Latest / The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History / The Rise of the Palas: Bengal's Buddhist Empire
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about the later empires of Bengal — the Senas, the Mughals, the British. But I think we should go back to the very beginning of Bengal's great imperial age: the Pala Empire. Luna: The Palas? I know they were Buddhist, but not much else. Lucas: Right, so the Palas ruled from roughly the mid-8th century to the 12th century, and at their peak, they controlled not just Bengal but also Bihar, parts of Uttar Pradesh, and even Orissa. They were the first major imperial power based in Bengal. Lucas: The founder was Gopala, who was elected by a council of chieftains — which is pretty unusual. This was around 750 CE, when Bengal was in chaos, something called the ‘matsyanyaya’, which means ‘the rule of fish’ — basically the big fish eating the small fish. Luna: Elected? That’s not how most dynasties start. Lucas: Exactly. According to the Tibetan historian Taranatha, Gopala was chosen to bring order. And he did. He established a stable kingdom, and then his son Dharmapala took it to the next level. Lucas: Dharmapala is probably the greatest Pala ruler. He expanded the empire westwards and got involved in the Tripartite Struggle — that’s the three-way fight between the Palas, the Rashtrakutas of the Deccan, and the Gurjara-Pratiharas of the north for control of Kannauj. Luna: Kannauj was the prize? Lucas: Kannauj was the symbolic heart of north India, the old capital of Harsha’s empire. Dharmapala actually installed his own nominee on the throne there for a while, though it didn’t last. But it shows how powerful he was. Lucas: Under Dharmapala and his son Devapala, the Pala empire stretched from Assam in the east to the borders of Punjab in the west. They had a strong navy too, controlling trade in the Bay of Bengal. Luna: What about their Buddhism? I know they built some famous monasteries. Lucas: Oh, absolutely. The Palas were Mahayana Buddhists, and later became major patrons of Vajrayana. Dharmapala founded the great monastery of Vikramashila, which became a rival to Nalanda. And they heavily supported Nalanda itself — some of the finest buildings there were Pala additions. Lucas: There’s also the Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur in modern Bangladesh — it’s a UNESCO site now. That was built by Dharmapala. It’s the largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas. Luna: I’ve seen pictures of Paharpur. It’s massive. Lucas: It really is. And the Palas also set up Odantapuri in Bihar. These weren’t just religious centres — they were universities that attracted scholars from all over Asia. The Tibetan tradition credits the Palas with reviving Buddhism in Tibet through scholars like Atisha, who went from Vikramashila to Tibet. Lucas: Pala art is also distinctive — especially their black stone and bronze sculptures. They developed a style that influenced Buddhist art all the way to Java, Sumatra, and even China. Luna: So the Palas were really a cultural powerhouse. Lucas: They were. For about 400 years, they were the leading Buddhist power in the subcontinent. But they faced constant challenges. After Devapala, there was a period of decline, with invasions from the Rashtrakutas and the Pratiharas. Then a king named Mahipala I revived the empire in the 10th century. Lucas: Mahipala I is famous for pushing back against the Chola invasion of Rajendra Chola, who had marched all the way up the coast to Bengal. Mahipala stopped him at the Ganges. Luna: The Cholas made it to Bengal? Lucas: They did. Rajendra Chola’s campaigns were astonishing — he conquered parts of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and then up the east coast to Bengal. But the Palas held their core territory. Lucas: The last great Pala ruler was Ramapala in the late 11th century. He suppressed a rebellion in the Varendra region and held off the Senas for a while. But after him, the empire fragmented. The Sena dynasty, which we covered in episode 99, took over Bengal by the mid-12th century. Luna: It’s interesting how the Palas are less remembered than the Mughals or even the Senas. Lucas: Partly because they were Buddhist, and later Hindu dynasties and Muslim rulers didn’t emphasize their legacy. But their impact is still there — in the monasteries, in the art, in the fact that Bengal became a center of Buddhist learning that influenced all of Asia. Lucas: You know, it makes you think about how history is written. The Palas were one of the great empires of their time, but they’re often a footnote. Luna: Yeah, and I guess that’s why shows like this matter — to surface those stories. Lucas: Exactly. And if today’s episode was useful to you, it’s listener support that lets us keep doing these deep dives without ads. You can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: It really helps, and we appreciate it. Lucas: Anyway, back to the Palas. One of the things I find most fascinating is how their copperplate inscriptions reveal a sophisticated administration. They divided the empire into bhuktis, vishayas, and mandalas — basically provinces, districts, and subdivisions — and they had a system of land grants that helped spread Buddhism. Luna: So they were organized too. Lucas: Very. And they maintained a standing army with elephants, cavalry, and ships. It’s a shame more people don’t know about them. Luna: Well, now we do. And next time someone mentions ancient Indian empires, I’ll bring up the Palas. Lucas: That’s the spirit. So, next episode, we’ll look at what happened after the Palas — the Sena dynasty’s consolidation, and then the arrival of the Delhi Sultanate. Luna: Looking forward to it.