Sena Dynasty

(11th–13th c.) Eastern Indian dynasty
whose ancestral homeland was in the
Bengal region but whose territory also
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included the western part of the state of
Bihar. The Senas were originally vassals
of the Pala dynasty but became independent in 1097 and later seized much
of the Pala domain in Bihar. The Sena
dynasty survived until 1245, when it was
finally conquered by the Mamluks, who
had been seizing Sena territory since the
beginning of that century. The Senas
(and their predecessors, the Palas) are
particularly noted for a certain type of
sculpture in which the images were
carved from black chlorite schist that
was polished to a mirror finish.