Gauda Kingdom

Origins

After the collapse of the Gupta Empire, Shashanka rose in Gauda, western and northern Bengal, in the late 6th century, perhaps beginning as a feudatory of the Later Guptas. He made Karnasuvarna, near modern Murshidabad, his capital and extended his rule over Magadha and into Odisha, where the Shailodbhava dynasty acknowledged him.

Rule and society

Shashanka was a Shaiva, and his gold coins show Shiva with his bull Nandi. Allied with the king of Malwa, he killed Rajyavardhana of the Pushyabhuti dynasty around 606, provoking a long war with Harsha. Buddhist sources, including Xuanzang, portray him as a persecutor who cut down the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, though this is probably exaggerated. Bengali tradition credits him with the start of the Bengali calendar.

Decline and legacy

Shashanka held his kingdom until his death, around 625 or later. His successors could not keep it, and Bhaskaravarman of Kamarupa took Karnasuvarna. Bengal then entered a period of disorder until the rise of the Pala Empire.