ThePāla Empire^[a] was the empire ruled by the Pala dynasty, ("protector" inSanskrit) a medieval Indian dynasty^[14][15] which ruled the kingdom ofGauda. The empire was founded with the election ofGopāla by the chiefs ofGauda in late eighth century CE.^[16] The Pala stronghold was located in Bengal and easternBihar, which included the major cities ofGauḍa,Vikramapura,Pāṭaliputra,Monghyr,Somapura, Ramavati (Varendra),Tāmralipta andJagaddala.^[17]

Pala Empire
750–1161
The Pala Empire in the ninth century CE[1][2]
Status	Empire
Capital	Gauda Monghyr Pataliputra(under early–Palas)[3] Murshidabad(under Mahipala)[4] Ramavati inMalda(under Ramapala to the end)[5][6]
Common languages	Sanskrit(official, court, dynastic, inscriptions, literature)[7] Proto-Bengali(vernacular in Bengal)[8]
Religion	Mahayana Buddhism,[9][10]Hinduism,[11][12]
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 750–770	Gopala(first)
• 1139–1161	Govindapala(last)
Historical era	Medieval
• Established	750
• Disestablished	1161
Population
• 1000 estimate	17,000,000[13]
Preceded by Succeeded by Khadga dynasty Chero dynasty Sena dynasty Karnats of Mithila Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya
Today part of	India  Bangladesh    Nepal  Pakistan

The Pālas were astute diplomats and military conquerors. Their army was noted for its vastwar elephant corps. Their navy performed both mercantile and defensive roles in theBay of Bengal.^[18] At its zenith under emperorsDharmapala andDevapala in the early ninth century, the Pala empire was the dominant power in the northern Indian subcontinent, with its territory stretching across theGangetic plain to include some parts northeastern India,Nepal andBangladesh.^[16][19] Dharmapala also exerted a strong cultural influence through Buddhist scholarAtis Dipankar in Tibet, as well as in Southeast Asia. Pala control of North India was ultimately ephemeral, as they struggled with theGurjara-Pratiharas and theRashtrakutas for the control ofKannauj and were defeated. After a short-lived decline, EmperorMahipala I defended imperial bastions in Bengal and Bihar against South IndianChola invasions. EmperorRamapala was the last strong Pala ruler, who gained control ofKamarupa andKalinga. The empire was considerably weakened with many areas engulfed and their heavy dependence onSamantas being exposed through11th century rebellion. It finally led to the rise of resurgentHinduSenas as sovereign power in the 12th century and final expulsion of the Palas from Bengal by their hands marking the end of last majorBuddhist imperial power in the subcontinent.^[20][18][21]

The Pala period is considered one of the golden eras of Bengali history. The Palas brought stability and prosperity to Bengal after centuries of civil war between warring divisions. They advanced the achievements of previous Bengali civilisations and created outstanding works of arts and architecture. TheCharyapada inProto-Bengali language was written by BuddhistMahasiddhas oftantric tradition, which laid the basis of several eastern Indian languages in their rule. Palas built grand Buddhist temples and monasteries (Viharas), including theSomapura Mahavihara andOdantapuri, and patronised the great universities ofNalanda andVikramashila. The Pala empire enjoyed relations with theSrivijaya Empire, theTibetan Empire and theArabAbbasid Caliphate.Islam first arrived in Bengal during this period as a result of flourishing mercantile and intellectual contacts with Middle-East. The Pala legacy is still reflected inTibetan Buddhism.^[22]

There is no clear evidence for their origin or early history of the Palas. Historians rely on indirect evidence to understand their reign, leading to controversies about their ancestry.^[23] A eulogy on the Khalimpur copper plate of Gopala describes his father Vapyata as aKhanditarati or "killer of enemies", and his grandfather Dayitavishnu asSarva-vidyavadata ("all-knowing" in the sense "highly educated").^[24] Whereas as per a contemporary source, Gopala was born in a family of menials orDasajivinah.^[25] Tibetan LamaTaranatha in hisHistory of Buddhism in India described that Gopala was born of the seed of a certain tree-god from the womb of a kshatriya woman.Niharranjan Ray mentions that this story is connected with totemic lore, and it is a reflection of the society outside of Puranic Brahmanism.^[26]

