Senas

2020-04-27 12:04:25

#todo

Origin and Sources

Ruled from Bengal in the 11th and 12th century was founded by Samanta Sena.
Deopara prashasti mentions that they were Brahmins who embraced arms or became Brahmakshatriyas. They migrated from Karnataka.
They were samantas under Pala rulers.
Copper plate inscriptions of Adilpur mention land doantion being made by Keshava Sena along with power to punsh interlopers and tribals.

Rulers

Vijayasena was the most imp ruler who expelled Madanpala of Pala dynasty and started the Sena Kingdom.
Ballal Sena introduced social reforms in Bengal know as Kulinism and also captured Gauda frin the Palas. Had matrimonial relations with Western Chalukyas.
Lakshman Sena was the greatest ruler of the dynasty. Expanded towards Varanasi, Odisha, Bihar. He defated Jayachandra of the Ghadavala. Later Bakhtiyar Khilji put an end to the dynasty.

Religion

Reiligion needs to be seen with the lenses of chaging socio-religious milieu of the time. Esp after the overthrowing of the Pala dynasty.
Senas were overwhelmingly Hindu and wanted religious reforms against the Buddhist Pala rulers.
Buddhism has sowed the seeds of equality and democratism in the Bengal society and there was now a centralising tendency among the samantas.

Sena Art, Architecture and Literature

Art and Architecture

Most renowned is the Dhakeshwari Temple in dhaka.
They also built a temple in Kashmir known as Sanakara Gaureshwara.

Literature

$ Jayadeva who composed Gita Govinda has been said to been one of th 5 gems of Lakshman Sena. He also founded the Radha Krishna cult. #important
Other panchratnas were Sarana, Umapathi, Dhoyi and Govardhana.
Dhoyin wrote Pavandutam
Bengali and Sanskrit was patronised by them.
Saduktikarnamrta illustrates the feature of Sena poetry it was written by Lakshmansena