Shashanka
Shashanka was the first important king of ancient Bengal, occupies a prominent place in the
history of the region. King Shashanka created the first separate political entity in the Bengal
region of the Indian subcontinent, called the Gauda Kingdom and is a major figure in Bengali
history. It is generally believed that he ruled approximately between 600 AD and 625 AD, and
Shashanka issued gold and silver coins. A number of independent rulers flourished in Bengal in
the intervening period between the decline of the Guptas and the rise of Shashanka, and their
existence is known from a few inscriptions and gold coins.
Very little information about the early life of Shashanka is known. It appears that he ruled for
sometime as a chieftain (mahasamanta) of Rohtasgarh under the Gauda king of Karnasuvarna. In
fact, Karnasuvarna was the capital of Shashanka too and this famous metropolis was situated
near the site of Raktamrttika-mahavihara or modern Rangamati in Murshidabad district, West
Bengal. Shashanka attempted to extend his political influence in different parts of India. After
the demise of Shashanka, nothing more is heard about him. But the story of the defeat of
Shashanka at the battle of Pundravardhana by Harsa and Shashanka's reign for 17 years etc, as
suggested by the Buddhist text.
Matsyanyayam
The condition of Bengal in the century following the death of Shasanka and before the rise of the
Palas (c750-850 A.D) has been described as matsyanyayam. In a near contemporary inscription,
the Khalimpur copperplate of the 32nd year of the second Pala ruler Dharmapala, and the 12th
century Ramacharitam kavya of Sandhyakaranandi, the lawless condition of Bengal preceding
the rise of the Pala dynasty is found mentioned as ‘matsyanyayam’.
The Sanskrit term ‘matsyanyayam’, used in ancient texts, bears special significance. The
Arthasastra Written by Kautilya, defines the term as follows: “When the law of punishment is
kept in abeyance, it gives rise to such disorder as is implied in the proverb of fishes, ie, the larger
fish swallows a smaller one, for in the absence of a magistrate, the strong will swallow the weak.
Government was fragmented, with no king having real control over Gauda, Vanga, or Samatata.
Merchants and townsmen all were kings in their own homes. The sufferings and strife of the
common people were intolerable.
After Shashanka the state of Gauda was paralysed, and whoever was king thereafter would not
be able to rule for even a year. There was a disastrous famine in the period in the eastern region
of India.
From the above it appears clear that in the century following the reign of Shashanka Bengal saw very
little of stable government. The country was torn into many small kingdoms and internal warfare among
them caused the instability. In the absence of a strong force capable of enforcing law and order, a
situation prevailed that has been termed as matsyanyayam. Physical strength was the only strength, and
throughout the land ran the fury of uncontrolled, unruly might. In the absence of peace and order there
was a decline in trade and commerce. Among the ruins of Mahasthana it can be seen that the temples and
monasteries of the Pala period were built on the ruins of the earlier Gupta and post-Gupta eras. It would
seem that the destruction belongs to the age of anarchy. The devastating famine mentioned earlier may
have had a connection with the prevailing anarchy. In order to put an end to this state of affair, Gopala
emerged as the king of Bengal and founded the rule of the Pala Dynasty.