The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c14.s1.t3: Bengal
The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c14.s1.t3
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Bengal
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The lower deltaic portion of the Ganges is, as yet, a *terra incognita* as far as archaeological evidence is concerned. But these enormous deltaic lowlands of Bengal are subjected to constant shifting of river beds to an extent unknown in any other part and, as Raychowdhary put it, "these changes have made and unmade flourishing cities and thriving marts, and sometimes changed the whole outlook of areas." It is not without significance, as we shall see, that the first literary records refer to the development of *Vardhamanabhukti* and *Kankagrama* between the Rajmahal hills and the *Bhagirathi* (Hooghly) and along the northern foot-hills or northern parts of *Pundra* or *Varendra* with the early inscription at Mahasthan on the banks of *Karatoya*.¹ Other evidence also tends to confirm the general belief of a slow spread of Aryan or Gangetic valley influences downstream along the river. There is evidence of a vague and indeterminable character about the possibility of terrestrial influences from S. E. Asia through Assam and maritime influences through the sea. But this probably was Pre-historic, and Pre-Aryan in character. Such evidence mainly consists of the infiltration of the South-east Asian Neolithic cultures.
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¹ MAJUMDAR, R. C. (Ed.), *History of Bengal*, Vol. I. Decca, 1943, p. 3.
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The Asutosh Museum authorities at Calcutta have discovered a number of Early Historic sites in the lower delta of Bengal yielding among other things, N.B.P. and Rouletted ware.² Reliable evidence for the reconstruction of the sequence comes from the excavations at Bangarh on the *Punarbhava* (Dinajpur District) by Shri K. Goswami³ and of Tamluk (ancient *Tamralipti* in the Midnapore district) by Shri M. N. Deshpande.⁴ The former site has yielded definite evidence of the Northern Black Polished Ware in the lowest levels confirming the possibility of rapid development during the Mauryan Period. Its earliest beginnings, if any await the action of the spade. The excavation of Tamluk is very important for the fact that it furnishes evidence of a possibility of a Neolithic (?) culture characterized by the use of polished stone axes, being superceded by the higher cultures with definite influences in pottery, terracottas etc., from the Gangetic Valley. Apart from the earlier Indian literary references, Tamluk is mentioned by Ptolemy. The development of this eastern port by the beginning of the Christian era is also corroborated by the occurrence of Rouletted ware (similar to that of Sisupalgarh), also the sprinkler belonging typologically to the Red Polished Ware (Early centuries of the Christian era), and further distribution of the Rouletted ware is very remarkable.
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² *Indian Archaeology—A review*, 1956-57.
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³ GOSWAMI, K., *Excavations at Bengarh*, Calcutta.
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⁴ *Archaeology in India—A review* 1954-55.
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The most interesting feature is the obvious affinity between Sisupalgarh and Tamluk, suggesting the possibility of the development of the route along the east coast. This then explains the location of the inscriptions of Asoka along this highway to Kalinga.