List of rulers of Bengal: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|List of rulers of Bengal region of Indian subcontinent}}

With the rise of [[Gopala]] in 750 AD, Bengal was united once more under the Hindu Buddhist [[Pala Empire]] until the 12th century than being succeeded by the Hindu [[Chandra dynasty]], [[Sena dynasty]] and [[deva dynasty]]. After them, Bengal was ruled by the Hindu Maharajas of kingdoms such as Chandradwip and Cooch Behar.

In the early 13th century, [[Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji]] conquered Western and part of Northern Bengal,<ref>{{cite book |last=Majumdar |first=R. C. |author-link=R.C. Majumdar |year=1973 |title=History of Mediaeval Bengal |location=Calcutta |publisher=G. Bharadwaj & Co. |pages=1–2 |oclc=1031074 |quote=Tradition gives him credit for the conquest of Bengal but as a matter of fact he could not subjugate the greater part of Bengal ... All that Bakhtyār can justly take credit for is that by his conquest of Western and a part of Northern Bengal he laid the foundation of the Muslim State in Bengal. The historians of the 13th century never attributed the conquest of the whole of Bengal to Bakhtyār.}}</ref> and established the first Muslim kingdom in Bengal.<ref>{{cite book |last=Arnold |first=Thomas Walker |author-link=Thomas Walker Arnold |year=1913 |orig-year=First published 1896 |title=The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim Faith |url=https://archive.org/details/preachingofislam00arno/page/277/mode/1up |url-access=registration |edition=2nd |location=London |publisher=Constable & Company |page=227}}</ref> The Islamic [[Mamluk Sultanate (Delhi)|Mamluk Sultanate]], the [[Khalji dynasty]], the Turko-Indian [[Tughlaq dynasty]], the [[Sayyid dynasty]] and the [[Lodi dynasty]] ruled Bengal for over 320 years.<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=68–102}}</ref> Notable was [[Malik Altunia]]'s reign with his wife [[Razia Sultana]], the only female sovereign ruler.

Following [[Delhi Sultanate]]'s reign, the [[Bengal Sultanate]], a major [[trading nation]] in the world,<ref>Nanda, J. N (2005). {{cite book |year=2005 |title=Bengal: the unique state |publisher=Concept Publishing Company. p. 10. |isbn=978-81-8069-149-2 |quote=Bengal [...] was rich in the production and export of grain, salt, fruit, liquors and wines, precious metals, and ornaments besides the output of its handlooms in silk and cotton. Europe referred to Bengal as the richest country to trade with.}}</ref> was founded by [[Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah]], and ruled by the [[Ilyas Shahi dynasty]], succeeded by the [[Hussain Shahi dynasty]] founded by [[Alauddin Husain Shah]], which saw the extension of the sultanate to the port of [[Chittagong]], witnessing the arrival of the earliest [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] merchants.

After being absorbed to the [[Bengal Subah]] by [[Babur]] in the 16th century during the defeat of [[Sultan]] [[Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah]] in the [[Battle of Ghaghra]], Bengal became the most economically advanced region in the world,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.dhakatribune.com/heritage/2014/dec/20/paradise-nations |title=The paradise of nations &#124; Dhaka Tribune |website=Archive.dhakatribune.com |date=20 December 2014 |access-date=7 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216011429/http://archive.dhakatribune.com/heritage/2014/dec/20/paradise-nations |archive-date=16 December 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Poverty From The Wealth of Nations: Integration and Polarization in the Global Economy since 1760 |author=M. Shahid Alam |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |year=2016 |page=32 |isbn=978-0-333-98564-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=suKKCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32 |author-link=M. Shahid Alam}}</ref><ref name="star">{{cite news |last=Khandker |first=Hissam |date=31 July 2015 |title=Which India is claiming to have been colonised? |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/politics/which-india-claiming-have-been-colonised-119284 |newspaper=The Daily Star |type=Op-ed}}</ref> and started to be ruled by the [[Subahdar]]s of the [[Mughal Empire]]. Emperor [[Akbar]] began to preach the newly invented religion of [[Din-i Ilahi]], which was declared by the [[Qadi]] of Bengal to be a [[blasphemy]]. [[Islam Khan I]] declared [[Dhaka]] as the capital of Bengal, which was then known as [[Jahangir Nagar]], renamed after emperor [[Jahangir]]. The reign of prince [[Shah Shuja (Mughal prince)|Shah Shuja]] under emperor [[Shah Jahan]]'s orders represented the height of [[Mughal architecture]]. During the period of [[proto-industrialization]], when Bengal was ruled by emperor [[Aurangzeb]]'s relatives such as Subedar [[Shaista Khan]], [[Muhammad Azam Shah]], and [[Azim-ush-Shan]], the region was fully ruled through [[Fatwa Alamgiri]], a hybrid body of [[Hanafi]] law based on [[sharia]] and was controversially described as the Paradise of the Nations.<ref name="voss">{{cite book |title=The Ashgate Companion to the History of Textile Workers, 1650–2000 |author1=Lex Heerma van Voss |author2=Els Hiemstra-Kuperus |author3=Elise van Nederveen Meerkerk |chapter=The Long Globalization and Textile Producers in India |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |year=2010 |page=255 |isbn=9780754664284 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f95ljbhfjxIC&pg=PA255}}</ref>

