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| {{short description|Kingdom in East India}} | | #REDIRECT [[Vanga kingdom]] |
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| {{Infobox Former Country
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| |conventional_long_name = Vanga
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| |common_name = Vanga
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| |era = [[Ancient India]]
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| |status =
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| |image_map = Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
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| |image_map_caption = Vanga and erstwhile neighbors in ancient India
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| |government_type = Monarchy
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| |today = [[Bangladesh]]<br>[[India]]
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| }} | | }} |
| {{History of Bengal}}
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| '''Vanga''' was an ancient [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]] kingdom and geopolitical division on the [[Ganges delta]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft067n99v9&chunk.id=ch01&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ch01&brand=ucpress|access-date=2021-06-14|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> 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 | History, Culture, Map, Capital, & Population}}</ref> It was located in southern Bengal, with the core region including present-day southwestern [[Bangladesh]] and southern [[West Bengal]] ([[India]]). Vanga features prominently in the epics and tales of [[ancient India]] as well as in the history of [[Sri Lanka]].
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| Vanga was probably the center of the [[Gangaridai]] Empire mentioned by numerous [[Greco-Roman]] writers. The exact capital of ancient Vanga kingdom could not identified. After the rule of [[Gupta empire]], ancient Bengal was divided into two independent states. They were the [[Gauda Kingdom]] and Vanga kingdom and archaeologists think that, [[Kotalipara]] in present-day [[Bangladesh]] was the capital of the independent Vanga kingdom.
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| Indian and Greco-Roman writers referred to the region's [[war elephants]]. In Indian history, Vanga is notable for its strong [[navy]]. There are numerous references to Vanga in the Hindu epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'', which is one of the two major [[Sanskrit]] epics of India. The other epic, the ''[[Ramayana]]'', mentions the kingdom as an ally of [[Ayodhya (legendary city)|Ayodhya]].
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| ==History==
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| The Vanga kingdom emerged in the lower Ganges delta during the [[Northern Black Polished Ware]] Period. It controlled many of the islands of the delta with its naval fleet and embarked on overseas exploration. Ancient Indian records refer to Vanga as a hub of sailors. In the 5th century BCE, the Vanga king Sinhabahu's son prince Vijaya sailed across the [[Bay of Bengal]] and established a kingdom in what is now [[Sri Lanka]].<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> The religious traditions of the kingdom included [[Jainism]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Hinduism]].
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| [[File:Vanga coin (400-300 BCE).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Vanga coin (400-300 BCE)]]
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| Vanga is recorded as an administrative unit in the ''[[Arthashastra]]'' written by [[Kautilya]]. It is described as a notable [[naval]] power by [[Kalidasa]]. There are also records of subdivisions within Vanga, including an area called "Upa Vanga" (minor Vanga) which corresponds to [[Jessore District|Jessore]] and forested areas corresponding to the [[Sundarbans]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Vanga|title = Vanga - Banglapedia}}</ref>
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| [[File:The Consecration Of King Sinhala-Prince Vijaya (Detail From The Ajanta Mural Of Cave No 17).jpg|thumb|The coronation of Vanga prince Vijaya as king of Lanka island. Mural in the [[Ajanta Caves]], western India]]
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| The rulers of the Vanga kingdom remain mostly unknown. After the 2nd century BCE, the territory became part of successive Indian empires, including [[Mauryan Empire|Mauryans]], [[Gupta Empire|Guptas]], [[Shashanka]]'s reign, [[Khadga dynasty|Khadgas]], [[Pala Empire|Palas]], [[Chandra Dynasty|Chandras]], [[Sena Dynasty|Senas]] and [[Deva dynasty|Devas]]. The term ''Vangala'' was often used to refer to the territory. For example, an inscription of the South Indian Chola dynasty referred to the region as ''Vangaladesha'' during a war with the [[Chandra dynasty]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Chandra_Dynasty,_The|title = Chandra Dynasty, the - Banglapedia}}</ref> After the Muslim conquest of Bengal , the region was referred to as ''Bangalah'', which may have evolved from ''Vangala''. The names are the precursors of the modern terms ''Banga'' and ''Bangla''.
