Samataṭa     | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th century CE–13th century CE | |||||||||||||
![Samatata coinage of Vira Jadamarah, imitative of the Kushan coinage of Kanishka I. The text of the legend is a meaningless imitation, c. 3rd century CE.[1] of](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBengal._Samatata._Coin_of_Vira_Jadamarah_imitative_of_Kushan_coinage_of_Kanishka_I._Circa_2nd-3rd_century_CE.jpg) Samatata coinage of Vira Jadamarah, imitative of theKushan coinage ofKanishka I. The text of the legend is a meaningless imitation,c. 3rd century CE.[1] | |||||||||||||
 Samataṭa and erstwhile states of ancient India in 375 CE | |||||||||||||
| Common languages | Magadhan Prakrit,Old Bengali,Sanskrit | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism,Jainism,Buddhism | ||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||
| Recorded dynasties | |||||||||||||
• 3rd century-6th century | Chandra dynasty (as vassals ofGupta Empire)[2] | ||||||||||||
• 6th century-7th century | Gauda Kingdom[3] | ||||||||||||
• 7th century-8th century | Khadga dynasty andBhadra dynasty | ||||||||||||
• 8th century-9th century | First Deva dynasty[4] | ||||||||||||
• 9th century-10th century | Chandra dynasty (continued) | ||||||||||||
• 10th century-11th century | Varman Dynasty | ||||||||||||
• 11th century-12th century | Sena dynasty | ||||||||||||
• 12th century-13th century | Second Deva dynasty | ||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 4th century CE | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 13th century CE | ||||||||||||
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Samataṭa (Brahmi script:sa-ma-ta-ṭa) was an ancient geopolitical division ofBengal in the easternIndian subcontinent. TheGreco-Roman account ofSounagoura is linked to the kingdom of Samatata. Its territory corresponded to much of present-day eastern and southernBangladesh (particularlyDhaka division,Barisal division,Sylhet Division,Khulna Division andChittagong Division) and the undivided24 Parganas district in southernWest Bengal.[5] The area covers the trans-Meghna part of theBengal delta. It was a center ofBuddhist civilisation before the resurgence of Hinduism, and Muslim conquest in the region.
Archaeological evidence in theWari-Bateshwar ruins, particularlypunch-marked coins, indicate that Vanga-Samataṭa region was probably a province of theMauryan Empire. The region attained a distinct Buddhist identity following the collapse of Mauryan rule. TheAllahabad pillar inscriptions of the Indian emperorSamudragupta is the earliest reference of Samataṭa in which it is described as atributary state.
Samataṭa gained prominence as an important region ofBengal during the reigns of theGauda Kingdom,Khadga dynasty,First Deva dynasty,[6][4]Chandra dynasty andVarman dynasty between the 6th and 11th centuries. During this period, the rulers of Samataṭa also reigned over parts ofArakan,Tripura andKamarupa. Chinese travellers provide an elaborate description of the region in the 7th century. According toAlexander Cunningham,Jessore was the capital of Samatata.[7]Xuanzang of China visited the region in 630s.
Records of theSena dynasty include mention of Samataṭa as a haven for Sena kings who escaped the Muslim conquest of western Bengal during the 13th century. The area was eventually absorbed by the forces of theDelhi Sultanate.
Samataṭa has been described by various similar names, includingSamatat/Samata/Saknat/Sankat/Sankanat.InSanskrit,sama means equal andtaṭa means coast or shore.
On the basis of the evidence provided by inscriptions, Chinese writings, and archaeological evidence, it can be deduced that Samatata covered the trans-Meghna territories. It included areas along the banks of theMeghna River and its tributaries; including the modern districts ofBengal region such asSylhet,Maulvi Bazar,Habiganj,Sunamganj,Narsingdi,Narayanganj,Dhaka,Munshiganj,Brahmanbaria,Chandpur,Comilla,Noakhali,Jessore,Feni,Barisal,Khulna district,Lakshmipur,North 24 Parganas andSouth 24 Parganas. It included the Bangladeshi Channel Islands ofHatia andSandwip; as well as the islands ofBhola,Maheshkhali,Kutubdia andSt. Martin's.[citation needed] It included parts ofTripura (in present-dayNortheast India), Bangladesh'sChittagong andCox's Bazar districts; and northernArakan (present-dayRakhine State,Myanmar). Samatata's erstwhile neighbours included the geopolitical divisions ofVanga (Southwest Bengal),Pundravardhana (North Bengal), and parts ofKamarupa (historical Assam).
