Sasanka—King of Bengal
Summary
S.K. Banerji’s essay ‘Sasanka—King of Bengal’ reconstructs the life and political career of Sasanka, one of eastern India’s most important early medieval rulers. Drawing on inscriptions, copper-plate charters, coins and accounts by Banabhatta and the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang, Banerji situates Sasanka in the early seventh century, following the collapse of the later Gupta empire. While some historians suggested that Sasanka was of Gupta descent because he styled himself a Maharajadhiraja and adopted the Gupta emblem of Garuda, Banerji argues that these titles were part of his imperial aspirations rather than evidence of lineage. According to the Ganjam copperplate grant of 619 A.D., Sasanka ruled over Kongoda, and other plates show that he controlled regions such as Dandabhukti and Utkala (in modern Odisha). He established his capital at Karnasuvarna in Gauda (Bengal) and extended his influence over Magadha, capturing Pataliputra. The article describes how Sasanka, allied with the Maukhari king Surendravarman, resisted Harsha’s attempts to expand eastwards. He also forged ties with early Chalukya king Pulakesin II to counter common adversaries. Banerji examines the legend that Sasanka demolished the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya; while Buddhist sources portray him as a persecutor, epigraphic evidence suggests his policies aimed at weakening Magadhan Buddhist centres to consolidate his control rather than religious iconoclasm. Sasanka issued land grants to Brahmins and participated in Vedic rites, including a horse sacrifice, to legitimise his sovereignty. The essay emphasises the trans-regional significance of Sasanka’s reign: he unified Gauda and parts of Odisha, challenged northern Indian powers and catalysed political realignments. His death around 626 A.D. created a power vacuum that facilitated Harsha’s ascendancy. Banerji concludes that Sasanka was not a Gupta but an independent king who briefly transformed eastern India into a significant kingdom through strategic alliances and military campaigns.
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Conclusion
By analysing inscriptions and contemporary accounts, Banerji portrays Sasanka as a powerful and ambitious ruler who carved out an independent kingdom in Bengal and Odisha after the decline of the Guptas. He emulated imperial practices, issued land grants and forged alliances to counter rivals like Harsha. Although his reign was short, Sasanka’s expansionist policies reshaped early seventh-century politics in eastern India, setting the stage for later conflicts and influencing the region’s administrative traditions.