Non-Aryan Elements in the Place-names of Bengal
Summary
Analysing Bengal’s toponyms, the article argues that many place names derive from non‑Aryan languages, revealing layers of pre‑Indo‑Aryan settlement. The author notes that Austric, Dravidian, Kol and Tibeto‑Burman peoples inhabited Bengal before Aryan expansion and that their languages influenced local vocabulary and place names. Regions such as Rāḍha, Suhma, Vaṅga and Puṇḍra were culturally shaped by interactions between these groups. Words with no Sanskrit roots—often referring to landscape features or settlements—persist in modern names, suggesting linguistic continuity. The paper calls for systematic collection and linguistic analysis of such names to reconstruct migration patterns and cultural exchanges. Recognising non‑Aryan elements, the author suggests, will deepen understanding of Bengal’s anthropological and historical development.
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Conclusion
The study concludes that Bengal’s place names preserve traces of Austric, Dravidian and other non‑Aryan languages; careful toponymic analysis can illuminate early population history and intercultural contacts in eastern India.