Pala Empire

The Pala Empire was a Buddhist-ruled dynasty based in Bengal and Bihar, founded in the eighth century and prominent in eastern India until the twelfth century.

Gopala: Gopala was the founder of the Pala dynasty, elected king in Bengal in the eighth century. His election ended a period of regional disorder and established Pala rule.
Pala copperplate inscriptions: Pala copperplate inscriptions are royal records, often documenting land grants and administrative acts. They reveal how rulers claimed authority and endowed institutions across the empire.
Nalanda Mahavihara: Nalanda Mahavihara was a major Buddhist monastic and educational complex in Bihar. Pala rulers endowed and protected this renowned institution.
Bengali language: Bengali is an Indo-Aryan language that developed in eastern South Asia. The Pala period belongs to the early history of the eastern region where Bengali later emerged.
Matsyanyaya: Matsyanyaya is a Sanskrit expression for a condition of disorder in which the strong prey on the weak. Later accounts describe this disorder as the condition Gopala’s election was meant to end.
Samanta: A samanta was a subordinate ruler or military chief who owed allegiance to a more powerful South Asian king. Such local powers helped Pala rulers govern territories beyond their direct control.
Vikramashila: Vikramashila was a Buddhist monastic university founded under Pala patronage in Bihar. It was among the principal institutions through which Pala rulers supported Buddhist scholarship.
Vajrayana: Vajrayana is a form of Buddhism that uses tantric practices and ritual methods. Pala-era monasteries were major centers for its study and transmission.
Dharmapala: Dharmapala was a Pala emperor who expanded the dynasty’s influence across much of northern India. His campaigns made the newly founded kingdom an imperial power.
Land grant: A land grant is a formal transfer of land rights, often recorded in an inscription or charter. Pala grants supported religious institutions and connected local elites to royal authority.

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