KING SASANKA AND THE

GAUDA KINGDOM
His 101: Bangladesh History and Culture
Instructor: Muhammad Asiful Basar
Sasanka, the first important king of ancient Bengal, occupies a
prominent place in the history of the region. It is generally
believed that he ruled approximately between 600/606(?) AD and
625 AD.
Historical sources suggest that king Sasanka liberated Gauda
from the later Guptas sometimes in 606 AD and became its king.
His capital was in Karnasuvarna which is now located at
Kanasona in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. The history of
Shasanka’s foundation can be known from two inscriptions- 1)
Midnapore Inscription issued in his 8th and 10th regnal years,
and 2) another undated inscription discovered in Kharagpur.
Besides Sashanka's subordinate king of Ganjam (Orissa)
Madhavavarma's copper plate (dated 619 AD), Harshavardhan's
Banskhera and Madhuvan copper plates and the Nidhanpur copper
plate of the Kamarupa king Bhaskara Varman contain information
about Shashanka. Besides, Shashanka issued gold and silver coins.
The seal-matrix of 'Shri Mahasamanta Shashanka' from Rohtasgarh
and the contemporary literary accounts of Banabhatta and the
Chinese pilgrim HIUEN-TSANG and the Buddhist text
Aryamanjushrimulakalpa are important sources of information.
The History of Sasanka is known to us based on few sources. They are:
The account of Banabhatta’s Harshacharita and Hiuen-Tsang
The Ganjam, Midnapore, Doobi, Kharagpur, Banskhera, Madhuvan
and the Nidhanpur Inscriptions.
Coins and Buddhist work of Arja Manjushree Mul Kalpa.
Early Life of Sasanka:
Very little information about the early life of Sashanka is known. It
appears that he ruled for sometime as a chieftain (mahasamanta) of
Rohtasgarh under the Gauda king of Karnasuvarna, who possibly
belonged to the family of the Maukharis. After the fall of the Guptas, the
dominion of Western Bengal came under the control of the Maukharis
and became known as the Gauda kingdom, although this was far from
including all of Bengal. Among the Kings of Bengal, Sasanka was the
first fully sovereign ruler and he occupies a prominent place in the
history of Bengal. The exact time and date when Sasanka had ascended
the throne of Bengal is, not definitely known. However, the end of
Sasanka’s reign must had happened by 625 AD, as King
Harshabhardana’s record’s suggest that when he attacked the Gaura
kingdom in that year, Sasanka was not alive.
The first recorded independent king of Bengal, or Gauda, was a
tribal leader named Sashanka. He pulled together the disparate
sections of his kingdom at some point around the start of the
seventh century, and was also a contemporary and adversary of
King Harshavardhana of Thaneshwar. The kingdom of Gauda (the
territory between the River Padma and the region of Bardhaman)
had its capital at Karnasuvarna.

