Dharmapala (ruled 8th century) was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the empire, and made the Palas a dominant power in the northern and eastern India. He was the son and successor of Gopala, the founder of the Pala Dynasty.
Udayasundari- katha is 11th century text written by soddhala
In this text, Emperor Dharmapala is said to belong to Mandhata vamsha ( mandhata was King of Ikshvaku dynasty )
Emperor Dharmapala directly ruled over the present-day Bengal and Bihar, and installed a nominee at Kannauj. The Pala chronicles also claim that several other rulers of North India acknowledged his suzerainty Based on the different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, the different historians estimate Dharmapala's reign as follows:-
Historian Estimate of reign
RC Majumdar (1971)770-810
AM Chowdhury (1967)781-821
BP Sinha (1977)783-820
DC Sircar (1975–76)775-812
Expansion of the empire
Dharamapala directly ruled over the present-day Bengal and Bihar regions. Since the extent of Gopala's kingdom is not known, it is uncertain if Dharmapala inherited these territories or acquired them through conquests.
He also became dominant in other areas of North India, but the exact details of his victories are not available. It is known that he defeated Indraraja (or Indrayudha), the ruler of Kanauj, who was a vassal of the Gurjara-Pratiharas. He then handed over the throne to his own nominee Charkayudha, and held an imperial court at Kannauj. According to the Khalimpur copper plate issued by Dharmapala, this court was attended by the rulers of Bhoja (possibly Vidarbha), Matsya (Jaipur region), Madra (East Punjab), Kuru (Delhi region), Yadu (possibly Mathura, Dwarka or Simhapura in the Punjab), Yavana, Avanti, Gandhara and Kira (Kangra Valley). These kings accepted the installation of Chakrayudha on the Kannauj throne, while "bowing down respectfully with their diadems trembling". Some historians have speculated that all these kingdoms might have been the vassal states of the Pala empire. Such claims seem exaggerated: the rulers of these regions may have paid obeisance to Dharmapala, but maintained their autonomy.
The Kannauj dispute resulted in a struggle between Dharmapala and the Pratihara king Vatsaraja. Vatsaraja defeated Dharmapala in a battle fought near Prayag. Shortly after this, Vatsaraja himself was defeated by the Rashtrakuta king Dhruva of southern India. After Vatsaraja's defeat, Dharmapala regained the control of Kannauj, but was defeated by Dhruva.However, soon after this, Dhruva returned to his southern kingdom, and thus, Dharmapala did not lose much in this quick chain of events. These events had left the Pratiharas badly mauled, which indirectly helped Dharmapala. After Dhruva's death in 793 CE, the Rashtrakutas were weakened by a war of succession. Taking advantage of this situation, Dharmapala recaptured Kannauj and placed his vassal Chakrayudha on the throne. He became the most powerful ruler in North India, and declared himself as Uttarapathasvamin ("Lord of the North").
According to the Monghyr (Munger) copper plate, Dharmapala offered prayers at Kedar (possibly Kedarnath) and Gokarna (variously identified with Gokarna in Nepal, Gokarna in Karnataka or a place in Orissa. This indicates that his position as a sovereign was accepted by most rulers, although this was a loose arrangement unlike the empire of the Mauryas or the Guptas. The other rulers acknowledged the military and political supremacy of Dharmapala, but maintained their own territories.
One tradition also claims that Nepal was a vassal state of the Pala Empire during his reign.
Sometime later, Dharmapala faced another attack by the Gurjara-Pratiharas. Vatsaraja's son Nagabhata II conquered Kannauj, making Chakrayudha his vassal. This brought Dharmapala and Nagabhata II into a military conflict near Munger. Dharmapala suffered a defeat, but in a repeat of history, the Rashtrakutas invaded the Pratihara kingdom. Nagabhata II was defeated by the Rashtrakuta king and Dhruva's son Govinda III. Govinda III then proceeded to Kannauj, and subdued both Chakrayudha and Dharmapala.
Like his father, Govinda III then returned to his kingdom in the south. Once again, Dharmapala re-established his authority in North India. Dharamapala remained the dominant ruler in North India till the end of his life.
Dharmapala ruled for about 40 years, and was succeeded by his son Devapala.
Patronage to Buddhism
Somapura Mahavihara is the largest Buddhist vihara in the Indian Subcontinent built by Dharmapala; it became a World Heritage Site in 1985.
Dharmapala was a great patron of Buddhism. He revived the Nalanda university and founded the Vikramshila university which later evolved into a great learning center of Buddhism. He built the great Vihara at Somapuri in Verendri and the Vihara in Paharpur. Taranath also credits him with establishing 50 religious institutions and patronizing the Buddhist author Hariibhadra. Buton Rinchen Drub credits Dharmapala with building the monastery at Uddandapura (Odantapuri), although other Tibetan accounts such as that of Taranatha, state that it was magically built and then entrusted to Devapala.
