History of Bangladesh and Bangla
Language
Ancient Bengal.
Part – 2.
Department of Development Studies.
Daffodil International University.
To be discussed-
Why people migrate or come to this land?
Why do we have so little information about our past?
The Maurya Empire
Later Maryan rule
The Gupta Empire
The Independent kingdom of Bongo
The Independent kingdom of Gaur
Shashanka
Open discussion, Q & A session.
Why people came here?
Commercial Activity.
Natural cause or Environmental issue.
Educational purpose.
Political mission.
Religious cause.
Occupation or Colonization.
Why do we have so little information about
our past?
Few Historical Sources.
No written record.
Lack of consciousness.
So much political instability.
The Maurya Empire
PROMINET RULER
ChandraguptaMaurya
(321-298B.C.).
Bidhusara (298-273
B.C.)
Ashoka (273-232
B.C.).
Chandragupta Maurya (321-298B.C.).
FIRST ALL INDIAN RULER.
Founder of Mauryan Dynasty.
Kautilya or Chanakya was his Chief-Minister.
He defeated the Greeks, Alexader’s army led by Seleucus.
Megasthenes, the greek ambassador at his court.
Kutillya’s thought and Chandragupta’s power made the Maurya
empire one of the largest and powerful kingdom of that time.
Ashoka the great
Sonof Bindusara, the second king of the Mauryan and the
Governor of Ujjian/Ujjain.
Ambitious and aggressive ruler.
War of Kalinga (262-261 B.C.).
Buddism.
Ashoka the great
. Maurya Dynasty it it’s height.
Son of Bindusara, the second
king of the Mauryan and the
Governor of Ujjian/Ujjain.
Ambitious and aggressive
character.
War of Kalinga (262-261
B.C.).
Embrace Buddism.
Key features of the Mauryan Rule
Central and provincial rule.
Taxila, Ujjain, Tusali and Suvarnagiri were the main provinces.
Pataliputra was the capital and center of this empire.
Political and economic stability.
King/Emperor was the top of administration and he was all in all.
North Bengal was under their control. (Huien Tsung)
Mahastangar still bears their memory as Pundranaga was their
provincial capital.
Later Maryan rule:
Decline of The Mauryan
The Gangaridaya Kingdom
Dynasty.
The The Sungha of Magadh Late Mauryan kingdom.
and the Kanva family. Politically dominant, Militarily
powerful.
Foreign Invaders: The Greeks,
the Kushans, the Phalvs, the Defeat the Greeks.
Shaks etc. Use of Elephant as war strategy.
Ptolemy, Virgil, Diodorus mentions
this empire in there writings.
The Gupta Empire
The Gupta age of Bengal
(275-551 A.C.)
Sri Gupta, the founder. (275-300 A.C.)
Chandra Gupta - I, the real founder. (32-340 A.C.)
Samudra Gupta, the Napoleon of India.
Political Activity.
Cultural and Scientific Contribution.
Cultural and Scientific Contribution of Gupta Empire.
• Developments of Decimal system, innovation of ‘Zero’, development
Mathematics: of ‘Trigonometry’,
• Aryabhatta discovered ‘Diurnal and Annual motions’. Brihastangia, a
Astronomy book on astronomy written by Brahimir.
• Sanskrit and Hindu literature flourished.
Literature Kalidash was a poet of Gupta court.
• Use of Mercury and iron in medicine started during this
Medicine period. Operation system developed
• The Nalanda University established by the Gupta king Kumara Gupta
I. Nalanda and Takshila University became a center of education and
Education they provide residential facilities.
Art & • Architecture, Sculpture, Painting developed. Varansi,
Architechture Mathura, Pataliputra were the center of those activities.
Politics and Administration
Political Stability Decentralization of Power
Dominance over Bengal except Separation of Judiciary.
Samata.
All Indian Empire.
Golden Age of India.
The Independent kingdom of Bongo
(525-600 A.C.)
Three kings of Bongo ‘Gopachandra, Dharmaditta and
Samachardeve’ ruled the Independent kingdom of Bongo. They
titled themselves ‘Maharadhiraj’.
Gold coin of Samachardeve proved this sovereign and independent
kingdom.
Inscription of Gopachandra indicates its territory.
The Banga Kingdom fell at the hands of the king Kirtivarmana of
the Chalukya Dynasty of the Deccan.
Several independent feudal kingdom: Bhdra, Khagra, Rarh etc.
The Independent kingdom of Gaur
The Later Gupta’s: extended their rule over North Bengal,
Northern portion of West Bengal and Magadha
Mukhari Dynasty: Northern India was their main land. They were
the feud of the Gupta’s. Chalukkya dynasty destroyed them.
Years of political instability.
Shashanka took advantage of the political instability and conqured
the kingdom of Gaur.
Shashanka
(606-650)
Shashanka
(606-650)
First Independent and Sovereign king of Bengal.
He titled with ‘Mahasamanta’ and ‘Gaud-ishwar’ or ‘the lord of
Gaud’.
Founder of Gauda kingdom.
His kingdom was made up of the North and the West Bengal. He
conquered the Northern India.
Karnashubarna of Murshidabad was his capital.
Question Pattern
Why people came here / migrate to another land?
What was the first dynasty to establish political dominance in Bengal.
Who was Kautillya, what was his masterpiece?
Who was the first independent king of Bengal?
Which dynasty represents Golden Age of Bengal?
Discuss the contributions of Gupta empire to science and technology.
Why Gupta age called the Golden Age of Bengal?
Who was the founder of …. Dynasty?
Open discussion
THANK YOU!
