Art & Culture

Art & Culture
EARLIEST CITY SITE OF BANGLADESH [MAHASTHANGARH]
Art & Culture
EARLIEST CITY SITE OF BANGLADESH [MAHASTHANGARH]


Archaeology is a fascinating modern science which is increasingly becoming popular in the world for its un-limited scope of Rediscovering Civilizations and culture s long extinct. In advanced countries many scientific methods are used to expand our knowledge deeper into the past using infallible material evidences of man and his environment. It extends the horizon of un- recorded history and Prehistory to an infinite range. In the absence of any Recorded history the only unerring source of piecing together man’s activities and progress on our planet is the material remains that he has left behind in the form of Monuments, arts and Crafts, various objects of daily use, Inscriptions, coins etc. which are known as Antiquities.Scientfic excavation and study of such antiquities faithfully preserved by nature in stratified sites for centuries, reveal a fairly accurate picture of lost civilization and culture.

Bangladesh possesses an immensely important cultural heritage, this arising from the fact that the eastern half of Bengal has been one of the cultural richest regions of the Indian world; a vision far from the catastrophic one that the western world often tends to favors. The region is associated with the art of the Pala and Sena dynasties (8th – 13th century). Archaeological study has however revealed vestiges that are more ancient like the Mahasthan site which stands on what used to be Pundravardhana, and goes back to the Maurya and Sunga periods (3rd – 1st century BC). It has also revealed vestiges from the Gupta period (4th – 6th century). Pundravardhana-Mahasthan is, to this day, the oldest Indian city known to be in the east.
T h e a n c i e n t s i t e o f P u n d r a n a g o r i s n o w l y i n g underneath the Mahasthan Garh. It was known from the archaeological research that this city had prospered as a very rich and resourceful habitation from fourth century B.C. to fifteenth century A.D. The famous Chinese pilgrim Huen-Tsang’s report that there were four independent kingdoms in the then Bengal: Pundrabardhan (North Bengal), Samata (East Bengal), Tamraliptty (South or South-west Bengal) and Kornashubarna (West Bengal).In ancient times, it was a very prosperous city. Mahasthan Garh of today which is only 7 miles away towards the north of Bogra town is suppose to be the ancient city of Pundrabordhan by the scholars and specialist. It is assumed that just after the return of King Alexander the Great to Greece, Chandra Gupta Mourya established a kingdom covering a vast part of India. It is also apparent from the Greek writings that
the northern part of Bengal and perhaps the whole of the delta was watered by mighty rivers belonged to the Maurya Empire. An inscribed stone found at Mahasthan Garh (seven miles away towards the north from Bogra town) undoubtedly proved that the Mourya Empire ruled in North Bengal. That inscription in Brahmi letters also proved that in north Bengal the centre of the Maurya administration was P u n d a n g a l i e P u n d r a n a g o r . We found a mention of the provincial Mourya Governor.‘Mahamatra’, in that inscription which obviously proved that Mahasthan Garh of today was the historic city of ancient Pundrabordhan. The inscript ion s a id tha t a t a certain time famine occurred in that area following natural disasters when the centre of the state issued two orders to the Mahamatra (Provincial Governor). The first order of the state would not be made out. The second order of the state directed to the regional governor to launch a relief operation for the famine affected people together with Gondok and Kakonik (punch marked coins that were in vogue). This sort of punch marked coins have been discovered at various places in the country.

Among these , Pundra was an ancient racial name .
Bangladesh is a country of tropical climate which is characterized by
High temperature, heavy precipitation, excessive humidity and fairly marked Seasonal variations. This type of climate is not suitable for preservation of ancient brick-built structures, which constitute almost 100% of our heritage.
Besides the climatic factors, certain cultural factors are also responsible for Deteriorating the tangible cultural heritage of the country. Sometimes cultural factors are stronger than the natural factors. For instance, vandalism in the Cultural mounds by the owners of the concerned lands and their associates in recent times in Mahasthan and its environs is so strong and vibrant that if it
continues in its present pace, after five years or so those mounds will entirely disappear. So it is most urgent that some measures must be taken right at the monument to stop this vandalism.