GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS IN THE HISTORY OF ‘BENGAL’: REFLECTIONS FROM THE GUPTA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTIONS

This research aims to delineate the geographical factors of the past inspired by the quest of ‘understanding the past to protect the future’. Since time immemorial, numerous rivers have drenched the ‘Bengal’ delta. These rivers carried down a high amount of silt each year, contributing to the creation of this fertile delta. Moreover, the location of Bengal in the monsoon zone results in heavy rainfall each year. Favourable geophysical and climatic conditions have always been a blessing for the growth of a variety of flora and fauna and for shaping the geographical fortune of this region. The earliest trace of human settlement has been discovered in the Rarh region since at least the Paleolithic period, and to date, it has been the most densely populated region of South Asia. The excessive burden of the population has gradually ruined the environment, and many are looking forward to restoring the earlier state of ecological infrastructure. The approach of historical inquiry in this research sheds valuable insights on the Gupta copperplates as a conspicuous source material for early history and contributes to putting together scattered pieces of geographic elements of ancient Bengal as reflected in the Gupta copperplates. Keywords: Geography, Environment, History, Gupta, Copper plates, Bengal