Chandra dynasty facts for kids

The Chandra kingdom was an ancient Buddhist kingdom that started in the Indian subcontinent. It ruled over the Samatata region of Bengal and also northern Arakan. Later, it was a neighbor to the powerful Pala Empire in the north. The kings and queens of the Chandra kingdom were followers of Buddhism. King Mahataing Chandra founded the Chandra Dynasty in 327 AD.

A Look into Chandra History

An old stone writing called the Anandachandra Inscription, from 729 AD, talks about King Chandrodaya. Historians believe he ruled from 202-229 AD. This inscription says that kings before Chandrodaya were "very eager to be kind to the world." Other writings from Queen Niti Chandra are thought to be from the early 500s AD.

The Chandra kingdom was one of the last places where Buddhism was very strong in the Indian subcontinent. This kingdom was an important center for special types of Buddhist teachings called Tantric schools. It also helped spread a major branch of Buddhism, called Mahayana Buddhism, to countries in Southeast Asia.

King Mahataing Chandra started the dynasty in 327 AD in a place called Wesali. Another important ruler, King Srichandra, led his armies into Kamarupa. The Chandras played a big role in the politics and military events of old Bengal. They ruled in Arakan and southeastern Bengal.

The Chandra kingdom was eventually defeated by an invasion from the Chola dynasty, a powerful kingdom from southern India.

Trade and Connections with Other Lands

The Chandra kingdom was located near the coast, which helped it trade with other countries. It had strong trade connections with places that are now Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Old shipwrecks found around the coast of Java from the 900s show that there were sea links between southeastern Bengal and Southeast Asia. For example, bronze statues might have been brought to Java from the Chandra kingdom. Arab merchants also traded with the kingdom.

King Anandachandra even sent a special message to the Sinhalese King Silamegha (also known as Aggabodhi IV) who ruled from 727-766 AD. This shows their connections went far.

Discoveries from the Past: Archaeology

Many old writings and artifacts have been found that tell us about the Chandra dynasty. Three main archaeological sites are linked to this dynasty. These are Bikrampur and Mainamati in Bangladesh, and Waithali in Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). These sites help us understand how people lived and what their kingdom was like.

Learning and Education in the Chandra Kingdom

The Chandra kingdom was home to a very important place of learning called Chandrapur University. It was located in Shrihatta. This university was as large and famous as other big religious schools like Nalanda, Taxila, Mahasthangarh, or Odantapuri. It was even established before well-known universities like Oxford and Cambridge. King Srichandra built this university. Its exact location is still a mystery today.

Chandrapur University was special compared to other universities and Buddhist monasteries (called viharas) built by Buddhist kings in India. Its courses included almost all subjects from Hindu holy texts, except for the grammar of Chandragomin, who was Buddhist. What's more, Hindu Brahmins also studied at this university. Hindu Brahmins mainly oversaw the nine monasteries there. This was because King Srichandra, who was Buddhist, gave land in Paschimbhag for nine Brahmin monasteries. In these monasteries, the main teachings were the four Vedas, which are Hindu scriptures. One historian, Kamalakanta Gupta, called this grant "unique among other Buddhist kings" because it showed King Srichandra favored Brahmins.

The way land was given out to 25 different groups of people, guests, and students shows that the universities had a very organized system. According to Zafir Setu, this way of managing things is quite similar to how modern universities are run today.