Tamralipta | |
|---|---|
 Tamralipti shown in eastern India, c. 375 CE | |
| Historical era | Ancient India |
| Today part of | India |
Tamralipta orTamralipti (Pali:Tāmaliti) was an ancient port city, located on the coast of theBay of Bengal. It was the capital of ancientSuhma andVanga kingdom inBengal.[1][2] TheTamluk town in present-dayPurba Medinipur,West Bengal, is generally identified as the site of Tamralipti.[3]
It was located near theRupnarayan river. It gets its name from the Sanskrit term "Tāmra", or copper, which was mined nearby atGhatsila in the Singbhum region of theChota Nagpur Plateau and traded through this port. During theGupta dynasty, Tamralipta was the main emporium, serving as a point of departure for trade with Ceylon, Java, and China, as well as the west. It was linked by roads with the major cities of ancient India of that time, i.e.,Rajagriha,Shravasti,Pataliputra,Varanasi,Champa,Kaushambi, andTaxila.[2][4][5]
Tamralipta was surrounded in the south by theBay of Bengal, east by the river Rupnarayana, and west by the river Subarnarekha. The Bay of Bengal, along with these incredible waterways, and their innumerable branches, built up an affluent and easy water navigation framework that cultivated commerce, culture, and early contacts with people from other parts of the world. The origins of Tamralipta are obscure. Many historians date its settlement to the seventh century B.C., but archaeological remains indicate its continuous settlement from about the third century B.C. Several literary sources, archaeological finds, epigraphy, and numismatic evidence are studied to construct the history of Tamralipta.[6][7][8]
In early Indian literary works, Tamralipta, with its other "dialectical variants", was mentioned.[n 1] It was also mentioned by the Greek astronomer-geographerPtolemy, the Roman author and philosopherPliny, and the Chinese monk travellersFaxian,Xuanzang, andYijing.[5] The Kurma-vibhaga segment of the Atharva-veda Parisista incorporates the primal testimony to Tamralipta in Indian literary sources. TheMahabharata distinguishes this ancient city fromSuhma, but a later work,Dashakumaracharita, adds "Damalipta" within the Suhma kingdom. It is said that Tamralipta was the capital of Suhma. In theRaghuvamsha, it is described as being located on the bank of the river Kapisa. TheKathsaritsagara observes Tamralipta as an important maritime port and trading center. Some Pali literature identifies it as "Tamalitti" or "Tamalitthi" and describes it as a port. Tamralipti is mentioned numerous times in theArthasastra as an imperative center of maritime exchange. TheBrihat-Samhita distinguishes "Tamraliptika" from "Gaudaka" and mentions the sailing of ships fromYavana to the port of "Damalipta".[10][11][3][5][12] Ptolemy mentions "Tāmralipta"[n 2] as a significant town and royal residence. Pliny denotes Tamralipti as 'Taluctae'.[7][5][10] The earliest meticulous description of Tamralipta appears in Buddhist literature.[13][n 3] In the early fifth century CE, the Chinese Buddhist monkFa-Hien reported seeing twenty Buddhist monasteries in Tamralipta.[14] Fa-Hien traces Tamralipta, as situated on the seaboard. WhereasHiuen-Tsang describes that Tamralipta[n 4] was situated on a creek relatively away from the main Bay of Bengal. According to Hiuen-Tsang, this port town spanned approximately 250 miles and served as the point of convergence of the land and sea trade routes. According to him, the main exports from Tamralipta port were indigo, silk, and copper.[15][10] Inc. 675, the Chinese Buddhist monkYiJing reached the east coast of India. He spent five months in Tamralipti and learned Sanskrit. Yijing travelled up the Ganga from Tamralipti to the Buddhist monastery complex of Nalanda, which was the home of thirty-five hundred monks at that time. According toMahavamsa, an epic history of Sri Lanka, it was the exit point forRuler Vijaya's voyage to conquer Sri Lanka and the Buddhist mission propelled to Sri Lanka by the Mauryan emperorAshoka.[n 5] Tamralipta is mentioned inDipavamsa as well. TheVanga is referred to as possessing the city of Tamralipta in one of the Jaina Upangas called Prajñāpanā.[n 6] According to theJain texts, Tamralipta was the capital of the kingdom ofVanga. Tamralipta is mentioned as one of the Jaina ascetic orders in the JainaKalpasūtra.[16][17][9][18]