TheRamacharitam attests thatVarendra (North Bengal) was the fatherland (Janakabhu) of the Palas. In RamacaritamDharmapala is hailed as the glory of the Samudra Dynasty; Taranatha too suggested a close connection between Dharmapala and the Samudras (Seas), and in the Dharmamangal of Ghanaram there ls the suggestion of a relationship between Dharmapala's queen and the Samudras. Niharranjan Ray suggested some possible relationship between the Pala kings and the ocean-going men of Gauda.^[25] TheBallala-Carita states that the Palas were low Kshatriyas, as well as Ghanaram Chakrabarty in hisDharmamangala (both written in the 16th century CE). TheRamacharitam also attests the fifteenth Pala emperor,Ramapala, as aKshatriya.^[23] In the story Udayasundari of the poet Sodhdhala, the Pala kings are said to beKshatriya of theSolar dynasty.^[25] According toNitish Sengupta, such claims of belonging to the legendary Solar dynasty seems to be unreliable and appear to be an attempt to cover up the humble origins of the dynasty.^[27] The Pala dynasty has also been branded asShudra in some sources such asManjushri-Mulakalpa.^[28] A medieval writerAbul Fazl going by this tradition described these kings asKayasthas.^[23][28][29] According to K. N. Sahay, "we can claim Palas also as Kayasthas".^[30] But modern scholars believe Palas were staunch Buddhists, as their court became a stronghold and their copper plates emphasised Buddhist affiliation.^[23][29]

André Wink mentions that the founder, Gopala was elected, and "definitely not of royal blood but probably of a line of brahmans which transformed itself into kshatriyas". Wink further describes that as per an Arabic source Pāla was 'not a king of noble origin'.^[29]

After the fall ofShashanka's kingdom, the Bengal region was in a state of anarchy. There was no central authority, and there was constant struggle between petty chieftains. The contemporary writings describe this situation asmatsya nyaya ("fish justice" i.e. a situation where the big fish eat the small fish). Gopala ascended the throne as the first Pala king during these times. The Khalimpur copper plate suggests that theprakriti (people) of the region made him the king.^[31] Taranatha, writing nearly 800 years later, also writes that he was democratically elected by the people of Bengal. However, his account is in form of a legend, and is considered historically unreliable. The legend mentions that after a period of anarchy, the people elected several kings in succession, all of whom were consumed by theNaga queen of an earlier king on the night following their election. Gopal, however managed to kill the queen and remained on the throne.^[32] The historical evidence indicates that Gopala was not elected directly by his citizens, but by a group of feudal chieftains. Such elections were quite common in contemporary societies of the region.^[31][32]

Gopala's ascension in 750 CE was a significant political event as several independent chiefs recognised his political authority without any struggle,^[20][33] consolidating his power over the whole of Bengal including Gaur,Varendra and Banga, also extending his rule over parts ofMagadha. According toR. C. Majumdar, Gopala ruled till 770 CE.^[31]

Gopala's empire was greatly expanded by his sonDharmapala and his grandsonDevapala. Dharmapala was initially defeated by thePratihara rulerVatsaraja. Later, theRashtrakuta kingDhruva defeated both Dharmapala and Vatsaraja. After Dhruva left for the Deccan region, Dharmapala built a mighty empire in the northern India.^[34] He defeated Indrayudha ofKannauj, and installed his own nominee Chakrayudha on the throne of Kannauj. Several other smaller states in North India also acknowledged his suzerainty, as far asJalandhara.^[35] Soon, his expansion was checked by Vatsaraja's sonNagabhata II, who conquered Kannauj and drove away Chakrayudha. Nagabhata II then advanced up toMunger and defeated Dharmapala in a pitched battle. Dharmapala was forced to surrender and to seek alliance with theRashtrakuta emperorGovinda III, who then intervened by invading northern India and defeating Nagabhata II.^[36][37][38] The Rashtrakuta records show that both Chakrayudha and Dharmapala recognised the Rashtrakuta suzerainty. In practice, Dharmapala gained control over North India after Govinda III left for the Deccan. He adopted the titleParamesvara Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja.^[20]

