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History of Janapadas of ancient Bengal

NAME: PRITOM SAHA ID:1620153030 HIS101.04

History of Janapadas of ancient Bengal Abstract Bangladesh is a land of culture, heritage, natural beauty and overall peace and tranquility. Here there is the longest sea beach cox’s bazar, greatest mangrove forest Sundarbans and the coral island Kuakata. But most importantly it has many archeological sites along with a great history. The topic that I have done is the ancient Janapads of Bengal. The ancient world we came from, in other words the birth and the manner in which this beautiful land was created and developed. This is very important to all people because we should know and know the origin of the glorious history from which they came, especially. Since our country is filled with historic sights, it wasn't that difficult to find something new about our ancient civilization because it wasn't only Bangladesh in our ancient civilization, but there are others in the other side of Bengal, or what we can say is India or Western Bengal. We have Mahasthangor, formerly named Pundranagar, Varenda in Tangail, Harikel in Tangail and many other civilisations. Amid all these issues. Our oldest culture found is the civilization of the Ajay Valley near the Ajay River. The first urban civilization found in Bengal is known as a Pundranagar civilization after many years of the fall of this civilization in the Ajay Valley.

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History of Janapadas of ancient Bengal

INTRODUCTION During the historical phase the first reference in the Greek historian’s writings accompanying the conqueror Alexander the Great in his victory campaign in India is to be found in the Bengali ethnic groups. They noted that powerful states exist in East India. Bengal was divided into separate tribes or kingdoms called Janapadas. "Janapadas" is a common term for human settlement. The old Janapadas are Pundra, Verandra, Hariakela, Banga, Copperage, Samatata, Azoy, Gaura, Sashanka, Radha, Aryan and several others lying on the Meghna River Basin, and are also part of the old Janapadas. The Janapadas are not Aryan people. The primary origins of these human settlements are Hindu origins such as, Mahabharat and other bhedic literature. Yet Bengal's political development and even significant foreign trade involvement are representative of these States and provinces. The Aryan came to India in 2000 BC and established a developed civilization. They came to Bangladesh after many days of this time. The Bangladeshi people are unknown before the time of Aryanthe history and the way of life. The historic period of Bengal nation creation started in the Gupta era (320-650 AD). From the Gupta period onwards we get written records in the form of epigraphs and literature which contain information on the history of the 'region' of Bengal.

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History of Janapadas of ancient Bengal

Ancient Period In several parts of West Bengal in the districts of Midnapur, Bankura and Burdwan prehistoric stone instruments were found. But the time when people used them first settled in Bengal is difficult to ascertain, only roughly. Ten thousand years ago (or more) it could have been. The original people of the Nisadas or Austrian or Austro-Asian people, who are represented now by the primitive peoples known as Kola, Bhil, Santal, Shabara, Pulinda, etc. They were not Aryan ethnic

groups.

The Aryans came to India in 2000 BC and built an advanced civilisation. They came to Bangladesh after many days of this time. The history and life styles of the Bangladeshi people were unknown

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History of Janapadas of ancient Bengal

before the Aryan age. In the earliest time of Bengal various groups of people were known to be inhabited, whose names were identified with their location. There were 16 ancient Janapadas, including: Vanga, Pundra, Radha, and Gauda. •

Vanga: Ancient Vanga in Eastern Bengal, or human settlement. In the eastern part of the Indian subs continent, Vanga, also known as Banga or Greater Bengal, was a kingdom comprising part of Western Bengal, India and modern, contemporary Bangladesh. However in Kalidasa Raghuvamsa (4th and 5th centuries AD) some indication of its role is given. In describing Raghu's conquests the first time occurred at the Aitareya Aranyaka where he was ordered to exterminate Vangas after the Suhmas had been defeated, who are said to be able Naval People (nausadhanodyatan) called Vanga, indicating a country. Baudhayana Dharmasutra lists the Vangas in an area outside the Aryan civilisation area of Kalinga. The Vangas are listed. In the Kautilya Arthaxastra the first known reference to Vanga as a territorial unit can be found, in which it is referred to as a region where the finest white and soft cotton textiles (svetam-snigdham-dukulam) were produced.

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Pundra: In western Bengal, Bangladesh and Puernia (now Bihar, India), Pundra (also known as Paundra, Paundraya, Purine, etc.) was an Eastern monarchy. By imitating his qualities, a Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna. Paundraka Vasudeva called himself. In Aitareya Brahmana (c 8th century BC), the Pundras as a tribe are first mentioned. With the Andhras, the Shabaras, the Pulindas and the Mutibas they form a separate group. In the Gupta period, a major bhukti or regional division was made of Pundravardhana or Paundravardhan. Epigraphic material for the Gupta era (nine inscriptions) from Northern Bengal shows clearly that Pundravardha Bhukti was divided into a series of vithis and mandalas. Pundra, Pundravardhana or Paundravardhan, the modern regions of Rajshahi, Bogra, Pabna in Bangladesh, Dinajpur (both India and Bangladesh) and the old Varendra, were known to be the region bordering the south by the Padmas, Gangs to the west and either Karatoya or the Jambuna to the east.

