Ramapala

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia

Ramapala
Pala Emperor
Reign1082–1124
PredecessorShurapala II
SuccessorKumarapala
SpouseMadanadevi[1]
DynastyPala
FatherVigrahapala III
ReligionBuddhism

Ramapala (reigned 1082–1124 AD) was the successor to the Pala king Shurapala II in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, and fifteenth ruler of the Pala line.[2][3]

Achievement[edit]

Maitreya and scenes from the Buddha's life. Folios were probably from the Pala period under Ramapala.

Rampala is recognised as the last great ruler of the dynasty, managing to restore much of the past glory of the Pala lineage. He crushed the Varendra Rebellion and extended his empire farther to Kamarupa, Orissa and Northern India. He was succeeded by Kumarapala. According to Bengali legend he died by walking into the sea.[4] Sandhyakar Nandi, the court poet of Ramapala wrote a Sanskrit two meaning base poem-like novel Ramacharitam.

Revival under Ramapala[edit]

After gaining control of Varendra, Ramapala tried to revive the Pala empire with limited success. He ruled from a new capital at Ramavati, which remained the Pala capital until the dynasty's end. He reduced taxation, promoted cultivation and constructed public utilities. He brought Kamarupa and Rar under his control, and forced the Varman king of east Bengal to accept his suzerainty. He also struggled with the Ganga king for control of present-day Orissa; the Gangas managed to annex the region only after his death. Ramapala maintained friendly relations with the Chola king Kulottunga to secure support against the common enemies: the Ganas and the Chalukyas. He kept the Sens in check, but lost Mithila to a Karnataka chief named Nanyuadeva. He also held back the aggressive design of the Gahadavala ruler Govindachandra through a matrimonial alliance.[5]

A circa 1100-1125 manuscript of Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita, now in LACM,[6] was copied in the Kurkihar monastery during the rule of Ramapala.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Verma, O.P. (1963). "Matrimonial alliances of Pala rulers". Indian History Congress: Proceedings of the Twenty-fourth Session. Delhi: 63.
  2. "Rāmapāla | Pāla king".
  3. Chowdhury, AM (2012). "Pala Dynasty". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. "Rāmapāla | Pāla king".
  5. name="Sailendra1999"
  6. Pal, Pratapaditya (1988). "A Forgotten Monastery of Ancient Bihar". South Asian Studies. 4 (1): 83–88. doi:10.1080/02666030.1988.9628370.
Preceded by
Shurapala II
Pala Emperor
1077–1130 CE
Succeeded by
Kumarapala


Information red.svg
Scan the QR code to donate via UPI
Dear reader, We kindly request your support in maintaining the independence of Bharatpedia. As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on small donations to sustain our operations and provide free access to reliable information to the world. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to consider donating to our cause, as it would greatly aid us in our mission. Your contribution would demonstrate the importance of reliable and trustworthy knowledge to you and the world. Thank you.

Please select an option below or scan the QR code to donate
₹150 ₹500 ₹1,000 ₹2,000 ₹5,000 ₹10,000 Other