Archaeological explorations have unveiled a chronology of habitations extending back to a period in which stone axes and rudimentary pottery were in use. Excavations in the Indian state of West Bengal have revealed a steatite seal with hieroglyphic and pictographic signs, thought to be of the Mediterranean root. Terracotta figurines, spindle-whorls and earthenware are accepted to be fromCrete andEgypt. Findings in Tamralipta unearthed potteries characterized by rouletted ware, grey ware, redware, black polished ware, and northern black polished ware. The excavation carried out by theArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered rammed floor levels and ring wells. Coins and terracotta figurines dating back to theSunga period (3rd century B.C.) have been discovered during excavations at a site in Tamralipti.[n 7] A brick-built stepped tank, dating back to the 2nd–3rd century A.D., was unearthed among the ancient structural remains of Tamralipta.[7][5] Excavations atMoghalmari confirmed the presence of Buddhist vihars in the area, which was mentioned by Chinese travellers Fa Hien and Hiuen Tsang.[19]
Coins with engraved boat symbols, issued by theSatavahana Kings, were found on the Andhra coast. Punch mark coins with similar motifs were also excavated from different sites in Bengal.[n 8] This evidence confirms brisk maritime activity in Bengal. The Roman gold coins found in Tamralipta indicate contact with the Romans. The terracotta seals, protected in the Tamralipta museum as examined by Mukherjee, are inscribed in the Kharoshti Brahmi script of the early centuries of the Christian era. The vessel depicted on the seal ofBangarh is a bowl-shaped sailing boat filled with corn. The bows of the vessel at both ends are decorated with "Makaramukhas". A seal found atChandraketugarh has a boat with a single mast portrayed on it and bears the Kharoshti-Brahmi inscription. The ship motif found on the coin ofGautamiputra Yajna Satkarni and the boat motif painted in the cave of Ajanta are identical to this vessel. An archaeological excavation inBirbhum unearthed several pieces of evidence, including coins and other artefacts.[7][9] In an inscription from Java, the merchant Budhagupta is mentioned as a resident of Raktamrittika.[n 9] Most likely, Budhagupta sailed down the Ganga and took a ship from Tamralipta. The Dudhpani rock inscription of Udayman is probably the last South Asian inscription that contains the record of Tamralipta as a port city in 8th-century C.E.[20][5]
The textual references have prompted academics to identify Tamralipti as one of the most prominent hubs of trade and commerce of early historic India.[n 10] According to Darian, with the rise of theMauryan Empire, Tamralipti rose to universal popularity as the chief harbour of the entire basin. Ships from Ceylon, Southeast Asia, western India, and the Middle East used to arrive at this port.[13] The brick-built stepped tank, found in an archaeological excavation, indicates the prosperity of Tamralipta.[7] At least from the beginning of the Christian era until the 11th or 12th century A.D., Tamralipti was an important port for the sea-borne trade of Bengal.[12] Three significant routes of foreign exchange were transmitted from Tamralipti : one to Burma and beyond through the Arakan coast; a second to the Malaya peninsula and the Distant East via Paloura, near Chicacole; and a third to South India and Ceylon through Kalinga and the Coromandal coast.[9] Tamralipta appears to have been connected by distinct routes with Pataliputra and Kausambi. The southern route, passing through Tamralipta and proceeding to the coastal region of Orissa, also reached as far as Kanchi in the south. Through the southern route, extra inland trade corridors in Kalinga were connected with Tamralipta. Tamralipta had multidirectional connections with diverse geographical locations of South Asia. It served as a gateway to countries such as Indonesia and as a departure point for excursions to Sri Lanka.[5][15] Archaeological finds suggest the overseas connection of the Tamralipti with the Romans.[7] According to the evidence of Kan-Tai (Fu-nan-chuan), a regular maritime route existed between China and Tamralipti in the middle of the third century A.D.[12] A comparison between the Chandraketugarh terracottas and those recovered from Tamluk would imply that the former contained significantly more indigenous motifs, whereas at the latter site, several non-indigenous motifs have been unearthed. The existence of the Kharoshthi script in some of the inscriptions at Chandraketugarh suggests close interaction with the north-western part of the subcontinent, where this script was prominent.[15] According to Sengupta, the difference in descriptions of the location of Tamralipta as made by Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang indicates a profound geographical change that had occurred in between their visits.[15] According to Chattopadhyay, in comparison to Chandraketugarh, the settlement aspects of Tamralipti addressed by the area of Tamluk on the right bank of the Rupnarayan, a feeder of the Bhagirathi, are as yet unclear.[5] The existence of Painted Grey Ware and Northern Black Polished Ware in the places near the waterways of Ghaghara, Ganga and Yamuna indicate the utilization of riverine channels for the ancient commerce networks.[7] According to Dasgupta, Despite the undeniable significance of Tamralipta, little is known about its rulers and administration. According to him, both Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang, the two Chinese travellers who stayed in Tamralipta, never revealed anything about the state organization or administration.[21]
