Early North Bengal (Hardcover)

Early North Bengal: From Puṇḍravardhana to Varendra, c.400 BCE‒1150 CE reconstructs the history of a land named Puṇḍravardhana, an eponym of Puṇḍra, a group of people who resided in the northern part of Bengal. Situated to the east of the Ganga and directly connected with the Tista on the north, the Puṇḍras could communicate with their western, northern and eastern neighbours through the riverine routes. The book covers a long time period connecting several turns in the temporal and cultural history of the region with varying outcomes. The advancing stages of archaeological excavations and material remains reveal of adaptive processes between the local bodies and organized administrative machinery of varied denominations, synthesis of ideas and concepts, rise of local deities, local aspirations, social formations and monetization. The early medieval period marked a phase of excellence in cultural life and heralded some significant changes in society. It remained eventful and interspersed with some struggles to capture political power.