Dharmapala was succeeded by his son Devapala, who is regarded as the most powerful Pala Emperor.^[20] His expeditions resulted in the invasion ofPragjyotisha (present-day Assam) where the king submitted without giving a fight and theUtkala (present-day Northern Odisha) whose king fled from his capital city.^[39] The inscriptions of his successors also claim several other territorial conquests by him, but these are possibly exaggerated (see theGeography section below).^[31][40]

According to Tibetan sources, the emperors; Khri-srong-lda-btsan (Trisong Detsen) and his son, Mu-teg-btsan-po (Ralpacan), conquered India and madeDharmapala submit.^[41][42] Whether this is historically accurate has been debated between historians however it can be asserted thatDevapala came into conflict with the Tibetans.^[43][44] Chinese records, indicate Tibetan control over theHimalayas was lost from 839 to 848 CE which was duringDevapala's reign.^[45] During the period when Dharmapala's reign was coming to a close and Devapala's reign was beginning, thePratihāra ruler Nagabhatta attacked the Palas allied with theTibetan Empire.Devapala defeated the Tibetan kings.^[46][47] The Dullu inscription of King Prithvimalla confirms Devapala's conquest with the mention of the establishment of the Pala Dynasty of Nepal with the first ruler being Adipala whose lineage would continue to rule for sixteen generations.^[48]

Devapala's oldest son, Rajyapala predeceased him, and as soMahendrapala, his next older son succeeded him. He possibly maintained his father's vast territories and carried out further campaigns against the Utkalas and the Hunas.^[49] He passed his empire intact to his younger brotherShurapala I, who held sway over a considerably large territory encompassing Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, proven by his Mirzapur copperplate.^[50]What happened in Gopala II's rule, the son of Surapala I, is still unknown. After Gopala II, Dharmapala's line came to an end for reasons which are not known yet. Dharmapala's descendants, if any, were passed over as Dharmapala's younger brother, Vakapala's lineage assumed the throne.

Shortly afterwards, the empire gradually started disintegrating. Vakapala's grandson and Jayapala's son,Vigrahapala I abdicated the throne after a brief rule, and became an ascetic. Vigrahapala's son and successorNarayanapala proved to be a weak ruler. During his 54-year long reign,Mihira Bhoja defeated the Palas.^[51]: 20 Encouraged by the Pala decline, the King Harjara ofAssam assumed imperial titles.^[20]

Naryanapala's sonRajyapala ruled for at least 32 years, and constructed several public utilities and lofty temples.^[52] Earlier it was thought that his sonGopala III lost Bengal after a few years of rule, and then ruled only Bihar. However, it has been debunked by his Bhagalpur inscription, in which he granted a Brahmin two villages inPundrabardhanabhukti in Northern Bengal, signalling his control over it. His son and the next king,Vigrahapala II, had to bear the invasions from theChandelas and theKalachuris. During his reign, the Pala empire disintegrated into smaller kingdoms like Gauda, Radha, Anga and Vanga. Kantideva ofHarikela (eastern and southern Bengal) also assumed the titleMaharajadhiraja, and established a separate kingdom, later ruled by theChandra dynasty.^[20] The Gauda state (West and North Bengal) was ruled by theKamboja Pala dynasty. The rulers of this dynasty also bore names ending in the suffix -pala (e.g.Rajyapala,Narayanapala andNayapala). However, their origin is uncertain, and the most plausible view is that they originated from a Pala official who usurped a major part of the Pala kingdom along with its capital.^[20][31]

Mahipala I recovered northern and eastern Bengal within three years of ascending the throne in 978 CE. He also recovered his capital, Gauda, which had been lost to he Kambojas. He also recovered the northern part of the present-dayBurdwan division. During his reign,Rajendra Chola I of theChola Empire frequently invaded Bengal from 1021 to 1023 CE to get Ganges water and in the process, succeeded to humble the rulers, acquiring considerable booty. The rulers of Bengal who were defeated by Rajendra Chola were Dharmapal, Ranasur and Govindachandra, who might have been feudatories under Mahipala I of the Pala Dynasty.^[53] Rajendra Chola I also defeated Mahipala, and obtained from the Pala king "elephants of rare strength, women and treasure".^[54] Mahipala also gained control of north and south Bihar, probably aided by the invasions ofMahmud of Ghazni, which exhausted the strength of other rulers of North India. He may have also conqueredVaranasi and surrounding area, as his brothers Sthirapala and Vasantapala undertook construction and repairs of several sacred structures at Varanasi. Later, the Kalachuri kingGangeyadeva annexed Varanasi after defeating the ruler of Anga, which was probably Mahipala's son Nayapala.^[20]