It was also a great center of trade and commerce and its merchants regularly sailed to distant '''Suwanabhumi'''. Anga was annexed by Magadha in the time of [[Bimbisara]]. This was the one and only conquest of Bimbisara

Vanga was an ancient kingdom and geopolitical division on the [[Ganges delta]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]]. The kingdom is one of the namesakes of the [[Bengal]] region.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Bengal#ref486986 |title=West Bengal &#124; History, Culture, Map, Capital, & Population &#124; Britannica}}</ref> It was located in southern Bengal, with the core region including present-day southwestern [[Bangladesh]] and southern [[West Bengal]] ([[India]]).

The religious traditions of the kingdom afflicted with [[Hinduism]].<ref name="Bhaṭṭācārya2008">{{cite book |author=Malaẏaśaṅkara Bhaṭṭācārya |title=Glimpses of Buddhist Bengal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FmFTAAAAYAAJ |year=2008 |publisher=Indian Institute of Oriental Studies & Research |isbn=978-81-901371-7-1}}</ref>

Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom, was an ancient kingdom during the [[Iron Age#South Asia|Iron Age]] period in [[South Asia]] with a territory that included parts of present-day [[Rajshahi Division|Rajshahi]] and [[Rangpur Division]]s of Bangladesh as well as the [[West Dinajpur district]] of West Bengal, India. The capital of the kingdom, then known as ''Pundranagara'' (Pundra city), was located at Mahasthangarh in [[Bogra District]] in northern Bangladesh.<ref name="Hossain">Hossain, Md. Mosharraf, ''Mahasthan: Anecdote to History'', 2006, pp. 69–73, Dibyaprakash, 38/2 ka Bangla Bazar, Dhaka, {{ISBN|984-483-245-4}}</ref><ref name = "Banglapedia">{{cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Pundravardhana |title=Pundravardhana |access-date=10 November 2007 |last=Ghosh |first=Suchandra |work=Banglapedia |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}</ref><ref name = "RCMajumdar">{{cite book |last=Majumdar |first=R. C. |author-link=R. C. Majumdar |year=1971 |title=History of Ancient Bengal |location=Calcutta |publisher=G. Bhardwaj & Co. |pages=5, 13 |oclc=961157849 |quote=Karatoya still flows by the ruins of this ancient city [Punḍravardhana] at Mahasthangarh in the Bogra district ... the Punḍra-''nagara'' of an old Brāhmī inscription ... Indian literature and inscriptions proves that it included considerable portions of the present Bogra, Rajshahi and Dinajpur districts}}.</ref>  

[[Bhima]] vanquished in battle the Suhmas and the Prasuhmas.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Klidsa |url=http://archive.org/details/raghuvamsaofkali00kliduoft |title=The Raghuvamsa of Kalidasa : with the commentary (the Samjivani) of Mallinatha ; Cantos I-X ; edited with a literal English translation, copious notes in Sanskrit and English, and various readings &c. &c. by M.R. Kale |last2=Mallinatha. Sajvan |last3=Kle |first3=M. R. (Moreshvar Ramchandra) |date=1922 |publisher=Bombay : P.S. Rege |others=Robarts - University of Toronto}}</ref>

Tirabhukti  region is bounded by the [[Mahananda River]] in the east, the [[Ganges]] in the south, the [[Gandaki River]] in the west and by the foothills of the [[Himalayas]] in the north.<ref name=Jha1997>{{cite book |author=Jha, M. |year=1997 |chapter=Hindu Kingdoms at contextual level |title=Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0i94Z5C8HMC&pg=PA27 |pages=27–42 |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd |location=New Delhi |isbn=9788175330344}}</ref>

