| Mahipala | |
|---|---|
 Gold coin of the Pala Empire, Mahipala I and later.c. 988–1161. | |
| Pala Emperor | |
| Reign | 978–1026[1] |
| Predecessor | Vigrahapala II |
| Successor | Nayapala |
| Issue | Nayapala |
| Dynasty | Pala |
| Father | Vigrahapala II |
| Religion | Shaivism[2] |
Mahipala (Bengali: মহীপাল অথবা প্রথম মহীপাল; orMahipala I;r. 978–1026) was a notable king of thePala dynasty, which ruled over much of the eastern regions of theIndian subcontinent between the 8th and 12th centuries. He was the son and successor ofVigrahapala II. Mahipala's reign marked a resurgence in fortunes for the Pala empire, whose boundaries were expanded as far asVaranasi. However, his rule was temporarily hampered by the northern expedition of theChola Emperor,Rajendra I.[3][4]
The Palas continued to patronise Shaivism, and epigraphic evidence suggests that Mahipala I and Nayapala were initiated as Shaivites by their royal preceptors. Vigrahapala III's Amagachi inscription describes him as "devoted to Śiva worship", and this tradition continued under his successor Ramapala. Poet Sandhyakar Nandi describes Ramapala's son Madanapala as a devotee of Shiva.[5]
Mahipala was succeeded by his son,Nayapala.[6]
| Preceded by | Pala Emperor 988–1038 CE | Succeeded by |
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