Man-made issues such as political disorder, taxes, and foreign attack, as well as natural factors such as alteration in the courses of rivers, siltation, and erosion, have all contributed to the progressive deterioration of the Tamralipta port. The Saraswati river flowed through various courses until the seventh century A.D., when it discharged through the Rupnarayan estuary. Tamralipta was located on the right bank of the Rupnarayan river. The Saraswati branch that connects it to the Rupnarayan has been identified on a recent satellite image, and a map is being prepared. Fergusson also described this channel. The eastward flight of the flow from its off-take at Tribeni, as well as rapid sedimentation, contributed to the collapse of the channel. Since 700 A.D., the Saraswati had abandoned its allegiance to the Rupnarayan and migrated eastwards, opening a new outlet along theSankrail, resulting in the decline of the port of Tamralipta.Saptagram (colloquially known as Satgaon) emerged as a prominent port, following the demise of Tamralipta.[15][7][22]
TheTamluk Raj Paribar, also known as theTamralipta Royal Family orTamluk Raj family is a thousand years old historical royal family fromTamluk in present-dayWest Bengal, India. Some historians suggestKhandayat origin, which was merely a sign of status for aboriginalBhuiya sardars.[23][24] The ruling family were known to beKaibarttas.[25] However, the kings themselves later identified asMahishya.[26][27][28][29]
According to theRajatarangini, theKauravas and thePandavas are said to have appeared 753 years after the beginning of the Kaliyuga. The text also notes that during the Kurukshetra war, Tamradhwaja the son of Rajarshi Mayurdhwaja, ruler of the ancient Tamralipta kingdom and fought on the side of the Pandavas. Further support for the antiquity of the Tamralipta polity appears in theImperial Gazetteer of India which records that the Tamralipta also calledSumha, was a kingdom covering the areas that are now Midnapur and Howrah. Its rulers were likely Mahishyas. Based on these accounts, it is inferred that Mayurdhwaja, identified by Kalhana as the earliest known king of Tamralipta, belonged to the Mahishya community. The lineage of Mahishya rulers is believed to have governed Tamralipta (Tamluk) as sovereign monarchs for an exceptionally long span traditionally estimated at about 4,000 years, from the pre-Mahabharata period up to the 17th century A.D. This extraordinarily long continuity of rule is considered unparalleled in human history even historian Biharilal Kalye also supported this view.[30]
The Royal family role in shaping theTamralipta Jatiya Sarkar in 1942 further solidifies its historical significance. Many important meetings of theTamralipta Jatiya Sarkar took place within the grandeur of the Rajbari's building.[31][32][33]
After downfall of theTamralipta Jatiya Sarkar, the British police subjected the Royal family to severe brutality. Now the Tamluk Rajbari is officially recognized as a heritage site by the state government, preserving its rich history and contribution to India's freedom movement.[34]
Rani Santoshpriya leaving her share to her adopted son,Ananda Narayan Roy. Subsequently, Raja Sundar Narayan Roy obtained a decree against Rani Krishnapriya. The Government paiks were resisted and seriously injured while executing the decree, the British government confiscated the Rani's share and placed it in kids possession from 1781 to 1794. In 1789, Rani Krishnapriya died, and in 1795 the whole zamindari was permanently settled with Ananda Narayan Roy. A conflict had erupted with Rani Krishna Priya by 1781. Raja Ananda Narayan was forced to concede to theBritish Raj and Tamluk was turned into a small zamindary.[35][better source needed]
35th King of Tamralipta Mayur Dynasty,Raja Lakshmi Narayan Roy started one mela 973 years ago, which was stopped during British period. The age-old historical traditional mela was resumed on 1998 with new name "Tamralipta Janaswastha Kishi O Kutir Shilpa Mela, Tamluk".[40]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.