01-20-2009, 11:11 AM
Another paper:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The Rise of the Sena Power in Nepal</b>
Basudevlal Das,M.A., Ph.D.
Lecturer,Deptt. Of History,
Thakur Ram Multiple Campus,
Birganj (Nepal).
<b>Abstract</b>
The Sena dynasty ruled in Bengal after the Pala dynasty upto 1205 AD. After the downfall of their rule in Bengal, their descendants proceeded westward. The neighbouring area Mithila was influenced by them, so a branch of the Sena family proceeded towards this and established their settlement in the land of present-day Nepal in about the half of the thirteenth century.
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There are names of rulers of many dynasty with SENA suffix. The Sena dynasty of Bengal called themselves BRAHMA-KSHATRIYA and claimed to belong to the lunar race. They came from the Deccan and settled in Bengal. In Bengal, the last Sena ruler was Lakshmanasena, whose rule was ended by the attack of Khilji.
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The Senas of Bengal expanded their territories at different times and in different ways towards the regions of Kamarupa, Gaya, Magadha, Mithila, Prayag, Kashi etc. These regions are now within the areas of Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India and Nepal. The descendants of the Senas of Bengal afterwards established their kingdoms in Mandi, Suket, Keonthal and Kishtwar. These are the areas of present-day Himachal Pradesh and Jammu.
According to the VALLALACHARITA, the dominion of Vallalasena included Vanga,Varendra, Radha,Bagdi and Mithila and so Mithila was one of the five provinces of Vallala kingdom. Lakshmanasena, son of Vallalasena, worked for a long time in Mithila as KUMARAMATYA. This is the cause that the Lakshmana Samvat was prevailing in Mithila more than that in Bengal.
Traditions have preserved the names of various kings who succeeded Lakshmanasena. After the downfall of the Sena dynasty in Bengal, the descendants of Senas proceeded towards different provinces on which they and their ancestors had some influences. Though the historians differ in opinion that the Sena ruled over Mithila, nevertheless, they show the possibilities that some minor lines of Senas had something to do particularly with the province of Mithila.
Senas controlled a little portion of the area known as Morang, that is north-eastern Purnea extending upto the borders of Jalapaiguri in Bengal. In another evidence, the Bengal province of Mithila, included the whole of the country, called Morang. Birbandh is said to be the dividing line between the Karnatas of Mithila and the Senas of Bengal. Morang is at present the name of a district in Koshi Zone of Nepal. This is situated on the east side of the river Koshi.                     Â
There are so many ruins found in the Tarai region of Nepal. The Tarai region is the northern side of the land on which so many dynasties in different times in history ruled. The Sena kings of Nepal area used the word RUPANARAYANETYADI in their PRSHASTI (eulogy). Regarding the eulogy, it is said that this is related with the place Rupanagar ( Saptari district,Nepal). This place was the earliest capital-seat of the Senas in the Nepalese region.
In fact, a king named Mukundasena, who was a descendant of the Senas of Bengal, settled in the area of Rupanagar in the first half of the thirteenth century and expanding his rule towards the area of Magaras, established the seat of Makawanpur. The kingdom of Makawanpur was expanded towards east and west sides and so the rule of Sena dynasty covered, in course of time , the area of twentytwo districts of present-day Nepal. Finally, in eighteenth century, the rules of the Senas were ended by the new rising power Gorkhalis in Nepal.
<b>THE RISE OF THE SENA POWER IN NEPAL</b>
( A Paper to be presented in the International Conference on Indian History).
By:- Basudevlal Das,M.A., Ph.D.
Lecturer,Deptt. Of History,
Thakur Ram Multiple Campus,
Birganj (Nepal).
<b>1. Introduction:-</b>
The Sena dynasty ruled in Bengal upto 1205AD. They were the patron of Hinduism and adorned the title of Hindupati. After the downfall of their rule in Bengal, their descendants proceeded towards westward. The neighbouring area Mithila was also influenced by the Senas. So, a branch of the family proceeded towards this and established their settlement in the land of present-day Nepal in about the half of thirteenth century. The rule of the Senas ended in eighteenth century because of the new rising power of Gorkhalis.
<b>2. Background:-</b>
The very meaning of the term Sena is described in many dictionaries as having a lord, possessing a master or leader.1 In Sanskrit language this term is Shyena and in Prakrit language Sena. These both mean hawk, a bird of prey which is called in Hindi language Baja.2. One author writes about the origin of the term that this is derived from the the word Shrenika. The Shrenikas were nobles of the Cholas of South India. 3.
There are many rulers of several states at different periods, found having the title of Sena. Towards fourth and fifth centuries, the Vakataka dynasty of Madhya Pradesh (India) had an important place in the political and cultural life of India. The founder of this dynasty was Vindhyashakti. After him, his son Pravarasena ascended the throne, who was the only king of this dynasty to hold the title of emperor. 4. In the line of Pravarasena, further names are Sarvasena, Rudrasena, Prithvisena, Divakarasena, Damodarasena, Narendrasena, Devasena, Harisena etc.5. Likewise towards Ceylon, there are found some names as Mahasena, Mitrasena, Dhatusena, Kirtisena etc. 6.
The Shaka was an important tribe of Middle-Asia whose one branch used to live in Sistan(East Iran). From this place the Shaka arrived in southern Saurastra, Gujarat and Ujjain through the Indus river valley. These Shakas were eminent in the area named Erana of Sagar district (Madhya Pradesh, India). The moulds of the coin of the Shaka rulers are found in ample number from an excavation in Erana. They discover the names of four rulers in which two are with Sena title. It is considered that they are of the period before Samudragupta (335 to 375AD.).7.
