Skip to main content

Medieval History Weekend 9: The Sena dynasty and The Pratihara Dynasty

 History Weekend

Before I dive in, first I should tell you about this page. This page holds some infamous, famous and information about the origin of the earth continents, countries and their history of survivals.

If you are new to my kingdomprincy.blogspot.com History Weekend, then check out the Ancient History Series.


The Sena dynasty

Sena dynasty, Indian dynasty ruling in Bengal in the 11th and 12th centuries CE. Their ancestors came from the south and established themselves as chieftains in southwestern Bengal early in the 11th century. Hemantasena, the founder of the dynasty, was originally a tributary of the Pala dynasty. In the mid-11th century, he declared his independence and set himself up as the king. Vijayasena (reigned c. 1095–1158), built an empire on the ruins of that of the Palas, gaining control of all Bengal and northern Bihar.


The Senas originally belonged to the Karnata country (Karnatadeshatagata) in South India, the Kanarese speaking region in modern Mysore, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh of India, and they were Brahma-Ksatriyas (those who were Brahmanas first and became Ksatriyas afterwards).


Sena rule in Bengal brought about a marked revival of orthodox Hinduism. The caste system, which had become careless because of the Buddhist influence of the Palas. It was re-established, and the Bengali system of hypergamy, the socially upward marriage of women, was reputedly founded by the Sena king Vallalasena. The last Sena king, Lakshmanasena (reigned c. 1178– c. 1205), became a great patron of literature; the poets Jayadeva and Dhoyi wrote at his court on Nadia. Lakshmanasena was expelled from Nadia in 1202 by the Turkish chief Muḥammad Bakhtyār Khaljī and died about three years later. Sena kings continued to rule in eastern Bengal for some decades, but the main political power in Bengal passed to the Muslims.


The Sena dynasty is famous for building Hindu temples and monasteries, which include the renowned Dhakeshwari Temple in what is now Dhaka, Bangladesh.

In Kashmir, the dynasty also likely built a temple knows as Sankara Gaureshwara.



The Pratihara Dynasty


Pratihara also called Gurjana Pratihara because they were related to Gurjan (today's known as Gujrat). The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the Indus River. They were the protector of the north-west India region cause they resisted the Arab incursion through Sindh.


Nagabhata I defeated the Arab army under Junaid and Tamin in the Caliphate campaigns in India. Under Nagabhata II, the Gurjara-Pratiharas became the most powerful dynasty in northern India. He was succeeded by his son Ramabhadra, who ruled briefly before being succeeded by his son, Mihira Bhoja

Under Bhoja and his successor Mahendrapala I, the Pratihara Empire reached its peak of prosperity and power. By the time of Mahendrapala, the extent of its territory resembled that of the Gupta. Empire stretching from the border of Sindh in the west to Bengal in the east. It is stretching from the Himalayas in the north to areas past the Narmada in the south. The expansion triggered a tripartite power struggle. The Rashtrakuta and Pala empires have control of the Indian Subcontinent. During this period, Imperial Pratihara took the title of Maharajadhiraja of Āryāvarta (Great King of Kings of India).




Gurjara-Pratihara is known for their sculptures, carved panels and open pavilion-style temples. The most famous, development of their temple architecture was at Khajuraho, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


In 915 A.D. the Kanauj was attacked by a Rashtrakuta king, who devastated the city leading to the weakening of the Pratihara Empire. In 1018, Kannauj then ruled by Rajyapala Pratihara was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni. The empire broke into independent Rajput states.



Other Useful Post

Dear readers, share your thoughts. Let me know in the comment.


Until my next blog post, here's wishing you lots of joy and happiness!

With love,

Princy

Thank you for reading.

Free feel to share, comment and don't forget to follow.

Now you can also follow me on social media Twitter|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest|Youtube.

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hakuna Matata

Greeting Readers Hakuna Matata It means no worries for the rest of the days Let's ride back to our childhood, where we imagined living in a house made of chocolates or can fly like a superman or can live life inside a computer (this one is my favourite) or can be a player in a video game and so on. Then we grew up and or we have to think about to have a job that pays well and score 99.9% to get admission in your favourite university. We've become a racer to this unknown race of life . Even we have no idea when this race will end and where its path is going. But close your eyes and ask your self are you happy with this. If your answer is "No" then say "Hakuna Matata".  And take your self out! oops sorry, I forget the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, limiting movement as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 pandemic in India. But no worries if you can't go out you can go in!  Give time

Revealing the Timeless Beauty: Crafting a Greek Woman's Portrait

Dear Esteemed Readers, I am absolutely delighted to unveil the captivating journey behind the creation of this exquisite women's portrait. Our source of inspiration hails from the timeless elegance of a Greek woman. In the annals of Ancient Greece, the epitome of beauty lay in three quintessential elements: symmetry, proportion, and harmony. Their visages were adorned with delicate contours and cascading waves of hair, epitomizing the very essence of grace. The heritage of the Greeks unfolds as a tapestry of shared physical traits—olive-hued skin, rich brown eyes, and gracefully straight noses. Complementing these features, one often finds luxuriant tresses of dark hair, elegantly carved cheekbones, and visages bearing the hallmark of a rectangular grace. Allow me to share the very palette that brought this vision to life: A pristine canvas The vibrant embrace of oil paints, delicately thinned with linseed oil A carefully curated array of paintbrushes The final touch of metallic pa

History Weekend 3: Brilliant Chapter of Indian History

History Weekend Before I dive in, first I should tell you about this page. This page holds some infamous, famous, and information about the origin of the earth's continents, countries, and their history of survival . Disclaimer This post may contain affiliate links where, at no additional price to you, I may receive a commission if you use them. I only recommend products I use, trust, and adore. For more information read disclaimer . Well, we have all grown up watching  Ramayana ,  Mahabharat ,  Krishna Leela,  and so on. They taught us that   humanity is the only religion . They all belong to the  Vedic period , which occupies the most prominent place in Indian history. The Vedic culture occupied a proud place among the cultures of the world and added a brilliant chapter to Indian history.  Read our previous history weekend post: Tales of Continents Origin and  Rising of Asian culture and tradition . Emerged of Vedic Culture and Civilization in India Let's ride back to 1800 B