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| ==Geography==
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| The core region of Vanga lay between the [[Padma River|Padma]]-[[Meghna River|Meghna]] river system in the east and the [[Hooghly River|Bhagirathi-Hooghly]] river system in the west.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Vanga|title = Vanga - Banglapedia}}</ref> In the east, it encompassed the modern Bangladeshi [[Khulna Division]] excluding pre-1947 Jessore District i.e. Upa Vanga which is in Paschim (West) Vanga <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Ganges-Padma_River_System|title = Ganges-Padma River System - Banglapedia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/cultural-icon-2072|title = Cultural icon}}</ref> and [[Barisal Division]], as well as the southwestern part of [[Dhaka Division]]. In the west, it included [[Presidency Division]] of West Bengal and may have extended to [[Burdwan Division]] and [[Medinipur division]]. Its neighbors included [[Samatata]] in the east; [[Pundravardhana]] in the north; and [[Magadha]], [[Anga]], [[Suhma]] and Radha in the west.
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| The Vanga kingdom encompassed the many islands of the Ganges delta and the Sundarbans mangrove forest.
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| ==Archaeology==
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| [[Chandraketugarh]] and [[Wari-Bateshwar ruins]] are the major archaeological site of the kingdom.
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| == References in the Mahabharata ==
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| {{See also|Kalinga (Mahabharata)}}
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| [[File:Kurukshetra Angkor Wat 0859.jpg|thumb|Scenes from the [[Kurukshetra War]] of the [[Mahabharata]] shown in [[Angkor Wat]], Cambodia]]
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| [[File:WestBengalSealofShip.png|thumb|Terracotta seal of a ship found in [[Chandraketugarh]], West Bengal, India]]
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| [[File:Kan-terra-cota-13.jpg|thumb|Terracotta war elephants, [[Kantajew Temple]], Bangladesh]]
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| [[File:Kan-terra-cota-26.jpg|thumb|Terracotta elephant and tiger, Kantajew Temple, Bangladesh]]
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| At (6:9), [[Anga Kingdom|Anga]], Vanga, and Kalinga were mentioned as close kingdoms in Bharata Varsha (Ancient India). All regions of sacred waters and all other holy palaces there were in Vanga and Kalinga, [[Arjuna]] visited all of them, during his pilgrimage lasting for 12 years throughout [[History of India|ancient India]].<ref>(Mbh 1:217) {{full citation needed|date=February 2019}}</ref>
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| The founders of [[Anga Kingdom|Angas]], Vangas, [[Kalinga (Mahabharata)|Kalingas]], [[Pundra Kingdom|Pundras]] and Suhmas shared a common ancestry. They were all adopted sons of a king named Vali (Bali), born by a sage named Gautama Dirghatamas, who lived in [[Magadha Kingdom|Magadha]] close to the city of Girivraja.<ref>(1:104) {{full citation needed|date=February 2019}}</ref><ref>(2:21) {{full citation needed|date=February 2019}}</ref>
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| Other texts say that, because king Bali had no descendants, this deputed rishi Dirghatamaas to give birth of the children and thus five sons were born from the womb of the wife of Bali.
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| ===Other expeditions to Vanga===
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| The [[Kasmira Kingdom|Kashmiras]], the [[Darada Kingdom|Daradas]], the [[Kunti Kingdom|Kuntis]], the Kshudrakas, the [[Malava Kingdom|Malavas]], the [[Anga]]s, the [[Vangas]], the [[Kalinga (Mahabharata)|Kalingas]], the [[Videha Kingdom|Videhas]], the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshovahas, the Vitahotras, the [[Trigarta Kingdom|Trigartas]], the Martikavatas were all vanquished by [[Bhargava Rama]] (7:68).
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| [[Karna]] captured the Angas, and the Vangas, and the Kalingas, and the Mandikas, and the Magadhas. the Karkakhandas; and also included with them the Avasiras, Yodhyas, and the Ahikshatras (3:252).
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| The Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, the [[Kasi Kingdom|Kasis]], the [[Kosala Kingdom|Kosalas]], the [[Vatsa Kingdom|Vatsyas]], the Gargyas, the [[Karusha Kingdom|Karushas]] and the Paundras were mentioned to be vanquished by [[Krishna in the Mahābhārata|Vasudeva Krishna]] (7:11).
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| Arjuna defeated the countries of the Vangas, the Pundras, and the Kosalas (14:82) in his military campaign after [[Kurukshetra War]].