An inscription from Aphsad (also called Jafarpur) of Gaya district (Bihar,India) mentions the name Adityasena of Gupta dynasty whose period was seventh century AD. 8.Â
Other inscriptions of Adityasena are found from Mandargiri (Bhagalpur district,Bihar) and Deva Varnaka(Shahabad district).9. These inscriptions discover his conquests upon Magadha, Tirhuta(Vaishali,Mithila) and upto Himalaya and crown him the epithet of Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja.10. An inscription of Anshuvarma from Deupatan (Kathmandu valley,Nepal) mentions Rajaputra Shurasena. Here Shurasena seems a relative of Sarvadandanayaka Vikramasena. 11.
Towards the ninth to eleventh centuries, there were Jain teachers in Dharwar district of Mysore state. 12. They belonged to the Sena family (Senanvaya).13. It cannot be ascertained whether the Senas of Dharwar had any connection with those of Bengal. A family of kings with names ending in Sena are known to have ruled over the kingdom named Pithi. An inscription found at Janibigha, about six miles eastward from Bodh-Gaya, records the grant of village to the Vajrasana (i.e. Mahabodhi Temple) by king Acharya Jayasena, son of Buddhasena. 14.Â
Budhhasena must be identified with Acharya Buddhasena, Lord of Pithi, who is mentioned in an inscription found at Bodh-Gaya. The date of the Janibigha inscription is in the year 83 of Lakshmanasenasyatitarajye (from the end of Lakshmanasena's rule). This well known era Lakshmana Samvat started in 1119 AD was founded by king Lakshmanasena, to which Buddhasena and Jaysena belonged. 15.
The Sena family, that ruled in Bengal after the Palas, originally belonged to Karnata in South India.16. According to the Deopada (Rajashahi district,Bangladesh) Stone Inscription of Vijayasena (c.1096-1159AD), these are called Brahma-Kshatriya. 17. The term Brahma-Kshatriya, as one author describes, means Brahmana and Kshatriya. In ancient times the line of demarcation between the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, that is to say, between the learned and the warrior groups of castes, was not sharply defined.
It was often crossed, sometimes by change of occupation and the other times by intermarriage. Ordinarily the position of leading Brahmana at court was that of minister, but sometimes the Brahmana preferred to rule directly, and himself seized the throne. Thus in early times, the Shunga and Kanva royal families were Brahmanas. Thus during the transitional stage, while a Brahmana family was passing into the Kshatriya group of castes, it was often known by the composite designation of Brahma-Kshatriya. 18.
<b>3. The Senas of Bengal:-</b>
It has been suggested that in the confusion following the north-eastern expedition of Chalukya Vikramaditya of Dakshinatya Kalyani, 19. the Senas came from the Deccan and settled in Bengal . 20. But it is known from the records of the Palas that the kings of this dynasty, from Devapala downwards, appointed many foreigners as officers, among whom were also the Karnatas. It may be that a remote predecessor of the Senas of Bengal accepted service under the Palas, and then his successors gradually rose to power and settle in Bengal.21.
According to the Deopada Stone Inscription of Vijayasena, tlhe Senas claim to belong to the lunar race. In this Sena family(Senanvaye) Samantasena, the head garland (Kulashirodama) of the Brahma-Kshatriya community, was born who slaughtered the wicked robbers of the wealth of Karnatas( Karnata Lakshmi Luntakanama). 22. By the endeavours of Samantasena, his son Hemantasena became able to enjoy the real royal authority. 23.
Hemantasena seemed to have consolidated his position in Radha during the troublous times that followed the occupation of that country by the Kalachuri Karna. The epithet the skillful protector of kings given to Hemantasena in records of his son may have some reference to his giving shelters to Shurapala and Ramapala after their escape from the prision of Varendri. He was succeeded by his son Vijayasena in c.1095AD. 24.
Vijayasena (c.1095-1159AD) was the greatest king of the Sena dynasty in Bengal. It seems that when the disintegration of the Papa kingdom began after the death of Ramapala, Vijayasena made a bid for the conquest of the whole of Bengal. He strengthened his position by making an alliance with Anantavarman Chodaganga, king of Kalinga, who extended the boundary of his kingdom upto the Hooghly district. He led a naval expedition in the west along the course of the Ganga, probably against Govindachandra of the Gahadavala dynasty of
(3)
Kannauja. Most likely, it was this occasion that he invaded Mithila and inflicted defeat on its king Nanyadeva. Vallalasena(c.1159-1179AD) ascended the throne after his father Vijayasena. The Madhainagar (Pabna district,Bangladesh) Copper-plate Inscription of Lakshmanasena reveals that Vallalasena married with the Chalukya princess Ramadevi which is certainly a mark of his political honour. 25. In the book Vallalacharita by Anandabhatta Vanga, Varendra, Radha, Bagadi and Mithila are counted within his territory.
It is said that Lakshmanasena worked for a long time in Mithila as Kumaramatya in the reign of his father. This is the cause that the Lakshmana Samvat was prevailing in Mithila more than that in Bengal. Vallalasena showed more interest towards the cultural matters than the political activities. Traditionally his name is famous in the social history of Bengal as he introduced Kulinism and re-organized the caste system in Bengal. 26.
Lakshmanasena(c.1179-1205AD)was enthroned in his father Vallalasena\s life-time. But the scholars differ on the question of his reigning year. 27. If the Muslim evidence is accepted, it will be acceptable that Lakshmanasena ascended the throne at his age of about sixty. It is obvious that he accepted Vaishnava religion in spite of Shaiva which his father and grandfather had accepted. His inscriptions begin with Om Namonarayana while his predecessors' Om Namah Shivaya. 28.Â
Shridharadas was a minister of Lakshmanasena and had the title Mahamandalika. He was a Kayastha of Balaina Mula and established a temple with the image of Lakshminarayana at the village Anharatharhi (Madhubani district,Bihar). In the south and eastward from this village, there are four villages----Jarisen, Sainikadih, Saini and Laksena---- which is evident of the Sena rule over the area. 29. Lakshmanasena, possessing several specialities, lastly failed to control over his whole empire ultimately. Actually, the most prominent problem of the age was the terror of Muslim invasion.
