This is a list of rulers of Bengal. For much of its history, Bengal was split up into several independent kingdoms, completely unifying only several times. In ancient times, Bengal consisted of the kingdoms of Pundra, Suhma, Vanga, Samatata and Harikela.
In the 4th century BCE, during the reign of the Nanda Empire, the powerful rulers of Gangaridai sent their forces consisting of war elephants which led to the withdrawal of Alexander the Great from the Indian subcontinent.
With the rise of Gopala in 750 AD, Bengal was united once more under the Buddhist Pala Empire. The Pala period is considered as one of golden eras of Bengali history as it brought stability and prosperity to Bengal after centuries of Civil War, created outstanding works of art and architecture, proto-Bengali language developed under them including its first literary work, the Charyapada and so on. They ruled Bengal until the 12th century, before being succeeded by the Buddhist and Hindu Chandra dynasty, Sena dynasty and Deva dynasty. The rule of the Sena and Deva dynasty extended over various parts of Bengal, until the arrival of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji as part of the Ghurid Invasion of Bengal.
In the early 13th century, Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji conquered the Western and parts of Northern Bengal, and established the first Muslim kingdom in Bengal. The Delhi Sultanate, under various Islamic dynasties such as the Mamluk Sultanate, the Khalji dynasty, the Turko-Indian Tughlaq dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty and the Lodi dynasty ruled over various parts Bengal for some 300 years, interrupted and frequently challenged by local muslim rulers of Bengal.
The Bengal Sultanate, a major trading nation in the world,Nanda, J. N (2005). was founded in 1342 by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, after he united Satgaon, Lakhnauti and Sonargaon. The Ilyas Shahi dynasty ruled Bengal for nearly 150 years. The Hussain Shahi dynasty founded by Alauddin Husain Shah, reached its greatest territorial extent which saw the extension of the sultanate from modern Bihar and Odisha in the west, to Kamaraupa and the port of Chittagong in the east, witnessing the arrival of the earliest Portuguese merchants.
In the mid 16th Century, during the retreat of the Sur Empire, King of Tripura, Vijay Manikya occupied all lands in East Bengal, East of Khulna & Rajshahi between 1556 till his death in 1563.
During the collapse of the Bengal Sultanate in West Bengal to the Mughals in 1576, the Baro Bhuiyan Raja-Sultan confederacy emerged till 1613. Notable kings being Portuguese ally Maharaja Kedar Roy, Sultan Isa Khan, Musa Khan & Burmese ally Maharaja Pratapaditya of Jessore.
In the 17th & 18th Centuries, The Kingdom of Assam led major victories against the Mughals in 1615 & 1682 specifically. Mughals had to retreat from the Kingdom of Tripura after multiple plagues, mutinies among Sarail Nawabs & finally after the execution of Sultan Shamser Gazi in 1760. Notable kings were Lachit Borphukan of Assam & Kalyan Manikya, Govinda Manikya, Krishna Manikya of Tripura.
Ancient Bengal
Ancient geopolitical divisions
Ancient region Modern region Pundravardhana Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division in Bangladesh; Malda division of West Bengal in India Vanga Khulna Division and Barisal Division in Bangladesh; West of the Padma river. Tirabhukti Mithila area of India and Nepal Gauda Modern Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal, India Suhma Burdwan division, Medinipur division and Presidency division of West Bengal in India Rarh Corresponds to the modern Bardhaman, Bankura, Hooghly and Nadia districts of West Bengal in India Samatata Dhaka Division, Barisal Division and Chittagong Division in Bangladesh Harikela Sylhet Division, Chittagong Division, Dhaka Division and Barisal Division in Bangladesh
The founders of Angas, Vangas, Kalingas, Pundras, Odras and Suhmas shared a common ancestry. They were all adopted sons of a king named Bali, born by a sage named Gautama Dirghatamas, who lived in Magadha close to the city of Girivraja."The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa" Translated into English Prose, Bharata Press, Calcutta (1883–1896)
Bengal from c. 1100 to c. 600 BCE
Bengal from c. 600 to c. 350 BCE
Bengal in c. 350 BCE
Anga kingdom (c. 1100–530 BCE)
The earliest mention occurs in the Atharvaveda (V.22.14) where they are listed alongside the Magadhas, Gandharis and the Mujavatas.Digha Nikaya Anga was annexed by Magadha in the time of Bimbisara. This was the one and only conquest of Bimbisara.The Garuda Purana 55.12; V.D. I.9.4; the Markendeya Purana 56.16–18
Known Anga rulers include: Maharaj Anga – (founder of the kingdom and son of King Bali) Romapada Brihadratha Angaraj Karna Vrishaketu – (son of Karna) Tamralipta Lomapada Chitraratha Vrihadratha Vasuhoma Dhatarattha Dhadivahana Brahmadatta – (last king of Anga kingdom)
Vanga kingdom (c. 1100–340 BCE)
Vanga was an ancient kingdom and geopolitical division on the Ganges delta. It was located in southern Bengal, with the core region including present-day southwestern Bangladesh and southern West Bengal (India).
