Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c9.s2.8

c9.s2.8

We have seen that the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-tsang describes Karṇasuvarṇa or Gauḍa as a small tract. It is to be noticed that he distinguishes the above country from Puṇyavardhana or Puṇḍravardhana in North Bengal, Samaṭaṭa in South-East Bengal and Tāmralipti in South-West Bengal. In Indian literature also Gauḍa is likewise separated from other tracts of Bengal. The Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra (Chs. 32-33) mentions the textile products of Vaṅga and Puṇḍra and the silver of Gauḍa. Varāhamihira’s Bṛhatsaṃhitā (XIV) mentions side by side Suhma, Samaṭaṭa, Lauhitya (the Brahmaputra valley), Gauḍaka (i.e. Gauḍa), Pauṇḍra (i.e. Puṇḍravardhana), Tāmraliptika (i.e. Tāmralipta) and Vardhamāna. There is reason to believe that the northern and south-eastern parts of Bengal were Aryanised considerably earlier than the western part of the country including Gauḍa. The mention of Gauḍa in the Arthaśāstra, which in its present form has to be assigned to about the third century A.D., points to the growing importance of the country in the economic life of Eastern India. In the fourth century A. D., the Gauḍa region became an integral part of the Gupta empire; but, with the decline of the imperial power of the Guptas, the Gauḍas established an independent monarchy in the sixth century. The importance of Gauḍa became established in the social and cultural life of India during the days of these independent monarchs of Gauḍa. We have already referred to king Śaśāṅka of Gauḍa, who flourished about the first quarter of the seventh century A.D. and ruled over extensive territories in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. An earlier king of Karṇasuvarṇa was Jayanāga. Three other kings of Gauḍa appear to have been Dharmāditya, Gopacandra and Samācāradeva who ruled in sixth century A.D. Under the vigorous rule of these monarchs, Gauḍa appears to have extended its power over the neighbouring territories. One of the above kings of Gauḍa fought with the Maukhari king Iśānavarman about the middle of the sixth century and another conquered and annexed Kāmarūpa to his empire about the close of that century.