Sena dynasty

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Sena Empire
সেন
Sena Samrajya
←
CE 1070–CE 1230 →
Capital Nabadwip
Languages Sanskrit
Bengali
Religion Hinduism
Buddhism
Government Monarchy
King
 -  1070–1096 AD Hemanta Sen
 -  1159–1179 AD Ballal Sen
 -  1225–1230 AD Keshab Sen
Historical era Classical India
 -  Established CE 1070
 -  Disestablished CE 1230
Part of a series on the
History of Bengal
Somapura Mahavihara, Bangladesh.jpg
Ancient Bengal
 Vedic Period 
Ancient Bengali States
Gangaridai Kingdom, Vanga Kingdom,
Pundra Kingdom, Suhma Kingdom,
Anga Kingdom, Harikela Kingdom
Mauryan Period
Classical Bengal
The Classical Age
Shashanka
Age of Empires
Pala Empire
Sena Empire
Medieval Bengal
Arrival of Islam
Sultanate of Bengal
Deva Kingdom
Bakhtiyar Khilji, Raja Ganesha
Mughal Period
Pratap Aditya, Raja Sitaram Ray
Principality of Bengal
Baro-Bhuyans
Modern Bengal
Company Raj
Zamindari system, Bengal famine of 1770
British Indian Empire
Bengal Renaissance
Brahmo Samaj
Swami Vivekananda, Jagadish Chandra Bose,
Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose
Post-Colonial
1947 Partition of Bengal, Bangladesh Liberation War
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Jyoti Basu
See Also
Bangladesh, West Bengal

The Sena Empire (Bengali: সেন, Shen) was a Hindu dynasty that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak covered much of the north-eastern region of the Indian subcontinent. The Senas lived previously in Karnataka. All the Senas were brahmins; but some Senas became also Ambastha-brahmins, or Brahmakshatriyas-- Brahmins who act as rulers. After moving to Bengal, the Senas married Bengali brahmins and Bengali Ambastha Vaidya-brahmins, and merged with both clans.[1]

The dynasty's founder was Hemanta Sen, who was part of the Pala Dynasty until it began to weaken. Hemanta Sen usurped power and styled himself king in 1095 AD. His successor Vijay Sen (ruled from 1096 AD to 1159 AD) helped lay the foundations of the dynasty, and had an unusually long reign of over 60 years. Ballal Sena conquered Gaur from the Pala, became the ruler of the Bengal Delta, and made Nabadwip the capital as well. Lakshman Sen succeeded Ballal Sena in 1179, ruled Bengal for approximately 20 years, and expanded the Sena Empire to Assam, Odisha, Bihar and probably to Varanasi. In 1203–1204 AD, the Turkic general Bakhtiyar Khilji attacked Nabadwip. Khilji defeated Lakshman Sen and captured northwest Bengal - although Eastern Bengal remained under Sena control.

Contents

Origins [edit]

The Sena rulers were Hindus who migrated from South India[2]. During this period, Buddhism, which had dominated Bengal for centuries, was in decline, due to the loss of Buddhist institutions at Nalanda University and Vikramshila University.[3] The Sena dynasty is famous for building Hindu temples and monasteries, which include the renowned Dhakeshwari Temple in what is now Dhaka, Bangladesh. In Kashmir, the dynasty also likely built a temple, which is ascribed to a Gaureshwara or Ballala Sena.[4] The Sena rulers were also great patrons of literature. During the Pala dynasty and the Sena dynasty, major growth in Bengali was witnessed. Some Bengali authors believe that Jayadeva, the famous Sanskrit poet and author of Gita Govinda, was one of the Pancharatnas (five gems) in the court of Lakshman Sen. After the Sena dynasty, the Deva dynasty ruled in eastern Bengal. The Deva dynasty was probably the last independent Hindu dynasty of Bengal.

The Deopara inscription records that the Senas came from the Deccan, describes the Senas as both Karnata Kshatriyas and Brahma-Kshatriyas, and states that the Senas spoke Kannada.

In the Deopara inscription, the Senas conclude with stating that they subdued the wicked despoilers of lakshmi(wealth) of Karnata, through the Senas' fight with Tamil Cholas.

Inscription [edit]

Edilpur Copperplate

A copperplate was found in the Adilpur or Edilpur pargana of Faridpur District in 1838 A.D. and was acquired by the Asiatic Society of Bengal, but now the copperplate is missing from collection. An account of the copperplate was published in the Dacca Review and Epigraphic Indica. The copperplate inscription is written in Sanskrit and in Ganda character, and dated 3rd jyaistha of 1136 samval, or 1079 A.D. In the Asiatic Society’s proceeding for January 1838, an account of the copperplate states that three villages were given to a Brahman in the third year of Kaesava Sana. The grant was given with the landlord rights, which include the power of punishing the chandrabhandas or Sundarbans, a race that lived in the forest.[5] The land was granted in the village of Leliya in the Kumaratalaka mandala, which is situated in shatata-padamavati-visaya. The copperplate of Kaesava Sana records that the king Vallal Sena carried away, from the enemies, the goddesses of fortune on palanquins (Shivaka), which elephant tusk staff supported; and also states that Vallal Sena's son, Lakshman Sena (1179–1205), erected pillars of victory and sacrificial posts at Benaras, Allahbad, and Adon Coast of the South Sea. The copperplate also describes the villages with smooth fields growing excellent paddy, the dancing and music in ancient Bengal, and ladies adorned with blooming flowers. The Edilpur copperplate of Kaesava Sena records that the king made a grant in favor of Nitipathaka Isvaradeva Sarman for the inscae of the subha-varsha.


Society [edit]

The Sena rulers consolidated the caste system in Bengal. While Bengal borrowed from the caste system of Mithila, although caste was not as strong in Bengal as in Mithila [6].

The Sen rulers [edit]

Preceded by
Pala dynasty		 Bengal dynasty Succeeded by
Deva dynasty


See also [edit]

Classical India
Timeline: Northwestern India Northern India Southern India Northeastern India

 6th century BCE
 5th century BCE
 4th century BCE

 3rd century BCE
 2nd century BCE

 1st century BCE
 1st century CE


 2nd century
 3rd century
 4th century
 5th century
 6th century
 7th century
 8th century
 9th century
10th century
11th century

(Persian rule)
(Greek conquests)






(Islamic conquests)

(Islamic Empire)



























References [edit]

  1. ^ "Ballamohamudgar". 
  2. ^ Banglapedia, "Sena Dynasy",  
  3. ^ http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/bot/bot_06_02_03.pdf Taranatha's History
  4. ^ P. 142, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 34, Part 1, Issues 1-4, By Asiatic Society of Bengal
  5. ^ Hunter, William Wilson (1875), "A statistical account of Bengal, Volume 1", Google Books, Edinburgh: Murry and Gibbs, retrieved 2009-10-03 
  6. ^ Momtazur Rahman Tarafdar, "Itihas O Aitihasik", Bangla Academy Dhaka, 1995

Early History of India 3rd and revised edition by Vincent A Smith

External links [edit]

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