Known Vanga rulers are: Samudrasena Chandrasena Karna Bhagabhatta
Pundra kingdom (c. 1100–340 BCE)
Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom, was an ancient kingdom, that included parts of present-day Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions of Bangladesh as well as the West Dinajpur district of West Bengal in India.
Known Pundra rulers are: Paundraka Vasudeva
Suhma kingdom (c. 1100–340 BCE)
Suhma kingdom was an ancient state during the Vedic period on the eastern part of the Bengal.This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata along with its neighbouring kingdom Prasuhma.
Chola Empire(c. 848–1279 BCE)
Videha dynasty of Mithila (Tirabhukti) (c. 1100–700 BCE)
Tirabhukti or Mithila region is bounded by the Mahananda River in the east, the Ganges in the south, the Gandaki River in the west and by the foothills of the Himalayas in the north.
Mithila region firstly ruled by Videha dynasty. There were 52 Janaka (kings) ruled Videha dynasty of Mithila-
Mithi (founder of Mithila and the first Janaka)Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. Nagendra Kumar Singh, p. 3239. Udavasu Nandivardhana Suketu Devarata Brihadvrata Mahavira Sudhriti Dristaketu Haryasva Maru Pratindhaka Kritiratha Devamidha Vibhuta Mahidhrata Kirtirata Mahorama Swarnorama Hrisvaroma Seeradhwaja Bhaanumaan Shatadyumn Shuchi Oorjnaamaa Kriti Anjan Kurujit Arishtnemi Shrutaayu Supaarshwa Srinjaya Kshemaavee Anenaa Bhaumarath Satyarath Upagu Upagupt Swaagat Swaanand Suvarchaa Supaarshwa Subhaash Sushrut Jaya Vijaya Rit Sunaya Veetahavya Dhriti Bahulaashwa Kriti (last King of Videha or Janaka dynasty, Kirti Janak was atrocious ruler who lost control over his subjects. He was dethroned by public under leadership of Acharyas (Learned Men).
During this period of fall of Videha dynasty, the famous republic of Licchavi was rising in Vaishali and Mithila region came under control of Licchavi clan of Vajji confederacy in around eighth century BCE.Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1972), Political History of Ancient India, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, pp. 106–113, 186–90
Gangaridai kingdom (c. 350–100 BCE)
Gangaridae is a term used by the ancient Greco-Roman writers to describe a people or a geographical region of the ancient Indian subcontinent. Some of these writers state that Alexander the Great withdrew from the Indian subcontinent because of the strong war elephant force of the Gangaridai. However, the geographical region was annexed and governed by the Nanda Empire at the time.
A number of modern scholars locate Gangaridai in the Ganges Delta of the Bengal region, although alternative theories also exist. Gange or Ganges, the capital of the Gangaridai (according to Ptolemy), has been identified with several sites in the region, including Chandraketugarh and Wari-Bateshwar.
