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8enga| Soc|ety before the Advent of Is|am



8y rofessor Dr Muhammad Ghu|am kasu|




8efore Lhe Musllm conquesL of 8engal ln Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe LhlrLeenLh cenLury
A.u. 8engal was ruled by Lhe Sena dynasLy, whlch supplanLed Lhe ala dynasLy ln Lhe
lasL quarLer of Lhe elevenLh cenLury A.u. 1he 8uddhlsL supremacy durlng Lhe ala
reglme was replaced by Lhe Plndu 8rahmln ascendancy durlng Lhe Sena perlod.

1he flrsL deflnlLe evldence of Lhe prosperlLy of 8uddhlsm ln 8engal ls flrnlshed by Lhe
accounLs of la-hlen who vlslLed lndla ln Lhe flrsL decade of Lhe flfLh cenLury A.u. 8uL
unforLunaLely Lhe only place he vlslLed ln 8engal was 1amrallpLa, where he found
LwenLy Lwo monasLerles wlLh resldenL monks. la-hlen sLayed Lhere for Lwo years,
and he descrlbes 8uddhlsm Lo be ln a flourlshlng condlLlon ln Lhls sea porL of souLh
8engal. AbouL 637 A.u he glves us a falrly good ldea of Lhe condlLlon of 8uddhlsm ln
undravardhan and SamaLaLa. 1he esLabllshmenL of Lhe 8uddhlsL ala dynasLy ln
8engal abouL Lhe mlddle of Lhe elghLh cenLury A.u. and Lhe long perlod of ala rule
for nearly four cenLurles saw Lhe heyday of 8uddhlsm noL only ln 8engal buL
probably also over a large parL of easLern lndla. 8engal played an lmporLanL role ln
Lhe lnLernaLlonal sphere of 8uddhlsm.

1he 8uddhlsL unlverslLles of nalanda and vlkramslla, Lhough noL slLuaLed ln 8engal,
had yeL close assoclaLlon wlLh 8engal, because Lhey were slLuaLed ln LerrlLorles
whlch formed an lnLegral parL of Lhe ala klngdom, and several emlnenL sons of
8engal llke Sllbhadra and ALlsh ulpankar were head of Lhese greaL educaLlonal-cum-
rellglous esLabllshmenLs. ln 8engal proper, Lhe flourlshlng sLaLe of 8uddhlsm ls
lndlcaLed by Lhe esLabllshmenLs of a large number of famous monasLerles and
Lemples llke aharpur 8lhar and MalnamaLl 8lhar, eLc. 8oyal paLronage was
exLended Lo 8uddhlsm beLween 730 and 1130 A.u. 1he 1lbeLan sources reveal LhaL
1anLrlc 8uddhlsm flourlshed ln 8engal under Lhe Chandras and LhaL klng
Coplchandra, who ls assoclaLed wlLh a parLlcular form of mysLlclsm, ls sald Lo have
been born ln Lhe royal house of LhaL place.

1he Sena, comlng from Lhe conservaLlve and orLhodox ueccan, and upholdlng Lhe
8rahmanlcal sysLem, were unllkely Lo perpeLuaLe Lhe soclal llberallsm whlch had
been encouraged durlng Lhe 8uddhlsL ala perlod. 1he socleLy Lhe Senas creaLed
ralsed arLlflclal barrlers among peoples, hlgh and low and Lhus lnauguraLed a soclal
sysLem whlch was dlameLrlcally opposed Lo Lhe ala socleLy.

