Gopala I facts for kids

Gopala (Bangla: গোপাল) ruled from about 750 CE to 770 CE. He was the founder of the Pala dynasty. This empire was located in the Bihar and Bengal regions of the Indian Subcontinent.

The last part of his name, Pala, means "protector". This ending was used for the names of all the Pala rulers. The name "Pala" does not mean anything about their family background or group. Gopala became ruler in the late 700s AD in a place called Gaur or Gaud. He was chosen by a group of local leaders.

Who Was Gopala?

We don't have many writings from Gopala's own time. What we know about him comes from later stories and family records found on old stone or metal plates.

His father was named Vapyata. His grandfather was Dayitavishnu. A special writing on a copper plate, made by his son Dharmapala, praises Gopala's father. It says Vapyata was a "killer of enemies." His grandfather Dayitavishnu was called "all-knowing," meaning he was very educated. Later writings from the Pala period say that the Pala kings came from the solar dynasty. This was a famous line of kings in ancient India.

How Gopala Became King

After the king of Gauda, Shashanka, died, there was a long time of disorder in Bengal. This period lasted for about a hundred years. People described this situation using a Sanskrit phrase: matsya nyaya. This means "fish justice." It describes a time when big fish eat smaller ones, meaning stronger people or groups took advantage of weaker ones.

Gopala became king around 750 CE during these troubled times.

Matsyanyayam apakitum prakritibhir Lakshmiya karam grahitah Sri Gopala iti kshitisa-sirsam chudamani-tatsubha

To end the "fish justice" situation, the people made the glorious Gopala, the best of kings, take the hand of Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune.

The Sanskrit word prakriti often means "people" in general. A Tibetan Buddhist teacher named Taranatha wrote about Gopala much later, about 800 years later. He also said that Gopala was chosen by the people of Bengal. However, Taranatha's story is like a legend. It is not always seen as a completely accurate historical record.

His legend says that after a time of chaos, people chose several kings one after another. But each king was eaten by a Naga queen on the night after they were chosen. Gopala, however, managed to kill the queen. This allowed him to stay on the throne.

Historical records suggest that Gopala was not chosen directly by all the people. Instead, he was likely chosen by a group of powerful local leaders. This kind of election was common in some groups in that region at the time. The writing on the Khalimpur copper plate, which praises Gopala, uses the word prakriti in a special way.

Historians have different ideas about exactly when Gopala ruled. Most agree he ruled for about 20 to 30 years, starting around 750 CE.

Gopala's Rule and What He Left Behind

According to an old text called Manjusrimulakalpa, Gopala lived to be 80 years old. He ruled for 27 years. We don't know much about his battles or military actions. But when he died, Gopala left a large kingdom to his son, Dharmapala. Dharmapala ruled from 770 CE to 810 CE.

We don't have exact maps of Gopala's kingdom. But it probably included almost all of the Bengal region. His son and the next ruler, Dharmapala, made the kingdom much larger. He turned it into one of the most powerful empires in India at that time.

Gopala's Religion

Some writings, made long after Gopala's death, say he was a Buddhist. But we don't know for sure if this is true. Taranatha, the Tibetan teacher, said that Gopala was a strong follower of Buddhism. He also said that Gopala was a major supporter of Buddhist teachings. Taranatha also wrote that Gopala built the famous Buddhist monastery at Odantapuri.

See also

In Spanish: Gopala I para niños

• List of rulers of Bengal