Kumarapala (

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

: কুমারপাল) was the successor to the Pala king

Ramapala Ramapala (r. 1077–1130 CE) 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 mother was an ...

in the

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

region of the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

, and sixteenth ruler of the Pala line reigning for 10 years. During his reign, he put down an uprising in

Kamarupa 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. The Kamrupa word first appeared in the ...

by the governor Timgyadeva, eventually replacing him with Vaidyadeva (who would rebel four years after the death of Kumarapala). He was succeeded by his son Gopala IV, who ascended the throne as a child.

Biography

Kumarapala, one of Ramapala’s three sons, took the throne after his father, as his other son Rajyapala had died earlier. During Ramapala’s reign, the kingdom faced serious internal problems as well as attacks from neighboring rivals. One of these adversaries was Govindachandra of the

Gahadavala dynasty The Gahadavala dynasty (IAST: Gāhaḍavālas), also known as Gahadavalas of Kannauj, was a Rajput, Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day States and union territories of India, Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, during 11th ...

, who managed to defeat Ramapala’s forces in battle. In an effort to ease tensions, Ramapala’s uncle, Mathanadeva, tried to make peace by arranging a marriage between his granddaughter, Kumaradevi, and Govindachandra. Unfortunately, this alliance did not stop the continuous pressure from the Gahadavala side. Historical records show that Govindachandra pushed into important regions, such as the

Gorakhpur Gorakhpur is a city in the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the West Rapti River, Rapti river in the Purvanchal , Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometres east of ...

district and western

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

. Inscriptions from that time mention his control over parts of South

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

during the final years of Ramapala’s reign, and even into the subsequent period when Kumarapala or his contemporary ruler held power. At the same time, from the east, the

Sena dynasty The Sena/Sen dynasty was a List of Hindu empires and dynasties, Hindu dynasty during the Classical India, early medieval period on the Indian subcontinent, that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak cover ...

was expanding its territory. Their forces, along with those of other independent rulers in East

, increasingly challenged the Palas. In South Bengal, a naval victory by Kumarapala’s minister, Vaidyadeva, highlighted the ongoing conflict with these new powers. Moreover, the region of

, once part of Ramapala’s empire, rebelled under a local leader but was eventually subdued by Vaidyadeva, who later declared himself king. This led to the loss of Kamarupa for the Palas. During this turbulent period, the Palas not only struggled to maintain control over their own kingdom amid internal discord, but also lost significant territories in East and South Bengal, as well as in Kamarupa, due to relentless external attacks.

Biography

See also

References

Further reading