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164
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
General Cunningham says about Sûrapâla, that "he was the son and successor of Deva. påla Deva; and further it would appear that he had an elder brother named Rajyapâla, who had been declared Yuvaraja by his father." I do not know whether the statement is made on any direct documentary evidence, or whether it is merely an inferential combination. But if it is the former, it confirms my deduction, above given, that Vigrahapâla, alias Sûrapâla, was a son of Devapâla, and not of Jayapala. The II. Dharmapala (26) [30]
A.D. 926
same conclusion follows from the fact that the Buddal inscription in all probability mentions Narayanapâla as the immediate successor of Sûrapâla. The Bhagalpur grant says that Narayanapâla was the son and successor of Vigrahapala. Hence Sûrapâla and Vigrahapåla are the same person.
The conclusion to which the evidence, such as it is, appears to point is, that Narayaṇapala and Mahipala were contemporaries; the former being a son of Vigrahapâla, and the latter being also a son of Vigrahapala, or perhaps his nephew and son of Rajyapala. Narayanapâla probably ruled the eastern portion (Bengal) of the Pâla kingdom, while Mahipâla reigned in the western half (Bihar, Benares). There is no direct evidence on the point; but there are some circumstantial indications. Vigrahapâla was a stout Buddhist, so was Mahipala; but Narayanapâla was a Brahmanist. The latter fact is expressly stated in the Buddal inscription, and it is clearly implied both in the Bhagalpur grant and in the Gayâ inscription No. 6; and his very name, Nârâyaṇa, tends to prove it. That a division of the great Bengal and Bihår empire took place on account of religious differences is shown by the secession of the Sena family. It took place about the beginning of the 11th century, which, as will be presently seen, synchronises with the time of Narayanapâla.
Therefore, instead of thirteen or eleven ruling princes of the Pâla family, as generally believed, there are only six (excepting the later Pålas), though there were altogether nine members of the Påla family, of whom, however, three did not actually reign.
Archeol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XI. p. 178.
id. Vol. III. p. 120.
10 id. Vol. XI. p. 181; and Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. XLVII. pp. 394, 401.
[JUNE, 1885.
Accordingly, the genealogical table stands thus reigning members are indicated by Roman numerals; the numbers in round brackets give the highest known number of regnal years; the numbers in straight brackets give the supposed full numbers of regnal years; the dates are the calculated years of accession:I. Gopala (7) [20]
A.D. 906.
III. Devapâla (or Nayapala) (33) [35] A.D. 956
IV. Vigrahapala (or Sarapâla) (13) [15] A.D. 991
VI. Narayana (of Bengal) (17) [20] A.D. 1006
Våkpåla
Rajyapala
V. Mahipala
(of Benares)
Jayapala
(48) [50] A.D. 1006
The later Palas (of Benares)
Chandra Deva (of Kanauj).
The date of Mahipala is known from the Benares inscription to be A.D. 1026, assuming it (according to the usual and probably correct interpretation) to be given in the Vikramaditya era. His contemporary Narayanapâla reigned at least seventeen years." Accordingly their accession may be dated about 1006. The highest known regnal number of Vigraha is 13; he may have succeeded in A.D. 991. The highest known regnal number of Devapâla is 33; he may have succeeded in A.D. 956. The highest known regnal number of Dharmapâla" is 26; his date of accession will be A.D. 926. The highest known number of Gopala is 7, but all tradition agrees in giving him a very long reign of 45 or 55 years; a limit of 20 years, therefore, will be safe, and to him A.D. 906 may be given. Altogether this
11 Archeol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XI. p. 181.
1 Jour. Beng. As. Soc. Vol. XLIX. Proceedings for 1880, p. 80.
1 Archeol. Surv. Ind. Vol. XV. p. 150.