A number of modern scholars locate Gangaridai in the [[Ganges Delta]] of the [[Bengal]] region, although alternative theories also exist. Gange or Ganges, the capital of the Gangaridai (according to [[Ptolemy]]), has been identified with several sites in the region, including [[Chandraketugarh]] and [[Wari-Bateshwar ruins|Wari-Bateshwar]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History |quote=Shah-i-Bangalah, Shah-i-Bangaliyan and Sultan-i-Bangalah |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=History |website=Banglapedia |access-date=23 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929104319/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=History |archive-date=29 September 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Harikela was a kingdom in [[Bengal]] encompassing much of the eastern regions. There are numerous references to the kingdom in historical texts of Hindu and Buddhist records as well as archeological artifacts including silver coinage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ray |first=Niharranjan |title=History of the Bengali People |year=1994 |publisher=Orient Longman Ltd. |location=Calcutta |pages=84}}</ref> Harikela kingdom overthrowed by [[Chandra dynasty]].

== Magadha dynasties of Bengal ==

[[File:Magadha Expansion 1.gif|thumb|Expansion of Magadha dynesties and Empires]]

=== Brihadratha dynasty (c. 1700 – 682 BCE) ===

{{Main|Brihadratha dynasty}}

| [[Brihadratha]] || - BCE

| [[Jarasandha]] || - BCE

| [[Sahadeva of Magadha]] || - BCE

| Somadhi || 1661–1603 BCE

| Srutasravas || 1603–1539 BCE

| Ayutayus || 1539–1503 BCE

| [[Niramitra]] || 1503–1463 BCE

| Sukshatra || 1463–1405 BCE

| Brihatkarman || 1405–1382 BCE

| Senajit || 1382–1332 BCE

| Srutanjaya || 1332–1292 BCE

| Vipra || 1292–1257 BCE

| Suchi || 1257–1199 BCE

| Kshemya || 1199–1171 BCE

| Subrata || 1171–1107 BCE

| Dharma || 1107–1043 BCE

| Susuma || 1043–970 BCE

| Dridhasena || 970–912 BCE

| Sumati || 912–879 BCE

| [[Subala]] || 879–857 BCE

| Sunita || 857–817 BCE

| Satyajit || 817–767 BCE

| Viswajit || 767–732 BCE

| [[Ripunjaya]] || 732–682 BCE

|}

(''[[Ripunjaya]] was the last ruler of dynasty, dethorned by [[Pradyota]] in 682 BCE'')

=== Pradyota dynasty (c. 682 – 544 BCE) ===

{{main|Pradyota dynasty}}

|+List of Pradyota dynasty Rulers

!Ruler

!Reign (BCE)

| [[Pradyota|Pradyota Mahasena]]

| 682–659 BCE

| 23

|-

| Visakhayupa

| 635–585 BCE

| 50

| Ajaka

| 585–564 BCE

| 21

| Varttivarddhana

| 564–544 BCE

| 20

|}

 

 

;Rulers-

| [[Bimbisara]] || 544–491 BCE

| [[Ajatashatru]] || 491–461 BCE

| [[Udayin]] || 461–428 BCE

| Anirudha || 428–419 BCE

| Munda || 419–417 BCE

| Darshaka || 417–415 BCE

| [[Nāgadāsaka]] || 415–413 BCE

|}

 

{{main|Shaishunaga dynasty}}

 

|+List of Shishunga dynasty rulers

| [[Shishunaga]] || 413–395 BCE

| [[Kalashoka]] || 395–377 BCE

| Kshemadharman || 377–365 BCE

|-

| Kshatraujas || 365–355 BCE

| [[Nandivardhana]] || 355–349 BCE

| [[Mahanandin]] || 349–345 BCE

|}

 

{{main|Nanda Empire}}

{{see also|Conquest of the Nanda Empire}}

 

;Rulers-

| [[Mahapadma Nanda]] || 345–340 BCE

| Pandhukananda || 340–339 BCE

| Panghupatinanda || 339–338 BCE

| Bhutapalananda || 338–337 BCE

| Rashtrapalananada || 337–336 BCE

|-

| Govishanakananda || 336–335 BCE

| Dashasidkhakananda || 335–334 BCE

| Kaivartananda || 334–333 BCE

| Karvinathanand || 333–330 BCE

| [[Dhana Nanda]] || 330–322 BCE

 

{{main|Maurya Empire}}

 

{| class="wikitable"

|- bgcolor=#cccccc

|[[Chandragupta Maurya]]||[[File:Chandragupta Maurya and Bhadrabahu.png|100px]] ||322–297 BCE|| Founder of first Indian united empire.

