Pundravardhana

Coordinates: 24°58′N 89°21′E / 24.96°N 89.35°E / 24.96; 89.35
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Pundravardhana
unknown (?~1280 BCE)–unknown (?~300 BCE)
Location of Pundravardhana
CapitalMahasthangarh
Common languagesSanskrit, Pali, Prakrit
Religion
Historical Vedic religion
Jainism
GovernmentMonarchy
Historical eraIron Age
• Established
unknown (?~1280 BCE)
• Disestablished
unknown (?~300 BCE)
Today part ofBangladesh
India (West Dinajpur district, West Bengal)
Part of a series on the
History of Bengal
Map of Bengal, 1880
Ancient Kingdoms
Classical Dynasties
Islamic Bengal
Colonial Bengal
Post-partition era
Related

Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom (

Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent with a territory that included parts of present-day Rajshahi, Rangpur and Dhaka Divisions of Bangladesh as well as the West Dinajpur district of West Bengal, India.[1][2][3] The capital of the kingdom, then known as Pundranagara (Pundra city), was located at Mahasthangarh in Bogra District
of northern Bangladesh.

Geography

24°58′N 89°21′E / 24.96°N 89.35°E / 24.96; 89.35Mahasthangarh, the ancient capital of Pundravardhana is located 11 km (7 mi) north of Bogra on the Bogra-Rangpur highway, with a feeder road (running along the eastern side of the ramparts of the citadel for 1.5 km) leading to Jahajghata and site museum.[4]

Mention in Mahabharata and puranic literature

According to the epic

Bali. Bali who had no children, requested the sage, Dirghatamas, to bless him with sons. The sage is said to have begotten five sons through his wife, the queen Sudesna. The princes were named Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Sumha.[5][6]

Ancient period

Birth place of Acharya Bhadrabāhu

The spiritual teacher of Chandragupta Maurya, Jain Ācārya Bhadrabahu was born in Pundravardhana.[7]

Execution of Ajivikas

According to

Gautama Buddha bowing at the feet of Nirgrantha Jnatiputra. Around 18,000 followers of the Ajivika sect were said to have been executed as a result of this order.[8][9]

Discovery

Several personalities contributed to the discovery and identification of the ruins at Mahasthangarh. F. Buchanan Hamilton was the first European to locate and visit Mahasthangarh in 1808, C. J. O’Donnell, E. V. Westmacott, and Baveridge followed. Alexander Cunningham was the first to identify the place as the capital of Pundravardhana. He visited the site in 1889.[10]

References

  1. ISBN 984-483-245-4
  2. ^ Ghosh, Suchandra. "Pundravardhana". Banglapedia. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Retrieved 10 November 2007.
  3. ISBN 81-89118-01-3
    .
  4. ^ Hossain, Md. Mosharraf, pp. 14–15.
  5. ISBN 9788120820852
    .
  6. ISBN 9788170223740
    .
  7. ^ Majumdar, R.C. (1971). History of Ancient Bengal (1971 ed.). Calcutta: G.Bharadwaj & Co. pp. 12, 13.
  8. ISBN 978-81-208-0616-0
    . Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  9. ISBN 978-1-152-74433-2
    . Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  10. ^ Hossain, Md. Mosharraf, pp. 16–19
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