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Malda District <> History <> Map History of Malda.
The ancient city of Gaur in Malda has also been mentioned in Hindu Puranic texts and its history is recorded since 500 BC. At that period, Gaur and Pundrabardhana (Pandua) was under the Mauryan Empire. Archeological findings have also indicated that the whole of North Bengal was part of the Gupta Empire in the ancient times. Thereafter, the Guptas were succeeded by the king of Karnasubarna in 700 A.D, who ruled for almost thirty years. From mid 8th century to 11th century AD the Pala dynasty ruled Bengal and promoted Buddhism in the region actively. After the rule of the Palas it was the turn of the Sen Dynasty; Balal Sen was the third ruler of the Sen Dynasty who ruled over Gaur and established sole control over entire Bengal within 1168 A.D. The Sen Dynasty wielded their rule over Bengal till 1204 AD, after which, the Mughals and Afghans ended their rule by invading Bengal.
The ruins, relics and monuments of Malda speak a tale of a bygone era when rulers with different origins, religions and motives ruled the land. It is a feast for the insatiable senses of archeologists and curious tourists who are interested in ancient history of Bengal, and of India. |
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The
glorious past of Malda is associated with the ruined city of Gaur and
Pandua. Gaur is historically a very important place because a large portion
of Bengal’s ancient history was written here. Malda also houses
a great conglomeration of ancient mosques which reminds of the Mohammedan
rulers who reigned here for centuries.
One
can find the influence of the Afghan and Mughals throughout Malda in the
form of beautiful mosques, among which, most of them lay in ruins today.
Recent history states that Malda was conquered by the Mughals in 1198
A.D., and was the headquarters of their ruling power over Bengal. After
the Afghans came to power, the headquarters were relocated to Pandua and
they left a scene of plunder in Gaur. But Pandua was deserted in 1453
and Gaur came to prominence again. In 1539, Gaur was attacked by Sher
Shah, and in 1575 it was invaded by the army of Akbar. Curiously, after
the occupation of the city by Akbar a severe plague hit and it was completely
abandoned and the city lied in a heap of ruins.