<b>4. The successors of Lakshmanasena:- </b>
With the attack on Nadia in 1202AD by Muhammad ibn Bakhtyar Khilji, the rule of the Senas did not last in Bengal. After this, at least three or four years, Lakshmanasena himself ruled from Lakhanauti. After his death in 1205 AD, 30. his two sons Vishvarupasena and Keshavasena ruled in southern and eastern Bengal about 20-25 years from where at least three inscriptions are found. The Madanpada Copper-plate Inscription of Suryasena (c.1210|12-15 AD) and Vishvarupasena (c.1206-1222AD),which is found from Madanpada (Faridpur district, Bangladesh) is a record of grant to Vishvarupadevasharmana.Â
In this inscription, all the royal titles like Ashvapati, Gajapati, Narapati, the sun of the Sena family, the lamp of the Soma lineage, Parameshvara Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja etc. are given to them. 31. According to the Muslim source the descendants of Lakshmanasena ruled over the land upto 1260AD. 32.
Traditions have preserved the names of various kings who cucceeded Lakshmanasena, but they posess very little historical value. This will be evident from the genealogy of the Sena kings preserved in Rajavali, one of the best text of this kind . 33. The names of the kings after Lakshmanasena as suzerains of Delhi are Kashavasena, Madhavasena, Shurasena, Bhimasena, Kartikasena, Harisena, Shatrughnasena, Narayanasena, Lakshmanasena II, Damodarasena, Sadasena, Jayasena etc. 34.
<b>5. The Expansion of the Senas:- </b>
The Senas of Bengal expanded their territories at different times and in different ways towards the regions of Kamarupa, Gaya, Magadha, Mithila, Prayaga, Kashi etc. These regions are now within the area of Assam,Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India and in Nepal. On the basis of the facts obtained from Bengal and western Himalaya, it is established that Suryasena, a son of Vishvarupasena and grandson of Lakshmanasena, went towards Prayaga(Allahabad).
From there, his descendants proceeded towards western Himalaya and established the kingdoms in i) Suket (a sub-division in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh,India, at present it is called Sundarnagar); ii) Mandi ( at present a district of Himachal Pradesh); iii) Keonthal(at present Junga sub-division of the Simla district of Himachal Pradesh); and Kishtwar or Kashtwar(at present a sub-division in the Doda district of Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir).
At the time of the Independence of India in 1947 AD, the name of the king of Suket was Lakshmanasena whose son Lalit Sena was elected as the Member of Lok Sabha of India. During the time of the Prime Ministership of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Lalit Sena was the Political Secretary to the Prime Minister. Thus the descendants of the Senas of Bengal had long rule in the areas of western Himalaya. It is believed that Suryasena proceeded towards Prayaga in about 1220 AD and the rule of the Sena dynasty remained in those regions till the Independence of India. 35.
<b>
6. The Senas on the Land of the present-day Nepal and the settlement of the  Seat of Rupanagar:- </b>
After the downfall of the Sena dynasty in Bengal, the descendants of the dynasty proceeded towards different provinces on which they and their ancestors had some influences. According to the Deopada Stone Inscription of Vijayasena, he defeated the kings of Gauda, Kamarupa and Kalinga and threatened Nanyadeva , the Karnata king of North-Bihar i.e. Mithila.36. Likewise, according to the Vallalacharita, the dominion of Vallalasena included Vanga, Varendra, Radha, Bagdi and Mithila and so Mithila was one of the five provinces of Vallala kingdom. Vallalasena was adorned with the title of Nihsankhasankara. Pargana Nishankhapur Kurha in Madhipura sub-division (Bihar) is still reminiscient of that and it was the Sena administrative centre. 37.
The descendant of Lakshmanasena, who proceeded towards Allahabad, was Suryasena. After his death, his son Rupasena marched towards the north-west and reached the area on the bank of Satadru river in Siwalik hill area of the foot-hills of Western Himalaya. The place was present-day Ropar (this place is at present a district head-quarter of Punjab near Chandigarh). He defeated there some Muslim Sardars and constructed a fort. He made his capital there and named the place Rupanagar after his own name. But he faced many battles with Muslims and at last he was killed.
After his death, his three sons went towards westwards in Himaoayan area and established their own dominions de eating the local chiefs. The first son of Rupasena was Virasena who established the kingdom of Suket in the valley of Satadru river, the second Girisena captured Keonthal of Simla district and the third Hamirasena founded the kingdom of Kishtwar in the valley of Chandrabhaga river of Jammu region. After some generations, a branch of Suket ruler established a new kingdom in Mandi. 38.
Though the historians differ in the opinion that the Senas ruled over Mithila, nevertheless, they show the possibilities that some minor lines of Senas had something to do particularly with the province of Mithila. 39. The Sanokhar Inscription of Vallalasena of 1166AD establishes the fact that he extended his authority upto Sanokhar region of Bhagalpur on the south of the Ganga. Sanokhar might have been the eastern boundary of the Sena power in Bihar. Possibly the Senas controlled a little portion of the area known as Moranga, that is, north-eastern Purnea extending upto the borders of Jalapaiguri in Bengal.40.
In another evidence, the Bengal province of Mithila, included the whole of the country, called Moranga. Birbandh is said to be the dividing line between the Karnatas of Mithila and the Senas of Bengal. 41. Moranga is at present the name of a district in Koshi Zone of Nepal. This if situated on the east side of the river Koshi. In the west side of the Koshi, there is Saptari district of Sagaramatha Zone of Nepal.
