Sena dynasty

The Palas were followed by the Sena dynasty who brought Bengal under one ruler during the 12th century. Vijay Sen, the second ruler of this dynasty, defeated the last Pala emperor, Madanapala, and established his reign. Ballal Sena introduced the caste system in Bengal and made Nabadwip the capital. The fourth king of this dynasty, Lakshman Sen, expanded the empire beyond Bengal to Bihar. However, later Lakshman Sen fled to eastern Bengal fearing the invading Muslims without facing them in battle. The Sena dynasty brought a period of revival in Hinduism in Bengal. A popular myth noted by some Bengali authors about Jayadeva, the famous Sanskrit poet of Odisha (then known as the Kalinga), and author of Gita Govinda, was one of the Pancharatnas (meaning 5 gems) in the court of Lakshman Sen (although this may be disputed by some).