Gaur / Lakhnauti

Early 7th century

Shashanka and the Gauda Kingdom

A major early sovereign power in Bengal.

In the early 7th century, Shashanka, king of Gauda, expanded authority over a substantial part of the Ganges valley and represented one of the earliest major sovereign political formations centered on Bengal.

1352

Bengal Sultanate Independence and Unification

A unified sovereign Bengal emerges under an independent sultanate.

By the mid-fourteenth century, Bengal came under a unified and effectively sovereign sultanate polity, commonly associated with the consolidation of Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah. This marked a major shift from fragmented regional authority to a distinct Bengal state with its own political center and durable institutional identity.

1538

Humayun Enters Bengal and Occupies Gaur

The first major Mughal intervention phase reaches Bengal's political core.

In 1538, Humayun's campaign reached Bengal and occupied Gaur, signaling the first major Mughal intervention into Bengal's power structure. Although temporary, the move tied Bengal directly to the Mughal-Afghan contest in the east.