Most of the Pala inscriptions mention only the regnal year as the date of issue, without any well-known calendar era. Because of this, the chronology of the Pala kings is hard to determine. [1] Based on their different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, different historians estimate the Pala chronology as follows: [2]
RC Majumdar (1971) [3] | AM Chowdhury (1967) [4] | BP Sinha (1977) [5][ failed verification] | DC Sircar (1975–76) [6] | D. K. Ganguly (1994) [1] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gopala I | 750–770 | 756–781 | 755–783 | 750–775 | 750–774 |
Dharmapala | 770–810 | 781–821 | 783–820 | 775–812 | 774–806 |
Devapala | 810– c. 850 | 821–861 | 820–860 | 812–850 | 806–845 |
Mahendrapala | NA (Mahendrapala's existence was conclusively established through a copper-plate charter discovered later.) | 845–860 | |||
Shurapala I | Deemed to be alternate name of Vigrahapala I | 850–858 | 860–872 | ||
Gopala II | NA (copper-plate charter discovered in 1995. Text of inscription published in 2009.) | ||||
Vigrahapala I | 850–853 | 861–866 | 860–865 | 858–60 | 872–873 |
Narayanapala | 854–908 | 866–920 | 865–920 | 860–917 | 873–927 |
Rajyapala | 908–940 | 920–952 | 920–952 | 917–952 | 927–959 |
Gopala III | 940–957 | 952–969 | 952–967 | 952–972 | 959–976 |
Vigrahapala II | 960– c. 986 | 969–995 | 967–980 | 972–977 | 976–977 |
Mahipala I | 988– c. 1036 | 995–1043 | 980–1035 | 977–1027 | 977–1027 |
Nayapala | 1038–1053 | 1043–1058 | 1035–1050 | 1027–1043 | 1027–1043 |
Vigrahapala III | 1054–1072 | 1058–1075 | 1050–1076 | 1043–1070 | 1043–1070 |
Mahipala II | 1072–1075 | 1075–1080 | 1076–1078/9 | 1070–1071 | 1070–1071 |
Shurapala II | 1075–1077 | 1080–1082 | 1071–1072 | 1071–1072 | |
Ramapala | 1077–1130 | 1082–1124 | 1078/9–1132 | 1072–1126 | 1072–1126 |
Kumarapala | 1130–1140 | 1124–1129 | 1132–1136 | 1126–1128 | 1126–1128 |
Gopala IV | 1140–1144 | 1129–1143 | 1136–1144 | 1128–1143 | 1128–1143 |
Madanapala | 1144–1162 | 1143–1162 | 1144–1161/62 | 1143–1161 | 1143–1161 |
Govindapala | 1158–1162 | NA | 1162–1176 or 1158–1162 | 1161–1165 | 1161–1165 |
Palapala | NA | NA | NA | 1165–1199 | 1165–1200 |
Note: [2]
Most of the Pala inscriptions mention only the regnal year as the date of issue, without any well-known calendar era. Because of this, the chronology of the Pala kings is hard to determine. [1] Based on their different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, different historians estimate the Pala chronology as follows: [2]
RC Majumdar (1971) [3] | AM Chowdhury (1967) [4] | BP Sinha (1977) [5][ failed verification] | DC Sircar (1975–76) [6] | D. K. Ganguly (1994) [1] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gopala I | 750–770 | 756–781 | 755–783 | 750–775 | 750–774 |
Dharmapala | 770–810 | 781–821 | 783–820 | 775–812 | 774–806 |
Devapala | 810– c. 850 | 821–861 | 820–860 | 812–850 | 806–845 |
Mahendrapala | NA (Mahendrapala's existence was conclusively established through a copper-plate charter discovered later.) | 845–860 | |||
Shurapala I | Deemed to be alternate name of Vigrahapala I | 850–858 | 860–872 | ||
Gopala II | NA (copper-plate charter discovered in 1995. Text of inscription published in 2009.) | ||||
Vigrahapala I | 850–853 | 861–866 | 860–865 | 858–60 | 872–873 |
Narayanapala | 854–908 | 866–920 | 865–920 | 860–917 | 873–927 |
Rajyapala | 908–940 | 920–952 | 920–952 | 917–952 | 927–959 |
Gopala III | 940–957 | 952–969 | 952–967 | 952–972 | 959–976 |
Vigrahapala II | 960– c. 986 | 969–995 | 967–980 | 972–977 | 976–977 |
Mahipala I | 988– c. 1036 | 995–1043 | 980–1035 | 977–1027 | 977–1027 |
Nayapala | 1038–1053 | 1043–1058 | 1035–1050 | 1027–1043 | 1027–1043 |
Vigrahapala III | 1054–1072 | 1058–1075 | 1050–1076 | 1043–1070 | 1043–1070 |
Mahipala II | 1072–1075 | 1075–1080 | 1076–1078/9 | 1070–1071 | 1070–1071 |
Shurapala II | 1075–1077 | 1080–1082 | 1071–1072 | 1071–1072 | |
Ramapala | 1077–1130 | 1082–1124 | 1078/9–1132 | 1072–1126 | 1072–1126 |
Kumarapala | 1130–1140 | 1124–1129 | 1132–1136 | 1126–1128 | 1126–1128 |
Gopala IV | 1140–1144 | 1129–1143 | 1136–1144 | 1128–1143 | 1128–1143 |
Madanapala | 1144–1162 | 1143–1162 | 1144–1161/62 | 1143–1161 | 1143–1161 |
Govindapala | 1158–1162 | NA | 1162–1176 or 1158–1162 | 1161–1165 | 1161–1165 |
Palapala | NA | NA | NA | 1165–1199 | 1165–1200 |
Note: [2]