2017-01-20 Fri

Hey, all… Last time we gave you a brief introduction about the Samatata region.

Let’s recollect it before starting with another interesting region in Bengal.
Bengal was divided into three parts: Banga, Samatata, and Gauda which were ruled by the later Gupta Dynasty.

King Shashanka was the founder of the Gaud Kingdom; he was also the first to have its own political entity over Bengal. He ruled during 7th Century CE. He issued a gold dinar which depicts Lord Shiva seated on the bull holding trident in his hand and an inscription in Brahmi ‘Shri Ja’, all within a dotted circle. The reverse depicts the Goddess Lakshmi seating on Lotus holding a bud in one hand and a branch in other. The legend is read in Brahmi as ‘Shri Shashanka’.

It is said that Shashanka destroyed the Buddhist Stupa and beheaded many Buddhist monks in his kingdom, that’s brutal. So this specific coin which depicts Shiva and Lakhsmi definitely signifies that he strongly followed Hinduism!

He fought a major war with Harsha, the ruler of Thaeshwar. The throne of Bengal was succeeded by his son, who was not a very stable ruler. The Guad Kingdom later came into the hands of Harsha and it was further divided.