There are so many ruins found in the Tarai region of Nepal. The Tarai region is the northern side of the land on which so many dynasties in different times in history ruled. Among these are the ancient Magadha, Videha, Koshala, Anga, Gauda(Banga) etc. It can be supposed that an ancient route was passed through or near these regions of Tarai from east to west. This is historically asserted that an attack on Simaraungarh, the capital of Karnata king Harisinghadeva, was made by Gyasuddin Tughalaque when he was returning from Bengal. There is a ruin in Moranga, north-east side from Biratnagar,Nepal. It is called the fort of King Dhanapala or Dharmapala. It can be said that this is the fort of the Pala kings of Bengal who were before the Senas. 42.
Likewise, another evidence of Hindu settlement in the region of Janakpurdham,Nepal is the mound in the village Duhabi. A partial excavation of this mound by villagers in the late 1960's yielded a circular brick foundation, several vehicles of Tantrika symbols, an inscription Ma and a statue of Ganesh. Their style suggests the possible cultural influence of the Sena dynasty which ruled over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from the eleventh century. The Ma inscription which was found in the mound means mother, a common epithet of the goddess Durga. 43.
The Sena rulers of Suket and Mandi (now in Himachal Pradesh,India) claim that they are the descendants of the Sena dynasty of Bengal. After the death of king Mantarasena of early thirtheenth century, there were two claimants to the Gaddi. 44. By this, we know that in the early thirteenth century, the seat of the Sena kings was called Gaddi. There is a temple of Gadi-Ganesh in Vijayapur(Sunsari district,Nepal) which is said to be the place of the enthronement of the Sena kings of Vijayapur. A stone which is worshipped as the god Ganesh is still there. Chatara is a place situated on the bank of Koshi river (Sunsari district, Nepal) which is called also Chatara-Gaddi. These days, a monastery and Gaddi of Auliya Baba are present there. But that very monastery and the seat of Auliya Baba were granted by the Sena rulers of Makawanpur.
On the other hand, the Chatara of present-day is not the ancient one. It is transferred from its previous place, which was south-westward across Koshi river. There is a hearsay that first-of-all the Sena rulers founded their seats at this place and by their seat or Gaddi, the name of this place became Chatara Gaddi. This has much possibility because the ancient Chatara and the place named Rupanagar are situated together. 45 There is another hearsay that an issueless king of Sena dynasty came to the place where a saint used to live. The king met the saint and after some discussions, the saint blessed him with the blessings of four sons, among which the king had to present his first son to the saint. The king acted accordingly and rest three sons became the rulers of the areas. In this way, it is said that Chatara Gaddi was a big monastery conducted by a ruler of Sena dynasty. 46.
The Sena kings of Nepal area used the word Rupanarayanetyadi in their Prashasti (eulogy). It is not obvious whether the word Rupanarayana was the name of any ancestor of the dynasty or the name of their original place or the word was merely their adjective. 47. A king named Rupasena is mentioned in the line of successors of the Senas of Bengal who proceeded towards western Himalayan region after 1220 AD. 48. On the other hand, a river named Rupanarayana is between Midnapore and Howrah districts of West-Bengal,India. 49.
In ancient times, this river was in Tamralipti district, which is known as Tamluk these days and is in Midnapore district, thirtythree miles south-west from Calcutta, on the bank of river Rupanarayana. 50. This place was the main and important place of the Senas of Bengal. Regarding the eulogy, it is also said that this is related with the place Rupanagar (Saptari district,Nepal). This place was the earliest capital-seat of the Senas of Nepalese region. The above mentioned Chatara Gaddi was situated near this place previously, no doubt. 51.
Rupanagar is situated in Saptari district(Nepal) on the East-West-Highway. The bricks of extra-ordinary size and terracottas are seen in this area. Besides these, the images of Narayana, Vishnu, Uma-Maheshvara and Nrityaganesha are found which are considered to be of the thirteenth century. 52. On the other hand, ruins of the royal palace (Shisha Mahal),the stable (Ghoradaura), the pond, the court (Kachahari) etc. are also found.Â
So, it is quite obvious that the Senas first settled in this area. 53. Other remains of the palaces and temples are found scattered in many places in Saptari district like Rajabiraj, Shambhunath, Manaraja, Garhiya etc. 54. There are many ruins also in the nearest hills. These ruins-like matters are worshipped somewhere as Devi and somewhere as Mahadeva.55. From some other sources also it is indicated that the Senas settled first in the Saptari area of Nepal and afterward established their independent principalities. 56.
<b>7. Foundation of the Kingdom of Makawanpur:-</b>
In fact, a king named Mukundasena, who was a descendant of the Senas of Bengal, settled in the area of Rupanagar(Saptari district, Nepal) in the first half of the thirteenth century and expanding his rule towards the area of Magaras, established the seat of Makawanpur. 57. The kingdom of Makawanpur was expanded towards Palpa and afterward its expansion went towards the regions of Rajapur, Tanahun, Lama, Pyuthan, Madariya, Darchha, Risinga, Vinayakapur, Gulmi etc.
This is evident by the fact that the term Rupanarayanetyadi is used in the eulogies of all the kings of the Sena dynasty of the above mentioned regions,58 while the rulers of Gulmi, Argha, Isma etc. called themselves of the lineage of Kala Makawani. 59. In this way, the kingdom of Makawanpur was established as a vast kingdom of the Senas in the areas of twentytwo distritcts of the present-day Nepal.
The territory was expanded towards Palpa in the period of Rudrasena in about the last decade of fifteenth century. 60. Afterward, the kingdom was divided more than once, by which several Sena rulers started their own independent rules. Finally, in eighteenth century, the rules of the Senas were ended by the new rising power Gorkhalis in Nepal. Thus, the Sena dynasty has contributed very much in the political and cultural history of Nepal. 61.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The Rise of the Sena Power in Nepal</b>
Basudevlal Das,M.A., Ph.D.