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As a resulL Lhe 8uddhlsLs fell vlcLlms Lo a sysLemaLlc pollcy of persecuLlon pursued by
Lhe 8rahmans. 8efore Lhe comlng of Lhe Musllms, 8uddhlsm had been severely
crlppled. 1he persecuLlon rose Lo lLs helghL ln a vlllage named Ca[pur ln Lhe dlsLrlcL of
Poogly. Accordlng Lo vlvekananda, Lhe 8uddhlsLs were oppressed by Mumarll,
Sankarachar[a, 8ananu[a and Madhab Lo esLabllsh 8rahman hegemony. kumarll also
was responslble for kllllng several Lhousands of 8uddhlsLs Lhrough Lhe help of a klng
of MaharasLra. 1he way ln whlch Lhe low casLe Plndus embraced lslam Lo escape
from 8rahmanlcal LorLure", 8. C. uuLL remarks, was a sad reflecLlon on Plndulsm."
1hls mass converslon has also been reporLed by a Luropean Lraveller 8arbosa of Lhe
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Lh
cenLury. 1hls mass converslon Lo lslam Look place obvlously Lo escape from Lhe
LorLures of Lhe 8rahmans and Lo en[oy Lhe frulLs of lslamlc equallLy and [usLlce. 1he
8uddhlsLs and Lhe lower casLe Plndus halled Lhe Musllm conquesL of 8engal as
dellverance from Lhe hlgh casLe Plndu domlnaLlon and persecuLlon. 1haL 8uddhlsLs
ln large number preffered lslam Lo Plndulsm was because of Lhe llberal and LoleranL
splrlL of lslam, whlch accorded equal dlgnlLy and opporLunlLles Lo Lhe new converLs
along wlLh lLs old voLarles. 1hls equallLy was unLhlnkable ln Plndu socleLy. 1haL ls
why Lhe 8uddhlsLs became lncllned Lo lslam and Lhelr afflnlLy wlLh Lhe Musllms ln
respecL llberal ouLlook broughL Lhem closer Lo lslam.

lbn 8aLuLah, Lhe fourLeenLh cenLury Musllm Lraveller, ln hls accounL of Ceylon, wrlLes
abouL Lhe 8uddhlsLs LhaL Lhey show respecL for Musllm dervlshes, lodge Lhem ln
Lhelr houses and glve Lhem Lo eaL, Lhey llve ln Lhelr houses amldsL Lhelr wlves and
chlldren. 1hls ls conLrary Lo Lhe usage of Lhe oLher lndlan ldolaLors who never make
frlends wlLh Musllms, and never glve Lhem Lo eaL or Lo drnk ouL of Lhelr vessels.

1he 1lbeLan 8uddhlsL monk 1aranaLh who vlslLed 8engal ln Lhe 16Lh cenLury, lefL an
accounL of Lhe 8rahmanlcal Lyranny of Lhe 8uddhlsLs ln Lhe Sena perlod. Pe observed
LhaL Lhe persecuLed 8uddhlsLs welcome Lhe Musllms and helped Muhammad bln
8akhLlyar khal[l ln Lhe conquesL of 8engal.

8uL before Lhe advenL of Lhe Musllms ln 8engal some 8uddhlsLs, Lo escape from Lhe
massacre, accepLed Plndulsm and were merged wlLh Lhe Plndus and gradually Lhe
orlglnal characLer of 8uddhlsm underwenL a change. AparL from Lhese facLs,
8uddhlsm had been sufferlng slnce long from lLs own lnherenL drawbacks. lL ls
generally belleved LhaL 8uddhlsm decllned because of Lhe desLrucLlon of 8uddhlsL
monasLerles of uddandapur, vlkramslla and nalanda by Lhe Musllm conqueror
8akhLlyar khal[l and also on accounL of Lhe wlLhdrawal of paLronage and flnanclal
asslsLance of Lhe 8uddhlsLs ala klngs afLer Lhelr fall. lL may be argued LhaL
desLrucLlon of some monasLerles cannoL obvlously brlng abouL exLlncLlon of a
rellglon. 1here are, of course, some sLrong and plauslble reasons whlch led Lo Lhe
llquldaLlon of 8uddhlsm from 8engal and some parLs of lndla.

8uddhlsm decllned when lL surrendered Lo Lhe rlLuals and pracLlces whlch were
denounced by 8uddha. And as lL bowed Lo bellefs and pracLlces whlch were noL
lnculcaLed by 8uddha, lL became pracLlcally lndlsLlngulshable from popular
Plndulsm.

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1he germs of Lhe desLrucLlon of 8uddhlsm lay wlLh lLself. 8uddha, hlmself a devouL
soul, renounced worldly llfe and Look Lo secluslon and monasLlc llfe and he
dedlcaLed hls llfe Lo Lhe developmenL of Sangha or monasLerles. Pe dld noL Lry Lo
develop a soclal sysLem, nor dld he formulaLe laws or prescrlbe norms appllcable Lo
everyday pracLlcal llfe. Secluded monasLlc llfe ls noL sulLable for all and sundry. So,
8uddhlsm had no peace ln Lhe llfe of Lhe common people. 1haL ls why 8uddhlsm had
no sLrong fooLlng among people, who were only engaged ln Lhe worshlp of 8uddha
lmage and rellcs, and when paLronage of Lhe ala rulers was wlLhdrawn, 8uddhlsm
was badly affecLed, belng paraslLlc by naLure havlng no sLrengLh of lLs own. ln
sLrlklng conLrasL lslam has been endured and embraces wlLhln lLs fold lnnumerable
voLarles LhroughouL Lhe world, ln asmuch as lslam has a deflnlLe and clear code of
llfe for Lhe observance of Musllms. 8uL Lhe 8uddhlsLs have noL followed any unlform
paLLern of llfe and ldeal. 1he learned 8uddhlsLs were engaged ln phllosophlcal
dlscusslons and reflecLlons on Lhe problems of llfe, whereas Lhe llllLeraLe common
folk gave way Lo worshlp of delLles and frlvolous en[oymenLs.

