[3][4] Undivided Dinajpur district was part of the Pundra and Gauda Kingdom of ancient Bengal.

The whole of Pundra was part of the Maurya Empire, and Jainism was spread in the region in the fourth century BCE.

Their capital was at Pundrabardhan (now in Bangladesh), and two other ancient towns were Gourpur and Kotibarsha, now called Bangarh.

After the reign of Gauda Kingdom, the district was then ruled by Pala Empire from 750 CE.

In 1586, Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Bengal and Dinajpur was controlled by the sarkars of Tajpur and Panjara.