Epigraphia Indica Vol 29

Author(s): Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 18

No. 1]
TWO PALA PLATES FROM BELWA verses from the introduction of one's predecessor's charter became prevalent in the Pala house amongst the descendants of Vigra hapāla or Sürapāla I (circa 850-54 A. C.) who was the cousin's son and successor of Dēvapāla (circa 810-50 A. C.). The first six verses of our record describe the exploits of Gõpāla I (circa 750-70 A. C.) who was the first imperial ruler of the Pála dynasty, his son Dharmapāla (circa 770-810 A. C.), his younger brother and general Vākpāla, his son Jayapāla who was a general of Dėvapāla, his son Vigrahapala I and his son Näräyanapäia (circa 854-908 A. C.). These verses are noticed for the first time in the charter of Nārāyaṇapala and are found quoted in all the later grants of the family. It is as yet unknown whether the first five of these verses were quoted by Nārāyaṇapāla from a charter of his father, as no copper-plate grant of Vigrahapāla I has so far been discovered. We have also as yet no charter of the time of Rajyapāla (circa 908-40 A. C.), son and successor of Nārāyaṇapăla, although the Jäjilpājā plate of Gopāla II (circa 940-85 A. C.), son and successor of Rajyapāla, was published some time ago in the Bengali journal Bhāratavarsha (B. S. 1334, part i, pp. 264 ff.). It is therefore no wonder that verses 7-9 of our record dealing with Räjyapala and Gopāla II are also found in the Jājilpāsā plate. Verse 10 speaks of Vigrahapäla II (circa 985-88 A. C.), son and successor of Göpäla II, and the following two versei (verses 11-12) of his son and successor, the reigning monarch Mahipala I (circa 9881038 A.C.). Verse 11 says that Mahipala I recovered his paternal räjya, which had become anadhikrita-vilupta (Iowu owing to the occupation by usurpers), after having killed all the enemies in battle by the prowess of his own arms. Our inscription, dated in the king's fifth regnal year, shows that Mahipāla attained success against the enemies quite early in his reign. The enemies who dispossessed Mahipala I of his paternal kingdom are usually indentified with the Kamboja rulers of northern and south-western Bengal known from the Bangash pillar inscription and the Irda plate, although there is a theory challenging the suggestion of Kāmboja occupation of parts of Bengal in the second half of the tenth century A. C. Whatever be the truth of the suggestion regarding the recovery of northern and south-western Bengal by Mahipala I from the Kambojas, we know that the Pāla king very probably reconquered south-east Bengal from the Chandras quite early in his reign. As I have elsewhere shown, the Chandras originally ruled over Chandradvipa, otherwise called Vangaladēsa, in the Buckerganj region of southern Bengal ; but Srichandra, the first imperial ruler of the family, conquered and ruled over wide regions of south-east Bengal in the second half of the tenth century. There was a short eclipse of Chandra power after Srichandra apparently owing to the success of Mahipāla I. This is suggested not only by Mahīpāla's claim referred to above, but also by the Bāghāurā' and Nārāyanpur inscriptions, dated respectively in his 3rd and 4th regnal years, which speak of Mahipala's rule over Samatata, i.e., the present Tippera-Noakhali region, although Chandra guzerainty was re-established in eastern and south-eastern Bengal by Govindachandra during the life-time of Mahīpāla I himself. Verse 12 of our record says that the war elephants of Mahipala I roamed in the eastern countries, then in the valleys of the Malaya mountain range (the modern Travancore hills), next in the Maru country (i.e., the Marwar region in the Rajputana desert in the ancient Western division of India) and ultimately in the valleys of the Himalayas. This has often been taken to indicate aimless wanderings of the Pāla army owing to a great catastrophe that befell the Pāla kingdom. But, 1 Gaudalikhamala, pp. 55 ff.
Soo Journ. As. Soc., Letters, Vol. XVII, PP. 137-44. • History of Bengal, Dacca University, Vol. I, pp. 133 ff., 190 f.
• Ind. Cult., Vol. VII, pp. 410 ff. The Chandras originally owed allegiance to a dynasty of Harikėla kings possibly represented by Kantidēva of the Chittagong plate. See also J.R.A.S.B., L., Vol. XVII, pp. 90-91.
Abuve, Vol. XVII, p. 351. • Ind. Cull., Vol. IX, pp. 121-25.
Hisory of Bengal, op. cit., p. 136.