Nayapala, the son of Mahipala I, defeated the Kalachuri king Karna (son of Ganggeyadeva) after a long struggle. The two later signed a peace treaty at the mediation of the Buddhist scholarAtiśa. During the reign of Nayapala's son Vigrahapala III, Karna once again invaded Bengal but was defeated. The conflict ended with a peace treaty, and Vigrahapala III married Karna's daughter Yauvanasri. Vigrahapala III was later defeated by the invadingChalukya kingVikramaditya VI. Vigrahapala III also faced another invasion led by theSomavamsi king Mahasivagupta Yayati of Orissa. Subsequently, a series of invasions considerably reduced the power of the Palas. The Varmans occupied eastern Bengal during his reign.^[20][31]

The successor and older son of Vighrahapala III by his wife Yauvanashri, Mahipala II's reign is well-documented bySandhyakar Nandi inRamacharitam. Mahipala II imprisoned his brothers Ramapala and Surapala II, on the suspicion that they were conspiring against him. Soon afterwards, he faced arebellion of Samantas led by Kaivarta vassal Divya. Divya (or, Dibyak) killed him and occupied the Varendra region. The region remained under the control of his successors Rudak and Bhima. Surapala II escaped to Magadha and died after a short reign. He was succeeded by his brother Ramapala, who launched a major offensive against Divya's nephew Bhima. He was supported by his maternal uncle Mathana and cousin Sivarajadeva of theRashtrakuta dynasty, as well as several feudatory chiefs of south Bihar and south-west Bengal. Ramapala conclusively defeated Bhima, killing him and his family in a cruel manner.^[20][31] Historian Ryosuke Furui noted that Kaivarta rebellion decisively weakened Pala's control over subordinate rulers. It also paved the way for their fall in the hands of another power, the Senas, who rose after the event.^[55]

After gaining control of Varendra, Ramapala tried to revive the Pala empire with some success. He ruled from a new capital at Ramavati, which remained the Pala capital until the dynasty's end. He reduced taxation, promoted cultivation and constructed public utilities. He broughtKamarupa andRar under his control, and forced the Varman king of east Bengal to accept his suzerainty. He also struggled with the Ganga king for control of present-day Orissa; the Gangas managed to annexe the region only after his death. Ramapala maintained friendly relations with the Chola king Kulottunga to secure support against the common enemies: the Ganas and the Chalukyas. He kept the Senas in check but lost Mithila to aKarnat chief namedNanyadeva who formed his own kingdom based out of Mithila. He also held back the aggressive design of the Gahadavala ruler Govindacharndra through a matrimonial alliance, by marrying off his cousin Kumaradevi to the king.^[20][31]

In the region ofMagadha, Vallabharāja, an adventurer fromRatanpur led a campaign against the Ramapala with his base of operations inBodh Gaya. It has been speculated that he was aided in his campaign byGovindachandra of theGahadavala dynasty. After gaining control of Bodh Gaya he converted to Buddhism and took on the new name, Devaraksita. At this point, he made peace with the Palas by marrying the daughter of Mahana Pala (uncle of Ramapala). His dynasty became known as thePithipatis.^[56]

Ramapala was the final strong Pala Emperor, although his son Kumarapala managed to keep most of his territories. After his death, a rebellion broke out in Kamarupa during his son Kumarapala's reign. The rebellion was crushed by Vaidyadeva, minister of Kumarapala. Vaidyadeva also won a naval war in southern Bengal for his liege. but after Kumarapala's death, Vaidyadeva practically created a separate kingdom.^[20] Kumarapala's son, Gopala IV ascended the throne as a child, and according to the Rajibpur copperplate inscription, his uncle Madanpala acted as his regent.^[57] Gopala IV either died in battle or was murdered by Madanapala. During Madanapala's rule, the Varmans in east Bengal declared independence, and theEastern Gangas renewed the conflict in Orissa. Madanapala captured Munger from the Gahadavalas, but was defeated by Vijayasena, who gained control of southern and eastern Bengal. Two rulers, named Govindapala and Palapala ruled over the Gaya district from around 1162 CE to 1200 CE, but there is no concrete evidence about their relationship to the imperial Palas. The Pala dynasty was replaced by theSena dynasty.^[31] The descendants of the Palas, who claimed the status of Kshatriya, "almost imperceptibly merged" with theKayastha caste.^[58][59]

