The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s2.43

c5.s2.43

Banga—Bengal. “In Hindu geography,” says Dr. Francis Buchanan, “Banga, from which Bengal is a corruption, is applied to only the eastern portion of the delta of the Ganges as Upabanga is to the centre of this territory, and Aṅga to its western limits” (Beveridge’s “Buchanan Records” in the Calcutta Review, 1894, p. 2). According to Dr. Bhau Daji, Banga was the country between the Brahmaputra and the Padmâ (Literary Remains of Dr. Bhau Daji). It was a country separated from Puṇḍra, Sumha and Tâmralipta at the time of the Mahâbhârata (Sabhâ P., ch. 29). Bengal was divided into five provinces : Puṇḍra or North Bengal ; Samataṭa or East Bengal ; Karṇa-suvarṇa or West Bengal ; Tâmralipta or South Bengal ; Kâmarupa or Assam (Hiuen Tsiang). According to General Cunningham, the province of Bengal was divided into four separate districts after the Christian era. This division is attributed to Ballâla Sena : Barendra and Banga to the north of the Ganges, and Râḍha and Bâgḍi to the south of the river (but see JASB., 1873, p. 211); the first two were separated by the Brahmaputra and the other two by the Jalingi branch of the Ganges. Barendra, between the Mahânandâ and Karotoyâ corresponds to Puṇḍra, Banga to East Bengal, Râḍha (to the west of the Bhâgîrathî) to Karṇa-suvarṇa and Bâgḍi (Samataṭa of Hiuen Tsiang and Bhâṭi of the Akbarnâma) to South Bengal (Arch. S. Rep., vol. XV, p. 145, and see also Gopâla Bhaṭṭa’s Ballâla-charitam, Pûrva-khaṇḍa, vs. 6, 7). Mr. Pargiter is of opinion that Banga must have comprised the modern districts of Murshidabad, Nadia, Jessore, parts of Râjshâhî, Pabna and Faridpur (“Ancient Countries in Eastern India” in JASB., 1897, p. 85). At the time of Âdiśûra, according to Devâvara Ghaṭaka, Bengal was divided into Râḍha, Banga, Barendra and Gauḍa. At the time of Keśava Sena, Banga was included in Pauṇḍravarddhana (see Edilpur Inscription : JASB., 1838, p. 45). The name of Banga first occurs in the Aitareya Âraṇyaka of the Ṛig-Veda. According to Sir George Birdwood, Banga originally included the districts of Burdwan and Nadia. Banga was called Bângâlâ even in the thirteenth century (Wright’s Marco Polo). For further particulars, see Bengal in Part II of this work. Dr. Râjendralâla Mitra (Indo-Aryans, vol. II, ch. 13) gives lists of the Pâla and Sena kings [see also Ep. Ind., vol. 1, p. 305] (Deopârâ Inscriptions regarding the Senas) : Ibid., vol. 11, p. 160 (Bâdal Pillar Inscription) ; Ibid., p. 347 (Vaidyadeva Inscription at Benares) ; JASB., 1838, p. 40 (Edilpur Inscription of Keśava Sena from Bakarganj). According to the copperplate inscription of Lakshmaṇa Sena found in Sirajganj in the district of Pabna, it appears that the Sena kings were Kshatriyas who came from Karṇâṭa. For the ancient trade and commerce of Bengal, see Mr. W. H. Schoff’s Periplus ; Bernier’s Travels, p. 408 ; Tavernier’s Travels, Bk. III ; Dr. N. Law’s article, Modern Review, 1918. See Saptagrâma and Karṇasuvarṇa.