Indian Journal of History of Science, 54.1 (2019) 119-124 DOI: 10.16943/ijhs/2019/v54i1/49606 Project Report Environmental and Ecological Change: Gleanings from Copperplate Inscriptions of Early Bengal Rajat Sanyal INTRODUCTION of the Vaga region (6th century CE); Candra and Varman kings (9th–10th century CE) Historically defined, the geographical orbit of Bengal (comprising present Indian state of West • Southeastern Bengal: Copperplate of Bengal and the independent Republic of Vainyagupta from Comilla (5th century CE); Bangladesh) witnessed the consolidation of human Deva, Rāta and Khaga kings from Comilla settlements of the historical phase from almost the (7th–8th century CE) and Copperplates of Deva middle of the first millennium BCE. It is from the kings of Comilla-Noakhali (13th century CE) third century BCE level that proper archaeological The above classificatory scheme vindicates five and epigraphic evidence from some parts of the geochronological ‘categories’ in the inscriptional region show the growth and expansion of large corpus of Bengal: the Gupta plates of fifth–sixth scale urban settlements. centuries, the post-Gupta plates of sixth century The geographical and chronological distri- hailing from eastern and southwestern Bengal, bution of copperplate inscriptions of early Bengal those of the local lineages of sixth–eight centuries, clearly suggest the four different geographical plates of the Pāla and their contemporaries of sectors from which they were issued. These are: eighth–twelfth centuries and those of the Sena and a. northern Bengal, b. western-southwestern their subordinates of twelfth–thirteenth centuries. Bengal, c. eastern Bengal and d. southeastern The primary methodology followed in this Bengal. A classified account of the plates from research involved i) The collection of epigraphic these sub-regions is summarized below: data from published sources. ii) The identification • Northern Bengal: Copperplates of the Guptas of names of large number of floral, faunal and and one post-Gupta king (5th–7th century CE); topographic terms with scientific aid from Pāla and Sena rulers (8th–12th century CE) published sources coupled with and followed by fieldwork in understanding the patterns of • Western-Southwestern Bengal: Copperplate of continuity and changes in the environmental and Vijayasena (6th c. CE); Śaśāka-Jayanāga (7th ecological configurations of the concerned micro- c. CE); Sena rulers (mid 12th c. CE) and Sena regional landscapes, supplemented with Satellite subordinates (ca. 1196 CE) imageries from such archives as Google Maps and • Eastern Bengal: Copperplates of local rulers Google earth coordinates. iii) Photographic * The project was carried out under the sponsorship of Indian National Commission for History of Science between the period July, 2014 and June, 2017. **Department of Archaeology, University of Calcutta, 1, Reformatory St. (7th Floor), Kolkata–700027. Corresponding address: 23/13 Bhuban Mohan Roy Road, Flat No. 3, Second Floor, Kolkata–700008. Email: [email protected] 120 INDIAN JOURNAL OF HISTORY OF SCIENCE documentation of material assemblages of Southeastern Bengal environmental details encountered in the field. iv) The earliest southeast Bengal inscription is that A comparative study of the physical environ of of Vinayagupta found from the village of rural settlements on the basis of the inscriptional Gunaighar in the former Comilla (present data primarily from copperplate inscriptions, Barhmanberis) district of Bangladesh, dated to the supplemented by available database recorded in early sixth century (ca 507) CE. The boundary some of the stone inscriptions from the region. clause of the inscription is remarkable in that it The project was executed under the following provides a large number of details of the natural heads: and human environ of seven plots of different I. Introduction categories of land: The detailed boundary specification of the Gunaighar copperplate is II. Beyond Ecology: Boundary Clauses vis-a-vis summarized below as a case: Patterning of Rural Settlements Boundary of Plot 1: to the east, the border of III. Concluding Remarks Guikāgrahāra village and the field (ketra) of IV. Appendix I Classified Geographical Details carpenter (vardhaki) Viu; to the south, the field in Copperplate Inscriptions of Early Bengal of Miduvilāla (?) and the field belonging to the V. Appendix II Floral and Faunal Species royal monastery (rājavihāra); to the west, the Sūrī- Nāśī-Rampuraeka-Ketram; to the north, the tank (pukariī) in the enjoyment (bhoga) of DISCUSSION Doī…and the boundaries of the fields of Piyāka The first Chapter of the report concentrates on and Ādityabandhu. the history of research on inscriptional sources of Bengal and their potential for the study of the Boundary of Plot 2: to the east, border of history of environment in the Bengal delta. The Guikāgrahāra village; to the south, the field of nature of geographical-environmental data Pakkavilāla; to the west, the field of royal recovered from the copperplate charters of Bengal