It is generally agreed that it was from the ashes of the Gupta

Empire that the independent kingdom of Gauda took birth.
Sasanka was in endless struggle with the Maukharis of Kanauj
and the kingdom of Kamrup.
Political Contributions of Shasanka
Shashanka has been described both in the inscriptions and literary
accounts as the ruler of Gauda. In the narrower sense Gauda is the territory
between the river Padma and Bardhamana region. But in course of time it
embraced much wider area.
Before the rise of Sasanka the Mana dynasty became a powerful
independent kingdom between Midnapore and Gaya district in Bihar.
Later this dynasty occupied Orissa. Sasanka defeated Shambhujas or his
successor and occupied Dandabhukti that is Midnapore and Orissa.
The kingdom of Vanga, comprising south and eastern Bengal also
recognised the supremacy of Sasanka. But nothing can be definitely said
about this. Sasanka did not only make Gauda an independent and
sovereign country but extended its dominions upto Ganjam towards the
south, Magadha and Varanasi.
Sources suggests that
Shasanka possibly ruled over Northern and Western Bengal.
We cannot definitely say if he ruled over the Southern and Eastern
Bengal.
The Maukharis of Kanauj were his most persistent enemies.
Shasanka wanted to secure his kingdom from the aggressive
Maukharis. Maukhari king, Grahavarma, married Rajyasri, the
daughter of Prabhakarvardana, the king of Thaneswar and made
an alliance to suppress Shasanka of Gauda.
 In response to this alliance, Shasanka formed a counter alliance with king
of Malwa, Devagupta. The northern Indian power politics saw the rise of
two rival blocks and a conflict between these two became inevitable.
Shasanka first successfully annexed his territory with Magadha and also
conquered Banaras.
When the Thaneswar king Pravakarvardana died, the Malwa king
Devagupta accompanied by Shasanka attacked the isolated Kanauj. King
Grahavarma was killed and widow queen Rajyasri was imprisoned. Thus
the Gauda and Malwa became the master of Kanauj.
In order to take revenge and to rescue his sister Rajyasri, the Thaneswar‘s
new king Rajyavardhana advanced with a strong contingent and killed
Malwa king Devagupta.
A counter attack by Shasanka also killed Rajyavardhana and made
him the lone master for the time being. The defeat and death of
Rajyavardhana at the hands of Sasanka gave rise to various
conflicting stories. Among these one mentioned on Banbhatta’s
Harsha Charit and Hiuen T-Sang’s narrative deserves mention.
According to Bana, Sasanka invited Rajyavardhana to his camp for a
peace talk and later finding him alone, killed him. In Hiuen T-Sang’s
narrative it is mentioned that Sasanka on the advice of his ministers
invited Rajyavardhana to his camp and kill him to secure his
supremacy. In the inscription of Harshavardhana it is mentioned
that Rajyavardhana lost his life in the camp of his enemy in order to
keep truth.
On hearing the news of the death of Rajyavardhana, Harsha-
vardhana as we know from Harsha Charit, promised to clear the
earth of Gaudas, otherwise he would burn himself to death. Thereafter
he proceeded with a large force against Sasanka, but on the way he
came to learn that his sister Rajyasree had fled from the prison of
Devagupta and taken shelter in the Vindhyas. He left the charge of his
army to his General, and went in search of Rajyasree.
In the meantime Bhaskarvarman of Kamrup being fearful of the growing
strength of Sasanka entered into a friendly alliance with Harshavardhana.
Whether Harshavardhana succeeded in defeating Sasanka in any battle is not
mentioned anywhere except in Manjusreemulakalpa, a Buddhist book, in
which it is mentioned that Harshavardhana defeated Sasanka. But this
information is not reliable. Even there was not a single word in Banbhatta’s
Harsha Charit about Sasanka’s defeat at the hands of Harshavardhana.
Very little information on Shasanka’s role in Kanauj after the death
of Rajyavardhana is available. Later sources indicate that the new
king of Thaneswar, Harshavardhana occupied Kanauj.
The last years of Shasanka’s reign have proved his undiminished
powers till his death. Harshavardhana could captured Gauda only
after Shasanka’s death. The Ganjam inscription of 619 AD proved
that till 619 AD Shasanka was the sovereign ruler of Gauda, South
Bihar and Orissa.

It is difficult to explain Shasanka’s later life in Gauda. Possibly after

Shasanka death his son came in power for a few months.
Unfortunately we do not have sufficient information about his reign.
It is learnt that he was a devoted to Shiva and patronize Shivism. Chinese
pilgrim Hiuen Tsang (637-38) introduced him as a anti-Buddhist ruler and
mentioned that famous Bodhi Tree of Gaya was cut down by Shasanka and
also attempted to efface the footprints of Buddha from the stone kept at
Pataliputra.

