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| Year Range | Yadava-Varman Dynasty (bd_yadava_varman_dyn) was in: |
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in squared kilometers
“...during the turmoil of Mahipala II’s reign, he [Jatavarman] carved out for himself an independent position in South-Eastern Bengal and inaugurated the rule of the Varmans.” [Chowdhury 1965]
levels.
(1) Capital city“It has been estimated on the basis of the archaeological exploration of the area that the ancient capital covered about 15 square miles, on which are situated some 17 or 18 villages.”
[1]
(2) TownTowns were often emporiums of trade as well as political centres. What distinguished them from villages, according to Majumdar, was that while they may also have had some agricultural activity, they served a “wide variety of functions, commercial, industrial, political, judicial and military.” But the greatest distinction was the luxury and wealth of the towns and it’s citizens, which the Ramacharita describes a Pala town as “a city of rows of palaces” and as possessing ‘an immense mass of gems’.”
[2]
“the archaeological record indicates that urban centres came up as early as the fifth century bce. During the following centuries large towns would develop along major rivers rather than on the exposed sea coast.”
[3]
(3) VillagesMajumdar writes that since the beginning of historical record for Bengal, there have been well-established villages, in which the fields, meadows and woodlands have been organised to serve the population’s needs. They varied in size but people tended to live in compact groups within them They would all generally include livestock. The villages also contained “pits and canals (garta and nala) which might have served the purpose of drainage, barren tracts (ushara), tanks, reservoirs and temples, besides cattle-tracks and ordinary roads and paths.”
[2]
. “It has been estimated on the basis of the archaeological exploration of the area that the ancient capital covered about 15 square miles, on which are situated some 17 or 18 villages.”
[1]
(4) Hamlet
[4]
[1]: "Vikramapura". Banglapedia: http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Vikramapura
[2]: Majumdar. 1943. The History of Bengal: The Hindu Period. Dacca: The University of Dacca: 642-645. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/7ZTPE42T
[3]: van Schendel. 2009. A History of Bangladesh. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 20. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/JJDGEDFZ
[4]: Furui. 2020. Land and Society in Early South Asia: Eastern India 400–1250 AD. London; New York: Routledge 193. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/84Q49F5
levels.
(1) King
(2) Sāmanta (local/subordinate ruler)An important number of changes took place during this period (800-1200), “one of these was the growing power of a class of people who are variously called samanta, ranak, rautta (rajput), etc. by the contemporary writers...Some were government officers who were increasingly paid not in cash but by assigning to them revenue-bearing villages. Others were defeated rajas and their supporters who continued to enjoy the revenue of limited areas. Still others were local hereditary chiefs or military adventurers who had carved out a sphere of authority with the help of armed supporters. Still others were tribal or clan leaders. Thus there was a hierarchy among them. But their actual position varied, depending on the situation. Some of them were village chiefs, some of them dominated a tract comprising a number of villages, while a few dominated an entire region. They constantly contended against each other and tried to enhance their sphere of authority and privileges.” [Chandra 2007] “...a stone inscription of the time of Bhojavarman from Sujanagar, Munshiganj district of Bangladesh shows presence and activity of a subordinate ruler under the Varman rule.” [Furui 2020] (3) Minister of War and Peace - ??? [Chowdhury 1965] (4) Vassal Chief - ??? [Chowdhury 1965] (5) Forest Chief - ??? [Chowdhury 1965] (6) Petty Chief - ??? [Chowdhury 1965] “A glimpse of the Varman rule in Vaṅga is obtainable from the three grants and one stone inscription so far discovered in eastern Bengal… The similarity in the first case indicates the inheritance of administrative apparatus of the preceding dynasty by the Varmans, while that in the second shows their efforts towards consolidation of local control, which would be realised under the Senas.” [Furui 2020] “There is no administrative division denoting whole the [sic] sub-region [of Vanga]… In the period between the tenth and 13th centuries, this sub-region first came under the jurisdiction of Pauṇḍrabhukti in the reigns of the Candra and Varman kings, and then of Pauṇḍravardhanabhukti under the Senas.” [Furui 2020]
Increasingly, government officers were paid by being assigned to lands which they could manage and earn revenue from, rather than in cash, and thus became part of the samanta class. [Chandra 2007]
