The Palas of Bihar and Bengal

After the death of the powerful king Shashanka in the seventh century, Bengal fell into disorder. Later records describe it as a time of matsyanyaya — "the law of the fish", in which the big fish eat the small. Then, around the middle of the eighth century, something unusual happened: according to the Khalimpur copper plate of his son, Gopala was chosen as king by the people (or by the leading men of the land) to end the anarchy. The dynasty he founded, the Palas, would rule Bihar and Bengal for about four hundred years.

The rulers

Dharmapala and the tripartite struggle

For about two centuries, three powers fought for control of Kanauj — the symbol of supremacy in north India:

Dharmapala placed his nominee, Chakrayudha, on the throne of Kanauj and held a grand court there, attended by rulers of several kingdoms. But the Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas also won victories; no power held Kanauj permanently until the Pratiharas established themselves there.

Devapala and Nalanda

• Devapala extended Pala influence and maintained strong ties with Southeast Asia.
• The Nalanda copper plate records a grant of villages by Devapala to support a monastery at Nalanda built by Balaputradeva, the Shailendra king of Suvarnadvipa (Sumatra/Java) — showing Nalanda's international connections.

Patrons of Buddhism and learning

The Palas were Buddhist rulers who also supported Brahmanical traditions.

Pala-era scholars carried Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet — notably Atisha Dipankara of Vikramshila.

Pala art

The Pala period produced one of the most distinctive art traditions of eastern India.

Pala art influenced the art of Nepal, Tibet, Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

The Kaivarta revolt and the Ramacharita

• In the late eleventh century, the Kaivartas (a community associated with fishing and boating) rose in revolt in Varendra (north Bengal) under leaders such as Divya (Divvoka).
• Ramapala eventually suppressed the revolt and recovered Varendra.
• The poet Sandhyakar Nandi wrote the Ramacharita, a Sanskrit poem that tells the story of the Ramayana and of Ramapala simultaneously — each verse carrying two meanings.

Decline

• Rivalry with the Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and later the Cholas (Rajendra Chola's northern campaign reached the Ganga in the eleventh century).
• Internal revolts and weak successors.
• The rise of the Senas in Bengal in the twelfth century.
• In Bihar, Pala rule gave way before the arrival of Bakhtiyar Khalji around 1200.

Why the Palas matter for Bihar

• They sustained Bihar's role as a centre of Buddhist learning for centuries after the Guptas.
• They connected Bihar with Tibet and Southeast Asia.
• Their art is a major part of Bihar's cultural heritage — displayed in the Bihar Museum and the Nalanda Museum.

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. Which inscription describes Gopala's selection as king?
2. What was the tripartite struggle, and who were its participants?
3. Which Pala king founded Vikramshila?
4. Which Shailendra king built a monastery at Nalanda with Pala support?
5. Who wrote the Ramacharita?

Mains-style:

• Examine the contribution of the Palas to art and learning in eastern India.
• "The election of Gopala shows an early tradition of consent in Indian kingship." Discuss.