However, Hiuen T-Sang's account does not picture Sasanka's perception

of Buddhism. Hiuen T-Sang, who visited Gauda after the death of Sasanka,
mentioned in one place of his diary that Karnasuvarna and in other parts of
Sasanka’s kingdom he saw Buddhism prevalent. Now the question is, if
Sasanka oppressed the Buddhists, how could Buddhism be found to exist in
all parts of his dominions, including his capital, just a few years after his
death?
For a king of Gauda, it was a great show of strength to have ventured into
northern Indian politics. So he can seen as the first important king of
Bengal, who for the first time brought Gauda into competition for other
states to control northern Indian politics. King Shasanka thus laid the
foundation on which the Palas later built their vast empire.
End of Sasanka and the Age of Anarchy:
Matsyanyayam
Hiuen T-Sang came to visit Bengal immediately after death of
Sasanka and he found Bengal divided into five principalities,
namely, Kajangal, Pundravardhana, Karnasurvarna, Samatata
and Tamralipti. Utkal and Kangod although had been parts of
Bengal had become independent.
In Manjusreemulakalpa there is a clear reference to the total dis-
ruption in Bengal after the death of Sasanka. Manab, son of
Sasanka, ruled over Bengal for eight months five days and rulers
who arose in different parts of Bengal likewise ruled for very short
time. Taking advantage of the situation Bhaskarvarman of
Kamrup conquered Gauda and Harshavardhana conquered
Utkal and Kangod.
The death of Sasanka was followed by a period of anarchy and
lawlessness. For more than a century, roughly from 625 to 750 A.D the
anarchy continued. This period in history is marked as Matsyanyayam.
After the death of King Harshavardhana in 646 AD, Bengal saw the
emergence of two new lines of kings: The later Guptas in Gauda and
Mghada and the Khadgas in Vanga. However, neither of these
dynasties succeeded in establishing a united and strong rule in
Bengal.
Besides, in the first half of the 8th century, Bengal saw repeated
foreign invasions from different parts of the sub-continent. Of them
most notable were the invasion of Yasovarman of Kanauj and which
lasted for only two years; and the invasion of Lalitaditya of Kashmir.
It is needless to stress that due to internal disorder and external
aggression condition in Bengal became desperate. The small
local rulers were mutually at war, the stronger was oppressing
the weaker, and the more powerful was attacking the less
powerful. This is the situation, known in history as Matsyanayam,
which means the rule of the fishes. As the larger fish swallows the
smaller ones so the more powerful or bigger local lord was
occupying the territories of the smaller and the weaker ones. In-
ternal conflicts, lack of law and order made the condition of the
common people unbearable. This situation continued for more
than 125 years in Bengal history. Within this time, there is no
reference of birth of any powerful kingdom in the Bengal region.
The Sanskrit term Matsyanyayam has special significance. The Kautiliya‘s
Arthasastra explain the term as follows:
''When the law of punishment is kept in abeyance, it gives rise to such
disorder as is implied in the proverb of fishes, ie, the larger fish swallows
a smaller one, for in the absence of a magistrate, the strong will swallow
the weak’’.
The writer of the Manjusrimulakalpa declared that after Sashanka the
state of Gauda was paralyzed, and whoever was king thereafter would not
be able to rule for even a year. According to the same source there was a
disastrous famine that occurred during the post-Shashanka period in the
eastern region of India.
From the ruins of Mahasthana it can be seen that the temples and
monasteries of the Pala period were built on the ruins of the earlier Gupta
and post-Gupta eras. It would seem that the destruction belongs to the age
of anarchy. The devastating famine mentioned earlier may have had a
connection with the prevailing anarchy.

It is needless to stress that due to internal disorder and external

aggression, the condition in Bengal became devastated. The small local
rulers were mutually at war, the stronger was oppressing the weaker, and
the more powerful was attacking the less powerful. This is the period which
is historically known as Matsyanyayam.
The Establishment of Pala Dynasty
The anarchy and confusion which prevailed for more than a century led to a
natural reaction. The people, who had suffered untold miseries for a long
period, suddenly developed a political wisdom that impacted positively in
the establishment of Pala dynasty.
They perceived that the establishment of a single strong central authority
is the only effective remedy against political disintegration. They also
realised that such a happy state of things could only be brought about by
the voluntary surrender of authority to one person by the numerous petty
chiefs who had been exercising independent political authority in different
parts of the country. This process of transition ended through a bloodless
revolution which made a popular local hero Gopala as the elected king of
the country. This event is recognized as one of the first democratic elections
(?) in South Asia since the time of the Maha Janapadas.
Though this memorable episode in the history of Bengal is known to us only
in brief outline. According to Khalimpur Copper plate:

"His son was the crest-jewel of the heads of kings, the glorious Gopala, whom
the people (Prakits) made, take the hand of fortune, to put an end to the
practice of fishes".

It is clear from the above description that the Gopala was made as a king in
order to restore peace and prosperity of the country. However, in which way
he had been elected and who are the people who elected him, is highly
debatable. According to R.C Majumder, this group of people, whom we
know as Prakriti Punja were actually a group of noble who elected Gopala
as their chief. This decision was perhaps subsequently endorsed and
acclaimed by the people.
By electing Gapala to the throne of Bengal the leading persons of Bengal of
that time had given proof of their sense of nationalism and patriotism.
Gopala’s first task was the removal of lawlessness and disorder from the
country which he did without any delay and thereby fulfilled the expectation
of the people of Bengal. His reign was occupied largely by war for bringing
peace and to protect the country from foreign invasions.

His efforts were crowned with success and Bengal enjoyed a period of peace
and prosperity. Although much is not known about his reign, it is believed
that he brought whole of Bengal under his control. The exact length of his
reign is also not known.
Question for the Bonus Test:

Based on the discussion of the archaeological discoveries of Bengal and the discussion that
so far we had, make your comments on any of the following issues:

a. The Political System of Bengal (briefly explain what type of political system we
developed in the early age, is there any special characteristic of the political system?
b. Urbanisation and Town Planning: Do you see any development in this field? Where
we made special progress in this field?
c. The Economic System of the Country: What are the key features of the economic life
of the people during this time? In which field we probably made some progress?

Time: 10 Minutes
Maximum Length: 150 Words