Religion, Trade and Polity: River Ganga on the Gateway of Bengal
Dublin Core
Title
Religion, Trade and Polity: River Ganga on the Gateway of Bengal
Description
The essay will shed light on River Ganga in the Kahalgaon- Sahibganj region. In the Historic Period (c.600 BCE- 400
CE) the banks and rocky islands of the river was a liminal space on the border of state societies ideal for ascetics. The
riverscape as a mystical and sacred space has been testified by the writings of Xuan Zang in the 7th Century CE. This
tradition continued in the following century as evidenced by the establishment of the Vikramashila Mahavihara. The
riverscape is marred by rocky outcrops of the Rajmahal and Chotanagpur hills which were a source of minerals like
iron, precious stones like agate, timber and fine alluvial soil for terracotta material. The presence of these raw minerals
within the riverscape allowed for a robust trade. Evidence of such exchange could be found through a study of inland
ports. The 6th Century CE was a period of state formation in Bengal. In the concurrent centuries Bengal emerged as a
dominant political and cultural zone in the eastern part of South Asia. Ganga was the boundary between the ancient
settlements of Champa (Bhagalpur) and the early medieval (c.600 CE- 1200CE) political centre at Pundravardhana
(MaldaDinajpur). The river became a contested boundary and a crucial link between Bengal and northern India. The
river and its surrounding landscape have lived through these multiple narratives in/of time and space. It was a liminal
space, a site of production and exchange and a site of conflict and control. The riverscape is littered with evidence of
these activities from the past. Archaeological evidence of religious activities can be seen etched on the walls and
excavated cave sites on the rocky islands of Kahalgaon and the port site of Bateshwar (literally, god of travellers).
Evidence of trade too can be found on the ports and in the surrounding landscape with evidence of iron smelting in
settlements near the port. Fortifications on the hills besides the river at sites like Teliagarhi and Sakrigali present
evidence of political history of the river in this region.
CE) the banks and rocky islands of the river was a liminal space on the border of state societies ideal for ascetics. The
riverscape as a mystical and sacred space has been testified by the writings of Xuan Zang in the 7th Century CE. This
tradition continued in the following century as evidenced by the establishment of the Vikramashila Mahavihara. The
riverscape is marred by rocky outcrops of the Rajmahal and Chotanagpur hills which were a source of minerals like
iron, precious stones like agate, timber and fine alluvial soil for terracotta material. The presence of these raw minerals
within the riverscape allowed for a robust trade. Evidence of such exchange could be found through a study of inland
ports. The 6th Century CE was a period of state formation in Bengal. In the concurrent centuries Bengal emerged as a
dominant political and cultural zone in the eastern part of South Asia. Ganga was the boundary between the ancient
settlements of Champa (Bhagalpur) and the early medieval (c.600 CE- 1200CE) political centre at Pundravardhana
(MaldaDinajpur). The river became a contested boundary and a crucial link between Bengal and northern India. The
river and its surrounding landscape have lived through these multiple narratives in/of time and space. It was a liminal
space, a site of production and exchange and a site of conflict and control. The riverscape is littered with evidence of
these activities from the past. Archaeological evidence of religious activities can be seen etched on the walls and
excavated cave sites on the rocky islands of Kahalgaon and the port site of Bateshwar (literally, god of travellers).
Evidence of trade too can be found on the ports and in the surrounding landscape with evidence of iron smelting in
settlements near the port. Fortifications on the hills besides the river at sites like Teliagarhi and Sakrigali present
evidence of political history of the river in this region.
Creator
Eshan Harit
Sukanya Sharma
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Hari, Eshan . 2023. “Religion, Trade and Polity: River Ganga on the Gateway of Benga.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Carlota Pérez Reverte. Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/2003
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Citation
Eshan Harit and Sukanya Sharma, “Religion, Trade and Polity: River Ganga on the Gateway of Bengal,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/2003.