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TheRoman geographerPtolemy wrote about a trading post calledSouanagoura in the eastern part of theGanges-Brahmaputra delta.[9] The archaeologist Sufi Mostafizur Rahman believes the riverside citadel in the Wari-Bateshwar ruins was the city-state ofSounagoura.[10] According to Ptolemy,Sounagoura was located on the bank of theBrahmaputra River and was an "emporium", which is a term used by theRoman Empire to refer to a trading colony set up by Roman merchants. The Brahmaputra River flowed down from the Himalayas and to the east of Wari-Bateshwar before joining the Meghna River on its way to theBay of Bengal. Ptolemy's account placesSounagoura near the old course of the Brahmaputra River. The Brahmaputra changed its course following an earthquake in 1783. Excavations in Wari-Bateshwar reveal an urban and monetary civilisation since the pre-Mauryan period.[11][12] Archaeologist and historianDilip Kumar Chakrabarti also considers Wari-Bateshwar to be a part of the trans-Meghna region.[13][14] In a book edited byPatrick Olivelle, Chakrabarti states "It appears that Wari-Bateshwar belongs to the Samatata tract. Till now this is the only early historic site reported from this tract, but the very fact that it existed as early as the mid-fifth century BCE in this part of Bangladesh shows the geographical unit of Samatata, although inscriptionally documented in the fourth century CE, has a much earlier antiquity which touches theMahajanapada period. Secondly, on the basis of the fact that Wari-Bateshwar is a fortified settlement, we argue that in addition to its character as a manufacturing and trading center, it was also an administrative center and most likely to be the ancient capital of the Samatata region".[15]
Soon after the death of emperorAshoka, the Mauryan Empire declined and the eastern part of Bengal became the state of Samatata.[16] The rulers of the erstwhile state remain unknown. During theGupta Empire, the Indian emperorSamudragupta recorded Samatata as a "frontier kingdom" which paid an annual tribute. This was recorded by Samudragupta's inscription on the Allahabad pillar, which states the following in lines 22–23.
) in laterBrahmi script, in theAllahabad Pillar inscription ofSamudragupta (350–375 CE).[17]"Samudragupta, whose formidable rule was propitiated with the payment of all tributes, execution of orders and visits (to his court) for obeisance by such frontier rulers as those of Samataṭa,Ḍavāka,Kāmarūpa,Nēpāla, andKartṛipura, and, by theMālavas,Ārjunāyanas,Yaudhēyas,Mādrakas,Ābhīras, Prārjunas, Sanakānīkas, Kākas, Kharaparikas and other nations"
— Lines 22–23 of theAllahabad pillar inscription ofSamudragupta (r.c.350-375 CE).[17]
Samatata's recorded independent dynasties are theGauda,Bhadra,[18]Khadga,Deva,[4][6]Chandra andVarman dynasties. The Khadgas were originally fromVanga but later conquered Samatata. A Chinese account of the Khadga king Rajabhatta places the royal capital of Karmanta-vasaka (identified with Barakamata village inComilla) in Samatata.[19] After the Khadgas, the Devas gained power and started ruling over the kingdom from their capitalDevaparvata (identified withKotbari area inMainamati nearComilla City. The Devas were devoutBuddhists and constructed many temples, muras and vihara in Devaparvata includingShalban Vihara,Ananda Vihara,Bhoj Vihara,Itakhola Mura,Rupban Mura etc. They were succeeded by the Chandras, who were also an important Buddhist dynasty and ruled over Samatata, Vanga andArakan (Burma). The Chandras were powerful enough to withstand thePala Empire to the northwest.
Samatata was a flourishing center of Buddhism. As devoutTantric Buddhists, the Devas and the Chandras established their religious and administrative center in the archaeological site ofMainamati.[20] The Chandras were also notable forseafaring networks. The ports of Samatata were linked to ports in present-dayMyanmar,Thailand,Indonesia andVietnam. The Chandras may have played a role in the spread ofMahayana Buddhism inSoutheast Asia. Bronze sculptures may have been imported byJava from Samatata. TheSrivijaya Empire's embassies to the Pala court may have passed through the ports of southeastern Bengal.Arab accounts also note trade routes withOrissa andSri Lanka. 10th century shipwrecks in Indonesia provide evidence of maritime contact with Bengal.[21]
Samatata continued to play an important role in the history of the region until the 13th century. During the Muslim conquest of Bengal, Samatata served as the last refuge of the Sena kings.[19] Its decline coincided with thedecline of Buddhism in India.
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The Chinese pilgrim and traveller Xuanzang, who made his way across theSilk Road from northern China into the subcontinent through present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh; visited Samatata at the end of his journey in ancient India. He called the kingdomSan-mo-ta-ch'a. Xuanzang found 30 Buddhist monasteries with 2000 monks in Samatata. Xuanzang also provided descriptions of the regions' geography, including the harbour ofChittagong and nearby Burmese kingdoms. A later Chinese travellerYijing observed that there were 4000 Buddhist monks and nuns in Samatata.[22][23][24][25]
