Chronicles of history indicate that the state of West Bengal flourished under the glorious rule under the monarchs of the Pala, Pundra and Sena dynasty. The Pala rulers played a momentous role in shaping history. The 400-year old Pala rule that continued almost up to 800.A.D. saw West Bengal as an established center of flourishing internal as well as maritime trade. Their trade links extended up to Taxila, Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, the Deccan and the Persian Gulf.
The Pala dynasty’s claim to fame lies in hosting the first ever-democratic election in South Asia, when the first Buddhist Pala potentate, Gopala I was elected as monarch of Bengal. After Gopala’s successful tenure, Dharmapala, the dynasty’s most dominant rule came to power and ruled his territory from 775 to 810A.D. Under his successor Devapala’s reign, the Pala empire’s territorial boundaries spanned across the Indian subcontinent to as far as Afghanistan. The strength and power of the Pala Empire started declining during Narayanapala’s rule. This was however temporarily revived under Mahipala I’s effective rule.
The sudden rise of the Chandra dynasty escalated the downfall of the Pala dynasty whose last ruler, Madanapala breathed his last in 1611.A.D. Although the Pala rulers were Buddhists, they were patrons of Sanskrit Literature. Bhattanarayana’s Venisanghara, Vishakhadatta’s Mudraraksasa, Abhinanda ‘s Ramacharita and Bodhipradipa of Atisha Dipankara are some of the literary masterpieces produced during their tenure.
A chronological list of the Pala rulers is hereby mentioned:
