Recent from talks
Shashanka
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Shashanka
Shashanka (IAST: Śaśāṅka) was king of the Gauda Kingdom, a polity of the later Gupta dynasty and later its successor state. Historians place his rule between 600 and 636, whereas other sources place his reign between 590 and 625. making his lasted approximately from 593 to 636.
He is the contemporary of Harsha and of Bhaskaravarman of Kamarupa. His capital was at Karnasuvarna in present day India. He is credited with creating the Bengali calendar.
There are several major contemporary sources of information on his life, including copper plates from his vassal Madhavavarma (king of Ganjam), copper plates of his rivals Harsha and Bhaskaravarman, the accounts of Banabhatta, who was a bard in the court of Harsha, and of the Chinese monk Xuanzang, and also coins minted in Shashanka's reign.
Not much is known about the early life of Shashanka. Historian D K Ganguly is reported to have concluded that he was a native of Magadha. His seal found in Rohtas refers to him as "Srimahasamanta" indicating that he was originally a feudatory chief of Rohtas, which was an important defence post in Magadha, under Mahasenagupta.
The same source reports that the historian Padmanath Bhattacharya took Shashanka to be a son of Mahasenagupta. R D Banerji concluded that he was descended from the Magadha Guptas. These views are opposed by other historians like B. S. Sinha and John Middleton, citing lack of evidence.
Shashanka's name appears in multiple forms, including Śaśānka and Śaśānka-deva. The name is derived from Sanskrit, as another name for the Moon. Śaśānka-deva therefore loosely translates to Moon god. The Hindu god Shiva is also known as Shashank Sekhar as He holds the moon on his head.
The Chinese monk Xuanzang's writings, he is mentioned as She-Shang-Kia. He is also called Śaśānka Gaur, which initially lent credence to the claim that he was descended from the later Gaur. In Sinha's Dynastic History of Magadha, the names 'Śaśānka' and 'Soma' are used interchangeably.
The Gupta Empire saw a series of vulnerable monarch after the death of Skandagupta in 467 C.E. On top of that, starting circa 480 C.E. Alchon Hun armies began attacking the declining empire from multiple sides. Defence of the vast empire put a strain on the royal treasury. Though the Huns were initially driven out, the protracted invasions quickened the downfall of the Gupta kings. It may be noted that Indian archeologist Shanker Sharma has argued that the empire's end was precipitated by a massive deluge around the middle of the sixth century C.E.
Hub AI
Shashanka AI simulator
(@Shashanka_simulator)
Shashanka
Shashanka (IAST: Śaśāṅka) was king of the Gauda Kingdom, a polity of the later Gupta dynasty and later its successor state. Historians place his rule between 600 and 636, whereas other sources place his reign between 590 and 625. making his lasted approximately from 593 to 636.
He is the contemporary of Harsha and of Bhaskaravarman of Kamarupa. His capital was at Karnasuvarna in present day India. He is credited with creating the Bengali calendar.
There are several major contemporary sources of information on his life, including copper plates from his vassal Madhavavarma (king of Ganjam), copper plates of his rivals Harsha and Bhaskaravarman, the accounts of Banabhatta, who was a bard in the court of Harsha, and of the Chinese monk Xuanzang, and also coins minted in Shashanka's reign.
Not much is known about the early life of Shashanka. Historian D K Ganguly is reported to have concluded that he was a native of Magadha. His seal found in Rohtas refers to him as "Srimahasamanta" indicating that he was originally a feudatory chief of Rohtas, which was an important defence post in Magadha, under Mahasenagupta.
The same source reports that the historian Padmanath Bhattacharya took Shashanka to be a son of Mahasenagupta. R D Banerji concluded that he was descended from the Magadha Guptas. These views are opposed by other historians like B. S. Sinha and John Middleton, citing lack of evidence.
Shashanka's name appears in multiple forms, including Śaśānka and Śaśānka-deva. The name is derived from Sanskrit, as another name for the Moon. Śaśānka-deva therefore loosely translates to Moon god. The Hindu god Shiva is also known as Shashank Sekhar as He holds the moon on his head.
The Chinese monk Xuanzang's writings, he is mentioned as She-Shang-Kia. He is also called Śaśānka Gaur, which initially lent credence to the claim that he was descended from the later Gaur. In Sinha's Dynastic History of Magadha, the names 'Śaśānka' and 'Soma' are used interchangeably.
The Gupta Empire saw a series of vulnerable monarch after the death of Skandagupta in 467 C.E. On top of that, starting circa 480 C.E. Alchon Hun armies began attacking the declining empire from multiple sides. Defence of the vast empire put a strain on the royal treasury. Though the Huns were initially driven out, the protracted invasions quickened the downfall of the Gupta kings. It may be noted that Indian archeologist Shanker Sharma has argued that the empire's end was precipitated by a massive deluge around the middle of the sixth century C.E.
Recent media