History
The earliest signs of human habitation in the area was at Dihar. By about 1000 BC chalcolithic people had settled on the north bank of the Dwarakeswar.
Bankura district which was inhabited by various Proto-Australoid and a few Proto-Dravidian tribes in later pre-historic times was Aryanised or assimilated with the people and culture of the Proto-Indo-European group, who prevailed in northern India, substantially later than rest of Bengal, over many centuries, and was achieved through both conflict and cordiality.
The district was part of Rarh in ancient times. In the Aitareya Aranyaka (around 7th century BC) the people of the region have been referred to as asuras (demons). In the old Jain book Acaranga Sutra (around 4th century) there is mention of Sumha and Ladha (Rarh?) and there too the reference is to an area inhabited by uncivilised and barbaric people.
In the 4th century, it is learnt from the Susunia edicts, in Prakrit and Sanskrit, that Chandravarman, son of Simhavarman, was ruler Pushkarana (modern Pokhanna in Bankura district). According to the inscription on the Allahabad pillar Chandravarman was defeated by Samudragupta and the area became a part of the Gupta Empire. The area was for many years part of Dandabhukti and Bardhamanbhukti.
Many historians opine that assimilation with Proto-Indo-Europeans took place first in northern and eastern Bengal and then in western Bengal. This has also been the broad course of the spread of Buddhism and Jainism in Bengal. There is ample evidence of pre-eminence of Aryan religion and culture in West Bengal from around 6th century.
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