Lesson 2/34 min
The Sena dynasty
The Senas rose in Bengal in the middle of the 11th century. Samanta Sena came from Karnata in his old age and settled in Radh on the bank of the Ganges. After Bakhtiyar Khalji attacked Nadia, at about 1204, the aged Lakshmana Sena withdrew to Vikrampur.
The Sena kings
| Name | Time (about) | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Samanta Sena | 11th century | came from Karnata; did not found a kingdom |
| Hemanta Sena | 11th century | Samanta Sena's son; first king of the Sena line |
| Vijaya Sena | about 1097–1160 | greatest Sena king; titles Parameshvara, Parama Bhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja |
| Ballala Sena | about 1160–1178 | Vijaya Sena's son; author of Danasagara and Adbhutasagara |
| Lakshmana Sena | about 1178–1206 | title Gaudeshvara; left Nadia and took refuge in Vikrampur |
Key facts
- Vijaya Sena ruled first from Tribeni, later from Vikrampur (Munshiganj), as the books say
- Lakshmana Sena's capitals: Gaur and Nadia
- Lakshmana Sena was a ‘Parama Vaishnava’; Vijaya Sena was a Shaiva
- Lakshmana Sena completed his father's unfinished Adbhutasagara (as the books say)
- One book calls Lakshmana Sena Bengal's last Hindu king; Muslim rule in Bengal began after him
Watch out: Who founded the Sena dynasty? One book calls Hemanta Sena the ‘first king and real founder’; the other says ‘founder Hemanta, real founder Vijaya Sena’. Banglapedia calls Vijaya Sena the founder. Decide from the options.
Watch out: The last Sena king: Lakshmana Sena in one book, Keshava Sena in the other (after Lakshmana, Visvarupa and Keshava ruled in south-east Bengal for some time). If both are options, Keshava Sena; otherwise the one that appears.
Did you know?: Tradition says Ballala Sena introduced the Kulin system, but historians doubt those genealogical accounts. Linking him with the Dhakeshwari temple is also only legend.
Did you know?: Sources date Bakhtiyar's conquest of Nadia anywhere from 1202 to 1205; both books say 1204, and Banglapedia puts it at the end of 1204 or early 1205.
Check yourself
Which Sena king bore the title ‘Gaudeshvara’?
At a glance
- 1
Samanta Sena came from Karnata and settled in Radh; the first king was his son Hemanta Sena.
- 2
Vijaya Sena was the greatest Sena king; his titles were Parameshvara, Parama Bhattaraka and Maharajadhiraja.
- 3
Ballala Sena was Vijaya Sena's son; he wrote the Danasagara and Adbhutasagara.
- 4
Lakshmana Sena bore the title Gaudeshvara; he was a Vaishnava.
- 5
At about 1204 Bakhtiyar Khalji attacked Nadia and Lakshmana Sena withdrew to Vikrampur.