Gopala the founder of the pala dynasty, which ruled Bengal for
about four centuries. For about a century from the middle of the 7th
century AD Bengal witnessed a period of unsettled condition due to
the absence of stable government and the whole country was torn by
internal strife and disturbed by invasions from outside. The
condition of Bengal towards the middle of the 8th century AD, before
the rise of Gopala, found mention in the Pala record (Khalimpur
copperplate of dharmapala) as a state of matsyanyayam. Gopala
emerged as the ruler of Bengal out of this chaos and put an end to
this state of affair. During his rule of about 25 years (c 756 -
781) he must have had consolidated the rule of his dynasty to such
an extent that his son and successor, Dharmapala, could embark upon
a career of aggrandisement and appreciable success. However, we do
not have adequate sources to know about the details of his reign.

Nothing definite is known about his origin except the names of his
father Vapyata, the 'destroyer of adversaries', and his grandfather
Dayitavisnu, 'bright with all learning'. The problem of determining
the original kingdom of the Palas from where they rose to power is
as difficult as the problem of their ancestry. The ramacharitam
refers to varendra (northern Bengal) as the janakabhu of the Palas,
and this would lead to the supposition that northern Bengal was the
original kingdom of the Palas. The Arya-Manjushrimulakalpa refers to
the rise of Gopala in the region of gauda and north-west Bengal
where the later Guptas held sway. So it is likely that Gopala
succeeded in establishing his empire in the northern and north-
western part of Bengal. taranatha credits Gopala with the conquest
of Magadha (southern Bihar). Gauda tantra referred to in Arya-
Manjushrimulakalpa may be said to have included Magadha. So it is
likely that southern Bihar was also with in the empire of Gopala.

The 4th verse of Khalimpur copperplate refers to Gopala's coming to
power as follows: Matsyanyayam-apohitum prakrtibhir-laksmyah
karangrahitah / Shri-Gopala iti ksitisha-shirasang chudamanis-
tatsutah // (His son was the crest jewel of the heads of kings, the
glorious Gopala, whom the prakrtis made take the hands of Laksmi, to
put an end to matsyanyayam or lawlessness). Taranatha's account has
an allegorical reference to a similar process of Gopala's accession
to power. Scholars have taken the verse of the Khalimpur plate and
the implication of Taranatha's account to mean that the people
elected Gopala to the position of king. It is not possible to
understand the true significance of the term prakrti, used in the
above verse. This may mean 'subjects' or 'principal officers'. So it
is difficult to determine the electors of Gopala. It can also be
suggested that Gopala, a military adventurer succeeded in restoring
peace and order by putting an end to the forces of lawlessness and
popular support came his way after his initial success. [AM
Chowdhury]

Bibliography AM Chowdhury, Dynastic History of Bengal, Dhaka, 1967.