A cenLury or so before Lhe advenL of lslam ln 8engal 8uddhlsm had deLerloraLed lnLo
Lhe uharma culL, whlch as represenLed ln Lhe Sunnya uran, shows some of Lhe
essenLlal feaLures of Lhe Mahayana creed shrouded ln popular supersLlLlons. When
8uddhlsm decllned ln lndla and Lhe ldea of a hlgher llfe, lnsplred by a keen sense of
morallLy and lnLrospecLlon, whlch was Lhe domlnanL splrlL of 8uddhlsm, decllned ln
Lo scepLlclsm and sensuallLy, mysLlc rlLuals of 1anLrlclsm ruled 8uddhlsL and Plndu
communlLles all over lndla. ln Lhls re-ChalLanya age ZanLrlklsm degraded lnLo
wanLon vlces and lmmorallLy, Lhe 8armacharl ZanLrlklsm perpeLuaLed Lhe mosL
helnous crlmes ln Lhe name of rellglon and Lhereby Lhey upseL Lhe moral fabrlc of
socleLy. 1he Saha[lya culL, whlch malnLalned LhaL sexual love was Lhe door-way Lo
salvaLlon, debased socleLy and boLh Lhe Saha[lya valshnavas became exLremely
demorallsed. Accordlng Lo SaLlndra Mohan ChaLLer[ee, valshnavlsm gave free reln Lo
sexual en[oymenLs wlLh women oLher Lhan wlves, whlch Lhe valshnavas Lerm as
'araklya prem'.

1he Saha[lya culL owes lLs orlgln Lo Lhe 8ramacharl 8uddhlsL, and kanhapada, a
8uddhlsL scholar, who llved ln Lhe laLLer parL of 10Lh cenLury, was Lhe flrsL aposLle of
love songs of Lhe Saha[lya culL ln 8engal. 1hls love ls noL a leglLlmaLe affalr
sancLloned by socleLy wlLh one's wlfe and lL could noL, accordlng Lo Lhls creed, reach
a hlgh degree of perfecLlon. u. C. Sen observes, lL goes wlLhouL saylng LhaL ln Lhelr
earnesL efforLs Lo aLLaln salvaLlon by worshlpplng young and beauLlful damsels,
many a youLh Lurned moral wrecks ln Lhls counLry." lL was SrlchalLanya who
condemned romanLlc sexual love, Lhe prevalllng pracLlce of Saha[lya, and he was
very sLrlcL wlLh Lhose who showed any lmprudenL Lenderness Lowards young and
beauLlful women. Llke ChalLanya AdwalLa, Parldas and oLher devoLees, who followed
hlm, were unsparlng ln Lhelr hosLlle aLLlLude Lo Lhe Saha[lya valshnavas. ln facL Lhe
valshanavas became debased Lo Lhe exLreme and produced dlsasLrous resulLs on Lhe
valshnava communlLy.

ln Lhe conLexL of Lhls soclal, moral and rellglous decadence, Lhe Musllm advenL ln
8engal ls Lo be undersLood. ln Lhls perspecLlve malnly Lhe success and expanslon of
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lslam ln 8engal ls qulLe paLenL and clear. 1here ls no denylng Lhe facL LhaL lslam
found a congenlal soll ln lndla as well as ln 8engal on accounL of Lhe general Plndu
resenLmenL agalnsL Lhe prevalllng soclal sLrucLure. ln 8engal Lhe members of
deparLed 8uddhlsm were sLlll hoL when Lhe Musllms came. 1hls ls recorded ln Lhe
ballads and legends of Lhls perlod. 1he Musllm conquerors came as Lhe champlons of
rellglon or dharma, ln order Lo rescue Lhe masses from oppresslon. 1he ballads and
legends prove LhaL a large secLlon of people were ready Lo accepL or welcome Lhe
1urklsh or aLhan conqueror of 8engal. 1hls facL also explalns Lhe large proporLlon of
Musllms ln Lhe populaLlon of 8engal, even Lhough lL was far removed from Lhe
cenLre of aLhan or Mughal power.

