Vigrahapala I (Pala dynasty)
Vigrahapala was a 9th-century ruler of the Pala dynasty, in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. He was the sixth Pala emperor. He reigned for a brief period before becoming an ascetic. Vigrahapala was a grandson of Dharmapala's younger brother Vakapala and son of Jayapala. He was succeeded by his son, Narayanapala.
| Vigrahapala | |
|---|---|
| Pala Emperor | |
| Reign | 9th century |
| Predecessor | Shurapala I |
| Successor | Narayanapala |
| Spouse | Lajjadevi of Chedi[1] |
| Issue | Narayanapala |
| Dynasty | Pala |
| Father | Jayapala |
Ancestry
Previously, the historians believed that Shurapala and Vigrahapala were the two names of the same person. However, the discovery of a copper plate in 1970 in the Mirzapur district conclusively established that these two were cousins. They either ruled simultaneously (perhaps over different territories) or in rapid succession.[2]:32–37 If they ruled in succession, it seems more likely that Shurapala preceded Vigrahapala, since Vigrahapala I and his descendants ruled in unbroken succession. Vigrahapala either dethroned Shurapala, or replaced him peacefully in absence of any direct heir to the throne.[3]
The information about him and his ancestors is found in the Bhagalpur copper-plate inscription of his son, Narayanapala.[4]
Reign
Based on the different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, the different historians estimate Vigrahapala's reign as follows:[2]:32–37
| Historian | Estimate of Gopala's reign |
|---|---|
| RC Majumdar (1971) | 850-853 (along with Shurapala I) |
| AM Chowdhury (1967) | 861-866 (along with Shurapala I) |
| BP Sinha (1977) | 860-865 (along with Shurapala I) |
| DC Sircar (1975–76) | 858-60 |
Vigrahapala was of peaceful disposition, and abdicated the throne in favour of his son Narayanpala.[5]
See also
References
- Mishra, Vijayakanta (1979). Cultural Heritage of Mithila. Mithila Prakasana. p. 39.
- Susan L. Huntington (1 January 1984). The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture. Brill Archive. ISBN 90-04-06856-2.
- Dilip Kumar Ganguly (1 January 1994). Ancient India, History and Archaeology. Abhinav Publications. p. 29. ISBN 978-81-7017-304-5.
- George E. Somers (1 January 1977). Dynastic History Of Magadha. Abhinav Publications. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-81-7017-059-4.
- The Cambridge Shorter History of India. CUP Archive. pp. 144–. GGKEY:2W0QHXZ7K40.
| Preceded by Shurapala I |
Pala Emperor 9th century |
Succeeded by Narayanapala |