The borders of the Pala Empire kept fluctuating throughout its existence. Though the Palas conquered a vast region in North India at one time, they could not retain it for long due to constant hostility from the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Rashtrakutas and other less powerful kings.^[60]

No records are available about the exact boundaries of original kingdom established by Gopala, but it might have included almost all of theBengal region.^[20] The Pala empire extended substantially under Dharmapala's rule. Apart from Bengal, he directly ruled the present-day Bihar. The kingdom of Kannauj (present-day Uttar Pradesh) was a Pala dependency at times, ruled by his nominee Chakrayudha.^[20] While installing his nominee on the Kannauj throne, Dharmapala organised an imperial court. According to the Khalimpur copper plate issued by Dharmapala, this court was attended by the rulers of Bhoja (possiblyVidarbha),Matsya (Jaipur region),Madra (East Punjab),Kuru (Delhi region),Yadu (possibly Mathura, Dwarka or Simhapura in the Punjab),Yavana,Avanti,Gandhara and Kira (Kangra Valley).^[31][37] These kings accepted the installation of Chakrayudha on the Kannauj throne, while "bowing down respectfully with their diadems trembling".^[61] This indicates that his position as a sovereign was accepted by most rulers, although this was a loose arrangement unlike the empire of theMauryas or theGuptas. The other rulers acknowledged the military and political supremacy of Dharmapala, but maintained their own territories.^[31] The poet Soddhala of Gujarat calls Dharmapala anUttarapathasvamin ("Lord of the North") for his suzerainty over North India.^[62]

In Devapala's own inscription and in the inscription referring to his reign (Badal Pillar Inscription), he is credited with the subjugation of the Gurjaras, Dravidas, Utkalas, Pragjyotisas, Hunas and the Kambhojas:^[63][64]

• Gurjaras mentioned were no doubt thePratiharas and it is inferred that the Pratihara king wasMihir Bhoja.^[63][65]
• Subjugation of Utkalas (Bhauma-Kara dynasty) naturally brought Devapala into geographical contact with the southern peninsula and it wasn't unnatural that hostilities developed between the contemporary Pala andPandya rulers.^{[63][64][65][66]}
• The Dravida king mentioned in the inscriptions was generally thought to be theRashtrakuta'sAmoghavarsha but has been identified as thePandya King,Sri-Mara Sri-Vallabha.^{[63][64][65][66]}
• Pragjyotisa orAssam accepted the suzerainty of Devapala and it has been inferred that the king of Assam was either Pralambha or Harjara.^[63][64]
• Majumdar points thatHunas were a principality inUttarapatha (near Himalayas) and were subjugated by Devapala.^[63][64][65]

Devapala is credited not only with theDigvijaya (conquest) ofAryavarta in the Badal inscription but also with theDigvijaya (conquest) of the whole ofBharatavarṣa (India) mentioned in his Monghyr Plates.^[67][68] According toNitish K. Sengupta, the Badal Pillar inscription is highly exaggerated.^[69] However, Both Pramode Lal Paul and Ratikanta Tripathi assert that the statement,the whole tract between theVindhya andHimalayan ranges, and the east and west seas paid tribute to Devapala, was not merely a political exaggeration in the Badal inscription, but an actual fact.^[70][71] Devapala's control over the east sea (Arabian Sea) can also be proved by the records of Devapala having 'carried his arms a far asSindh'.^[72]Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha, an Indian archaeologist and historian states that some exaggerations are naturally present in praises like those found in the Badal Pillar inscription ofNarayanapala, but it is equally unreasonable to dismiss the entire description of Devapala's conquests as mere bombast.^[73] In any case, the neighbouringRashtrakutas and theGurjara-Pratiharas were weak at the time and it would not be implausible to say that they were subdued byDevapala.^[74]