monastery; to the north, the field of Vaidya. suggests, as shown below with select examples, Boundary of Plot 3: to the east, the field of …; to that boundary markers in the copperplates of the south, the boundary limit of the field of Bengal had a highly varying pattern of delineation Makhadvāracharika; to the west, the field of Jolārī; on the basis of their geographical and to the north, the field of Nāgī Joāka. chronological characteristics. Further, the precise Boundary of Plot 4: to the east, the boundary limit nature of the ‘locality’ within which land transfers of the field of Buddhāka; to the south, the field of occurs is also a major determinant of the nature Kālāka; to the west, the boundary limit of the field of boundary specifications. However, a of Sūryya; to the north, the field of Mahīpāla. domineering role of different categories of water bodies and certain categories of floral vegetation Boundary of Plot 5: to the east, the is apparent from the available database. However, kaaviuggurika-ketra; to the south, the field a clearer picture is expected to be yielded after of Maibhadra; to the west, the boundary limit of the crucially significant set of copperplates from the field of Yajñarāta; to the north, the boundary eastern and southeastern Bengal is examined. limit of the village Nāda-udaka. The classified details of boundary clauses of Boundary of Plot 6 (talabhūmi, i.e. lowland the select copperplates from different sub-regions belonging to the vihāra): to the east, the ditch of Bengal are presented below: (jolā) between the (two) landing places of boats PROJECT REPORT: COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTIONS OF EARLY BENGAL 121 at Cuāmai and Nagaraśrī (cuāmai-nagaraśrī- Eastern Bengal nauyogāyormadhye); to the south, the channel The most detailed data of a given human open to boats connected to the tank of Gaeśvara- environ is supplied in the Satya Parishat or vilāla; to the west, the end of the field belonging Madhyapada copperplate of the time of to the temple of Pradyumneśvara; to the north, the Viśvarūpasena, dated to the early thirteenth channel leading to the landing place of boats at century, found from the Dhaka district of Praāmāra (praāmāranauyogakhāta). Bangladesh. The land granted through this Boundary of Plot 7 (hijjaka-khilabhūmi at the copperplate consisted of eleven plots. Two plots entrance of the vihāra): to the east, the boundary in the Ramasiddhipāaka in Nāvya in vaga, limit of the field belonging to the temple of included within the Paurabardhana bhukti. The Pradyumneśvara; to the south, the boundary of the land having its four boundaries are: on the east filed belonging to the vihāra of the Buddhist monk devahāradeva-bhoga; on the south-west, Ācārya Jitasena; to the west, the stream (gaga) varāhakua; on the south bāgālavaā; and on Hacāta; to the north, the tank (pukariī) of the west and the north, the river. This plot given th Daa. away on the Uttarāyaa-sakrānti day of the 13 regnal year, 25 udānas yielding 60, in the village The best example of a narrative of an of Binayatilaka in the nāvya region with extraneous landscape and its ecology is found also boundaries as follows: on the east, the sea; on the in one of the copperplates of tenth century south, pranullī land, on the west, the embankment; belonging to the reign of the Candra king and on the north, the village. 165 udānas yielding Śrīcandra, found from the village of Paschimbhag 140, which lay in Navasagraha-caturaka in southeast Bengal, in the present district of included in Madhukīraka-āvitti; 25 udānas, Maulavibazar (former Comilla). Apart from the yielding 50 in Deūlahastī in Lāuhaā-caturaka regular boundary description of the granted plot, in Bikramapura; to the east and west of the the inscription furnishes an unprecedented detail river…Land including homestead plot; four plots of the landscape of Assam (Kāmarūpa): in the same village of Deūlahastī; 12 ¾ udānas Śrīcadra’s forces, in the course of their conquest of yielding 50, in Ghāgharakāī-pāaka in Urā- the Kāmrūpa country, entered the woodlands near caturaka which lay in Candradvīpa; 24 udānas the Lohitya which were covered by the clouds that yielding 50 in Pātilādivīka which lay in were the flying sea-pigeons, had Banana groves that Candradvīpa—given away by king on the were tawny owing to the ripening of the leaves or Utth nadv da day in the 14th regnal year. fruits and in which monkeys were roaming, had many ā ā śī plains on which drowsy yaks were ruminating leisurely, and were dark owing to the black aloe trees Northern Bengal (Aloe aloe barberae). Citraśilā river covered with The Jagjivanpur or Tulabhita copperplate of beautiful Storax (Styrax balsam) plants and river ninth century, found from the district of Malda Pucpabhadrā marked by valleys full of the rustling sound of the Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) leaves. and datable to the mid-ninth century, is again a specimen of epigraphic source providing precise The boundary clause of the inscription further environmental data of a given micro-region.