The Pala dynasty of

Kamarupa kingdom Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam. Though Kamarupa prevailed from 350 to 11 ...

ruled from 900 CE. Like the

Pala Empire The Pāla Empire (r. 750-1161 CE) was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffi ...

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

, the first ruler in this dynasty was elected, which probably explains the name of this dynasty "Pala". But unlike the Palas of Bengal, who were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

s, the Palas of Kamarupa were Hindus. The Hindu orthodoxy drew their lineage from the earlier

Varman dynasty The Varman dynasty (350–650) was the first historical dynasty of the Kamarupa kingdom. It was established by Pushyavarman, a contemporary of Samudragupta. The earlier Varmans were subordinates of the Gupta Empire, but as the power of the G ...

and thus ultimately from

Narakasura Naraka, also known as Narakasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology. In Assamese tradition, he is regarded as the legendary progenitor of all three dynasties of Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa, and the founding ruler of the legendary Bhauma dyna ...

i.e.

Bhauma dynasty The Bhauma dynasty is the second legendary dynasty of Pragjyotisha, after the Danava dynasty. Narakasura, who is said to have established this dynasty, and his descendants Bhagadatta and Vajradatta are first mentioned in the epics ''Mahabh ...

. The dynasty is unrelated to the previous Varman and Mlecchna dynasty. The Palas were the last dynasty to rule Kamarupa. After the collapse of the Pala rule, Kamarupa disintegrated, to be followed in due course by the Ahom,

Chutia The Chutia people (Pron: or ''Sutia'') are an ethnic group that are native to Assam and historically associated with the Chutia kingdom. However, after the kingdom was absorbed into the Ahom kingdom in 1523–24, the Chutia population was ...

, Kachari kingdoms and the confederate rule of the

Baro-Bhuyan The Baro-Bhuyans (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and Baro-Bhuiyans) refers to the confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loose ...

History

It is interesting to note that the term "Kamarupa" rarely appeared in the records of the Pala rulers; instead they used

Pragjyotisha Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam. Though Kamarupa prevailed from 350 to 1 ...

, the legendary kingdom of the epics, to

legitimise Legitimation or legitimisation is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and values within a given society. I ...

their authority. The Pala kings of Kamarupa assumed the title of paramadaivata paramabhattāraka mahārājādirāja (the imperial title of the

Gupta Gupta () is a common surname or last name of Indian origin. It is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means 'guardian' or 'protector'. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname ''Gupta'' was adopted by sev ...

s), sri-vārāha (the one who can trace his origin to Varāha) and prāigjyotisādhipati (the ruler of Prāgjyotisa). The Pala dynasty came to an end when Kamarupa was invaded by the

Gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...

king

Ramapala Ramapala (reigned 1077–1130 AD) was the successor to the Pala king Shurapala II in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, and fifteenth ruler of the Pala line. Early life Ramapala was the youngest son of Vigrahapala III. His moth ...

(c. 1072-1126). Timgyadeva was made the governor of Kamarupa who ruled between 1110 and 1126. Timgyadeva threw off the yoke of the Pala king and ruled independently for some years when he was attacked and replaced by Vaidyadeva under Ramapala's son Kumarapala. Vaidyadeva, who ruled between 1126 and 1140, declared independence within four years of his rule after the death of Kumarapala. Both Timgyadeva and Vaidyadeva issued grants in the style of the Kamarupa kings (three copper plates attached to the seal of the Kamarupa kings by a ring). The work of the pala dynasty of Kamarupa is reflected in the

Madan Kamdev Madan Kamdev (Pron: ˈmʌdən/məˈdɑ:n kæmˈdeɪv/ˈkʌmˌdeɪv) is an archaeological site in Baihata Chariali, Kamrup, Assam. The place dates back to the 9th and 10th century A.D. The excavation and ruins is dated back to the Pala dynasty o ...

sculpture.

Rulers

Brahma Pala Brahma Pala (reigned 900-920) was the founder of the Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of the Kamarupa kingdom. He married Kula Devi, by whom he had a successor to his throne named Ratna Pala. See also * Kamarupa - Late to end period * Pushyavarman * ...

(900-920) *

Ratna Pala Ratna Pala (reigned 920-960) was the son of Brahma Pala in Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of Kamarupa Kingdom. His queen's name was Durlabha. He was succeeded by Indra Pala. The Gachtal plates of Go Pala have thrown fresh light on the achievements ...

(920-960) * Indra Pala (960-990) * Go Pala, also Gopalavarman (990-1015) * Harsha Pala (1015-1035) *

Dharma Pala Dharma Pala (1035–1060) was ruler of Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of Kamarupa Kingdom. Harsha Pala Harsha Pala was son of Go Pala, the ruler of Pala Dynasty of Kamarupa Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), ...

(1035-1060) *

Jaya Pala Jaya Pala (1075-1100) was a ruler during the Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of Kamarupa Kingdom. About A member of the Brahma Pala dynasty, Jaya Pala ruled over Kamarupa at the close of the 11th century. He is mentioned in a Siliinpur stone inscrip ...

(1075-1100)

References

Bibliography

* * Sircar, D. C. ''The Bhauma-Naraka or the Pala Dynasty of Brahmapala'', The Comprehensive History of Assam, ed H. K. Barpujari, Guwahati, 1990. * * * {{refend 900 establishments 10th-century establishments in India