sentences:  In ancient times, Bengal consisted of the kingdoms of Pundra, Suhma, Vanga, Samatata and Harikela.In the 4th century BCE, during the reign of the Nanda Empire, the powerful Gangaridai rulers of sent their forces with the war elephants which led the withdrawal of Alexander the Great from the Indian subcontinent.As a province of the Mauryan Empire, much of Bengal was part of it except for the far eastern Bengali kingdoms which maintained friendly relationships with Ashoka.