Essay name: History, Culture and Antiquities of Tamralipta
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Affiliation: University of Kerala / Faculty of Oriental Studies
This Study deals with the History, Culture and Antiquities of Tamralipta: an ancient city-port and important Trade centre with a rich history of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Tamralipta corresponds to the modern Tamluk, situated in West Bengal (India) and witnessed prosperous times during the Gupta dynasty.
Chapter 2 - Political History of Tamralipta
5 (of 29)
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11 1400
li (one lie for mile) in circumference, the capital being
10 11.
28 6
Thus according to Hiuen-Tsang, the kingdom of Tamralipta
was then about two hundred and thirty three miles in circumference,
the capital being more than one and a half miles in area. .
Cunningham, on the basis of available data concludes that in
ancient period Tamralipta was a country lying to the westward
29 of the Hooghly river, from Burdwan to Kalna on the north.
The existence of the kingdom of Tamralipta in the early
period of history is evident from the frequent references made
in the Mahabharata and from the mention of Ptolemy the word
30 'Tamalites' along with Gang膩ridal as distinct race. The later
authority states that the kingdom of Gangaridal extended over
the whole of the area of the basin of the five-faced Ganges which
falls on the sea i.e., the present Bay of Bengal.
Diodorus says
32 31
in one passage that the "Ganges which is 30 stades broad, flows
from north to south forming the boundary towards the east of
the tribe of the Gangaridal". These and other Greek and Latin.
writers also refer to another country named Prasiol (Prasii)
along with Gang膩ridal (Var. Gandaridai). According to these
28 29.
30.
Beal, op.cit., Vol. - 2, pp. 194 f.
Cunningham, op.cit., p. 504
33 It was Pliwy (A.D. 23-79), the Roman geographer, in his
"Naturalis Historia" who while stating the races of India,
mentions a tribe named Taluctae which according to Mc Crindle,
the translator of Pliny's work, must be "the people of the
kingdom of Tamralipta mentioned in the Mahabharata".
(Mc Crindle, J.W., Ancient India as described in Classical
Literature, p. 29)
Adhikari (Ed.), op.cit., 110
Majumdar, History of Ancient Bengal, p. 29
31.
32.
33.
Ibid.
