Lakshman Sen

Lokkhon Sen or Lakshmana Sena was the ruler from the Sena dynasty of the Bengal region on the Indian subcontinent. His rule lasted for 28 years, in which his empire, at its peak, possessed the territories of Gauda, Kamrupa, Kalinga, Magadha, and Kashi.

Accession Lakshmana Sena succeeded his father, Ballala Sena. The history of his reign can be reconstructed from the epigraphs of his time that include the Deopara Prashasti stone inscriptions and copper plates from his successors. Tabaqt-i-Nasiri, composed by 1260, is another source of information about his reign.

Military campaigns

In his youth, Lakshmana Sena led military campaigns against Gauḍa, Kamarupa, Kalinga, and Varanasi (under the rule of Gahadavala King Jayachandra), and helped his grandfather Vijaya Sena and father Ballala Sena to expand the borders of the Sena kingdom. However, he ascended to the throne of Bengal himself at an advanced age.

Art and other contributions Lakshmana Sena was interested in literature and composed a number of Sanskrit poems. He completed Adbhuta Sagara, a book incompletely written by his father. He assembled some of the major figures in contemporary Sanskrit literature — Jayadeva, Dhoyin and Sharan — as his court poets. Among his other courtiers, Shridharadasa, Halayudh Mishra, and Umapati Dhara also produced important treatises and works of literature. Lakshman Sena established a calendar era called the Lakshmana Era that was used in Bengal and Bihar for at least 400 years. He also founded the prominent medieval city of Lakhnauti. Turko-Afghan invader Bakhtiyar Khaliji's forces entered Nabadwip in Bengal. Subsequently, Bakhtiyar went on to capture the capital and the principal city, Lakhnauti.

Bakhtiyar marched against Bengal with a band of well-trained horsemen. However, the laudatory verse of Sarana refers to Lakshmana Sena's victory against a Mlechchha king, who may be regarded as a Muslim ruler in Bengal.