahayihar at Paharpur built by Dharmapala. It was a hub of
intellectual activity.
• Vicramashila Vihar, Odantipuri Vihar and Jagaddal Vihar are some gigantic
constructions of that time.
DEVELOPMENT OF LITERATURE.
• Development of Sanskrit Language and Poetry.
• First example of Bangla literature, Charyapada, was a work of that time.
• State sponsor.
THE SENA DYNASTY (1097-1225)
• From Kornataka, (Deccan/South-India).
• Samanata Sena - the founder.
• Hemanta Sena – ‘Maharajadhiraja’.
• Vijoy Sena – the real founder. One of Rampalas Officer.
• First to control all over the Bengal.
KEY FIGURES OF SENA DYNASTY
• Feudal king of South Rarh: Samanata Sena, Hemanta Sena,
• Vijaya Sena: Vikrampur of Dhaka was one of his capital. North-west Bengal
was under his control. He defeated Madanapala, the last of the Pala’s.
• Vallala Sena: End of Pala rule and dominance of Sena dynasty starts.
Klinism or Hindu Cast system introduced by Vallalasena. He wrote
‘Odbhutshagar’.
DECLINE AND FALL OF THE SENA RULE
Laxman Sena:
a worrier and a courageous figure before kingship.
Feudal rebellion: Dommanpala of Sundarban, Ranabankamalla Deva of
Pattikera and so on.
Defeated by Ikhtiyar-Uddin Mohammad bin Bakhtira Khalji in 1204.
Keshob Sena (1245), the last ruler of Sena Dynasty.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE SENA DYNASTY
• Establishment of a new dynasty.
• Development of Hindu cast system.
• State sponsor in Sanskrit literature, Art and Architecture.
FALL OF THE SENA’S: BEHIND THE SCENE
• Class conflict.
• Inefficient administration.
• Religious movement.
• Deterioration of relations between ruler and ruled.
• Internal conflict.
• Turkish/Afgan influence.
• Natural order.
