Friday 9 November 2018

THE PALA DYNASTY OF BENGAL 750-1159





THE PALA DYNASTY OF BENGAL 750-1159

The empire was founded with the election of Gopala as the emperor of Gauda in 750 CE.[4] The Pala stronghold was located in Bengal and Bihar, which included the major cities of Vikrampura, Pataliputra, Gauda, Monghyr, Somapura, Ramvati (Varendra), Tamralipta and Jaggadala.The resurgent Hindu Sena dynasty dethroned the Pala Empire in the 12th century,The Pala period is considered one of the golden eras of Bengali history.

Expansion under Dharmapala and Devapala
Gopala's empire was greatly expanded by his son Dharmapala and his grandson Devapala. Dharmapala was initially defeated by the Pratihara ruler Vatsaraja. Later, the Rashtrakuta king Dhruva defeated both Dharmapala and Vatsaraja. After Dhruva left for the Deccan region, Dharmapala built a mighty empire in the northern India.
He defeated Indrayudha of Kannauj, and installed his own nominee Chakrayudha on the throne of Kannauj.
 Nagabhata II, who conquered Kannauj and drove away Chakrayudha
 Dharmapala was forced to surrender and to seek alliance with the Rashtrakuta emperor Govinda III, who then intervened by invading northern India and defeating 
Nagabhata II

First period of decline

Following the death of Devapala, the Pala empire gradually started disintegrating. Vigrahapala, who was Devapala's nephew, abdicated the throne after a brief rule, and became an ascetic. Vigrahapala's son and successor Narayanapala proved to be a weak ruler. During his reign, the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha defeated the Palas. Encouraged by the Pala decline,
Revival under Mahipala I
Mahipala I recovered northern and eastern Bengal within three years of ascending the throne in 988 CE. He also recovered the northern part of the present-day Burdwan division. During his reign, Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Empire frequently invaded Bengal from 1021 to 1023 CE. ] Rajendra Chola I also defeated Mahipala, and obtained from the Pala king "elephants of rare strength, women and treasure"
Revival under Ramapala
After gaining control of Varendra, Ramapala tried to revive the Pala empire with limited success. He ruled from a new capital at Ramavati, which remained the Pala capital until the dynasty's end
Final decline
Ramapala was the last strong Pala ruler. After his death, a rebellion broke out in Kamarupa during his son Kumarapala's reign. The rebellion was crushed by Vaidyadeva, but after Kumarapala's death, Vaidyadeva practically created a separate kingdom.

List of Pala rulers[edit]


RC Majumdar (1971)[43]AM Chowdhury (1967)[44]BP Sinha (1977)[45]DC Sircar (1975–76)[46]D. K. Ganguly (1994)[41]
Gopala I750–770756–781755–783750–775750–774
Dharmapala770–810781–821783–820775–812774–806
Devapala810–c. 850821–861820–860812–850806–845
MahendrapalaNA (Mahendrapala's existence was conclusively established through a copper-plate charter discovered later.)845–860
Shurapala I850–853861–866860–865850–858860–872
Vigrahapala I858–60872–873
Narayanapala854–908866–920865–920860–917873–927
Rajyapala908–940920–952920–952917–952927–959
Gopala II940–957952–969952–967952–972959–976
Vigrahapala II960–c. 986969–995967–980972–977976–977
Mahipala I988–c. 1036995–1043980–1035977–1027977–1027
Nayapala1038–10531043–10581035–10501027–10431027–1043
Vigrahapala III1054–10721058–10751050–10761043–10701043–1070
Mahipala II1072–10751075–10801076–1078/91070–10711070–1071
Shurapala1075–10771080–10821071–10721071–1072
Ramapala1077–11301082–11241078/9–11321072–11261072–1126
Kumarapala1130–11251124–11291132–11361126–11281126–1128
Gopala III1140–11441129–11431136–11441128–11431128–1143
Madanapala1144–11621143–11621144–1161/621143–11611143–1161
Govindapala1155–1159NA1162–1176 or 1158–11621161–11651161–1165
PalapalaNANANA1165–11991165–1200

No comments:

Post a Comment