Home > Indian History > History of India > Decline of the Pala Empire
Decline of the Pala Empire
Downfall of Pala empire began after the death of Devapala until it was restored back again during the rule of Mahipala.

Share this Article:

The period that followed the death of Devapala marked the Downfall of Pala Empire and also its disintegration. Till the time of Devapala, Bengal was reckoned as an important power in the history of ancient India. After the death of Devapala, the throne was ascended by Vigrahapala I, who ruled for a short period, with not much achievement to his credit. He was succeeded by his son Narayanapala about 854 A.D. He was a man of religious and soothing disposition so during his long career he did not have any military victory to his credit. According to some historians Narayanapala was one of the weakest kings of Pala lineage.

In 860 A.D. the Rashtrakutas had invaded his Empire and defeated him. The Pratiharas struck several blows to the Pala Empire and consequently disintegrated their glorious empire. Bhoja I snatched the imperial hold of North India from Narayanapala. Bhoja I by this means extended his own control upto Bihar, on the ruins of the Pala Empire. Mahendrapala, son of Bhoja Pratihara followed a policy of aggression against the Palas seized Magadha and even the territory of north Bengal from Narayanapala. The Paharpur Pillar Inscription states that Mahendrapala Pratihara had conquered a part of the Rajshahi district and the other inscription states that his sway had extended upto the region of Dinajpur. In these circumstances the king of Kamarupa and the Sailodbhaba dynasty of Orissa withheld their allegiance for the Palas and became independent kingdoms. Towards end of Narayanapala`s rule he was able to recover North Bengal and South Bihar from the powerful contenders Pratiharas, and left it as a legacy to his successor Rajyapala.

Rajyapala however reigned for a very short period of time. He was succeeded by his son Gopala II and the latter was succeeded by Vigrahapala. The long period of eighty years, when these three kings were in throne, was marked by increase in disintegration and decline of the Pala Empire. Moreover a series of foreign invasions led by the Chandellas, Kambojas and Kalachuriyas had shattered the Pala Empire. The Kalachuriyas made devastating inroads in Bengal, right up to eastern Bengal. During the reign of Vigrahapala II, a hilly tribe called Kambojas had captured western and Northern Bengal. Eastern and southern Bengal disregarded the supremacy of Palas and became independent under the Chandra Dynasty.

Towards the end of 10th century the paternal territory of Rajyapala and his two successors consisting of Bengal and Magadha, were divided into three well-defined independent kingdoms. These included Chandra kingdom of eastern and Southern Bengal, Kamboja kingdom of Northern and Western Bengal, the Pala kingdom (proper), under Rajyapala and his two successors, comprising Anga and Magadha. The period of stagnation continued for more than a hundred years, covering the reigns of generations of kings. During this period the Pala kings hardly attempted for expansion, they were lacking in energy and not dominant enough to check foreign invasions.

Pala dynasty did see a glorious revival under Mahipala I. Though Mahipala could not regain all the lost territories, a major portion of it was recaptured. But after him it was again towards a decline which was temporarily revived by Ramapala. With the death of Ramapala the strength of the dynasty vanished. Ramapala was succeeded by Kumarapala, Gopala III and Madanapala for a period of thirty five years. The circumstances leading to disaster of Pala dynasty are unclear. Kamarupa was lost gradually. Bhojavarman of Eastern Bengal overthrew the allegiance to Pala supremacy and became independent. King Anantavarman Chodaganga of Kalinga had annexed Orissa. The rigorous blow to Palas came from twp karnatic dynasties, Senas of Radha and House of Nanyadeva. Madanapala lost Gauda and North Bihar to his opponents. He had control over Central Bihar only. That was also lost by his successor though it is unknown as to who it was. Hence the Palas lost their foot hold completely.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.