The Senas: Rulers
The Sena family ruled Bengal after the Palas. The son of Samantasena, Hemantasena, founded a separate principality.
The name “Brahmakshatriya” was applied to its founder, Samantasena. Samantasena’s caste was determined to be Brahmakshatriya. However, only Kshatriyas were called by his successors.
Vijayasena
The dynasty became well-known during the more than sixty-year reign of Vijayasena, the son of Hemantasena. As a modest king at first, Vijayasena nearly took over Bengal to establish the foundation for his family’s dynastic reign in the future.
The Vijayaprasasti was composed by the well-known poet Sriharsha as a tribute to Vijayasena. Among other royal titles, Vijayasena assumed the names Paramesvara, Paramabhattaraka, and Maharajadhiraja. He had two capitals: Vikramapura in Bangladesh and Vijayapuri in West Bengal.
Ballalasena
Vijayasena’s son Ballatasena succeeded his father. He ruled in relative tranquillity, maintaining the dominions he had inherited from his father. Ballalasena was academically gifted.
Among the four pieces he created that are still in existence are the Danasagara and the Adbhutasagara.
The first is an in-depth examination of omens and portents, and the second involves astronomy.
Lakshmanasena
At the age of sixty, he assumed the role of head of the family in AD 1179. As his rule came to a close, Lakshmanasena had to deal with a plethora of problems. Sena control was already beginning to wane due to internal upheavals, but Bakhtiyar Khalji‘s invasion ultimately brought it to an end.
The invasion by Bakhtiyar Khalji is described in detail in the Tabakat-i-Nasiri. An extensive justification of Bakhtiyar Khalji’s attack may be found in the Tabakat-i-Nasiri.
The Senas
In the eleventh and twelfth century CE, the Sena dynasty reigned over parts of Bihar as well as Bengal. They are well known for being Brahmanism’s defenders. Some of the current characteristics of the Bengali language and script came about because of the Senas. Bengali society was likewise systematised during Sena hegemony, and religious writings such as the Upapuranas formalised this system. Their encouragement led to the flourishing of Sanskrit literature. The Sena Empire and the Sena Kingdom are other names for the dynasty.