The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c16.426

v1.c16.426

Vijayasena was succeeded by his son Ballālasena. From Verse 9 of the Barrackpur grant of his father it appears that he was already associated in the government of the state. Epigraphic records however supply little information regarding him. The Madanapara grant of Viśvarūpasena calls him *Gauḍeśvara*, which title is also given him in the beginning of the *Dānasāgara*.² From his Naihati grant we know that he ruled at least for 11 years. The *Ballāla-carita* tells us that his kingdom comprised the five provinces of Vaṅga, Vāgaḍī, Varendra, Rāḍha, and Mithilā and that he had three capitals, in each of which he stayed occasionally. These were Gauḍapura, Vikramapura, and Svarṇagrāma. The book also gives details of how this king socially degraded the Suvarṇavaṇiks of Bengal, and made a clean caste of the lowly Kaivartas.³ According to Bengal tradition, he was also the founder of Kulinism in Bengal. Recent historical research however has shown that little or no reliance can be placed on the tradition of the Bengal *Kula-pañjikās*. It is significant that not a single land grant of Ballālasena or of his successors refers to this institution, though in every case they record gifts to Brahman families. It is however not impossible that Ballāla's power extended in the West up to Mithilā. We have seen that its ruler, Nānyadeva, was defeated by Vijayasena, and there is no reason to suppose that the Sena kingdom lost any of its provinces during the next reign. A tradition recorded in the *Laghu-bhārata*, contains references to Ballāla's expedition to Mithilā.⁴