The Palas

Following the death of King Shashanka of Gauda in the early 7th century, Bengal entered a dark period of political fragmentation and lawlessness for about a century. This state of anarchy was known as Matsyanyaya (the law of the fish, where the strong devour the weak). Around 750 CE, to end this chaos, the leading citizens and chieftains of Bengal elected a military commander named Gopala as their king. This election represents one of the earliest democratic/consensual choices of a monarch in Indian history.

Gopala established the Pala Dynasty (named after the suffix 'pala' meaning protector). The Pala capitals shifted over time, including Pataliputra, Gauda, and Mudgagiri (modern Munger, Bihar) under Devapala.

The Pala Dynasty produced several powerful rulers who dominated northern and eastern India:

• Gopala (c. 750-770 CE): Established order in Bengal, unified East and West Bengal, and founded the monastic university of Odantapuri in Bihar.
• Dharmapala (c. 770-810 CE): The real architect of Pala imperial power. He took advantage of the weakness of the Ayudha rulers of Kannauj, conquered Kannauj, and held a grand darbar there, installing Chakrayudha. This drew him into the Tripartite Struggle against Vatsaraja (Pratihara) and Dhruva (Rashtrakuta). He was a devout Buddhist and founded Vikramashila University (a center for Vajrayana Buddhism) and the magnificent Somapura Mahavihara (Paharpur, Bangladesh).
• Devapala (c. 810-850 CE): The empire reached its greatest geographical extent under his reign. He conquered Pragjyotisha (Assam), Utkala (Odisha), and parts of modern Nepal. He moved the capital to Munger. Devapala was visited by envoys from the Sailendra Dynasty of Java (King Balaputradeva) and granted five villages for the upkeep of a Buddhist monastery at Nalanda.
• Mahipala I (c. 988-1038 CE): After a period of weak successors and invasions by Gurjara-Pratiharas, Mahipala I restored the fortunes of the dynasty, earning him the title of the 'Second Founder'. He defended Bengal against the invasion of Rajendra Chola I (c. 1023 CE).
• Ramapala (c. 1077-1130 CE): The last great ruler of the dynasty. He crushed the Kaivarta rebellion (a rebellion by the Kaivarta community of fishermen/peasants led by Divya) in Varendra. He founded the Jagaddala Mahavihara. His exploits are recorded in the biography Ramacharita by Sandhyakar Nandi.

The Pala era is historically celebrated for its outstanding contribution to the spread of Buddhism and Sanskrit literature:

The Great Monasteries (Mahaviharas)

The Palas constructed and patronized several massive monastic centers of higher learning, which attracted students from Tibet, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia:

• Vikramashila (Bhagalpur, Bihar): Founded by Dharmapala. It became the premier university of Vajrayana Buddhism, specializing in tantric studies.
• Odantapuri (Bihar Sharif): Founded by Gopala. It was a massive university containing thousands of monks and served as the model for the first Tibetan monastery, Samye.
• Somapura (Paharpur, Bangladesh): Founded by Dharmapala. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it influenced Southeast Asian temple architecture.
• Jagaddala (Varendra, West Bengal): Founded by Ramapala. A major center for translation of Buddhist texts into Tibetan.

Ties with Tibet

The Palas sent prominent Buddhist scholars to Tibet to reform and spread Buddhism. Santaraksita and his disciple Kamalasila established the first monastery in Tibet in the 8th century. In the 11th century, the Vikramashila scholar Atisha Dipankara Srijnana traveled to Tibet at the invitation of the Tibetan king and wrote key texts reforming Tibetan Buddhist practices.

The Pala period witnessed the development of a distinct school of sculptural art, specializing in stone and metal casting:

• Black Basalt Stone: Sculptures were carved out of fine-grained black basalt stone found in Rajmahal Hills. These are characterized by highly polished surfaces, detailed jewelry, and graceful poses.
• Bronze Casting: The Palas perfected the lost-wax process of bronze casting. Famous artists Dhiman and Vitapala (father and son from Nalanda) were patronized by Dharmapala and Devapala and acted as pioneers of this style.
• Terracotta Plaques: Terracotta art was used extensively on the walls of temples and viharas (especially at Somapura), depicting scenes of daily life, deities, and folklore.
• Illustrated Manuscripts: The earliest examples of miniature painting in India are the illustrated Buddhist palm-leaf manuscripts of the Pala period (e.g., Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita), characterized by sinuous lines and subdued colors.