Epigraphs
The epigraphs from Dharmapala's reign include:
Bodhgaya Stone Inscription (Kesava Prasasti)
Dated in the 26th regnal year, this inscription is a work of Kesava, who was the son of sculptor Ujjala. It records the establishment of an image of Chaturmukha (four-faced) Mahadeva and the excavation of a lake at the cost of 3000 drammas (coins) at Mahabodhi.
Khalimpur Copper Plate
Dated in the 32nd regnal year, this copper plate is inscribed by Tatata, who was the son of Subhata and grandson of Bhojata. It records Dharmapala's defeat of Indrayudha and the installation of his tributary Chakrayudha at Kannauj. It states that the kings of Bhoja, Matsya, Madra, Kuru, Yadu, Yavana, Avanti, Gandhara and Kira (possibly Kangra) attended the imperial assembly and approved it. It further states that Dharmapala granted four villages to a feudal lord called Naryanavarman for the construction and maintenance of a temple dedicated to the Lord Nanna-Narayana, with the boundaries of the donated villages including a shrine constructed for the Goddess Kadamvari.
Nalanda Copper Plate
This plate is partially damaged due to burning. The name of the donor is not clear, but his father's name is Dharmadatta. It records the gift of a village Uttarama, situated in the Gaya visaya (district) of the Nagar bhukti (division).
The Murshidabad Copper-Plate
The inscription records the donation of uncertain numbers of land plots in several settlements in Koṭīvarṣa-viṣaya of Puṇḍravardhana-bhukti, locatable in North Bengal, to the Buddhist saṃghas belonging to three facilities established by mahāsāmanta Bhadraṇāga and his wife Saṇhāyikā in the village of Antarāvanikā and in Somapura-mahāvihāra. The information contained in the inscription has important implications for the activities of the subordinate rulers generally called sāmantas and the character of the mahāvihāra.
Nalanda Stone Inscription
This inscription is a work of the artisans Kese, Savvo, Vokkaka and Viggata. It is inscribed on a stupa sculpture with carvings that depict seated Buddha figures. It records Vairochana as the person who commissioned this deed, describing him as a brilliant and valiant man who lived during the rule of Dharmapala.
Valgudar Image Inscription
It records the dedication of an image of god Madhusrenika by Ajhuka, the wife of Sato, in the city of Krimila.
Paharpur Seals
These two seals were discovered from the Somapura Mahavihara. Both depict a dharma chakra flanked by antelopes, and state that they were issued by the monks belonging to a vihara at Somapura, which was established by Dharmapala.
Coin 25 is the first and only known coin of the great Pala king Dharmapala. The Palas were a major dynasty who ruled Bengal and a large part of the surrounding country from the 8th through the 11th centuries. Through much of this period, they were locked in a fierce struggle for the control of the Indian heartland, represented by the city of Kanauj in what is now Uttar Pradesh, with two other kingdoms, the Rashtrakutas of Maharashtra and Karnataka (builders of the temple at Ellora and the famous Elephanta Cave temple near Mumbai) and the Pratiharas of Gujarat. See this map on Wikipedia illustrating this struggle. Dharmapala defeated these two rivals and installed his proxy on the throne in Kanauj.
The coin is in the style of late Gupta and post-Gupta coinage from Bengal. It shows the king mounted on a horse left, brandishing a spear at an animal at left. The legend at right identifies the issuer: Sriman Dharmapala. The reverse shows the goddess Lakshmi seated on a lotus, holding a long-stemmed lotus flower in each hand, and flanked by sacred vessels.
One very interesting aspect of this coin is the animal at the left on the obverse. At first blush, one would assume it is a lion, as the theme of the lion-slaying king was a standard Gupta theme (see coin 18 above). However, the snout of the animal is not very lion-like at all; rather, it looks more like a boar's. I would like to suggest the possibility that the animal is intentionally ambiguous and represents both a lion and a boar. The lion was the dynastic symbol of the Rashtrakutas and the boar was the dynastic symbol of the Pratiharas. I believe the coin may have been a propaganda piece: it could have been meant to show Dharmapala as the conqueror of both his major enemies.
Coin 28 is, I believe, a unique and previously unpublished gold coin of the King Samanta Deva, a member of the last Hindu dynasty to rule in what is now Afghanistan, the Hindu Shahis of Kabul. The silver coins of this ruler are quite common, but, as far as I know, this is the only known gold coin of the type. It shows the King mounted right and holding a standard on the obverse, and a couchant bull left topped by the legend Sri Samanta Deva on the reverse.
To see the approximate geographical location of where this coin was issued, look for the letter A on this map.
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