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Pala Empire
Pala Empire
750–1161 CE
	Pala Empire under Devapala.
Capital	List Bikrampur ; Pataliputra ; Gauda ; Monghyr (Devapala) ; Somapura (Dharampala) ; Mahipal in present-day Murshidabad district (Mahipala I) ; Ramavati in Varendra (Ramapala and successors) ;
Recognised regional languages	Sanskrit, Proto Bengali
Religion	Buddhism, Hinduism
Government	Monarchy
• First Emperor	Gopala
• Last Emperor	Gobindapala
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Gauda kingdom
Sena dynasty
Today part of	India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Afganistan

The Pala Empire was a dynasty in control of the northern and eastern Indian subcontinent, mainly the Bihar and Bengal regions, from the 8th to the 12th century. The name Pala (Modern পাল pal) means "protector" and was used as an ending to the names of all Pala monarchs.

History

Establishment

After the Gauda kingdom fell, Bengal was in a state of anarchy and there was no central authority, and there was constant fighting between minor chieftains. Gopala ascended the throne as the first Pala king during these times.^[5]

Expansion

Gopala's empire was greatly expanded by his son Dharmapala and his grandson Devapala. At first, Dharmapala was defeated by the Pratihara ruler Vatsaraja. Later, the Rashtrakuta Emperor Dhruva defeated both Dharmapala and Vatsaraja. After Dhruva returned to the Deccan, Dharmapala built a powerful empire in northern India.^[7] Soon, Dharmapala's expansion was stopped by Vatsaraja's son, Nagabhata II, who took control of Kannauj and defeated Chakrayudha. Nagabhata II then moved towards Munger and defeated Dharmapala in a fierce battle. Dharmapala had to surrender and seek help from the Rashtrakuta emperor Govinda III, who then invaded Northern India and defeated Nagabhata II.^[8]

Dharmapala was then succeeded by his son Devapala. During the reign of Devapala, the Pāla Empire reached its greatest extent. Devapala is known for subjugating the Dravidas (Pandyan Empire), the Gurjaras (Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty), the Utkalas of Odisha, the Pragjyotishas of Assam, and the Hunas and Kambojas in the northwest, as recorded in his inscriptions and the inscription that records of his reign.^[9]^[10]

Dharmapala's eldest son, Rajyapala, died before him, so his next son, Mahendrapala, became king. Mahendrapala likely kept control of his father's vast empire and fought against the Utkalas and Hunas.^[11] He passed the empire to his younger brother Shurapala I, who ruled over Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, as confirmed by his Mirzapur copperplate.^[12] What happened during the rule of Shurapala's son, Gopala II, remains unknown. After Gopala II, Dharmapala's lineage ended, and the throne was taken by the descendants of Dharmapala's younger brother, Vakapala.

List of rulers

	RC Majumdar (1971)^[13]	AM Chowdhury (1967)^[14]	BP Sinha (1977)^[15]	DC Sircar (1975–76)^[16]	D. K. Ganguly (1994)^[17]
Gopala I	750–770	756–781	755–783	750–775	750–774
Dharmapala	770–810	781–821	783–820	775–812	774–806
Devapala	810–c. 850	821–861	820–860	812–850	806–845
Mahendrapala	NA (Mahendrapala's existence was conclusively established through a copper-plate charter discovered later.)				845–860
Shurapala I	850–853	861–866	860–865	850–858	860–872
Vigrahapala I	850–853	861–866	860–865	858–60	872–873
Narayanapala	854–908	866–920	865–920	860–917	873–927
Rajyapala	908–940	920–952	920–952	917–952	927–959
Gopala II	940–957	952–969	952–967	952–972	959–976
Vigrahapala II	960–c. 986	969–995	967–980	972–977	976–977
Mahipala I	988–c. 1036	995–1043	980–1035	977–1027	977–1027
Nayapala	1038–1053	1043–1058	1035–1050	1027–1043	1027–1043
Vigrahapala III	1054–1072	1058–1075	1050–1076	1043–1070	1043–1070
Mahipala II	1072–1075	1075–1080	1076–1078/9	1070–1071	1070–1071
Shurapala	1075–1077	1080–1082	1076–1078/9	1071–1072	1071–1072
Ramapala	1077–1130	1082–1124	1078/9–1132	1072–1126	1072–1126
Kumarapala	1130–1125	1124–1129	1132–1136	1126–1128	1126–1128
Gopala III	1140–1144	1129–1143	1136–1144	1128–1143	1128–1143
Madanapala	1144–1162	1143–1162	1144–1161/62	1143–1161	1143–1161
Govindapala	1155–1159	NA	1162–1176 or 1158–1162	1161–1165	1161–1165
Palapala	NA	NA	NA	1165–1199	1165–1200