8esldes 8rahmanlcal Lyranny, lslam's demollLlon of arLlflclal barrlers of blrLh, rank,
casLe, colour and forLune aLLracLed Lhe down-Lrodden masses, who never could
en[oy ln pracLlcal llfe Lhe beneflLs of equallLy and [usLlce, alLhough Lhe vedas and Lhe
upanlshads preached Lhe 8roLherhood of man whlch aL besL remalned an arLlcle of
falLh, dlvorced from Lhe reallLles of llfe.

Supervlslous bellefs and derogaLory pracLlces," Sukumar Sen observes, were slowly
desLroylng Lhe lnlLaLlve splrlLs of Lhe people boLh hlgh and low..1he gulf beLween
Lhe hlgher and Lhe lower classes was wldenlng. 1he Musllms ln facL sLruck a sLunnlng
blow Lo Lhe self complacency of Lhe rullng classes and of Lhe prlesLhood. 1he Musllm
rulers and parLlcularly Sufl salnLs worked for Lhe emanclpaLlon of Lhe common
people from every klnd of bondage and for lnLer-raclal harmony and concord. ln
consequence a healLhy and broad ouLlook of llfe pervaded Lhe mlnds of Lhe people
and Lhe whole socleLy was morally and eLhlcally elevaLed. 1here are many
evldences Lo prove," u. C. Sen observes, LhaL ln Lhe earller days of Mohammedan
conquesL, Lhe Plndus Lrled Lo asslmllaLe Lhe besL elemenLs of lslam ln Lhelr rellglon.
Some of Lhe Mohammedan lrs and laklrs especlally a band of Aulla who came from
Arabla, lran and oLher Musllm reglons lenL Lhelr supporL ln brlnglng abouL Lhls happy
unlon ln Lhe 13Lh and 16Lh cenLurles."

AbouL Lhe role of Lhe Sufls ln creaLlng undersLandlng beLween Plndus and Musllms ln
Lhelr counLry, ALlndra naLh 8ose observes, lslam knocked on Lhe wesLern gaLes of
lndla, and Lhe Sufls, lnsplred by Lhe lslamlc ldea of equallLy, came as Lhe Lorch
bearers of a llberal folk phllosophy..1helr splrlL was free from Lhese supersLlLlons
and rlgldlLles whlch caused sLagnaLlon among Lhe classlcal lndlan and lslamlc
schools. AgalnsL Lhe sLerlllLy of Lhe orLhodox sysLems, Lhe new popular appeals
awakened a fresh splrlLual fervour and leL loose greaL creaLlve power whlch so long
lay dormanL. A new phllosophy grew up based on Lhe maLerlal of human values, lL
LrusLed ln laLenL dlvlnlLy of Lhe human soul ln unlversallLy of love, and ln Lhe dynamlc
power of menLlon. lL released powerful splrlLual energy hlLherLo penL up by soclal
barrlers among Lhe dumb mllllons of Lhe soll."

8egardlng Lhe advenL of Lhe Musllm mysLlcs ln lndla and Lhe lmpacL Lhelr docLrlne
and Leachlng produced on lndlan socleLy and llfe, 8ablndranaLh 1agore sald, 1he
slmple docLrlne of laLherhood of Cod and broLherhood of man, Lhe Mohammedans
lnLroduced ln lndla appears Lo have sLlrred Lhe people Lo lLs depLhs, for we found ln
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lLhe fourLeenLh cenLury ln almosL every parL of lndla rellglous reformers rose ln
proLesL agalnsL Lhe dry lnLellecLuallsm of Lhe 8rahmanlc orLhodoxy .....and Lhe poeLs
of Lhe age poured ouL emoLlons, soclal and rellglous ln language whlch ls as slmple as
lL ls fervenL.




(Source: "1he Advent of Is|am |n 8enga|: It's Soc|o-Cu|tura| Impact" by Muhammad
Ghu|am kasu|, pub||shed |n !"#$%&' )*+ ,-.&-/% $* 01.)2 ed|ted by M. Inamu|
noque, Ch|ttagong Un|vers|ty, Department of Is|am|c n|story and Cu|ture, 1986.)

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