The Forgotten Sena Dynasty: Bengal's Hindu Revival and the Fall to Islam

The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · Jun 1, 2026 · 6m · transcript

Before the Mughals and the British, before the Sultans of Bengal, the Sena dynasty ruled a golden age from their capital at Nadia. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Senas revived Hinduism after centuries of Buddhist Pala rule, built the iconic Dhakeshwari Temple, and lost everything to the invading Turkic general Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1205. We trace the rise of Vijaya Sena, the patronage of Sanskrit learning under Lakshmana Sena, and the final tragedy at the Battle of Navadvipa. Along the way, we consider how the Senas shaped Bengali identity, language, and religion — and ask…