Magadha dynasties of Bengal
Brihadratha dynasty (c. 1700–682 BCE)
Rulers- +List of Brihadratha dynasty rulersRulerReign (BCE) Brihadratha – BCE Jarasandha – BCE Sahadeva of Magadha – BCE Somadhi 1661–1603 BCE Srutasravas 1603–1539 BCE Ayutayus 1539–1503 BCE Niramitra 1503–1463 BCE Sukshatra 1463–1405 BCE Brihatkarman 1405–1382 BCE Senajit 1382–1332 BCE Srutanjaya 1332–1292 BCE Vipra 1292–1257 BCE Suchi 1257–1199 BCE Kshemya 1199–1171 BCE Subrata 1171–1107 BCE Dharma 1107–1043 BCE Susuma 1043–970 BCE Dridhasena 970–912 BCE Sumati 912–879 BCE Subala 879–857 BCE Sunita 857–817 BCE Satyajit 817–767 BCE Viswajit 767–732 BCE Ripunjaya 732–682 BCE (Ripunjaya was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by Pradyota in 682 BCE)
Pradyota dynasty (c. 682–544 BCE)
Rulers- +List of Pradyota dynasty RulersRulerReign (BCE)Period Pradyota Mahasena 682–659 BCE 23 Gopāla (Abdicated) 659 BCE ~1 Palaka 659–635 BCE 24 Aryaka ? ? Visakhayupa 635–585 BCE 50 Ajaka 585–564 BCE 21 Varttivarddhana 564–544 BCE 20 (Varttivarddhana was the last ruler of the dynasty and was dethroned by Bimbisara in 544 BCE)
Haryanka dynasty (c. 544–413 BCE)
Rulers- +List of Haryanka dynasty rulersRulerReign (BCE) Bimbisara 544–492 BCE Ajatashatru 492–460 BCE Udayin 460–444 BCE Anirudha 444–440 BCE Munda 440–437 BCE Darshaka 437 BCE Nāgadāsaka 437–413 BCE (Nāgadāsaka was the last ruler of the dynasty and was overthrown by Shishunaga in 413 BCE)
Shishunaga dynasty (c. 413–345 BCE)
Rulers- +List of Shishunga dynasty rulersRulerReign (BCE) Shishunaga 413–395 BCE Kalashoka 395–377 BCE Kshemadharman 377–365 BCE Kshatraujas 365–355 BCE Nandivardhana 355–349 BCE Mahanandin 349–345 BCE (Mahanandin lost his empire to his illegitimate son Mahapadma Nanda in 345 BCE)
Nanda Empire (c. 345–322 BCE)
Rulers- +List of Nanda dynasty rulersRulerReign (BCE) Mahapadma Nanda 345–340 BCE Pandukananda 340–339 BCE Pandugatinanda 339–338 BCE Bhutapalananda 338–337 BCE Rashtrapalananda 337–336 BCE Govishanakananda 336–335 BCE Dashasiddhakananda 335–334 BCE Kaivartananda 334–329 BCE Dhana Nanda 329–321 BCE (Dhana Nanda lost his empire to Chandragupta Maurya after being defeated by him in 322 BCE)
Maurya Empire (c. 322–184 BCE)
Rulers- RulerReignNotesChandragupta Maurya322–297 BCE He was the founder of the first united Indian empire.Bindusara Amitraghata297–273 BCEAcknowledged by Taranatha, a Tibetan Buddhist Lama, for his foreign diplomacy, and territorial conquests. His Sanskrit name "Amitraghata" means "Slayer of Enemies".Ashoka 268–232 BCEHe was the greatest emperor of the dynasty. His son Kunala was blinded and passed away before him. Ashoka was succeeded by his grandson Samprati. He is also known for emerging victorious in the Kalinga war and repenting the sorrow and violence he had caused, leading to him turning to Buddhism. He sent his eldest son Mahendra (according to Sri Lankan traditions) and his only daughter Sanghamitra (also according to Sri Lankan traditions) to the Kingdom of Anuradhapura as Buddhist missionaries.Dasharatha Maurya232–224 BCEBrother of Ashoka.Samprati224–215 BCEGrandson of Ashoka and son of Kunala.Shalishuka215–202 BCESon of SampratiDevavarman202–195 BCESon of ShalishukaShatadhanvan195–187 BCE The Mauryan Empire had diminished by the time of his reign.Brihadratha187–184 BCE Assassinated by his Commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Shunga belonging to the Shunga Empire in 185 BCE. (Brihadratha was the last ruler of dynasty, dethroned by Pushyamitra Shunga in 185 BCE)
Shunga Empire (c. 185–73 BCE)
Rulers- +List of Shunga dynasty rulersRulerReign (BCE) Pushyamitra Shunga 185–149 BCE Agnimitra 149–141 BCE Vasujyeshtha 141–131 BCE Vasumitra 131–124 BCE Bhadraka 124–122 BCE Pulindaka 122–119 BCE Ghosha 119–108 BCE Vajramitra 108–94 BCE Bhagabhadra 94–83 BCE Devabhuti 83–73 BCE (Devabhuti was the last ruler of the dynasty dethroned by Vasudeva Kanva in 73 BCE)
Kanva dynasty (c. 73–28 BCE)
Rulers-