Abstract:

In this paper, I attempt to look into the patterns of social patronage to Buddhism and Brahmanism in the Samataṭa-Harikela subregion of early medieval Bengal through the prism of votive inscriptions on sculptures. I have also looked into some of the social and religious processes that were in operation in this part of early medieval Bengal. I have argued that despite being part of the cultural and socio-economic matrix of early medieval Bihar and Bengal, Samataṭa-Harikela had some peculiarities of its own. That, however, does not justify treating this entire area as a ‘frontier’. This paper questions those historiographical models which explain the Islamization of this area in terms of Islam being the ‘harbinger of rice revolution’ in the same during the medieval period.

Author: Birendra Nath Prasad