Pramode Lal Paul

Kulattattvarnava – a spurious work?

By Pramode Lal Paul

Pramode Lal Paul scrutinises a recently published Sanskrit work called Kulatattvarnāva and argues that it is likely spurious. The Midnapore Prādeśika Brāhmaṇa Sabhā published the text from a…

Relation between the Palas and Senas

By Pramode Lal Paul

This brief article discusses the historical relationship between the Pala and Sena dynasties of Bengal. It begins by addressing the chronologies of the two dynasties, noting that while the Palas…

The Gaudas and Gauda

By Pramode Lal Paul

Investigating a complex ethnonym and toponym, this article explores the term “Gauḍa” and the people called the Gauḍas. It begins by outlining the division of Indian Brahmins into “Pañca‑Gauḍa” and…

Origins of the Varmans and the Senas—A Rejoinder

By Pramode Lal Paul

Ramapala, the last great Pala King

By Pramode Lal Paul

This article reconstructs the reign of Rāmapāla, regarded as the last powerful ruler of the Pāla dynasty of Bengal and Bihar. Drawing on the 12th‑century epic “Rāmacarita” by Sandhyākara Nandi and…

Relations of the Palas and Senas with the other Provinces

By Pramode Lal Paul

Kalicuri Karna's Invasion of Bengal and the Origins of the Varmans and the Senas

By Pramode Lal Paul

Kalicuri Karna's invasion of Bengal in 1042 AD, as documented in the extracted text, represents a significant event in medieval Indian history. The Kalicuri-Cedi dynasty, under Gingeyadeva and his…

The Development of the Bengali Script

By Pramode Lal Paul

The development of the Bengali script is explored through its historical evolution and connections to earlier scripts. Scholars like Langdon and Biiler have debated the origins of the Brahmi script,…

South‑Eastern Bengal in Ancient Times

By Pramode Lal Paul

This geographical and historical survey identifies and discusses the ancient polities of south‑eastern Bengal. Early texts and inscriptions mention several names—Vaṅga, Samataṭa, Vaṅgala, Harikela…

Some exaggerated Statements in Inscriptions (re. Invasions of Bengal)

By Pramode Lal Paul

This miscellany piece addresses exaggerated statements in royal inscriptions about invasions of Bengal. The author observes that panegyric inscriptions often boast of kings conquering distant regions…

Adisura

By Pramode Lal Paul

The Scribes of Bengal

By Pramode Lal Paul

This article celebrates the craftsmanship of the Gauda‑Magadha school of scribes in early medieval Bengal. With the rise of the Pala empire in the eighth century, a new artistic movement flourished…