Gopala 1 ; Pala Dynasty ¦ Founder of the Pala dynasty ¦ Bengal History ¦ Indian History - 40

In eastern India, after the death of King Shushanka in 637 AD, a situation of political confusion prevailed in Bengal, and adjoining areas. The region witness invasions by Yashovarman of Kanuage, Lalitaditya of Kashmir, and even of a Chinese army. Bhaskaravarman, the ruler of Assam conquered most of Bengal, and the western territories of Bihar, Orissa came under the influence of Harsha. Subsequently around 8th century AD, Gopala laid the foundation of Pala dynasty. The Pala Empire was an imperial power during the late classical period, on the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. As the names of all the succeeding kings ended with Pala, which means protector in the ancient language of Prakrit, this dynasty came to be known as Pala dynasty. The Pala kings were the followers of Buddhism, especially Mahayana and Tantric schools of Buddhism. The Palas were astute diplomats, and military conquerors. Their army was noted for its vast war elephants. Their navy performed both mercantile, and defensive roles, in Bay of Bengal. The Proto-Bengali language developed under Pala rule. The empire enjoyed relations with the Srivijaya Empire, Tibetan Empire, and the Arab Abbasid Caliphate. As its height in the early 9th century, the Pala Empire was the dominant power in the northern Indian subcontinent, with its territory stretching across modern-day eastern Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The empire was considerably weakened by the 11th century, with many areas engulfed in rebellion. The empire was founded, with the election of Gopala as the Emperor of Gauda, in 750 AD. After the fall of Shashankha's kingdom, the Bengal region was in a state anarchy. There was no central authority, and there was constant struggle between petty chieftains. In these circumstances, Gopala ascended the throne as the first Pala king. The ethnic origins of the dynasty are unknown, although the later records claim that, Gopala was a Kshatriya, belonging to the legendary Solar Dynasty. Gopala was an ardent Buddhist, and according to Buddhist scholar Tarnatha, Gopala built the famous monastery at Odantapuri. Gopala died at the age of 80, after a reign of 27 years. Not much is known about his life or military career, but at the time of his death, Gopala had bequeathed a large kingdom to his son Dharmapala. No records are available about the exact boundaries of Gopala's kingdom, but it may have included almost of all the Bengal region. His son and successor, Dharmapala greatly expanded the kingdom, making it one of the most powerful empires in contemporary India.