The 'Pala Empire' was a dynasty in control of the northern and eastern
Indian subcontinent, mainly the
Bengal and
Bihar regions, from the
8th to the
12th century. The name ''Pala'' (
Modern Bengali পাল ''pal'') means "protector" and was used as an ending to the names of all Pala monarchs.
The founder of the empire was
Gopala. He was the first independent
Buddhist king of Bengal and came to
power in
750 in
Gaur by
democratic election, which was unique at the time. He reigned from 750-
770 and consolidated his position by extending his control over all of Bengal. His successors
Dharmapala (r. 770-
810) and
Devapala (r. 810-
850) expanded the empire across the northern and eastern Indian subcontinent. The Pala Empire eventually disintegrated in the
12th century under the attack of the
Sena dynasty/
Ghosh.
The Palas were followers of the
Mahayana and
Tantric schools of
Buddhism. They often intermarried with the
Gahadvalas of the
Kannauj region. They created many temples and works of art and supported the Universities of
Nalanda and
Vikramashila. Their proselytism was at the origin of the establishment of
Buddhism in
Tibet.
Origin of the Palas
The origin of the Palas is not clearly stated in any of the numerous Pala records. But
Gopala is stated to have belonged to
Kshatriya lineage. According to
Taranatha, Gopala was born of a Kshatriya family near ''Pundravardhan'' (north
Bengal) and was later selected a ruler of Bhangala (Vangala). But some of the historical writings of this period claim that Palas belonged to Shudra caste. Some later writings even claim the Palas were
Kayasthas as some of the Pala descendents claimed to belong to the sub-caste.
The location of Pala in South Asia.
''Ramachrita'' of ''Sandhyakar Nandi'', a court poet of later Palas, states that the Pala dynasty belonged to ''Samudrakula'' or Ocean lineage. It is not clear what this really means. Probably, this holds a clue that the ancestors of the Palas belonged to a shipping community of ''kshatriya cum-trading group'' who conducted trade via sea with other nations. This may allude to their probable links with the
northwest Kambojas who are also attested to have been both a Kshatriyas as well as traders class (''varatta-shastropajivins'').
The ''Kamauli Grant'' of king ''Vaidyadeva'' of
Kamarupa (
Assam) connects the Palas to 'Surya lineage' (''Mihirasya vamsa''). This may again imply their probable connections with the ancient Kambojas who were indisputably Sun/Fire worshipping Iranians.
Haribhadra, who was contemporary with
Dharmapala, mentioned in his ''Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita'' that the Palas belonged to the line of Rajvatt (''Rajvatt-Vamsa-Patit''). Rajvatt was the son of Devakhadga of the Khadga Dynasty that ruled Vanga in the 7th century A.D. In the Nessari Plates (805 A.D) of
Rashtrakuta Govinda III, Dharmapala has been describesd as king of Vangala.
Vanga or Vangala being a riverine land was naturally inclined towards sea-faring. Perhaps this had connection with the "Samudrakula" or the "ocean-lineage" of the Palas.
Ramachrita further states that Varendri or North Bengal was the fatherland (''Janakabhu'') of the Palas. In the Bangarh
copperplate inscription of
Mahipala it has been described that mahipala recovered his Fatherland (''Rajyam Pitram'') from his enemies which apparently was North Bengal that was occupied by the Kambojas.
It is plausible that the ancestors of the Palas originated from Vanga and later settled in
Varendra (North Bengal) or Varendra became the capital of the newly born empire during the reign of Gopala.
Matsanya and the ascendancy of the Palas
After
Shashanka Bengal was shrouded in obscurity and was shattered by repeated foreign invasions.
Songtsan Gampo (
622 CE-
650 CE) the
Tibetan king invaded Bengal and conquered it. Jayavardhana of the Shaila Dynasty from
Central India invaded Bengal and killed the king of Pundra (
730 CE). Yasovarmana (
725-
752) of
Kanauj killed the king of
Magadha and Gauda. Later
Lalitaditya (
724-
760) of
Kashmir who defeated Yasovarmana invaded Bengal. Sri Harsha of
Kamarupa conquered
Anga,
Vanga,
Kalinga,
Odra. The social and political structure of Bengal was devastated. According to Lama Taranath: Every single
Brahman, every
Kshatriya, every Elite became all powerful in their areas and surrounding regions. This condition has been described by Taranath as 'Matsyanyam' (Eating of small fish by the big fish) or the
Dark Age of Bengal. Disgusted at the situation the desperate people of Bengal made a bold move which marked a glorious period in the history of the sub-continent. They elected
Gopala, a popular military leader, as their king by a
Democratic Election which was probably the only democratic election in medieval India.
