Srichandra
Encyclopedia
Srichandra was the second and most influential ruler of the Chandra dynasty in the kingdom of Harikela
in eastern Bengal
.
Much of what is known of him comes from the copper plates from Mainamati
as well as the plate discovered in the village of Paschimbang in Moulvibazar detailing his successful campaign against the Kingdom of Kamarupa. He is also credited with expanding his father's
empire to encompass the kingdoms of Vanga
and Samatata
. Under his command, the Harikelan armies also successfully fought the Pala Empire
and possibly the Kambojas of northern Bengal. Srichandra also moved the administrative center of the empire from Devaparvata to his newly build capital, Vikrampur.
According to the copper plates, although Srichandra was a devout Buddhist and a patron of his faith, he was tolerant of other religious beliefs among his subjects, evidenced by his attempts to settle displaced Brahmins within his empire (in modern day Sylhet
).
Harikela
Harikela was a kingdom in ancient Bengal encompassing much of the eastern regions of the Indian Subcontinent. There are numerous references to the kingdom in historical texts as well as archeological artifacts including silver coinage.- History :...
in eastern Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
.
Much of what is known of him comes from the copper plates from Mainamati
Mainamati
Mainamati is located almost 8 miles from the town of Comilla, Bangladesh. It is the home of one of the most important Buddhist archaeological sites in the region. There are a number of Buddhist sites in this region, dating approximately from 7th to 12th centuries CE...
as well as the plate discovered in the village of Paschimbang in Moulvibazar detailing his successful campaign against the Kingdom of Kamarupa. He is also credited with expanding his father's
Traillokyachandra
Traillokyachandra was the first ruler of the Chandra dynasty in the kingdom of Harikela in eastern Bengal. His father, Subarnachandra, was a vassal to the earlier rulers of the Harikela Kingdom...
empire to encompass the kingdoms of Vanga
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
and Samatata
Samatata
The Kingdom of Samatata was a kingdom in ancient Bengal, located at the mouth of the Brahmaputra river in the south east of Bengal. It was a vassal to the Gupta Empire....
. Under his command, the Harikelan armies also successfully fought the Pala Empire
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...
and possibly the Kambojas of northern Bengal. Srichandra also moved the administrative center of the empire from Devaparvata to his newly build capital, Vikrampur.
According to the copper plates, although Srichandra was a devout Buddhist and a patron of his faith, he was tolerant of other religious beliefs among his subjects, evidenced by his attempts to settle displaced Brahmins within his empire (in modern day Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
).