RISE AND FALL OF BENGAL AND THE CITY OF JOY
RISE AND FALL OF BENGAL AND THE CITY OF JOY (by Ved Pal, IRSE, FIE, FIPWE, MBA, Former Chief Administrative Officer (Ministry of Rlys, Govt of India) 1.0 BENGAL IN ANCIENT TIMES Ancient Bengal was the site of several major Janapadas (kingdoms). Ramayana mentions Vanga being part of King Dashrath's empire. According to the Indian epic Mahabharata, the Vanga Kingdom was located in Bengal. Vangas sided with Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War along with the Kalinga and Anga (present day Bihar was called Angrajya, kingdom of which was given to Karna by Duryodhana). In the Greco-Roman world, accounts of the Gangaridai Kingdom are considered by historians to have referred to Bengal. At the time of Alexander 's invasion of India, the collective might of the Gangaridai/Nanda Empire deterred the Greek army. Ancient Bengal had strong trade links with Persia, Arabia and the Mediterranean that focused on its lucrat...