Buddhism
After
Harsha Vardhana,
Buddhism faced the possibility of extinction. Buddhists were persecuted all over India and Buddhism was gradually being absorbed by Hinduism. The Palas emerged as the champion of Buddhism, and they patronized
Mahayana Buddhism. The Pala universities of
Vikramashila and
Nalanda became seats of learning for
East Asia. The famous university of
Nalanda reached its height during the Pala empire. The Palas were responsible for the spread of Mahayana Buddhism in
Tibet,
Nepal,
Bhutan,
Myanmar and the
Indonesian archipelago, and the fame of Bengal spread in the Buddhist world for the cultivation of Buddhist religion, culture and other knowledge in the various centres that grew under the patronage of the Pala rulers.
Buddhist scholars from the Pala empire travelled from Bengal to the
Far-East and propagated Buddhism. A few outstanding ones among them are Shantarakshit, Padmanava, Dansree, Bimalamitra, Jinamitra, Muktimitra, Sugatasree, Dansheel, Sambhogabajra, Virachan, Manjughosh and many others.
But the most prominent was
Atish Dipankar Srigyan who reformed Buddhism in Tibet after it had been destroyed by king
Langdharma.
Main Pala rulers
★
Gopala (750-770)
★
Dharmapala (770-810)
★
Devapala (810-850)
★
Shurpala/
Mahendrapala (850 - 854)
★
Vigraha Pala (854 - 855)
★
Narayan Pala (855 - 908)
★
Rajyo Pala (908 - 940)
★
Gopala II (940-960)
★
Vigraha Pala II (960 - 988)
★
Mahipala (988 - 1038)
★
Naya Pala (1038 - 1055)
★
Vigraha Pala III (1055 - 1070)
★
Mahi Pala II (1070 - 1075)
★
Shura Pala II (1075 - 1077)
★
Rampala (1077 - 1130)
★
Kumar Pala (1130 - 1140)
★
Gopala III (1140 - 1144)
★
Madan Pala (1144 - 1162)
★
Govinda Pala (1162 - 1174)
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Pala Empire under Dharmapala
Pala Empire at its height under Devapala
Peace and Expansion
Gopala ended the period of anarchy by installing peace and prosperity in the country. Pala kings devoted themselves in public welfare and social reform. The Palas adopted the policy of religious toleration and co-existence of the
Buddhists and the
Hindus. Pala kings won the heart of the people by welfare activities like digging tanks establishing towns and took place in many folklores in the rural areas of Bengal. The ''Mahipala Geet'' (Songs of
Mahipala) is still popular in the rural areas.
Palas adopted aggressive policy and began a period of expansion. At its height Dharmapala's empire stretched from
Bengal as far as
Afghanistan.
Devapala extended the boundaries of the empire further to
Assam,
Kamboja and the Southern tip of
Deccan-the feat only achieved by
Asoka. The successors of Devapala had to contend with the
Gurjara-Pratihara and the
Rashtrakutas for the supremacy of northern India. After
Narayanpala the Pala empire declined but was revived by vigorous rules of
Mahipala and
Ramapala.
Pala administration
Pala rule was Monarchial.King or Monarch was the centre of all power. Pala kings would adopt titles like ''Parameshwar'', ''paramvattaraka'', ''Maharajadhiraja''. Pala kings appointed Prime Ministers. The 'Line of Garga' served as the Prime Ministers of the Palas for 10 years.