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| ===Tributes to Yudhishthira===
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| The kings of Anga, Vanga and Pundra were mentioned as attending the court of [[Yudhishthira]] at (2:4). The Vangas, Angas, Paundras, [[Odra Kingdom|Odras]], [[Chola Kingdom|Cholas]], [[Dravida Kingdom|Dravidas]] and [[Andhra Kingdom|Andhrakas]] were mentioned to be giving tribute to Yudhishthira (3:51). The Angas, the Vangas, the Punras, the Sanavatyas, and the Gayas—these good and well-born [[Kshatriya]]s distributed into regular clans and trained to the use of arms, brought tribute unto king Yudhishthira by hundreds and thousands. The Vangas, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptas, the Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas, the Patrornas, the Saisavas, and innumerable Karnapravaranas, were found waiting at the gate (2:51).
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| ===Vangas in Kurukshetra War===
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| ''Vanga army was skilled in handling [[war elephants]]. They sided with the [[Kauravas]].''
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| Vangas sided with [[Duryodhana]] in the Kurukshetra War (8:17) along with the Kalingas. They are mentioned as part of the [[Kaurava]] army at (7:158). Many foremost of combatants skilled in elephant-fight, belonging to the Easterners, the Southerners, the Angas, the Vangas, the Pundras, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Mekalas, the Koshalas, the [[Madra Kingdom|Madras]], the [[Dasarna Kingdom|Dasharnas]], the Nishadas united with the Kalingas (8:22). [[Satyaki]], pierced the vitals of the elephant belonging to the king of the Vangas (8:22).
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| ''[[Bhagadatta]] was mentioned as the ruler of the Pragjyotisha kingdom that took part in the Kurukshetra War.''
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| Behind Duryodhana proceeded the ruler of the Vangas, with ten thousand elephants, huge as hills, and each with juice trickling down (6:92). The ruler of the Vangas (Bhagadatta) mounting upon an elephant huge as a hill, drove towards the Rakshasa, [[Ghatotkacha]]. On the field of battle, with the mighty elephant of great speed, Bhagadatta placed himself in the very front of Duryodhana's car. With that elephant he completely shrouded the car of thy son. Beholding then the way (to Duryodhana's car) thus covered by the intelligent king of the Vangas, the eyes of Ghatotkacha became red in anger. He ruled that huge dart, before upraised, at that elephant. Struck with that dart hurled from the arms of Ghatotkacha, that elephant, covered with blood and in great agony, fell down and died. The mighty king of the Vangas, however, quickly jumping down from that elephant, alighted on the ground (6:93).
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| ===Rulers of Vanga===
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| At (2:29) two rulers Samudrasena and Chadrasena were mentioned. It is not clear if they were rulers of Vanga kingdom. Karna is mentioned as the ruler of Anga and Vanga at (2:43). Paundraka Vasudeva, an ally of [[Jarasandha]] and enemy of Vasudeva Krishna is mentioned as king of Vanga, Pundra and the Kiratas at (2:14). Bhagadatta is mentioned as the ruler of Vanga at (8:22).
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| Probably all these rulers had a stake in the territory of Vanga. All of them were mentioned as ruling the neighbouring kingdoms of Vanga, in other passages in Mahabharata. Bhagadatta was the ruler of [[Pragjyotisha Kingdom]] to the north of Vanga. Paundraka Vasudeva ruled Pundra Kingdom to the east of Vanga and Karna ruled Anga Kingdom to the west of Vanga.
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| ===Other references===
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| Kings of Kalinga and Vanga were mentioned as attending the self choice ceremony of the [[Panchala Kingdom (Mahabharata)|Panchala]] princess, along with Vasudeva the king of Pundra.<ref>(1:189) (2:33) {{full citation needed|date=February 2019}}</ref>
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| ==See also==
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| * [[Kingdoms of Ancient India]]
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| * [[Mahabharata]] of [[Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa]], translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
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| ==External links==
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| {{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata}}
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| [[Category:Kingdoms in the Mahabharata]]
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| [[Category:Indo-Aryan peoples]]
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| [[Category:History of West Bengal]]
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| [[Category:History of Bengal]]
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| [[Category:History of Bangladesh]]
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