The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c13.s10: The Sena kingdom of Bangal
The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c13.s10
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The Sena kingdom of Bangal
c13.s10.1
The Sena family profited most owing to the decay and downfall of the Pala empire. The Senas are supposed to have come from southern India and established themselves in eastern India in the eleventh century A.D. One of the members of this family, named Vijaya Sena (1097-1159), seized East Bangal. He obtained possession of North Bangal also. He was in constant warfare with the rulers of Kamarupa, Kalinga and South Bangal and is reputed to have obtained victories over them. He is said to have defeated Nanya Deva of Mithila (North Bihar). The later rulers of this dynasty were Ballala Sena (1159-1170) and his son, Lakshmana Sena (1170-1206). Their dominion consisted of North and East Bangal and included Mithila and, perhaps, some districts lying on the western border of Mithila. Lakshmana Sena's administration was torn by internal dissensions and weakened by his old age.
c13.s10.2
It is clear from the foregoing narrative that northern India was divided into many small kingdoms which were on terms of hostility with one another. More than one dynasty claimed pre-eminence and paramountcy over others. This claim could be decided by sword alone, and hence throughout our period the Rajput rulers of the north engaged themselves in constant warfare with their neighbours and paid little attention to the developments in the north-western provinces of India which were in foreign hands, namely, the Panjab, Multan and Sindh. Owing to this state of affairs it was not possible for them, much less for the Indian people (for the people hardly existed as such in that age), to combine against a foreign invader. Was it not still more difficult for them to make a common effort to expel the Turk from the Panjab, Multan and Sindh, where he had secured a permanent lodgement ?
c13.s10.3
The administrative, economic, cultural and social conditions had hardly witnessed any fundamental change since the eleventh century. In fact, our civilization had become practically static and, hence, was inclined to a downward trend. The reader is referred to the fifth chapter of this volume for a perusal of those conditions.