Garga |
Darvapani |
Someshwar |
Kedarmisra|
Vatt Guravmisra
Pala Empire was divided into separate Vuktis (Provinces), Vuktis into Vishaya(Divisions) and then Mandala (Districts)Pala. Smaller units were ''Khandala'', ''Bhaga'', ''Avritti'', ''Chaturaka'', and Pattaka. Administration covered widespread area from the grass root level to the imperial court. The Pala copperplates mention following administrative posts:''Raja'', ''Rajanyaka'', ''Rajanaka'', ''Ranaka'', ''Samanta'' and ''Mahasamanta'' (Vassal kings), ''Mahasandhi-vigrahika'' (Foreign minister), ''Duta''(Head ambassador), ''Rajasthaniya'' (Deputy), ''Aggaraksa'' (Chief guard), ''Sasthadhikrta'' (Tax collector), ''Chauroddharanika'' (Police tax), ''Shaulkaka'' (Trade tax), ''Dashaparadhika'' (Collector of penalties), and ''Tarika'' (Toll collector for river crossings),''Mahaksapatalika'' (Accountant) ''Jyesthakayastha'' (Dealing documents), the ''Ksetrapa'' (Head of land use division) and ''Pramatr'' (Head of land measurements), the ''Mahadandanayaka'' or ''Dharmadhikara'' (Chief justice), the ''Mahapratihara'', ''Dandika'', ''Dandapashika'', and ''Dandashakti'' (Police forces), ''Khola'' (Secret service), Agricultural posts like ''Gavadhakshya'' (Head of dairy farms), ''Chhagadhyakshya'' (Head of goat farms), ''Meshadyakshya'' (Head of sheep farms), ''Mahishadyakshya'' (Head of Buffalo farms) and many other like ''Vogpati'', ''Vishayapati'', ''Shashtadhikruta'', ''Dauhshashadhanika'', ''Nakadhyakshya''(Aviation ministry?) etc.
Pala Literature
The proto-Bangla language was born during the reign of the Palas. The Buddhist texts of the
Charyapada were the earliest form of Bangla language. This Proto-Bangla language was used as the official language in Tibet, Myanmar, Java and Sumatra. Books on every aspect of knowledge were compiled during the Pala Rule. On philosophy: ''Agaman Shastra'' by Gaudapada, ''Nyay Kundali'' by Sridhar Vatt, ''Karmanushthan Paddhati'' by Vatt Vabadeva; On Medicine: ''Chikitsa Sangraha'', ''Ayurvedidwipika'', ''Vanumati'', ''Shabdachandrika'', ''Dravya Gunasangraha'' by Chakrapani Dutt; ''Shabda-Pradip'', ''Vrikkhayurveda'', ''Lohpaddhati'' by Sureshwar; ''Chikitsa Sarsangraha'' by Vangasen; ''Sushrata'' by Gadadha Vaidya; ''Daybhaga'', ''Byabohar-Matrika'', ''Kalvivek'' by Jimutvahan etc.
Atisha compiled more than 200 books. The great epic
Ramacharitam written by Sandhyakar Nandi the court poet of Madanpala was another masterpiece of the Pala literature. The Pala copperplate inscriptions were of excellent literary value. This distinctive inscriptions were called ''Gaudya Style''.
Pala art and architecture
The most brilliant side of the Pala Empire was the excellence of its art and sculptures. Palas created a distinctive form of Buddhist art known as the "Pala School of Sculptural Art." The gigantic structures of Vikramshila Vihar, Odantpuri Vihar, and Jagaddal Vihar were masterpieces of the Palas. These mammoth structures were mistaken by the forces of
Bakhtiar Khilji as fortified castles and were demolished. The Somapura Mahaviharaa, a creation of Dharmapala, at
Paharpur, Bangladesh, is the largest Buddhist Vihara in the Indian subcontinent, and has been described as a "pleasure to the eyes of the world."
UNESCO made it
World Heritage Site in
1985.
Sompur Bihara, also built by Dharmapala, is a monastery with 21
acre (85,000 m²) complex has 177 cells, numerous stupas, temples and a number of other ancillary buildings. In
1985, the
UN included the Sompur Bihara site in the world Cultural Heritage list. The Pala architectural style was followed throughout south-eastern Asia and
China,
Japan, and
Tibet. Bengal rightfully earned the name "Mistress of the East". Dr.Stella Kramrisch says: "The art of Bihar and Bengal exercised a lasting influence on that of
Nepal,
Burma,
Ceylon and
Java.
Dhiman and
Vittpala were two celebrated Pala sculptors. About Sompura Mahavihara, Mr.J.C. French says with grief: "For the research of the
Pyramids of
Egypt we spend millions of dollars every year. But had we spent only one percent of that money for the excavation of Sompura Mahavihara, who knows what extraordinary discoveries could have been made."---"The Art of the Pala Empire or Bengal," p.4.