Lecturer,Deptt. Of History,
Thakur Ram Multiple Campus,
Birganj (Nepal).
<b>Abstract</b>
The Sena dynasty ruled in Bengal after the Pala dynasty upto 1205 AD. After the downfall of their rule in Bengal, their descendants proceeded westward. The neighbouring area Mithila was influenced by them, so a branch of the Sena family proceeded towards this and established their settlement in the land of present-day Nepal in about the half of the thirteenth century.
 Â
There are names of rulers of many dynasty with SENA suffix. The Sena dynasty of Bengal called themselves BRAHMA-KSHATRIYA and claimed to belong to the lunar race. They came from the Deccan and settled in Bengal. In Bengal, the last Sena ruler was Lakshmanasena, whose rule was ended by the attack of Khilji.
 Â
The Senas of Bengal expanded their territories at different times and in different ways towards the regions of Kamarupa, Gaya, Magadha, Mithila, Prayag, Kashi etc. These regions are now within the areas of Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India and Nepal. The descendants of the Senas of Bengal afterwards established their kingdoms in Mandi, Suket, Keonthal and Kishtwar. These are the areas of present-day Himachal Pradesh and Jammu.
According to the VALLALACHARITA, the dominion of Vallalasena included Vanga,Varendra, Radha,Bagdi and Mithila and so Mithila was one of the five provinces of Vallala kingdom. Lakshmanasena, son of Vallalasena, worked for a long time in Mithila as KUMARAMATYA. This is the cause that the Lakshmana Samvat was prevailing in Mithila more than that in Bengal.
Traditions have preserved the names of various kings who succeeded Lakshmanasena. After the downfall of the Sena dynasty in Bengal, the descendants of Senas proceeded towards different provinces on which they and their ancestors had some influences. Though the historians differ in opinion that the Sena ruled over Mithila, nevertheless, they show the possibilities that some minor lines of Senas had something to do particularly with the province of Mithila.
Senas controlled a little portion of the area known as Morang, that is north-eastern Purnea extending upto the borders of Jalapaiguri in Bengal. In another evidence, the Bengal province of Mithila, included the whole of the country, called Morang. Birbandh is said to be the dividing line between the Karnatas of Mithila and the Senas of Bengal. Morang is at present the name of a district in Koshi Zone of Nepal. This is situated on the east side of the river Koshi.                     Â
There are so many ruins found in the Tarai region of Nepal. The Tarai region is the northern side of the land on which so many dynasties in different times in history ruled. The Sena kings of Nepal area used the word RUPANARAYANETYADI in their PRSHASTI (eulogy). Regarding the eulogy, it is said that this is related with the place Rupanagar ( Saptari district,Nepal). This place was the earliest capital-seat of the Senas in the Nepalese region.
In fact, a king named Mukundasena, who was a descendant of the Senas of Bengal, settled in the area of Rupanagar in the first half of the thirteenth century and expanding his rule towards the area of Magaras, established the seat of Makawanpur. The kingdom of Makawanpur was expanded towards east and west sides and so the rule of Sena dynasty covered, in course of time , the area of twentytwo districts of present-day Nepal. Finally, in eighteenth century, the rules of the Senas were ended by the new rising power Gorkhalis in Nepal.
<b>THE RISE OF THE SENA POWER IN NEPAL</b>
( A Paper to be presented in the International Conference on Indian History).
By:- Basudevlal Das,M.A., Ph.D.
Lecturer,Deptt. Of History,
Thakur Ram Multiple Campus,
Birganj (Nepal).
<b>1. Introduction:-</b>
The Sena dynasty ruled in Bengal upto 1205AD. They were the patron of Hinduism and adorned the title of Hindupati. After the downfall of their rule in Bengal, their descendants proceeded towards westward. The neighbouring area Mithila was also influenced by the Senas. So, a branch of the family proceeded towards this and established their settlement in the land of present-day Nepal in about the half of thirteenth century. The rule of the Senas ended in eighteenth century because of the new rising power of Gorkhalis.
<b>2. Background:-</b>
The very meaning of the term Sena is described in many dictionaries as having a lord, possessing a master or leader.1 In Sanskrit language this term is Shyena and in Prakrit language Sena. These both mean hawk, a bird of prey which is called in Hindi language Baja.2. One author writes about the origin of the term that this is derived from the the word Shrenika. The Shrenikas were nobles of the Cholas of South India. 3.
There are many rulers of several states at different periods, found having the title of Sena. Towards fourth and fifth centuries, the Vakataka dynasty of Madhya Pradesh (India) had an important place in the political and cultural life of India. The founder of this dynasty was Vindhyashakti. After him, his son Pravarasena ascended the throne, who was the only king of this dynasty to hold the title of emperor. 4. In the line of Pravarasena, further names are Sarvasena, Rudrasena, Prithvisena, Divakarasena, Damodarasena, Narendrasena, Devasena, Harisena etc.5. Likewise towards Ceylon, there are found some names as Mahasena, Mitrasena, Dhatusena, Kirtisena etc. 6.
The Shaka was an important tribe of Middle-Asia whose one branch used to live in Sistan(East Iran). From this place the Shaka arrived in southern Saurastra, Gujarat and Ujjain through the Indus river valley. These Shakas were eminent in the area named Erana of Sagar district (Madhya Pradesh, India). The moulds of the coin of the Shaka rulers are found in ample number from an excavation in Erana. They discover the names of four rulers in which two are with Sena title. It is considered that they are of the period before Samudragupta (335 to 375AD.).7.
