The History of Bengal, Vol. I: Hindu Period

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R. C. Majumdar

A foundational academic survey of ancient Bengal and the Hindu period, useful for the long pre-Muslim history of the region.

Est. 1947 · Bengal✺A Bilingual Archive

Referenced In Events

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Timeline View

c. 4th-3rd century BCE

Urban Emergence at Mahasthangarh

Archaeological evidence from Mahasthangarh indicates one of the earliest major fortified urban centers in the Bengal region, with origins around the 4th-3rd century BCE and long continuity of settlement and administration.

Early 7th century

Shashanka and the Gauda Kingdom

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.

c. mid-8th century

Foundation of the Pala Dynasty

The Pala dynasty emerged in the mid-8th century, with Gopala's rise during a period of political disorder. Under Dharmapala and Devapala, the dynasty expanded significantly, made Bengal a central actor in wider South Asian politics, and supported Buddhist institutions that tied the region to major intellectual networks.

8th century

Construction of Somapura Mahavihara

Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur emerged in the 8th century as one of the largest monasteries south of the Himalayas and an important intellectual center in pre-Islamic Bengal.

c. 1178-1204

Late Sena Transition Before the 1204 Conquest

The late Sena phase under Lakshmanasena (c. 1178-c. 1205) represents the final major pre-1204 court-centered order in Bengal, ending with his expulsion from Nadia by Bakhtiyar Khalji.