Increasingly, government officers were paid by being assigned to lands which they could manage and earn revenue from, rather than in cash, and thus became part of the samanta class. However, hereditary chiefs “gradually assumed many of the functions of government. They not only assessed and collected land revenue, but also assumed more and more administrative powers, such as the right of awarding punishments and exacting fines on their own, which earlier were generally considered royal privileges. They assumed the right to sublet their land to their followers without the prior permission of the ruler, thus increasing the number of people who drew sustenance from land without working on it themselves.” [Chandra 2007]
“In the delta, embanked fields irrigated by monsoon rainwater and worked by ploughs appeared at least 2,500 years ago.Since then this form of crop production has been expanding gradually across the lowlands at the expense of an older system of hoe cultivation on temporary plots.” [van_Schendel 2009]
Throughout the period 800-1200 “many of these kingdoms expanded agriculture by building bunds, wells, etc.” [Chandra 2007] There were also water reservoirs in rural areas. [Chandra 2007]
“a tenth-century inscription suggests that the town of Savar, now in central Bangladesh, derives its name from its role as a port with warehousing facilities.” [van_Schendel 2009]
Majumdar tells us that many inscriptions from across the province of Bengal, dating from the Gupta Empire onwards, describe magnificent palaces, temples and monasteries in the region, with some later Buddhist manuscripts even illustrating them. Unfortunately, not one of these buildings has survived due to the damp climate and organic materials which were used such as wood, bamboo, reeds, and an undurable brick [Majumdar 1943]
Education at a higher level usually involved the student living at their teachers house and paying fees or undertaking personal service if they could not afford them. [Chandra 2007]
“a tenth-century inscription suggests that the town of Savar, now in central Bangladesh, derives its name from its role as a port with warehousing facilities.” [van_Schendel 2009] . Likely to have been a belligerent in a naval battle with the Palas. [Chowdhury 1965] Bengal and India took part in mass sea trade with China and South East Asia via their ports in Tamluk and Gour. [Chandra 2007]
Majumdar tells us that many inscriptions from across the province of Bengal, dating from the Gupta Empire onwards, describe magnificent palaces, temples and monasteries in the region, with some later Buddhist manuscripts even illustrating them. Unfortunately, not one of these buildings has survived due to the damp climate and organic materials which were used such as wood, bamboo, reeds, and an undurable brick [Majumdar 1943]
Majumdar tells us that many inscriptions from across the province of Bengal, dating from the Gupta Empire onwards, describe magnificent palaces, temples and monasteries in the region, with some later Buddhist manuscripts even illustrating them. Unfortunately, not one of these buildings has survived due to the damp climate and organic materials which were used such as wood, bamboo, reeds, and an undurable brick [Majumdar 1943]
Majumdar tells us that many inscriptions from across the province of Bengal, dating from the Gupta Empire onwards, describe magnificent palaces, temples and monasteries in the region, with some later Buddhist manuscripts even illustrating them. Unfortunately, not one of these buildings has survived due to the damp climate and organic materials which were used such as wood, bamboo, reeds, and an undurable brick [Majumdar 1943]
Belava copper-plate, Manahali plate, Ramacarita plate, Nalanda inscription (dating to first half of twelfth century. [Chowdhury 1965] Literary works from the time tell us about the entertainment in the towns: fairs, festivals, swimming parties, wrestling, animal fights, dicing, hunting and a type of Indian polo. [Chandra 2007] Many epigraphic materials including copper plates, short records, fragments of inscriptions and landgrants have been found in sites across the Vanga-Samatata region ranging in date from the 7th to the 13th centuries. [Harunur_Rashid_Haque 2001], [Majumdar 2015, pp. 1-27]
Manuscripts and copper-plates. [Chowdhury 1965], [Majumdar 1943] Many epigraphic materials including copper plates, short records, fragments of inscriptions and landgrants have been found in sites across the Vanga-Samatata region ranging in date from the 7th to the 13th centuries. [Harunur_Rashid_Haque 2001], [Majumdar 2015, pp. 1-27]
The medical treatise, Sabdapradipa, written by the son of the court physician of the king of Vanga (originally suspected to be a Pala king, but since argued that it was in fact a Varman king as they were ruling eastern Bengal by this point.) [Chowdhury 1965] Mathematics, science, astronomy and medicine were taught across India and Bengal. [Chandra 2007] Should this be here or under 'practical literature'?
Logic and philosophy were studied as part of noble education. [Chandra 2007]
During the ancient period (650-1200) Bengali literature was dominated by poetical compositions including songs, tales, ballads and folk narratives. [Al_Azad_Haque 0] Copper-plates. [Chowdhury 1965] The Prakrit historical poem, the Gaudavaho. [Basak 1934]
“Cowries continued to be used as currency in parts of rural Bangladesh up to the end of the nineteenth century.” [van_Schendel 2009]
Gold and silver has been found buried for future use across the region. [Chandra 2007]