Sena Dynasty

The Sena Dynasty can be identified as an eminent yet oblivious chapter representing the history of rich Indian heritage. The origin of the Sena dynasty was in the state of Karnataka. The Sena rulers also exhibited profound patronage towards literature. A remarkable development of Bengali literature was noticed under the reign of this dynasty. Sena Dynasty had displayed ultimate effort in the resurrection of the hindu religion and also tried to protect it. The Sena Dynasty exhibited significant growth and development under the leadership of Lakshmana Sena from the perspective of art, literature, and architecture. After the rule of Lakshmana Sena, the commencement of gradual downfall of the empire was apparent.

The Sena Dynasty 

The Sena Dynasty can be regarded as an oblivious chapter of Indian history. The rulers of the dynasty were the patronage of art and culture. They were also very benevolent towards the common people of the dynasty. 

The Sena Dynasty was founded by “Samanta Sena”. The successor of “Samanta Sena” was “Hemanta Sena” who inculcated power and authority in the Sena Dynasty. He declared himself as the king of this dynasty. The time of his reign had been identified as 1095 AD. He was succeeded by Vijay Sena who assisted in making the foundation of the dynasty more consolidated. He was the most lingering ruler of the Sena dynasty with duration of 60 years which can be considered quite long. “Ballala Sena”, another ruler of the Sena dynasty captured Gaur from the clutches of Pala and declared himself the king of the “Delta of Bengal” and had chosen Nadia as his capital. The Sena rulers were also seen to establish a profoundly close relationship with South India which was apparent from their marital relationships. “Lakshmana Sena” was the successor of “Ballala Sena” in the period of 1179 AD. “Lakshmana Sena” can be identified as the last sophisticated ruler of the Sena Dynasty and the duration of his reign was almost 20 years and during this phase, the Sena dynasty experienced a significant expansion in Bihar and Odisha. A part of Varanasi was also merged in the Sena Dynasty. Finally, the reign of Sena dynasty depleted with the attack of “Bakhtiyar khilji” who invaded the capital, “Nadia” and conquered it. 

Social scenario and architecture during the Sena reign

The Sena rulers were the proponents of the caste system in Bengal. They strengthened casteism. It is a general perception that the caste system was copied from the former state of “Mithila” yet it can be identified that the caste system in Bengal was not that solid in comparison with the state of Mithila. The Sena Dynasty was phenomenal in building several hindu temples. The eminent “Dhakeshwari temple” in the present Dhaka which is in Bangladesh is a remarkable example of the architectures originating from the Sena Dynasty. The temple can be identified to display a bewitching architecture that mesmerizes the visitors. They also built a temple namely “Sankara Gaureshwara” in present-day Kashmir. This is another temple with exquisite architecture. 

Art and Literature during the Sena reign

The Bengali art and literature have reached a colossal and unprecedented height during the reign of the Sena Dynasty.During the “Pala Dynasty” and the “Sena Dynasty” , the ultimate growth and development of Bengali literature had been noticed. A major group of people possess a radical belief that “Jayadeb” the renowned poet and the creator of “Geeta-Govinda” was one among the “five-gems” in the political framework of “Lakhsmana Sena”. Some people also enunciated that there was actually “nine gems” in “Lakhsmana Sena’s” court. The Sena rulers were also the patrons of art. Several art forms originated during the reign of the dynasty. In this period, different Bangladeshi jatras had reached the zenith of attraction in terms of size and different arrangements. Samanta Sena displayed ardent patronage in this case. The different artistic forms such as painting and crafts, the influence of bengali culture is apparent. The five-gems in the court were phenomenal in addressing and promoting bengali literature and culture. 

Downfall of the empire

The Sena Dynasty exhibited significant depletion after the reign of its last competent ruler, “Lakshmana Sena”. The successors showed no intention of maintaining and expanding the dynasty. They were also apathetic in flourishing art, culture and religion which was a major quality of the previous rulers. They were engaged in comfort and pleasure seeking activities. “Bakhtiyar khilji” representing the “Ghurid Empire” took advantage of this and executed a successful invasion and captured the capital of the Sena Dynasty afterwards. 

Conclusion

The Sena Dynasty was an important part in the history of Bengal. Under the leadership of the competent leaders representing the Sena Dynasty, Bengali art forms and literature displayed remarkable upliftment. Several architectures constructed during the reign of the Sena rulers never fail to amaze the visitors even in the present times. The Sena rulers were also great patrons of the hindu religion. They constructed several temples and monasteries during their reign. These dilapidated structures of those temples can also be found in the present times. Some of them were conserved as a tourist attraction point. The common people also lived peacefully during the reign of the Sena rulers. The rulers of the Sena dynasty kept a close contact with south Indian states. They also established marital relationships with the South Indian princesses. It can be considered a golden chapter of Bengali rule.