International Research Journal of Education and Technology

Ancient Bengal occupied a strategic position at the head of the Bay of Bengal and at the seaward end of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta. This location enabled it to serve as a bridge between inland production zones, riverine markets, and maritime routes linking eastern India with Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and wider Indian Ocean networks. Archaeological evidence from Tamralipti, Chandraketugarh, and Wari-Bateshwar, together with literary references and material remains such as beads, coins, and Rouletted Ware, indicates that Bengal was not a peripheral zone but an active participant in regional and overseas trade. This article argues that ancient Bengal functioned as a river-sea commercial interface whose significance lay in both exchange and connectivity. The study uses qualitative historical methodology based on archaeological, literary, and secondary scholarly materials.

Keywords: Ancient Bengal, Tamralipti, Chandraketugarh, Wari-Bateshwar, Bay of Bengal, maritime trade, Indian Ocean