The Lost Bhowal Copper-Plate of Laksmana Sena Deva of Bengal

Summary

This article reconstructs the contents of a lost copper‑plate grant issued by Lakshmana Sena of Bengal by collating references in later chronicles and inscriptions. The author deduces that the plate recorded a grant of land to Brahmins and contained a genealogy tracing the Sena kings back to the mythical hero Vīra‑Sena. By comparing similar charters, he suggests that the Bhowal plate may have been issued during Lakshmana Sena’s early reign and emphasises its importance for understanding Sena administration and legitimisation strategies. The study illustrates how historians can use secondary evidence to infer the contents of missing epigraphic records.