An inscription from Aphsad (also called Jafarpur) of Gaya district (Bihar,India) mentions the name Adityasena of Gupta dynasty whose period was seventh century AD. 8.Â
Other inscriptions of Adityasena are found from Mandargiri (Bhagalpur district,Bihar) and Deva Varnaka(Shahabad district).9. These inscriptions discover his conquests upon Magadha, Tirhuta(Vaishali,Mithila) and upto Himalaya and crown him the epithet of Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja.10. An inscription of Anshuvarma from Deupatan (Kathmandu valley,Nepal) mentions Rajaputra Shurasena. Here Shurasena seems a relative of Sarvadandanayaka Vikramasena. 11.
Towards the ninth to eleventh centuries, there were Jain teachers in Dharwar district of Mysore state. 12. They belonged to the Sena family (Senanvaya).13. It cannot be ascertained whether the Senas of Dharwar had any connection with those of Bengal. A family of kings with names ending in Sena are known to have ruled over the kingdom named Pithi. An inscription found at Janibigha, about six miles eastward from Bodh-Gaya, records the grant of village to the Vajrasana (i.e. Mahabodhi Temple) by king Acharya Jayasena, son of Buddhasena. 14.Â
Budhhasena must be identified with Acharya Buddhasena, Lord of Pithi, who is mentioned in an inscription found at Bodh-Gaya. The date of the Janibigha inscription is in the year 83 of Lakshmanasenasyatitarajye (from the end of Lakshmanasena's rule). This well known era Lakshmana Samvat started in 1119 AD was founded by king Lakshmanasena, to which Buddhasena and Jaysena belonged. 15.
The Sena family, that ruled in Bengal after the Palas, originally belonged to Karnata in South India.16. According to the Deopada (Rajashahi district,Bangladesh) Stone Inscription of Vijayasena (c.1096-1159AD), these are called Brahma-Kshatriya. 17. The term Brahma-Kshatriya, as one author describes, means Brahmana and Kshatriya. In ancient times the line of demarcation between the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, that is to say, between the learned and the warrior groups of castes, was not sharply defined.
It was often crossed, sometimes by change of occupation and the other times by intermarriage. Ordinarily the position of leading Brahmana at court was that of minister, but sometimes the Brahmana preferred to rule directly, and himself seized the throne. Thus in early times, the Shunga and Kanva royal families were Brahmanas. Thus during the transitional stage, while a Brahmana family was passing into the Kshatriya group of castes, it was often known by the composite designation of Brahma-Kshatriya. 18.
<b>3. The Senas of Bengal:-</b>
It has been suggested that in the confusion following the north-eastern expedition of Chalukya Vikramaditya of Dakshinatya Kalyani, 19. the Senas came from the Deccan and settled in Bengal . 20. But it is known from the records of the Palas that the kings of this dynasty, from Devapala downwards, appointed many foreigners as officers, among whom were also the Karnatas. It may be that a remote predecessor of the Senas of Bengal accepted service under the Palas, and then his successors gradually rose to power and settle in Bengal.21.
According to the Deopada Stone Inscription of Vijayasena, tlhe Senas claim to belong to the lunar race. In this Sena family(Senanvaye) Samantasena, the head garland (Kulashirodama) of the Brahma-Kshatriya community, was born who slaughtered the wicked robbers of the wealth of Karnatas( Karnata Lakshmi Luntakanama). 22. By the endeavours of Samantasena, his son Hemantasena became able to enjoy the real royal authority. 23.
Hemantasena seemed to have consolidated his position in Radha during the troublous times that followed the occupation of that country by the Kalachuri Karna. The epithet the skillful protector of kings given to Hemantasena in records of his son may have some reference to his giving shelters to Shurapala and Ramapala after their escape from the prision of Varendri. He was succeeded by his son Vijayasena in c.1095AD. 24.
Vijayasena (c.1095-1159AD) was the greatest king of the Sena dynasty in Bengal. It seems that when the disintegration of the Papa kingdom began after the death of Ramapala, Vijayasena made a bid for the conquest of the whole of Bengal. He strengthened his position by making an alliance with Anantavarman Chodaganga, king of Kalinga, who extended the boundary of his kingdom upto the Hooghly district. He led a naval expedition in the west along the course of the Ganga, probably against Govindachandra of the Gahadavala dynasty of
(3)
Kannauja. Most likely, it was this occasion that he invaded Mithila and inflicted defeat on its king Nanyadeva. Vallalasena(c.1159-1179AD) ascended the throne after his father Vijayasena. The Madhainagar (Pabna district,Bangladesh) Copper-plate Inscription of Lakshmanasena reveals that Vallalasena married with the Chalukya princess Ramadevi which is certainly a mark of his political honour. 25. In the book Vallalacharita by Anandabhatta Vanga, Varendra, Radha, Bagadi and Mithila are counted within his territory.
It is said that Lakshmanasena worked for a long time in Mithila as Kumaramatya in the reign of his father. This is the cause that the Lakshmana Samvat was prevailing in Mithila more than that in Bengal. Vallalasena showed more interest towards the cultural matters than the political activities. Traditionally his name is famous in the social history of Bengal as he introduced Kulinism and re-organized the caste system in Bengal. 26.
Lakshmanasena(c.1179-1205AD)was enthroned in his father Vallalasena\s life-time. But the scholars differ on the question of his reigning year. 27. If the Muslim evidence is accepted, it will be acceptable that Lakshmanasena ascended the throne at his age of about sixty. It is obvious that he accepted Vaishnava religion in spite of Shaiva which his father and grandfather had accepted. His inscriptions begin with Om Namonarayana while his predecessors' Om Namah Shivaya. 28.Â
Shridharadas was a minister of Lakshmanasena and had the title Mahamandalika. He was a Kayastha of Balaina Mula and established a temple with the image of Lakshminarayana at the village Anharatharhi (Madhubani district,Bihar). In the south and eastward from this village, there are four villages----Jarisen, Sainikadih, Saini and Laksena---- which is evident of the Sena rule over the area. 29. Lakshmanasena, possessing several specialities, lastly failed to control over his whole empire ultimately. Actually, the most prominent problem of the age was the terror of Muslim invasion.