|[[Bindusara Amitraghata]]||[[File:I42 1karshapana Maurya Bindusara MACW4165 1ar (8486583162).jpg|100px]] ||297–273 BCE||Known for his foreign diplomacy and crushed of [[Vidarbh]] revolt.

|[[Ashoka]]||[[File:Ashoka's visit to the Ramagrama stupa Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern gateway.jpg|100px]] ||268–232 BCE||Greatest emperor of dynasty. His son [[Kunala]] was blinded and died before his father. Ashoka was succeeded by his grandson. Also known for [[Kalinga war]] victory.

|[[Dasharatha Maurya]]||[[File:Dasaratha Maurya inscription on entrance of Vadathika cave.jpg|100px]] ||232–224 BCE||Grandson of Ashoka.

|[[Samprati]]||||224–215 BCE||Brother of Dasharatha.

|[[Shalishuka]]||[[File:Mauryan Empire. temp. Salisuka or later. Circa 207-194 BC.jpg|100px]]||215–202 BCE||

|[[Devavarman]]||||202–195 BCE||

|[[Shatadhanvan]]||||195–187 BCE|| Mauryan Empire had shrunk by the time of his reign

|[[Brihadratha Maurya|Brihadratha]]||||187–184 BCE|| Assassinated by his Commander-in-chief [[Pushyamitra Shunga]] in 185 BCE.

|}

''([[Brihadratha Maurya|Brihadratha]] was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by [[Pushyamitra Shunga]] in 185 BCE)''

 

 

{| class="wikitable"

|+List of Shunga dynasty rulers

| [[Pushyamitra Shunga]]|| 185–149 BCE

| [[Agnimitra]]|| 149–141 BCE

| [[Vasujyeshtha]]|| 141–131 BCE

| [[Vasumitra]]|| 131–124 BCE

|-

| Bhadraka || 124–122 BCE

|-

| Pulindaka|| 122–119 BCE

|-

| Ghosha|| 119–108 BCE

|-

| Vajramitra|| 108–94 BCE

|-

| [[Bhagabhadra]]|| 94–83 BCE

|-

| [[Devabhuti]]|| 83–73 BCE

|}

=== Kanva dynasty (c. 73 – 28 BCE) ===

{{main|Kanva dynasty}}

;Rulers-

! Ruler

|-

| [[Vasudeva Kanva]]

| 73–64 BCE

| Narayana

| 50–38 BCE

|-

| Susarman

|38–28 BCE

|}

''(Susarman was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by [[Simuka]] of [[Satavahana Empire]])''

== Classical Era ==

{{Main|Bengal}}

===Chandra Kingdom (c. 202–1050 CE)===

{| class="wikitable"

|+List of Chandra dynasty Rulers

!#

!Reign (CE)

|-

|202-229

|-

|5

|229-234

|-

|77

|234-311

|4

|Rimbhiappa

|23

|5

|Kuverami (Queen)

|7

|334-341

|6

|Umavira (Queen)

|20

|341-361

|7

|Jugna

|361-368

|8

|Lanki

|368-370

|9

|Dvenchandra

|370-425

|10

|Rajachandra

|20

|425-445

|11

|Kalachandra

|9

|12

|Devachandra

|22

|13

|Yajnachandra

|7

|14

|Chandrabandu

|6

|15

|Bhumichandra

|7

|16

|Bhutichandra

|24

|17

|Nitichandra (Queen)

|55

|520-575

|18

|Virachandra

|3

|19

|Pritichandra (Queen)

|12

|20

|Prithvichandra

|7

|21

|Dhirtichandra

|3

|22

|Mahavira

|12

|23

|Virayajap

|12

|24

|Sevinren

|12

|25

|Dharmasura

|13

|26

|Vajrashakti

|16

|27

|Dharmavijaya

|36

|28

|Narendravijaya

|2 yr 9 months

|29

|Dharmachandra

|16

|30

|Anandachandra

|9+

| colspan="4" |[[Harikela|Harikela Dynasty]]

|1

|[[Traillokyachandra]]

|30

|2

|[[Srichandra]]

|45

|3

|[[Kalyanachandra]]

|25

|4

|[[Ladahachandra]]

|20

|[[Govindachandra (Chandra dynasty)|Govindachandra]]  

|30

|1020–1050

|}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wicks |first=Robert S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFpdDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA86 |title=Money, Markets, and Trade in Early Southeast Asia: The Development of Indigenous Monetary Systems to AD 1400 |date=2018-05-31 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-1-5017-1947-9 |pages=87 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Johnston |first=E. H. |date=1944 |title=Some Sanskrit Inscriptions of Arakan |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=357–385 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X00072529 |jstor=609320 |s2cid=191758063 |issn=0041-977X}}</ref>