^[18]

References

↑ Chakrabarti, Dilip K. (1992). Ancient Bangladesh, a study of the archaeologcial sources. Internet Archive. Delhi ; New York : Oxford University Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-19-562879-1. In his own inscriptions and in the inscriptions referring to his reign, Devapala is credited with the subjugation of the Gurjaras, Utkalas, Hunas, Dravidas, Kambojas and Pragjyotisas. He is also supposed to have invaded the Vindhyan region.
↑ Rahman, Shah Sufi Mostafizur (2000). Archaeological Investigation in Bogra District: From Early Historic to Early Mediaeval Period. International Centre for Study of Bengal Art. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-984-8140-01-7.
↑ Michael C. Howard (2012). Transnationalism in Ancient and Medieval Societies: The Role of Cross-Border Trade and Travel. McFarland. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-7864-9033-2.
↑ Huntington 1984, p. 56.
↑ Sengupta, Nitish K. (2011). Land of two rivers: a history of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib. New Delhi: Penguin Books. pp. 39–49. ISBN 978-0-14-341678-4.
↑ Keay, John (2000). India: A History. Grove Publication. p. 198. ISBN 0-8021-3797-0.
↑ Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. pp. 175–176. ISBN 978-81-7017-059-4.
↑ Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 179. ISBN 978-81-7017-059-4. Nāgabhaṭa-II defeated Cakrāyudha and occupied Kanauj ... battle between the king of Vaṅga and Nāgabhaṭa in which the latter emerged victorious ... may have been fought at Mudgagiri (Monghyr in Bihar). If so, it shows the utter humiliation of Dharmapāla and strengthens the suspicion that as a revenge he might have surrendered to and welcomed Govinda III when he invaded North India.
↑ Chakrabarti, Dilip K. (1992). Ancient Bangladesh, a study of the archaeologcial sources. Internet Archive. Delhi ; New York : Oxford University Press. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-0-19-562879-1.
↑ Rahman, Shah Sufi Mostafizur (2000). Archaeological Investigation in Bogra District: From Early Historic to Early Mediaeval Period. International Centre for Study of Bengal Art. pp. 50–52. ISBN 978-984-8140-01-7.
↑ Bhattacharya, Suresh Chandra, Pāla Kings in the Badal Praśasti — A Stock-Taking, Journal of Ancient Indian History, University of Calcutta, Vol. XXIV, 2007-08, pp. 73-82.
↑ Sanyal, Rajat (1 January 2014). "The Pala-Sena and Others". History of Ancient India Vol 5 Political History and Administration (C. Ad 750-1300) (Regional Powers and Their Interactions). 5.
↑ R. C. Majumdar (1971). History of Ancient Bengal. G. Bharadwaj. p. 161–162.
↑ Abdul Momin Chowdhury (1967). Dynastic history of Bengal, c. 750-1200 CE. Asiatic Society of Pakistan. pp. 272–273.
↑ Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450–1200 A.D. Abhinav Publications. pp. 253–. ISBN 978-81-7017-059-4.
↑ Dineshchandra Sircar (1975–76). "Indological Notes - R.C. Majumdar's Chronology of the Pala Kings". Journal of Indian History. IX: 209–10.
↑ Dilip Kumar Ganguly (1994). Ancient India, History and Archaeology. Abhinav. pp. 33–41. ISBN 978-81-7017-304-5.
↑ Susan L. Huntington (1984). The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture. Brill Archive. pp. 32–39. ISBN 90-04-06856-2.