<b>4. The successors of Lakshmanasena:- </b>
With the attack on Nadia in 1202AD by Muhammad ibn Bakhtyar Khilji, the rule of the Senas did not last in Bengal. After this, at least three or four years, Lakshmanasena himself ruled from Lakhanauti. After his death in 1205 AD, 30. his two sons Vishvarupasena and Keshavasena ruled in southern and eastern Bengal about 20-25 years from where at least three inscriptions are found. The Madanpada Copper-plate Inscription of Suryasena (c.1210|12-15 AD) and Vishvarupasena (c.1206-1222AD),which is found from Madanpada (Faridpur district, Bangladesh) is a record of grant to Vishvarupadevasharmana.Â
In this inscription, all the royal titles like Ashvapati, Gajapati, Narapati, the sun of the Sena family, the lamp of the Soma lineage, Parameshvara Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja etc. are given to them. 31. According to the Muslim source the descendants of Lakshmanasena ruled over the land upto 1260AD. 32.
Traditions have preserved the names of various kings who cucceeded Lakshmanasena, but they posess very little historical value. This will be evident from the genealogy of the Sena kings preserved in Rajavali, one of the best text of this kind . 33. The names of the kings after Lakshmanasena as suzerains of Delhi are Kashavasena, Madhavasena, Shurasena, Bhimasena, Kartikasena, Harisena, Shatrughnasena, Narayanasena, Lakshmanasena II, Damodarasena, Sadasena, Jayasena etc. 34.
<b>5. The Expansion of the Senas:- </b>
The Senas of Bengal expanded their territories at different times and in different ways towards the regions of Kamarupa, Gaya, Magadha, Mithila, Prayaga, Kashi etc. These regions are now within the area of Assam,Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India and in Nepal. On the basis of the facts obtained from Bengal and western Himalaya, it is established that Suryasena, a son of Vishvarupasena and grandson of Lakshmanasena, went towards Prayaga(Allahabad).
From there, his descendants proceeded towards western Himalaya and established the kingdoms in i) Suket (a sub-division in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh,India, at present it is called Sundarnagar); ii) Mandi ( at present a district of Himachal Pradesh); iii) Keonthal(at present Junga sub-division of the Simla district of Himachal Pradesh); and Kishtwar or Kashtwar(at present a sub-division in the Doda district of Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir).
At the time of the Independence of India in 1947 AD, the name of the king of Suket was Lakshmanasena whose son Lalit Sena was elected as the Member of Lok Sabha of India. During the time of the Prime Ministership of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Lalit Sena was the Political Secretary to the Prime Minister. Thus the descendants of the Senas of Bengal had long rule in the areas of western Himalaya. It is believed that Suryasena proceeded towards Prayaga in about 1220 AD and the rule of the Sena dynasty remained in those regions till the Independence of India. 35.
<b>
6. The Senas on the Land of the present-day Nepal and the settlement of the  Seat of Rupanagar:- </b>
After the downfall of the Sena dynasty in Bengal, the descendants of the dynasty proceeded towards different provinces on which they and their ancestors had some influences. According to the Deopada Stone Inscription of Vijayasena, he defeated the kings of Gauda, Kamarupa and Kalinga and threatened Nanyadeva , the Karnata king of North-Bihar i.e. Mithila.36. Likewise, according to the Vallalacharita, the dominion of Vallalasena included Vanga, Varendra, Radha, Bagdi and Mithila and so Mithila was one of the five provinces of Vallala kingdom. Vallalasena was adorned with the title of Nihsankhasankara. Pargana Nishankhapur Kurha in Madhipura sub-division (Bihar) is still reminiscient of that and it was the Sena administrative centre. 37.
The descendant of Lakshmanasena, who proceeded towards Allahabad, was Suryasena. After his death, his son Rupasena marched towards the north-west and reached the area on the bank of Satadru river in Siwalik hill area of the foot-hills of Western Himalaya. The place was present-day Ropar (this place is at present a district head-quarter of Punjab near Chandigarh). He defeated there some Muslim Sardars and constructed a fort. He made his capital there and named the place Rupanagar after his own name. But he faced many battles with Muslims and at last he was killed.
After his death, his three sons went towards westwards in Himaoayan area and established their own dominions de eating the local chiefs. The first son of Rupasena was Virasena who established the kingdom of Suket in the valley of Satadru river, the second Girisena captured Keonthal of Simla district and the third Hamirasena founded the kingdom of Kishtwar in the valley of Chandrabhaga river of Jammu region. After some generations, a branch of Suket ruler established a new kingdom in Mandi. 38.
Though the historians differ in the opinion that the Senas ruled over Mithila, nevertheless, they show the possibilities that some minor lines of Senas had something to do particularly with the province of Mithila. 39. The Sanokhar Inscription of Vallalasena of 1166AD establishes the fact that he extended his authority upto Sanokhar region of Bhagalpur on the south of the Ganga. Sanokhar might have been the eastern boundary of the Sena power in Bihar. Possibly the Senas controlled a little portion of the area known as Moranga, that is, north-eastern Purnea extending upto the borders of Jalapaiguri in Bengal.40.
In another evidence, the Bengal province of Mithila, included the whole of the country, called Moranga. Birbandh is said to be the dividing line between the Karnatas of Mithila and the Senas of Bengal. 41. Moranga is at present the name of a district in Koshi Zone of Nepal. This if situated on the east side of the river Koshi. In the west side of the Koshi, there is Saptari district of Sagaramatha Zone of Nepal.
