The Dinajpur Pillar Inscription of the Kambojanvaya Gaudipati

Summary

This short paper revisits a three‑line inscription carved on the base of a pillar discovered in the ruins of Binad Binnagar near Dinajpur. Previously deciphered and translated by Westmacott and Rajendralal Mitra, the inscription was thought to commemorate a Kambojanvaya Gaudipati—an overlord of Gauda belonging to a Kamboja lineage. The author reproduces the Sanskrit text and discusses its translation, which praises a ruler whose ‘army destroyed the forces of formidable enemies’ and who granted a village to Brahmins. Through palaeographic analysis and examination of metre, the paper suggests a date around the 11th century CE, during the period when the Pala empire was declining and regional powers like the Sena dynasty were emerging. The discussion considers the identities of figures mentioned, examining whether the Gaudipati could be identified with Samantasena or with a local feudatory named Kuñjaraghatavarman. The author weighs arguments about whether the title ‘Gaudipati’ indicates sovereignty or subordinate status. By cross‑referencing historical chronicles and inscriptions from Bengal and Mithila, the paper concludes that the pillar record reflects a brief assertion of independence by a regional chief who was soon subdued by rising Sena power. Although the precise identification remains uncertain, the inscription is valuable for illustrating the fluid political landscape of north‑eastern India in the late first millennium.