Devapala (Pala dynasty)
Devapala (Bengali: দেবপাল) (9th century) was the most powerful ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the third king in the line, and had succeeded his father Dharamapala. Devapala expanded the frontiers of the empire by conquering the present-day Assam and Orissa.[1] The Pala inscriptions also credit him with several other victories, but these claims are thought to be exaggerated.
| Devapala | |
|---|---|
 Pala empire with neighbours | |
| Pala Emperor | |
| Tenure | 9th century |
| Predecessor | Dharamapala |
| Successor | Mahendrapala |
| Spouse | Mahata Devi, daughter of Durlabharaja I of Chahamana dynasty |
| Issue | Rajyapala Mahendrapala Shurapala I |
| Dynasty | Pala |
| Father | Dharamapala |
| Mother | Rannadevi |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Reign
Devapala was the third king in the line, and had succeeded his father Dharamapala.[2] His mother was Rannadevi, a Rashtrakuta princess.[3]:178 Earlier historians considered Devapala as a nephew of Dharmapala, based on the Bhagalpur copper plate of Narayanapala, which mentions Devapala as Jayapala's purvajabhrata (interpreted as "elder brother"). Jayapala is mentioned as the son of Dharmapala's brother Vakpala in multiple Pala inscriptions. However, the discovery of the Munger (Monghyr) copper inscription changed this view. This particular inscription clearly describes Devapala as the son of Dharmapala.[4]
Based on the different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, the different historians estimate Devapala's reign as follows:[5]:32–37
| Historian | Estimate of reign |
|---|---|
| RC Majumdar (1971) | 810-c. 850 |
| AM Chowdhury (1967) | 821-861 |
| BP Sinha (1977) | 820-860 |
| DC Sircar (1975–76) | 812-850 |
Expansion of the Pala Empire
Badal Pillar inscription of a later Pala king Narayanapala states that Devpala's empire extended up to the Vindhyas, the Himalayas, and the two oceans (presumably the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal). It also claims that Devapala exterminated the Utkalas (present-day Orissa), conquered the Pragjyotisha (Assam), shattered the pride of the Hunas, humbled the lords of Gurjara and the Dravidas.[6][7] These claims are exaggerated, but cannot be dismissed entirely: the neighbouring kingdoms of Rashtrakutas and the Gurjara-Pratiharas were weak at the time, and may have been subdued by Devapala.[3][8]
Campaigns
Religious leanings
Devapala was a staunch sponsor of Buddhism, and approved the construction of many temples and monasteries in Magadha.[9] He maintained the famous Buddhist monastery at Uddandapura (Odantapuri). Buton Rinchen Drub credits his father Dharmapala for building the monastery, although other Tibetan accounts such as that of Taranatha, state that it was magically built and then entrusted to Devapala.[5]:45
Balaputradeva, the Sailendra king of Java, sent an ambassador to him, asking for a grant of five villages for the construction of a monastery at Nalanda. The request was granted by Devapala.[10] He also patronized the Vikramashila University and the Nalanda University.
Buddhist scholar Vajradatta (the author of Lokesvarashataka), was the court poet of Devapala.[10][1]
Successor
Devapala ruled for about 40 years. His oldest son probably was the Crown Prince(Yuvaraja) Rajyapala. However, he probably died before his father. Earlier, the historians believed his successor to be Shurapala I and/or Vigrahapala I.[5]:32–37 In the 2000s, a copper-plate grant was discovered at Jagjivanpur: this plate mentions that a hitherto unknown Pala king, Mahendrapala, had issued the grant in 854 CE.[11] Mahendrapala was the son of Devapala and brother of Shurapala I. Both Mahendrapala and Shurapala I were born to Queen Mahata.[12]
In popular culture
Devapala's exploits -- both verified and legendary -- inspired the Bengali campaign in Dynasties of India, the 2022 expansion pack for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.
See also
| Preceded by Dharmapala |
Pala Emperor 9th century |
Succeeded by Mahendrapala |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dahiya, Poonam Dalal (2017). Ancient and Medieval India. McGraw-Hill Education. p. 413. ISBN 978-93-5260-673-3.
- ↑ History and Culture of Indian People, The Age of Imperial Kanauj, 1964, p. 50, R. C. Majumdar, A. D. Pusalkar
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSinha1977 - ↑ Dilip Kumar Ganguly (1994). Ancient India, History and Archaeology. Abhinav Publications. pp. 27–28. ISBN 978-81-7017-304-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Susan L. Huntington (1984). The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture. Brill. ISBN 90-04-06856-2.
- ↑ History and Culture of Indian People, The Age of Imperial Kanauj, 1964, p. 50, 55, 56, R. C. Majumdar, A. D. Pusalkar.
- ↑ Badal Pillar Inscription, verse 5, Epigraphia Indica, II p 160.
- ↑ Sailendra Nath Sen (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. p. 20. ISBN 978-93-80607-34-4.
- ↑ V. D. Mahajan (1970) [First published 1960]. Ancient India. p. 570. OCLC 1000593117.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSailendra1999 - ↑ Bengal museum to reconstruct excavated Buddhist site
- ↑ Dimensions of Human Cultures in Central India: Professor S.K. Tiwari Felicitation Volume. Sarup & Sons. 2001. p. 239. ISBN 978-81-7625-186-0.