kingdom · South Asia

Chandra dynasty

900 CE – 1050 CE (approx.) · capital Vikramapura

A Buddhist dynasty of eastern Bengal that ruled Harikela and Vanga from Vikramapura in the 10th and 11th centuries.

Origins

The Chandras rose in the early 10th century in Harikela, the region around Chittagong and Comilla in modern Bangladesh. Trailokyachandra extended their rule over Vanga, and his son Shrichandra moved the capital to Vikramapura near Dhaka, ruling a kingdom independent of the Pala Empire.

Rule and society

The Chandras were Buddhists who endowed monasteries, and the excavated monasteries of Mainamati near Comilla flourished in their time. Their copper-plate grants, such as the Rampal plate of Shrichandra, record gifts to Brahmins as well. The kingdom had access to the trade of the Bay of Bengal through Chittagong and Samatata.

Decline and legacy

Around 1021 to 1024 the army of Rajendra I of the Chola Empire defeated Govindachandra during its march to the Ganges. The dynasty ended by the mid-11th century and was succeeded in eastern Bengal by the Varman dynasty of Bengal.

Lineage

Chandra dynastyVarman dynasty of Bengal 1050 CE – 1150 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Chandra dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chandra-dynasty
MLA
“Chandra dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chandra-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Chandra dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chandra-dynasty.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Chandra dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chandra-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