Gopala (Pala king)
Encyclopedia
Gopala was the founder of the Pala Dynasty
of Bengal
. The last morpheme
of his name pala means "protector" and was used as an ending for the names of all the Pala monarch
s. Pala does not suggest or indicate any ethnic or caste considerations of the Pala dynasty.
by democratic election as per evidence furnished by Taranatha
. After the death of famous Gauda ruler Sasanka
, there ensued a century of anarchy and confusion in Bengal. Tired of ceaseless political chaos and anarchy (known as matsyanyaya), the various independent chieftains of Bengal, in 750 CE, selected a person named Gopala to put an end to this sorry state of affairs. Gopala was already a leading military general and had made a mark as a great ruler. In the Khalimpur copper plate inscription (dated 32nd regnal year of Dharmapala) Gopala's father Vapyata is described as a noted military chief of his time and his grandfather Dayita Vishnu is described as a learned man of no military distinctions.
of the future by his son Dharmapala
. He is believed to have consolidated his hold on the whole of Bengal. His reign-period is not precisely known but is believed to have spanned 750 CE through 770 CE. It was his son and successor Dharmapala (770-810 CE) who really made the Palas a pre-dominant power of Northern India.
, a Tibet
an historian, attests that Gopala was a staunch Buddhist and had built famous Buddhist monastery at Odantapuri
.
, son of Gopala I, confirms that Gopala was a son of a warrior (Khanditarat) Vapyata and grandson of a highly educated (Saryavidyavadat) Dayitavishnu
The Ramacharita by Sandhyakar Nandi, a court poet of later Palas, states that the Pala dynasty belonged to Samudrakula or Ocean lineage. Ramacharita further states that Varendra
or North Bengal was the fatherland (Janakabhu) of the Palas.
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...
of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. The last morpheme
Morpheme
In linguistics, a morpheme is the smallest semantically meaningful unit in a language. The field of study dedicated to morphemes is called morphology. A morpheme is not identical to a word, and the principal difference between the two is that a morpheme may or may not stand alone, whereas a word,...
of his name pala means "protector" and was used as an ending for the names of all the Pala monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
s. Pala does not suggest or indicate any ethnic or caste considerations of the Pala dynasty.
Democratic election of Gopala
Gopala was the first independent Buddhist king of Bengal and came to power in 750 CE in GaurGaur, West Bengal
Gour, or Gaur , as it is spelt mostly in modern times, or Lakhnauti is a ruined city, in the Malda district of West Bengal, India, on the west bank of the Ganges river, 40 kilometers downstream from Rajmahal.-History:...
by democratic election as per evidence furnished by Taranatha
Taranatha
Tāranātha was a Lama of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is widely considered its most remarkable scholar and exponent....
. After the death of famous Gauda ruler Sasanka
Shashanka
Shashanka is often attributed with creating the first separate political entity in a unified Bengal called Gauda and as such is a major figure in Bengali history. He reigned in 7th century AD, and some historians place his rule approximately between 590 AD and 625 AD. He is the contemporary of...
, there ensued a century of anarchy and confusion in Bengal. Tired of ceaseless political chaos and anarchy (known as matsyanyaya), the various independent chieftains of Bengal, in 750 CE, selected a person named Gopala to put an end to this sorry state of affairs. Gopala was already a leading military general and had made a mark as a great ruler. In the Khalimpur copper plate inscription (dated 32nd regnal year of Dharmapala) Gopala's father Vapyata is described as a noted military chief of his time and his grandfather Dayita Vishnu is described as a learned man of no military distinctions.
Life sketch of Gopala
Not much is known about the life or military career of king Gopla but at the time of his death, Gopala had bequeathed a legacy which facilitated the creation of a great dynastyDynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
of the future by his son Dharmapala
Dharmapala of Bengal
Dharama Pala was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the son and succeessor of Gopala , the founder of the Pala Dynasty. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the Pala Empire founded by his father and made the Palas the most dominant power in...
. He is believed to have consolidated his hold on the whole of Bengal. His reign-period is not precisely known but is believed to have spanned 750 CE through 770 CE. It was his son and successor Dharmapala (770-810 CE) who really made the Palas a pre-dominant power of Northern India.
Religious leanings
TaranathaTaranatha
Tāranātha was a Lama of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is widely considered its most remarkable scholar and exponent....
, a Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an historian, attests that Gopala was a staunch Buddhist and had built famous Buddhist monastery at Odantapuri
Odantapuri
Odantapuri, also called Odantapura or Uddandapura, was a Buddhist vihara in what is now Bihar, India. It was established by king Dharmapala of Pala dynasty in the 8th century. It is considered the second oldest of India's universities and was situated in Magadha, Recently it is known as a Bihar...
.
Lineage of Gopala
The ethnicity of Gopala or his caste is not clearly stated in any of the numerous Pala records. The name of his father was Vapyata (meaning "destroyer of adversaries"), and his grandfather Dayitavishnu (meaning "bright with all learning") The Khalimpur Plate of DharmapalaDharmapala
In Vajrayana Buddhism, a dharmapāla is a type of wrathful deity. The name means "Dharma-defender" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapālas are also known as the Defenders of the Law , or the Protectors of the Law, in English....
, son of Gopala I, confirms that Gopala was a son of a warrior (Khanditarat) Vapyata and grandson of a highly educated (Saryavidyavadat) Dayitavishnu
The Ramacharita by Sandhyakar Nandi, a court poet of later Palas, states that the Pala dynasty belonged to Samudrakula or Ocean lineage. Ramacharita further states that Varendra
Varendra
Varendra was a region of Bengal, now in Bangladesh. It included the Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom region.According to Cunningham the boundary of Varendra was the Ganges and the Mahananda on the west, the Karatoya on the east, the Padma on the south and the land between Koochbihar and the Terai...
or North Bengal was the fatherland (Janakabhu) of the Palas.
Successor of Gopala
Gopala had ruled for roughly 20 years and was succeeded by his son Dharmapala who successfully subjugated the kingdoms of Northern India.See also
- List of rulers of Bengal
- DharmapalaDharmapala of BengalDharama Pala was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the son and succeessor of Gopala , the founder of the Pala Dynasty. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the Pala Empire founded by his father and made the Palas the most dominant power in...
- DevapalaDevapalaDeva Pala , was a powerful emperor from the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the third king in the line and had succeeded his father, emperor Dharamapala...
- MahipalaMahipalaMahipala I is considered the second founder of the Pala dynasty. Gopala I established the dynastic rule of the Palas in the middle of the 8th century CE. The Pala Dynasty ruled Bengal and Bihar for about four centuries from the middle of the 8th century CE...
- Pala EmpirePala EmpireThe Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...