There are so many ruins found in the Tarai region of Nepal. The Tarai region is the northern side of the land on which so many dynasties in different times in history ruled. Among these are the ancient Magadha, Videha, Koshala, Anga, Gauda(Banga) etc. It can be supposed that an ancient route was passed through or near these regions of Tarai from east to west. This is historically asserted that an attack on Simaraungarh, the capital of Karnata king Harisinghadeva, was made by Gyasuddin Tughalaque when he was returning from Bengal. There is a ruin in Moranga, north-east side from Biratnagar,Nepal. It is called the fort of King Dhanapala or Dharmapala. It can be said that this is the fort of the Pala kings of Bengal who were before the Senas. 42.
Likewise, another evidence of Hindu settlement in the region of Janakpurdham,Nepal is the mound in the village Duhabi. A partial excavation of this mound by villagers in the late 1960's yielded a circular brick foundation, several vehicles of Tantrika symbols, an inscription Ma and a statue of Ganesh. Their style suggests the possible cultural influence of the Sena dynasty which ruled over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from the eleventh century. The Ma inscription which was found in the mound means mother, a common epithet of the goddess Durga. 43.
The Sena rulers of Suket and Mandi (now in Himachal Pradesh,India) claim that they are the descendants of the Sena dynasty of Bengal. After the death of king Mantarasena of early thirtheenth century, there were two claimants to the Gaddi. 44. By this, we know that in the early thirteenth century, the seat of the Sena kings was called Gaddi. There is a temple of Gadi-Ganesh in Vijayapur(Sunsari district,Nepal) which is said to be the place of the enthronement of the Sena kings of Vijayapur. A stone which is worshipped as the god Ganesh is still there. Chatara is a place situated on the bank of Koshi river (Sunsari district, Nepal) which is called also Chatara-Gaddi. These days, a monastery and Gaddi of Auliya Baba are present there. But that very monastery and the seat of Auliya Baba were granted by the Sena rulers of Makawanpur.
On the other hand, the Chatara of present-day is not the ancient one. It is transferred from its previous place, which was south-westward across Koshi river. There is a hearsay that first-of-all the Sena rulers founded their seats at this place and by their seat or Gaddi, the name of this place became Chatara Gaddi. This has much possibility because the ancient Chatara and the place named Rupanagar are situated together. 45 There is another hearsay that an issueless king of Sena dynasty came to the place where a saint used to live. The king met the saint and after some discussions, the saint blessed him with the blessings of four sons, among which the king had to present his first son to the saint. The king acted accordingly and rest three sons became the rulers of the areas. In this way, it is said that Chatara Gaddi was a big monastery conducted by a ruler of Sena dynasty. 46.
The Sena kings of Nepal area used the word Rupanarayanetyadi in their Prashasti (eulogy). It is not obvious whether the word Rupanarayana was the name of any ancestor of the dynasty or the name of their original place or the word was merely their adjective. 47. A king named Rupasena is mentioned in the line of successors of the Senas of Bengal who proceeded towards western Himalayan region after 1220 AD. 48. On the other hand, a river named Rupanarayana is between Midnapore and Howrah districts of West-Bengal,India. 49.
In ancient times, this river was in Tamralipti district, which is known as Tamluk these days and is in Midnapore district, thirtythree miles south-west from Calcutta, on the bank of river Rupanarayana. 50. This place was the main and important place of the Senas of Bengal. Regarding the eulogy, it is also said that this is related with the place Rupanagar (Saptari district,Nepal). This place was the earliest capital-seat of the Senas of Nepalese region. The above mentioned Chatara Gaddi was situated near this place previously, no doubt. 51.
Rupanagar is situated in Saptari district(Nepal) on the East-West-Highway. The bricks of extra-ordinary size and terracottas are seen in this area. Besides these, the images of Narayana, Vishnu, Uma-Maheshvara and Nrityaganesha are found which are considered to be of the thirteenth century. 52. On the other hand, ruins of the royal palace (Shisha Mahal),the stable (Ghoradaura), the pond, the court (Kachahari) etc. are also found.Â
So, it is quite obvious that the Senas first settled in this area. 53. Other remains of the palaces and temples are found scattered in many places in Saptari district like Rajabiraj, Shambhunath, Manaraja, Garhiya etc. 54. There are many ruins also in the nearest hills. These ruins-like matters are worshipped somewhere as Devi and somewhere as Mahadeva.55. From some other sources also it is indicated that the Senas settled first in the Saptari area of Nepal and afterward established their independent principalities. 56.
<b>7. Foundation of the Kingdom of Makawanpur:-</b>
In fact, a king named Mukundasena, who was a descendant of the Senas of Bengal, settled in the area of Rupanagar(Saptari district, Nepal) in the first half of the thirteenth century and expanding his rule towards the area of Magaras, established the seat of Makawanpur. 57. The kingdom of Makawanpur was expanded towards Palpa and afterward its expansion went towards the regions of Rajapur, Tanahun, Lama, Pyuthan, Madariya, Darchha, Risinga, Vinayakapur, Gulmi etc.
This is evident by the fact that the term Rupanarayanetyadi is used in the eulogies of all the kings of the Sena dynasty of the above mentioned regions,58 while the rulers of Gulmi, Argha, Isma etc. called themselves of the lineage of Kala Makawani. 59. In this way, the kingdom of Makawanpur was established as a vast kingdom of the Senas in the areas of twentytwo distritcts of the present-day Nepal.
The territory was expanded towards Palpa in the period of Rudrasena in about the last decade of fifteenth century. 60. Afterward, the kingdom was divided more than once, by which several Sena rulers started their own independent rules. Finally, in eighteenth century, the rules of the Senas were ended by the new rising power Gorkhalis in Nepal. Thus, the Sena dynasty has contributed very much in the political and cultural history of Nepal. 61.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->