According to legendary accounts, the early dynasty of Nepal was the Gopala dynasty established byGopa,[11] who presumably ruled for about five centuries.[12] They are said to have been followed by theMahisapala dynasty.[13][14][15] The Gopalas and the Mahisapalas were together known as Abhiras.[16]
Another belief was thatGopalvamsi andMahispalvamsi belonged to the same dynasty and they were divided into two on the basis of their profession.[17][18] Amarakosha givesAbhira as synonym forGopa and Gopala.[19]
The rulers of Gopala dynasty were devotees of Lord Shiva.[22] They are credited with restoring the temple of the Vedic deity Pashupatinath on the volcanic mound in Nepal, where the famousPashupatinath Temple now stands.[23][24]
^Majupuria, Trilok Chandra; Majupuria, Indra (1979).Peerless Nepal: Covering Broad Spectrum of the Nepalese Life in Its Right Perspective. M. Devi. p. 20.Gopalas or cowherd dynasty also flourished here who were known as ahirs, a race of shepherds. It is said that gopalas and ahirs ruled over Nepal from 4th century to the beginning of the 7th century.
^Nepalese Culture: Annual Journal of NeHCA, Volume 5. Nepalese History, Culture and Archaeology Instruction Committee, Kirtipur Campus, T.U., 1985. 1985. p. 28.They were followed by the Mahisapalas or the Buffalo breeders. The Gopalas and Mahisapalas are together known, sometimes, as Abhiras. The Brahmanical version of the vamsavalis associates Gopalas with Krishna and the Nepali legendary sage called Ne or Nemi.