 

===Gupta Empire (c. 240–550 CE)===

{{main|Gupta Empire}}

 

* [[Sri-Gupta I]] (240–280)

* [[Ghatotkacha (Gupta Ruler)|Ghatotkacha]] (280–319)

* [[Chandragupta I|Chandra Gupta I]] (320–335)

* [[Samudragupta|Samudra Gupta]] (335–380)

* [[Ramagupta|Rama Gupta]] (6 Months)

* [[Chandragupta II|Chandra Gupta II]] ([[Chandragupta Vikramaditya]]) (380–413/415)

* [[Skandagupta|Skanda Gupta]] (455–467)

* [[Purugupta|Puru Gupta]](467–473)

* [[Kumaragupta II|Kumara Gupta II]] (473–476)

* [[Narasimhagupta|Narasimha Gupta]](495–550)

* [[Kumaragupta III|Kumara Gupta III]] (500–540)

* [[Vishnugupta (Gupta Empire)|Vishnugupta]] (540–550)

 

{{main|Jaintia Kingdom}}

 

====Old dynasty====

 

 

#Kedareshwar Rai (1120-1130)

#Jayanta Rai (1193-1210)

 

#Yatra Narayan Syiem Sutnga (1780-1785)

#Ram Singh Syiem Sutnga II (1790–1832)

#Rajendra Singh Syiem Sutnga (1832–1835)<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Laloo |first=Betty |date=20 July 2016 |title=Reconstructing the early Jaintia state through oral traditions |type=PhD |chapter=III: Early Jaintia State Formation |publisher=North-Eastern Hill University |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/10603/217208/9/09_chapter%203.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://megtourism.gov.in/dest-jaintia.html |title=Jaintia Hills-Land of Myths and Legends |website=Mesmerizing Meghalaya |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812044724/http://megtourism.gov.in/dest-jaintia.html |archive-date=12 August 2020}}</ref>

 

{{main|Gauda Kingdom}}

* [[Manava (king)|Manava]] (625–626), ruled for 8 months before being conquered by '''Harshavardana''' and '''Bhaskarvarmana'''

 

{{main|Pushyabhuti dynasty}}

* [[Harsha]]vardhana (606–647), unified Northern India and ruled it for over 40 years, he was the last non-Muslim emperor to rule a unified Northern India

 

{{main|Khadga dynasty}}

{| class="wikitable" style="width:50%; text-align:center;"

! style="width:12%;"| Titular Name

! style="width:9%;"| Reign

! style="width:9%;"| Notes

| '''Khadgodyama''' (খড়্গদ্যোম)

| 625-640

| Father of Jatakhadga

| '''Jatakhadga''' (জাতখড়্গ)

| 640-658

| Father of Devakhadga

| '''Devakhadga''' (দেবখড়্গ)

| 658-673

| Queen Prabhavati (প্রভাবতী)

| '''Rajabhatta''' (রাজভট্ট)

| 673-707

| Son of Devakhadga

| '''Balabhata''' (বলভট্ট)

| 707-716

| Son of Devakhadga

| '''Udirnakhadga''' (উদীর্ণখড়্গ)

| ??

|[[Adi Malla]]

|694–710

|[[Jay Malla]]

|710–720

|Benu Malla

|720–733

|[[Kinu Malla]]

|733–742

|Indra Malla

|742–757

|[[Kanu Malla]]

|757–764

|Dha (Jhau) Malla

|764–775

|[[Shur Malla]]

|775–795

|Kanak Malla

|795–807

|Kandarpa Malla

|807–828

|Sanatan Malla

|828–841

|[[Kharga Malla]]

|841–862

|Durjan (Durjay) Malla

|862–906

|[[Yadav Malla]]

|906–919

|Mahadev Malla

|946–977

|Durgadas Malla

|977–994

|[[Jagat Malla]]

|994–1007

|Rup Malla

|1015=1029

|Sundar Malla

|1029–1053

|Kumud Malla

|1053–1074

|Krishna Malla

|1074–1084

|

|Rup II (Jhap) Malla

|1084–1097

|

|[[Prakash Malla]]

|1097–1102

|Pratap Malla

|1102–1113

|

|Sindur Malla

|1113–1129

|

|Sukhomoy(Shuk) Malla

|1129–1142

|

|Banamali Malla

|1142–1156

|

|Yadu/Jadu Malla

|1156–1167

|