His sons and grandson probably managed to keep the core area of the empire intact. However, the empire started disintegrating shortly after.Narayanapala lost control ofAssam andOrissa. It was thought he also briefly lost control overMagadha andnorth Bengal, although it has now been debunked.Gopala III suffered serious reverses at the hands of theChandra king, and ruled only from a part of northern Bengal. The Pala empire disintegrated into smaller kingdoms during the reign ofVigrahapala II.Mahipala recovered parts ofBengal,Bihar and up toVaransi. His successors lost east and south Bengal again. The last strong Pala ruler,Ramapala, gained control of Bengal, Bihar, Assam and parts ofOrissa.^[20] By the time ofMadanapala's death, the Pala kingdom was confined to parts of central and east Bihar along with northern Bengal.^[20]

The Pala rule was monarchial. The king was the centre of all power. Pala kings would adopt imperial titles likeParameshwara,Paramvattaraka,Maharajadhiraja. Pala kings appointed Prime Ministers. TheLine of Garga served as the Prime Ministers of the Palas for 100 years.

• Garga
• Darvapani (or Darbhapani)
• Someshwar
• Kedarmisra
• Bhatta Guravmisra

Pala Empire was divided into separateBhuktis (Provinces). Bhuktis were divided intoVishayas (Divisions) andMandalas (Districts). Smaller units wereKhandala,Bhaga,Avritti,Chaturaka, and Pattaka. Administration covered widespread area from the grass root level to the imperial court.^[77]

The Pala copperplates mention following administrative posts:^[78]

The Palas were patrons ofMahayana Buddhism. A few sources written much after Gopala's death mention him as a Buddhist, but it is not known if this is true.^[79] The subsequent Pala kings were definitely Buddhists.^{[citation needed]} Dharmapala made the Buddhist philosopherHaribhadra his spiritual preceptor. He established theVikramashila monastery and theSomapura Mahavihara. Taranatha also credits him with establishing 50 religious institutions and patronising the Buddhist author Haribhadra. Devapala restored and enlarged the structures at Somapura Mahavihara, which also features several themes from the epicsRamayana andMahabharata. Mahipala I also ordered construction and repairs of several sacred structures at Saranath, Nalanda and Bodh Gaya.^[20] TheMahipala geet ("songs of Mahipala"), a set of folk songs about him, are still popular in the rural areas of Bengal.

The Palas developed the Buddhist centres of learnings, such as the Vikramashila and theNalanda universities. Nalanda, considered one of the first great universities in recorded history, reached its height under the patronage of the Palas. Noted Buddhist scholars from the Pala period includeAtisha,Santaraksita,Saraha,Tilopa, Bimalamitra, Dansheel, Dansree, Jinamitra, Jnanasrimitra, Manjughosh, Muktimitra, Padmanava, Sambhogabajra, Shantarakshit, Silabhadra, Sugatasree and Virachan.

As the rulers ofGautama Buddha's land, the Palas acquired great reputation in the Buddhist world. Balaputradeva, the Sailendra king of Java, sent an ambassador to him, asking for a grant of five villages for the construction of a monastery at Nalanda.^[80] The request was granted by Devapala. He appointed the Brahmin Viradeva (ofNagarahara, present-day Jalalabad) as the head of the Nalanda monastery. The Buddhist poet Vajradatta (the author of Lokesvarashataka), was in his court.^[20] The Buddhist scholars from the Pala empire travelled from Bengal to other regions to propagate Buddhism. Atisha, for example, preached inTibet andSumatra, and is seen as one of the major figures in the spread of 11th-century Mahayana Buddhism.

