Sena dynasty
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The Sena dynasty (Bengali সেন Shen) ruled Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. They were originally from Karnataka in southern India.
The dynasty's founder was Hemanta Sen, who was part of the Pala Dynasty until their empire began to weaken. He usurped power and styled himself king in 1095 AD. His successor Vijay Sen (ruled from 1096 AD to 1159 AD) helped lay the foundations of the dynasty, and had an unusually long reign of over 60 years. Ballal Sena conquered Gour from the Pala and expanded his empire. Lakshman Sen succeeded Ballal Sen in 1179 and ruled Bengal from Nabadwip for approximately 20 years. It was during the rule of Lakshman Sen that the caste system was introduced.
In 1203-1204 AD, the Turkish general Muhammed Bakhtiyar Khilji attacked Nabadwip. Though he defeated Lakshman Sen, but failed to conquer Bengal.
The Sena rulers were “orthodox” Hindus; during this period, there was sharp decline in the Buddhism that had dominated Bengal for centuries (see Islam in Bangladesh). The dynasty is famous for building Hindu temples and monasteries including the famous Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Sena Dynasty was also a great patrons of literature. During the rule of Pala Dynasty and Sena Dynasty, major growth of Bengali was witnessed. The famous poet of Bengal, Jaideva, was one of the one of the Pancharatnas (meaning 5 gems) in the court of Lakshman Sen. The Gita Govinda, one of the first literary works in Sanskrit, was composed by Jaideva.
After the Sena Dynasty, the Deva Dynasty, ruled in eastern part of Bengal. The Deva Dynasty was probably the last independent Hindu dynasty of Bengal.
[edit] The Sena rulers
- Hemanta Sena (1070 AD)
- Vijay Sen (1096-1159 AD)
- Ballal Sen (1159 - 1179 AD)
- Lakshman Sen (1179 - 1206 AD)
- Vishvarup Sen (1206 - 1225 AD)
- Keshab Sen (1225-1230 AD)
| Preceded by Pala dynasty |
Bengal dynasty | Succeeded by Ilyas dynasty |
[edit] External Link
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6th century BCE |
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(Persian rule) |
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