Mahasthangarh, Bangladesh 3.59

The extensive city ruins of Pundranagar, now buried deep in Mahasthan, spreading along the western bank of Karatoya river is situated about 8 miles due north of the Bogra town. It consists of a massively fortified oblong enclosure measuring 1500 meter long by 1400 meter broad and rises to an averafe height of 15 feet from the surrounding crop fields. The present name Mahasthan literally means simply “Great Place”. It is also believed by some people that its correct name is “Mahasnan” or a Great Bathing Place. According to some local muslim traditions the place is also described as “Mastangarh” which merely echo the story of Shah Sultan Balhki Mahesawar, the first muslim saint who occupied the place by subverting the last hindu king, Parasurama.
The ruins of ancient Pundranagar were first described by Buchanan Hamilton in 1808 A. D. and subsequently by O, Donell, Beveridge, Cunningham and others. But the credit of identifying these ruins with the famous city of Pundranagar must go to Sir A. Cunningham who visited this place in 1879.The famous Chinese pilgrim Yuan Cheang visited Pundra Vardhana between 638-645 A.D and noticed, besides other Busddhist institutions, a large stupa near the city (Vasu-Vihara) which was erected by Asoka himself on the body relic of the Buddha. The pilgrim also mentioned that the Buddha stayed here for 3 months and preached. The identification of the ruins of Mahasthan with ancient Pundranagar is strengthened by the chance discovery of a remarkable limestone inscribed tablet in 1931, bearing six lines of Ashokan Brahmi script (3rd century B. C.) which records the occurance of a famine in Bengal and the imperial order to Mahamatra of Pundranagar to distribute foodgrains and money from the government store house to the famine affected people of the area and replenish the government store both in kind and coins at the time of comparative prosperity of the people. The record, doubtless, is of outstanding historical interest.
Pundranagar represents the earliest city site in Bangladesh. Archaeological evidences testify to its existence as far back as at least 3rd century B. C. and continued to flourish till 15th/16th century. Pundranagar mentioned in the epigraphic records of the Mauryans, the Guptas, the Palas and the Senas, and celebrated in numerous ancient literaty references preserve the memory of a forgotten people- the Pundra- who seem to have originally inhabited this part of the country in thedistant past befor the advent of the Aryans and of who virtually nothing is known today.
In the 3rd century B. C. Bangladesh formed part of the vast Mauryan kingdom, then known as Pundravardhana Bhutki, a fact well established from the excavated remains at Mahasthan and from literary and other epigraphic records. For more than six centuries- between the fall of the Mauryans and the rise of the great Gupta rulers of India- the history of Bengal is difficult to decipher other than for a few names of local kings and the knowledge that their small kingdoms were perpetually at war with each other, around 300 A. D., Chandra Gupta laid the foundations of the great Gupta dynasty in Magadha (South Bihar) from where the greater part of northern India, including Bengal, was ruled up to the middle of the 7th century. In about 750 A. D. king Gopala began the famous Pala dynasty of Bengal who lasted for over four centuries. The four centuries of Pala rule may rightly be regarded as the most prosperous epoch in the history of Bengal as it brought peace and it fostered a variety of artistic activity.The history of the Sena power in Bengal actually begins with Samanta Sena in about the later part of 10th century A. D. The Sena dynasty eventually came to an end during 1204 A. D. when Malik Ikhiyaruddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji invade Bengal. However, Sena reign seem to have continued over eastern Bengal, unmolested by the Muslims, until the later part of the 13th century.

This site is now protected by the Department of Archaeology and is a place to experience the past and enjoy the wonderful surroundings...