Vaṅga | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1100 BCE–c. 340 BCE | |||||||||||
.png) Vanga and erstwhile neighbors among theMahajanapadas | |||||||||||
| Religion | Vedic Hinduism | ||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
| Maharaja | |||||||||||
• c. 6th century BCE | Samudrasena | ||||||||||
• c. 3rd century BCE | Chadrasena | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Iron Age | ||||||||||
• Established | c. 1100 BCE | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | c. 340 BCE | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | Bangladesh India | ||||||||||
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Vaṅga was an ancient kingdom and geopolitical division within theGanges Delta in theIndian subcontinent.[1] The kingdom is one of the namesakes of theBengal region.[2] It was located in eastern and southern Bengal. Vanga features prominently in the epics and tales ofancient India as well as in the history ofSri Lanka.
Vanga was probably the centre of theGangaridai Empire mentioned by numerousGreco-Roman writers. The exact capital of ancient Vanga kingdom could not be identified.
After the rule of theGupta Empire, ancient Bengal was divided into two independent kingdoms –Gauda and Vanga.[3]Kotalipara, an ancient fortified city of independent Vanga kingdom, present-day inGopalganj district ofDhaka division, emerged as the centre of administration of Vanga kings afterGupta period.[4]
Vanga was probably the centre of theGangaridai Empire mentioned by numerousGreco-Roman writers.Indian and Greco-Roman writers referred to the region'swar elephants. In Indian history, Vanga is notable for its strongnavy. There are numerous references to Vanga in the Hindu epicMahabharata, which is one of the two majorSanskrit epics of India. The other epic, theRamayana, mentions the kingdom as an ally ofAyodhya.For the presence of continuous archeological proof from Pre-Mauryan to Pala-Sena periodChandraketugarh is considered as a major city of Vanga kingdom.[5] According to ancientJain texts,Tamralipta was the capital of Vanga kingdom.[6]
The Vanga kingdom emerged in the lower Ganges delta during theNorthern Black Polished Ware Period. It controlled many of the islands of the delta with its naval fleet and embarked on overseas exploration. Ancient Indian records refer to Vanga as a hub of sailors. In the 5th century BCE, the Vanga kingSinhabahu's sonprince Vijaya sailed across theBay of Bengal and established a kingdom in what is nowSri Lanka.[7] The religious traditions of the kingdom includedBuddhism,Jainism andHinduism.
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Vanga is recorded as an administrative unit in theArthashastra written byKautilya. It is described as a notablenaval power byKalidasa. There are also records of subdivisions within Vanga, including "Upa Vanga" (minor Vanga) which corresponds toJessore and forested areas corresponding to theSundarbans and "Anuttara Vanga" (southern Vanga), denoting present-day the area ofBarisal.[8]
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The rulers of the Vanga kingdom remain mostly unknown. After the 2nd century BCE, the territory became part of successive Indian empires, includingMauryans,Guptas,Shashanka's reign,Khadgas,Palas,Chandras,Senas andDevas. The termVangala was often used to refer to the territory. For example, an inscription of theSouth IndianChola dynasty referred to the region asVangaladesha during a war with theChandra dynasty of eastern Bengal.[9] After the Muslim conquest of Bengal, the region was referred to asBangalah, which may have evolved fromVangala. The names are the precursors of the modern termsBanga andBangla.
Prince Vijaya was made theprince regent by his father, but he and his band of followers became notorious for their violent deeds. After their repeated complaints failed to stop him, prominent citizens demanded that Vijaya be put to death. King Sinhabahu then expelled Vijaya and his 700 followers from the kingdom. Prince Vijaya landed on the island of Lanka, present daySri Lanka and established theKingdom of Tambapanni.[10] Prince Vijaya's dynasty (House of Vijaya) would later go on to rule theKingdom of Anuradhapura and Sri Lanka for around 500 years.[citation needed]
Prince Vijaya's party of several hundred landed inSri Lanka, were split on the journey. The men, women and children were on separate ships. Vijaya and his followers landed at a place called Supparaka; the women landed at a place called Mahiladipaka present day (Maldives), and the children landed at a place calledNaggadipa. Vijaya eventually made it to the island of Lanka.
The Vanga Kingdom was known for its superior naval fleets and naval supremacy. According to the Mahabarata the Vanga Kingdom also colonised territory outside of mainland India. This can be observed with the supposed Vanga settlements in the island of Mahiladipaka in theMaldives andPrince Vijaya's conquests of Lanka.
There has also been instances of Vanga settlements inSoutheast Asia. Most notably inChampa (Vietnam), where a settlement was founded inCochinchina. The settlement was named after a native Bengali name.[11][12]
The core region of Vanga lay between thePadma-Meghna river system in the east and theBhagirathi-Hooghly river system in the west.[13] In the east, it encompassed the modern BangladeshiKhulna Division excluding pre-1947 Jessore District i.e. Upa Vanga which is in Paschim (West) Vanga[14][15] andBarisal division as well as theDhaka division. Vanga also included the eastern area ofOld Brahmaputra, denoting present-daySylhet Division and easternMymensingh Division of Bangladesh. In the west, it includedPresidency division of West Bengal and may have extended toBurdwan division andMedinipur division.[16] Its neighbors includedPundravardhana in the north; andMagadha,Anga andSuhma in the west.
