Samatata

Coordinates: 23°30′N 91°00′E / 23.5°N 91.0°E / 23.5; 91.0
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Samataṭa
3rd century BCE–13th century
Samatata coinage of Vira Jadamarah, imitative of the Kushan coinage of Kanishka I. The text of the legend is a meaningless imitation, c. 2nd–3rd century CE.[1] of
Samatata coinage of Vira Jadamarah, imitative of the
Kanishka I. The text of the legend is a meaningless imitation, c. 2nd–3rd century CE.[1]
Varman Dynasty
• 11th century-12th century
Sena dynasty
• 12th century-13th century
Second Deva dynasty
History 
• Established
3rd century BCE
• Disestablished
13th century
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Vanga Kingdom
Pala Empire
Sena dynasty

Samataṭa (

Buddhist
civilisation before the resurgence of Hinduism and Muslim conquest in the region.

Archaeological evidence in the

Allahabad pillar inscriptions of the Indian emperor Samudragupta describe Samataṭa as a tributary state
.

Samataṭa gained prominence as an important region of

Varman dynasty between the 6th and 11th centuries. During this period, the rulers of Samataṭa also reigned over parts of Arakan, Tripura and Kamarupa. Chinese travellers provide an elaborate description of the kingdom during the 7th century. Xuanzang
visited the kingdom.

Records of the Sena 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 the Delhi Sultanate.

Names

Samataṭa has been described by various similar names, including Samatat/Samata/Saknat/Sankat/Sankanat.In Sanskrit, sama means equal and taṭa means coast or shore.

Geography

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 the

Kutubdia and St. Martin's.[citation needed] It included parts of Tripura (in present-day Northeast India), Bangladesh's Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts; and northern Arakan (present-day Rakhine State, Myanmar). Samatata's erstwhile neighbours included the geopolitical divisions of Vanga (Southwest Bengal), Pundravardhana (North Bengal), and parts of Kamarupa
(historical Assam).

History

class=notpageimage|
Location on the Samatatas and contemporary South Asian polities circa 350 CE.[6]

The

Mahajanapada 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".[13]

Soon after the death of emperor Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire declined and the eastern part of Bengal became the state of Samatata.[14] The rulers of the erstwhile state remain unknown. During the Gupta Empire, the Indian emperor Samudragupta 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.

Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta (350-375 CE).[15]

"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,

Ābhīras, Prārjunas, Sanakānīkas, Kākas, Kharaparikas and other nations"

— Lines 22–23 of the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta (r.c.350-375 CE).[15]
Coin of Ratas Sridharanarata of the Samatata dynasty, circa 664-675 CE.

Samatata's recorded independent dynasties are the

Comilla City. The Devas were devout Buddhists and constructed many temples, muras and vihara in Devaparvata including Shalban 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 and Arakan (Burma). The Chandras were powerful enough to withstand the Pala Empire
to the northwest.

Samatata was a flourishing center of Buddhism. As devout

Orissa and Sri Lanka. 10th century shipwrecks in Indonesia provide evidence of maritime contact with Bengal.[19]

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.

decline of Buddhism in India
.

Silk Road and Chinese accounts

Ruins of a pillar and building in Mainamati
Ruins of the Shalban monastery
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

The Chinese pilgrim and traveller Xuanzang, who made his way across the

Yijing observed that there were 4000 Buddhist monks and nuns in Samatata.[20][21][22][23]

Epigraphy and archaeology

Epigraphs

  • Allahabad pillar
    inscription of the Gupta dynasty (4th century)
  • Copperplate of Shridharana Rata
  • Khadga copperplates
  • Chandra copperplates
  • Mehar copperplate of Damodaradeva

Associated archaeological sites

See also

  • Indo-Roman trade

References

  1. ^ "Samatata coin". British Museum.
  2. ISBN 978-81-313-0405-1
    .
  3. ^ Prasad, Bindeshwari (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha. p. 136.
  4. ^ a b c Sein, U. Aung Kyaw (May 2011). Vesāli: Evidences of Early Historical City in Rakhine Region (MA). University of Yangoon.
  5. ^
    OCLC 244247519
    .
  6. ISBN 0226742210
    .
  7. ^ "First, in his list of towns in transgangetic India Ptolemy mentions a place called Souanagoura which has been identified with modern Sonargaon" Excavation at Wari-Bateshwar: A Preliminary Study, Enamul Haque - 2001
  8. ^ Kamrul Hasan Khan, back from Wari-Bateswar (1 April 2007). "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1008". Archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  9. ^ "A Family's Passion - Archaeology Magazine". Archaeology.org. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  10. doi:10.5334/aa.10210
    .
  11. ISBN 978-81-215-0750-9
    .
  12. ISBN 978-81-215-0804-9
    .
  13. ISBN 978-0-19-977507-1
    .
  14. ISBN 978-1-4381-0485-0
    .
  15. ^ a b Fleet, John Faithfull (1888). Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol. 3. pp. 6–10.
  16. ^ Chakrabarti, Amita (1991). History of Bengal, C. A.D. 550 to C. A.D. 750. University of Burdwan. p. 122.
  17. ^ a b "Samatata - Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  18. ^ "Chandra Dynasty, The - Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  19. JSTOR 44158810
    .
  20. ISBN 978-81-208-0281-0
    .
  21. ^ Xuanzang (1906). Si-yu-ki: Ta-T'ang-si-yu-ki. Books 6-12. K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Company.
  22. ^ "Chinese Accounts - Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  23. ^ "Hiuen-Tsang - Banglapedia". En.banglapedia.org. 29 March 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2019.

23°30′N 91°00′E / 23.5°N 91.0°E / 23.5; 91.0

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