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[Vol. XXVIII
1219 (1162-63 A. C.)' but that he lost his sovereignty before the 14th year counted from that date, most writers on Pāla history believe that the recknoning started from the time when ne lost his throne. Thus the actual reign period of Govindapāla is usually placed before a date in Vikrama Sarvat 1219 (1162-63 A. C.). There are no less than geven Buddhist manuscripts copied at Gaya and Nalandā referring to king Govindapāla in the colophon. Only one of these refers to the 4th year of his vijaya-rājya indicating no doubt that Govindapāla reigned at least up to the fourth year after his coronation, i.e., from Vikrama Samvat 1219 (1162-63 A.C.) to 1222 (1165-66 A.C.). In four cases, the colophons associate the dates (years 24, 37, 38 and 39) simply with Govindapāla without referring either to his vijaya-rājya or to his gata-rājya ; but, in two other cases, the colophons remarkably agree with the phraseology of the Gayā inscription in referring respectively to the 18th atita year of Govindapāla and to the 38th year of his vinashta-rājya (i.e., destroyed sovereignty). It is therefore clear that Govindapāla lost his sovereignty between the fourth (V. S. 1222=1165-66 A.C.) and the fourteenth year (V.S. 1232=1174-75 A.C.) after his coronation, although some people of South Bihar, especially the Buddhists, continued to refer to the rule of this Buddhist king in dating their records in preference to the non-Buddhist rule that possibly followed Govindapāla's overthrow from that region. The above dates of Govindapāla's accession and of the loss of his sovereignty are corroborated by the inscription under discussion.
We have seen that the Valgüdar inscription of Madanapāla, who is the last known member of the Pāla royal house, is dated in Saka 1083 which was the 18th regnal year of the said Pāla king. The actual date quoted is the eleventh day of Jyaishtha, corresponding to the 4th_May 1161 A. C. This shows beyond doubt that Madanapāla began to rule in Saka 1066=Vikrama Samvat 1201= 1144-45 A. C. and continued to reign at least up to Saka 1083=Vikrama Samvat 1218=1161-62 A.C. The first regnal year of Govindapāla, as we have already seen, corresponds to Vikrama Bamvat 1219=Saka 1084=1162-63 A.C. This shows that there was hardly any interval between the end of Madanapāla's reign and the accession of Govindapāla. It thus appears almost certain that Govindapāla was the immediate successor, if not actually the son, of Madanapala. The date of the Jaynagar image inscription of the time of Madanapāla was originally read as the regnal year 19 which is, however, a wrong reading for 14. Thus the duration of Madanapāla's reign, previously known to have been only about 14 years, is now definitely established to have been at least about 18 years.
The Påla emperors are known to have ruled over Bengal and Bihar, although about the time of Madanapala and Govindapāla practically the whole of Bengal appears to have been lost to the Sēnas who hailed from Karpāța or the Kannada area of South India. The reign of Vijayasēna, the first imperial ruler of the Sēna dynasty, is now assigned to the period circa 1095-1158 or circa 1125-58 A. C. while his son and successor Vallālasēna is supposed to have reigned in circa 1159-79 A. C. Like the Sēnas of Bengal, another Karņāta dynasty was established in North Bibar by Nanyadēva in 1097 A. C. The independent rule of this family is known to have continued
1 The regnal years appear to have been counted as corresponding to the calendar years 50 that the last regnal year of one and the first of his successor usually corresponded to the same calendar year. Cf. the same procedure followed in counting the Anka years of the later rulers of Orissa (J.A.S.B., 1903, p. 100).
* See History of Bengal, op. cit., p. 171, note.
IR. D. Banerji, Palas of Bengal (Memoirs of the A. S. B., Vol. V), PP. 110-12 The dates are given as (1) Srimad-Govinda palasya vijaya-rajya-samvatsaro 4; (2) Srimad-Govindapaladvasymätila samvatsao 18 Karttikadine 15; (3) Sri-Govinda påliya-Samvat 24 Chaitra-áudi 8; (4) Govindapaladevanan Sari 37 Sravana-dind 11: (5) Srimad-Govinda paladevana vinasha-rajye ashtatrimsal-samvalsare-bhilikhyamane J yaish bha-krisha-ushPamyah tithau yatra Sa. 38 Jyuish tha.dine 8; (6) "the 38th year of Govindapālo", (7) Srimad-Govindupalda. van Sain 39 Bhadra-dine 14. The fifth quotation points to the month being regarded as lunar and purnimanta.
• History of Bengal, op. cit., p. 175.
Ibid. p. 231.