The Vanga kingdom encompassed the many islands of the Ganges delta and the Sundarbans mangrove forest.
Chandraketugarh,Tamralipta andWari-Bateshwar ruins are the major archaeological sites of Vanga Kingdom.
At (6:9),Anga, Vanga, and Kalinga were mentioned as close kingdoms in Bharata Varsha (Ancient India). All regions ofsacred waters and all other holy palaces there were in Vanga and Kalinga,Arjuna visited all of them, during his pilgrimage lasting for 12 years throughoutancient India.[17]
The founders ofAngas, Vangas,Kalingas,Pundras and Suhmas shared a common ancestry. They were all adopted sons of a king named Vali (Bali), born by a sage named Gautama Dirghatamas, who lived inMagadha close to the city of Girivraja.[18][19]Other texts say that, because king Bali had no descendants, this deputed rishi Dirghatamaas to give birth of the children throughNiyoga and thus five sons were born from the womb of the wife of Bali.
TheKashmiras, theDaradas, theKuntis, the Kshudrakas, theMalavas, theAngas, theVangas, theKalingas, theVidehas, the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshovahas, the Vitahotras, theTrigartas, the Martikavatas were all vanquished byBhargava Rama (7:68).
Karna captured the Angas, and the Vangas, and the Kalingas, and the Mandikas, and the Magadhas. the Karkakhandas; and also included with them the Avasiras, Yodhyas, and the Ahikshatras (3:252).
The Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, theKasis, theKosalas, theVatsyas, the Gargyas, theKarushas and the Paundras were mentioned to be vanquished byVasudeva Krishna (7:11).
Arjuna defeated the countries of the Vangas, the Pundras, and the Kosalas (14:82) in his military campaign afterKurukshetra War.
The kings of Anga, Vanga and Pundra were mentioned as attending the court ofYudhishthira at (2:4). The Vangas, Angas, Paundras,Odras,Cholas,Dravidas andAndhrakas were mentioned to be giving tribute to Yudhishthira (3:51). The Angas, the Vangas, the Punras, the Sanavatyas, and the Gayas—these good and well-bornKshatriyas distributed into regular clans and trained to the use of arms, brought tribute unto king Yudhishthira by hundreds and thousands. The Vangas, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptas, the Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas, the Patrornas, the Saisavas, and innumerable Karnapravaranas, were found waiting at the gate (2:51).
Vanga army was skilled in handlingwar elephants. They sided with theKauravas.
Vangas sided withDuryodhana in the Kurukshetra War (8:17) along with the Kalingas. They are mentioned as part of theKaurava army at (7:158). Many foremost of combatants skilled in elephant-fight, belonging to the Easterners, the Southerners, the Angas, the Vangas, the Pundras, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Mekalas, the Koshalas, theMadras, theDasharnas, the Nishadas united with the Kalingas (8:22).Satyaki, pierced the vitals of the elephant belonging to the king of the Vangas (8:22).
Bhagadatta was mentioned as the ruler of the Pragjyotisha kingdom that took part in the Kurukshetra War.
Behind Duryodhana proceeded the ruler of the Vangas, with ten thousand elephants, huge as hills, and each with juice trickling down (6:92). The ruler of the Vangas (Bhagadatta) mounting upon an elephant huge as a hill, drove towards the Rakshasa,Ghatotkacha. On the field of battle, with the mighty elephant of great speed, Bhagadatta placed himself in the very front of Duryodhana's car. With that elephant he completely shrouded the car of thy son. Beholding then the way (to Duryodhana's car) thus covered by the intelligent king of the Vangas, the eyes of Ghatotkacha became red in anger. He ruled that huge dart, before upraised, at that elephant. Struck with that dart hurled from the arms of Ghatotkacha, that elephant, covered with blood and in great agony, fell down and died. The mighty king of the Vangas, however, quickly jumping down from that elephant, alighted on the ground (6:93).
At (2:29) two rulers Samudrasena and Chadrasena were mentioned. It is not clear if they were rulers of Vanga kingdom. Karna is mentioned as the ruler of Anga and Vanga at (2:43). Paundraka Vasudeva, an ally ofJarasandha and enemy of Vasudeva Krishna is mentioned as king of Vanga, Pundra and the Kiratas at (2:14). Bhagadatta is mentioned as the ruler of Vanga at (8:22).
Probably all these rulers had a stake in the territory of Vanga. All of them were mentioned as ruling the neighbouring kingdoms of Vanga, in other passages in Mahabharata. Bhagadatta was the ruler ofPragjyotisha kingdom to the north of Vanga. Paundraka Vasudeva ruled Pundra kingdom to the east of Vanga and Karna ruled Anga kingdom to the west of Vanga.
Kings of Kalinga and Vanga were mentioned as attending the self choice ceremony of thePanchala princess, along with Vasudeva the king of Pundra.[20]
