Lakshmana Sena’s Flight from Nadia
By C. V. Vaidya
Summary
This paper re‑examines the account in Persian chronicle Tabaqāt‑i‑Nāsiri of how Lakshmana Sena, last independent ruler of the Sena dynasty, allegedly fled from his capital Nadia when the Turkish general Bakhtiyar Khalji launched a surprise raid around 1203 CE. The chronicler describes the king as fleeing mid‑meal and implies that Bengal fell without resistance. The author cross‑checks this story with other contemporary records, inscriptions and regional traditions. He notes that Nadia was a secondary capital and that Lakshmana Sena likely withdrew to the fortified city of Vikramapura, where he and his descendants continued to rule eastern Bengal for decades. The paper argues that the narrative of a cowardly flight exaggerates the events to glorify the invaders and denigrate Hindu rulers. It proposes that Lakshmana Sena’s strategic retreat was a temporary measure, consistent with medieval warfare practices of evacuating exposed capitals.
Conclusion
By juxtaposing Persian chronicles with local evidence, the article challenges sensationalised accounts of Lakshmana Sena’s flight. It suggests that the Sena rulers adapted to the Turkic threat and maintained regional power, demonstrating the resilience of indigenous polities in the face of Islamic conquests.