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HISTORY OF INDIA FROM 647 AD TO 1526 AD

RISE OF BALAS

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Rulers of Pala Empire

Gopala (Reign: 750 – 770 AD)

  • First Pala king and founder of the dynasty.
  • Son of Vapyata, a warrior.
  • Was elected by a group of people.
  • At the time of his death, Pala kingdom included Bengal and most of Bihar.
  • He built the monastery at Odantapuri, Bihar.
  • Considered the first Buddhist king of Bengal.

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Dharmapala (Reign: 770 – 810 AD)

  • Son and successor of Gopala.
  • Expanded the kingdom.
  • Was a pious Buddhist.
  • Founded the Vikramshila University at Bhagalpur, Bihar.
  • He had frequent wars with the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas.
  • The Palas became the most powerful kingdom in northern and eastern India during his rule.

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Devapala (Reign: 810 – 850 AD)

  • Son of Dharmapala and Rannadevi, a Rashtrakuta princess.
  • Extended the kingdom to Assam, Odisha and Kamarupa.
  • Was a staunch Buddhist and built many monasteries and temples in Magadha.
  • Defeated the Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha.

Mahipala I

  • Ascended the throne in 988 AD.
  • Recovered northern and eastern Bengal.
  • Also took Bihar.

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Ramapala

  • The last strong Pala king.
  • The kingdom disintegrated during his son Kumarapala’s reign.

Madanapala (Reign: 1144 – 1162 AD)

  • After him, the Sena dynasty replaced the Palas.
  • The 18th ruler of Pala dynasty and general considered the last ruler but he was succeeded by Govindapala who lineage of this name is questionable.

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Arab Invasion in India � 711 – 712 AD

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  • By 712 A.D., Arab had reached till Mekran, the ancient Gedrosia. To the east of this province lay the kingdom of Sindh ruled by Dahir, son of Brahman Chach.
  • The story begin when the king of Ceylon was sending to Hajjaj, Viceroy of the eastern provinces of the Caliphate, the orphan daughters of Muslim merchants who had died in his dominion.
  • The vessel was attacked and plundered by the pirates at the coast of Sindh. Hajjaj sent a letter through Mohammed Bin Haroon, Governor of Mekran demanding reparation.

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  • But Dahir replied that the aggressors were beyond his control. Enraged Hajjaj then obtained from Caliph Walid the permission to send an expedition into Sindh and dispatched Ubaidullah against Debul but he was defeated and slained and Budail who followed met the same fate.

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  • Hajjaj deeply affected by these two failures sent his cousin and son-in-law Mohammed bin Qasim.

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  • Soon, Debul fell to his armies in 711 A.D. due to a treachery by a Brahman of Debul fort.

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  • What followed next was plunder and destruction of temples of Debul.

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  • Thousands of men were brutally killed and the women folk were most shamelessly dishonored.

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  • The battle was sustained with great valor by the Dahir's men. But an Arab succeeded in planting an arrow, to which a burning cotton was attached, in Dahir's elephant.

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  • The terrified beast fled towards the river pursued by the Arabs. But soon, Dahir was back, inflicting heavy casualties on the Arabs.

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  • Dahir fell, after being hit by an arrow. A section of the remaining Dahir's army led by Jai Singh fled towards Bahmanabad while Dahir's wife Rani Bai and her handmaids immolated themselves at Rawar.

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  • The remnant of the Hindu army rallied under Jai Singh and gave a great resistance to Qasim's army. But soon Jai Singh was forced to Chitroor.

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