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Radha: Radha A separate geographical entity of ancient Bengal possibly comprising a major part of West Bengal's current Indian state. Radha is found in Acharangasutra, Jaina, which is connected with the trip Mahavira made to Vajjabhumi and Subbhabhumi in the pathless country of 'Ladha' in the sixth century BC, trying to spread his religion. During 4|Page

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this time, the settlement was "pathless and legal" and Mahavira was being harshly treated by her people. An inscription from Mathura documenting the creation of the image of the Jaina at the request of a Jaina monk residing within 'Rara' territory can be used for the earliest epigraphic reference to Radha. Khajuraho's epigraphic documents mention the women of kings from various kingdoms, including Radha, who are jailed by the law of Chandella. Radha is referred to as the ancestor settlement of Senas by the inscription of the Cupro Vallalasena plate by Naihati. Division Radha (Viz, Daksina Radha south), and divinity of Utara Radha (North Radha) are the epigraphic and literary records of the A.D. 9th-10th centuries. Both divisions refer approximately to earlier Vajjabhumi and Suhmabhumi. Rajendra Chola (11th century AD) inscription on Tirumulai rock clearly mentions the northern and southern divisions of Radha. •

Gauda: The fact that it is connected with Vanga and the Pundra region certainly indicates its position in East India does not mention the geographical limit of Gauda land. The fact that the Gauda country is connected with Vanga and Pundra certainly indicates their position in eastern India, even though the geographic limit has not been specified. The nation was familiar to Vatsayana (3rd-4th centuries AD). Even in the Puranas this geographic idea continues as it is considered one of the eastern quarter janapadas. Gauda janapada was also identified in Varahamihira (6th century AD). Six distinct Japanese viz: Gaudaka, Paundra, Vanga, samatata, Vardhamana and tamralipta are described in his brhat Sanghita. From his story it appears that the territory of ancient Gauda was formed by Murshidabad, Birbhum and western Burdwan. The earliest evidence concerning the Gauda People's territories is the inscription of the Haraha of the Maukhari king, Ishanavarman, dated AD 554. Ishanavarman has defeated Gaudas living close to the sea (Gaudan samudraxrayan). In the inscription is stated.

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Harikela: Harikela was a kingdom in ancient Bengal that comprised parts of the eastern subcontinent of India. In historical documents as well as architectural objects, including silver coining, there are multiple references to the Monarchy. Ancient Indian writers of the 7th century AD mention, among others, an eastern Indian country called Harikela. It was a big East Bengal kingdom. I-tsing, the Chinese traveler of the 7th century, has described its position as the eastern boundary of East India. In addition, some late writers 5|Page

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and chroniclers make some very complicated and contradictory claims, which have made it much more difficult to find this lost domain and to classify it. For example, Hemachandra, a lexicographer of the 12th century, equates Harikela with vanga in his Abhidhanachintamani. In Manjuxrimulakalpa, where Harikela, Samatata and Vanga are referred to as separate bodies, this has been contradicted. •

Samatata: In ancient Bengal the kingdom of Satata was located near Comilla in the south eastern part of Bengal at the mouth of the Brahmaputra River. The Gupta Empire had become a vassal. Since the Samudragupta era (4th century AD), Samatata has been a distinctive, well- known and well-known entityIt was first mentioned in the Allahabad Prashasti, which, along with Davaka, Kamarupa, Nepal and Karttrpura, is mentioned as an eastern borders state. The Brhatsanghita (6th century AD) calls it a separate State and vanga. Hiuen-tsang, the Chinese traveller of the 7th century, records that after a trip to South from Kamarupa (eastern Asam), he reached Samatata, San-mo-tat'a, on a route from the sea, which had more than 3000 li (about 800 km) on the sea side, and was low and humid. In his capital, which had an area of 20 lbs (5,5 km), he identified the Buddhist cultural centre.

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Magadha: One of sixteen Janapadas, Magadha. The Maurya Empire was established by Chandragupta Maurya, which stretched over nearly all of South Asia and parts of Persia and Afghanistan, under Ashoka the Grand; then the powerful Gupta Empire, spread across the Indian Sous-continent, and components of Persia and Afghanistan, was converted into the headquarters of Magadha.

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