The Palas continued to patroniseShaivism, 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. PoetSandhyakar Nandi describes Ramapala's son Madanapala as a devotee of Shiva.^[12]

The Palas supported theSaiva ascetics, typically the ones associated with the Golagi-Math.^[81] Besides the images of the Buddhist deities, the images ofVishnu,Siva andSarasvati were also constructed during the Pala dynasty rule.^[82]

Devapala built a temple dedicated to Shiva's consort, and Mahipala patronised a Shaivite monastery. A 1026 CE inscription recording renovations of Buddhist structures at Sarnath by Pala princes states that Mahipala I had them built "hundreds" of temples of Shiva, Chitraghanta, and other deities in Varanasi.^[12]

Narayanapala's Bhagalpur inscription suggests that he built several Shiva temples, and records his grant of a village toPashupatas.^[12] Narayanapala also attended a sacrifice by his Brahmin minister.^[83] Nayapala's Siyan inscription suggests that he built several temples dedicated to Shiva and his various aspects (such asBhairava), plus temples dedicated to theNine Durgas, theMother Goddess,Vishnu, andLakshmi. Despite this, it is unlikely that Nayapala had rejected Buddhist teachings, since Taranatha states that he had a Buddhist preceptor.^[12]

Madanapala's queen Chitramatika, gifted land to abrahmana named Vateshvara-svami Sharma as his remuneration for reciting theMahabharata.^[84]

The Palas patronised severalSanskrit scholars, some of whom were their officials. TheGauda riti style of composition was developed during the Pala rule. ManyBuddhist Tantric works were authored and translated during the Pala rule. Besides the Buddhist scholars mentioned in the Religion section above,Jimutavahana,Sandhyakar Nandi,Madhava-kara,Suresvara andChakrapani Datta are some of the other notable scholars from the Pala period.^[20]

The notable Pala texts on philosophy includeAgama Shastra by Gaudapada,Nyaya Kundali by Sridhar Bhatta andKarmanushthan Paddhati by Bhatta Bhavadeva. The texts on medicine include

• Chikitsa Samgraha,Ayurveda Dipika,Bhanumati,Shabda Chandrika andDravya Gunasangraha byChakrapani Datta
• Shabda-Pradipa,Vrikkhayurveda andLohpaddhati by Sureshwara
• Chikitsa Sarsamgraha by Vangasena
• Sushrata by Gadadhara Vaidya
• Dayabhaga,Vyavohara Matrika andKalaviveka by Jimutavahana

Sandhyakar Nandi's semi-fictional epicRamacharitam (12th century) is an important source of Pala history.

A form of the proto-Bengali language can be seen in theCharyapadas composed during the Pala rule.^[20]

The Pala school of sculptural art is recognised as a distinct phase of the Indian art, and is noted for the artistic genius of the Bengal sculptors.^[85] It is influenced by theGupta art.^[86]

The Pala style was inherited and continued to develop under theSena Empire. During this time, the style of sculpture changed from "Post-Gupta" to a distinctive style that was widely influential in other areas and later centuries. Deity figures became more rigid in posture, very often standing with straight legs close together, and figures were often heavily loaded with jewellery; they very often have multiple arms, a convention allowing them to hold many attributes and displaymudras. The typical form for temple images is a slab with a main figure, rather over half life-size, in very high relief, surrounded by smaller attendant figures, who might have freertribhanga poses. Critics have found the style tending towards over-elaboration. The quality of the carving is generally very high, with crisp, precise detail. In east India, facial features tend to become sharp.^[87]

Much larger numbers of smaller bronze groups of similar composition have survived than from previous periods. Probably the numbers produced were increasing. These were mostly made for domestic shrines of the well-off, and from monasteries. Gradually, Hindu figures come to outnumber Buddhist ones, reflecting the terminal decline of Indian Buddhism, even in east India, its last stronghold.^[88]

•  
  A basalt statue ofLalita flanked byGaṇeśa andKārttikeya
•  
  Carvedshankhas
•  
  Sculpture ofVaraha avatar of LordVishnu
•  
  JinaRishabhanatha

As noted earlier, the Palas built a number of monasteries and other sacred structures. TheSomapura Mahavihara in present-day Bangladesh is aWorld Heritage Site. It is a monastery with a 21-acre (8.5 ha) complex with 177 cells, numerous stupas, temples and a number of other ancillary buildings. The gigantic structures of other Viharas, including Vikramashila, Odantapuri, and Jagaddala are the other masterpieces of the Palas. The art of Bengal and Bihar during the Pala dynasty influenced the art of Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka and Java.^[89]

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  Somapura Mahavihara, a World Heritage Site, was built by Dharmapala
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  Central shrine decor at Somapura
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  Ruins ofVikramashila

