Pala Empire

Introduction

Pala Empire’s first king was Gopala I and he was the son of Vapyata, a warrior. The fatherland of the Pala was Varendra, a place from North Bengal.

Their ethnic origin is still unknown; however, many people believed that they were descended from the solar dynasty. The most important fact about the Pala was that they did not belong to any royal blood.

The Pala Empire

Image 1 − Map of the Pala Empire in Asia

The Pala Empire ruled the subcontinent of India from 750 CE to 1161 CE. The name Pala came from the Prakrit word which means the protector. Gopala I, who was the first ruler, founded it.

Origin of the Pala Empire

The death of Harshavardhana made the path for the rise of many kingdoms, especially in the north and eastern portion of India. The fall of the Gauda dynasty and its king Shashanka left Bengal unguarded and as a result, a state of disorders stated in the absence of a proper ruler. In that situation, the Pala Empire started gaining power.

Many federal lords were involved in the conflict that had no path towards resolutions. Among the other feudal lords, Gopala managed to gain support and a stable situation was established in the region. He took the control of Varendra and he was considered the first ruler and founder of the total Pala Emire.

However, the biggest impact that changed the fate of Bengal was the son of Gopala, Dharmapala, who successfully extended the area of the kingdom. He followed his father’s footsteps to turn the tables around.

During his time, the region gained major economic growth and he was considered the most efficient administrator. And the family tree continued where his son Devapala replaced him. The process of expansion of the empire continued for a long time, as he was the most powerful ruler of the empire. Many rulers were permitted to construct temples and monasteries, as they believed in Buddhism.

Important Rulers of the Pala Empire

Image 2 − Rulers from the Pala empire

Many rulers from the Pala empire affect the subcontinent of India, among them most significant were the following −

• Gopala − He was the founder of the Pala Empire and ruled from 750AD to 770 AD. He was also considered the first elected ruler. The monastery in Odantapuri was made during his rule. He was also referred to as the 1st king who followed Buddhism.

• Dharmapala − He was the son of Gopala and ruled the region from 770 to 810 AD. In his time, the Pala Empire became the most powerful and he expanded the territory of the kingdom.

• Devapala − He was the son of Dharmapala and the successor of the throne. He extended the area of his kingdom to Assam and Odisha. He also defeated one Rashtrakuta ruler.

• Mahipala I − He took the control of the throne in 988 AD. He also recovered the northern part and the eastern part of Bengal.

• MadannaPala − He was the last ruler of the Pala empire and after him, the whole empire was replaced by the Sena dynasty.

Administration of Pala Empire

The administration of the Pala Empire can be defined as the monarchical type. In this kind of administration, the king holds all the power and he had control over every department. They believed in having titles that were high-sounding such as Maharajadhiraja and Parameshwara.

The appointment process of the prime minister was also under the control of the King. The empire was divided into many groups and sub-groups, which eventually helped in the development Empire. The army of the Pala Empire was considered the strongest and the highest post in the army was the Commander of Chief or Mahasenapati.

Culture of the Pala Empire

Buddhism majorly affected the base culture of the Pala Empire, as they were the followers of Buddha. As a result, they permitted the construction of monasteries. The Pala ruler Mahipal ordered the restructuring of Sarnath, Nalanda and the Bodh Gaya.

They developed many monasteries that added cultural values to the region. They also offered support for education. However, along with Buddhism, they had support for other religions too. They paid a lot more attention to the growth and development of the education system and literature. Charyapada, one type of mystical poem became popular during the Pala rule.

Conclusion

The strong base of Pala was the Bengal and one portion of Bihar. The most significant factor of the Pala Empire was the War elephant corps. They also had the strongest diplomat and military forces and they performed defensive roles in the Bay of Bengal. They were dethroned by the Hindu Sena dynasty.

FAQs

Q1.What is the reason behind the fall of the Pala Empire?

Ans.The Pala Empire became weak by the 11th century with the rise of the Hindu Sena dynasty. Along with that, the emergence of many rebellion forces affects it. As a result, in the 12th century, the Pala Empire was dethroned and with that, the last major Buddhist imperial power in this subcontinent ended.

Q2.Who was the first king of Bengal?

Ans.The first king of Bengal was Gopala I, who was the founder of the Pala dynasty. He was elected as the chieftains in Gauda and he ruled the Bihar region along with Bengal.

Q3.Who invaded India for the first time?

Ans.The Aryans are considered the first group of people who captured India in 1500 BC. However, the basic culture that the Aryans brought with them made a strong impact on the cultural tradition and it still runs as the major force.

Q4.Who destroyed Nalanda University and what was the impact?

Ans.A Turk named Bakhtiyar Khilji in the year 1193 destroyed Nalanda University. This historical event had a major impact because scholars believed that it started the fall of Buddhism in India.