Pala foreign relations
Palas came in contact with distant lands through their conquests and trades.The
Sailendra Empire of
Java,
Sumatra and
Malaya was a colony of the Palas.
Devapala granted five villages at the request of the Sailendra king Balputradeva of Java for the upkeepment of the
matha established at Nalanda for the scholars of that country. The Prime minister of the Balputradeva was from Gauda. Dharmapala who extended his empire to the boundary of the
Abbasid Empire had diplomatic relations with the caliph
Harun Al-Rashid. Coins of Harun-al-Rashid have been found in
Mahasthangarh. Palas maintained diplomatic and religious relation with Tibet. During the military expeditions of the Pala kings the Pala generals would establish kingdoms of their own in
Punjab and
Afghanistan. "When the writer (Mr.French) was in the Punjab hill states recently he came across a curious and unexpected echo of the Pal Dynasty. There is a strong and continuous tradition that the ruling families in certain states are descended from the "Rajas of Gaur in Bengal". These states are
Suket,
Keonthal,
Kashtwar and
Mandi. In the ancient
Rajput states tradition has immense force and accuracy. Of Kashtwar it is related that 'Kahan pal' — the founder of the state — with a small band of followers arrived in the hills in order to conquer a kingdom for himself. He is said to have come from
Gaur, the ancient capital of Bengal and to have been a cadet of the ruling family of the place."---"The Art of Pal Empire". p.19. The demise of the
Turkshahi rule in
Gandhar and the rise of the
Hindushahi dynasty in that region might have connection to the invasion of the Palas in that region.
Pala armed forces
Pala empire in comparison with other contemporary empires.
Palas had fourfold army consisting of:
Infantry,
Cavalry,
Elephants and
Chariots. In the copperplates of
Vatsaraja Dharmapala had been mentioned as the owner of unlimited number of Horses, Elephants and Chariots. It is amazing that when the use of chariots had been backdated in India and other parts of the world the kings of Bengal still depended on four-horsed heavy chariots. Being a riverine land and swarthy climate Bengal was not good enough for breeding quality
war-horses. So the Palas had to depend upon their vassal kins for war horses. Pala copperplate inscriptions reveal that mercenary forces were recruited from the
Kamboja,
Khasa,
Huna,
Malwa, Laat(
Gujarat),
Karnata. The
Kamboja cavalry was the cream of the Pala army who later would become as powerful as the
Janissary army of the
Ottoman Empire. The Kamboja forces maintained smaller confederates (Sanghas) among themselves and were staunch follower of their commander. Palas had the army divided into following posts: Senapati or Mahasenapati (General) controlling foot soldiers, cavalry, soldiers riding elephants and camels, and the navy, and the various army posts like Kottapala (Fort guards) and Prantapala (Border guards). Palas had a huge army and the legend of "Nava Lakkha Shainya" (Nine lac soldiers) were popular during the reigns of dharmapala and Devapala. According to
Hudud al-Alam a
Persian text written in 982-983 Dharmapala possessed an army of 300,000 soldiers. According to Sulaiman the Arab traveller Devapala set out for his every military expedition with an army of 50,000 elephants and his army had 10,000-15,000 slaves for the maintenance and caretaking of his armies.
Legacy
Palas legacy gets remembered not much in Bengal but elsewhere.
Tibet's modern culture and religion is heavily influenced by Palas. Palas are credited with spreading
Buddhism to Tibet and around the world through missionaries.
Atisa, a Palan, is a celebrated figure in the Tibetan Buddhism in tradition and in establishment. Atisa also invented
bodhichitta or known as "mind training" that is practiced around the world today. Another important Palan figure in Tibetan Buddhism is
Tilopa who founded the
Kagyu lineage of
Tibetan Buddhism and developed the
Mahamudra method, a set of spiritual practices that greatly accelerated the process of attaining
bodhi (enlightenment). Palas literature is widely studied by Buddhist around the world. Pala architectural style was copied throughout south-eastern Asia and China, Japan, and Tibet.
Nalanda Universities and
Vikramshila Universities are two of the biggest and greatest Buddhist universities ever recorded in history.
External references
★
Pala Empire from Banglapedia
★
Pala Sculpture from Banglapedia
See also
★
Nalanda
★
Gopala
★
Atisa
★
Dharmapala
★
Devapala
★
Mahipala
★
Sompur Bihara
★
Kambojas
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