Most of the Pala inscriptions mention only the regnal year as the date of issue, without any well-knowncalendar era. Because of this, the chronology of the Pala kings is hard to determine.^[90] Based on their different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, different historians estimate the Pala chronology as follows:^[91]

Note:^[91]

• Earlier historians believed thatVigrahapala I and Shurapala I were the two names of the same person. Now, it is known that these two were cousins; they either ruled simultaneously (perhaps over different territories) or in rapid succession.
• AM Chowdhury rejects Govindapala and his successor Palapala as the members of the imperial Pala dynasty.
• According to BP Sinha, the Gaya inscription can be read as either the "14th year of Govindapala's reign" or "14th year after Govindapala's reign". Thus, two sets of dates are possible.
• D.K. Ganguly mentions another ruler named Indradumnyapala, who is solely known from local tradition. There is no source of his existence yet.^[96]
• A king, Bhimapala also finds a mention in theSabdapradipa. Rajat Sanyal argues that if Govindapala and Palapala are indeed accepted as Pala kings, Bhimapala also should be, provided that he was chronologically close to Ramapala according to the wording of the text. However, both need more historical evidence.^[50]
• A king named Gomindrapala finds mention in a manuscript, dated his fourth regnal year. R.C. Majumdar identifies him with Govindapala, while S.K. Saraswati suggests he is a later Pala king.^[96]

The highest military officer in the Pala empire was theMahasenapati (commander-in-chief). The Palas recruited mercenary soldiers from a number of kingdoms, includingMalava,Khasa,Huna,Kulika,Mithila,Kanrata,Lata, Odra andManahali. According to the contemporary accounts, the Rashtrakutas had the best infantry, the Gurjara-Pratiharas had the finest cavalry and the Palas had the largest elephant force. The Arab merchant Sulaiman states that the Palas had an army bigger than those of the Balhara (possibly the Rashtrakutas) and the king of Jurz (possibly the Gurjara-Pratiharas). He also states that the Pala army employed 10,000–15,000 men for fuelling and washing clothes. He further claims that during the battles, the Pala king would lead 50,000war elephants. Sulaiman's accounts seem to be based on exaggerated reports;Ibn Khaldun mentions the number of elephants as 5,000.^[97][98]

Since Bengal did not have a good native breed of horses, the Palas imported their cavalry horses from the foreigners, including the Kambojas. They also had a navy, used for both mercantile and defence purposes.^[98]

• Middle kingdoms of India
• Nalanda
• Vikramashila
• Somapura Mahavihara
• Jagaddala Mahavihara
• Odantapuri
• Kurkihar hoard

The main sources of information about the Pala empire include:^[99]

Pala accounts

• Various epigraphs, coins, sculptures and architecture
• Ramacharita, a Sanskrit work by Abhinanda (9th century)
• Ramacharitam, a Sanskrit epic bySandhyakar Nandi (12th century)
• Subhasita Ratnakosa, a Sanskrit compilation byVidyakara (towards the end of the Pala rule)

Other accounts

• Silsiltut-Tauarikh by the Arab merchant Suleiman (851 CE), who referred to the Pala kingdom asRuhmi orRahma
• Dpal dus khyi 'khor lo'i chos bskor gyi byung khungs nyer mkh (History of Buddhism in India) byTaranatha (1608), contains a few traditional legends and hearsays about the Pala rule
• Ain-i-Akbari byAbu'l-Fazl (16th-century)

• Bagchi, Jhunu (1993).The History and Culture of the Pālas of Bengal and Bihar, Cir. 750 A.D.–cir. 1200 A.D. Abhinav Publications.ISBN 978-81-7017-301-4.
• Craven, Roy C.,Indian Art: A Concise History, 1987, Thames & Hudson (Praeger in USA),ISBN 0500201463
• Harle, J. C.,The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subinent, 2nd edn. 1994, Yale University Press. (Pelican History of Art),ISBN 0300062176
• Huntington, Susan L. (1984).The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture. Brill Archive.ISBN 90-04-06856-2.
• Paul, Pramode Lal (1939).The Early History of Bengal. Indian History. Vol. 1. Indian Research Institute. Archived fromthe original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved28 March 2014.
• Sengupta, Nitish K. (2011).Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib. Penguin Books India. pp. 39–49.ISBN 978-0-14-341678-4.