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70-641: The ancient city of Dholsamudra in present-day Gazipur served as one of the capitals of the Buddhist Pala Empire . In the sixth century, forts were built in Toke and Ekdala which continued to be used as late as the Mughal Period . The area became known as a strategic region with the establishment of more forts such as that of Karnapur, the digging of the Twin Ponds in 1045. Chinashkhania was

140-528: A Buddhist preceptor. Madanapala's queen Chitramatika, gifted land to a brahmana named Vateshvara-svami Sharma as his remuneration for reciting the Mahabharata . The Palas patronised several Sanskrit scholars, some of whom were their officials. The Gauda riti style of composition was developed during the Pala rule. Many Buddhist Tantric works were authored and translated during the Pala rule. Besides

210-593: A Buddhist, but it is not known if this is true. The subsequent Pala kings were definitely Buddhists. Dharmapala made the Buddhist philosopher Haribhadra his spiritual preceptor. He established the Vikramashila monastery and the Somapura Mahavihara . Taranatha also credits him with establishing 50 religious institutions and patronising the Buddhist author Haribhadra. Devapala restored and enlarged

280-566: A brief rule, and became an ascetic. Vigrahapala's son and successor Narayanapala proved to be a weak ruler. During his 54-year long reign, Mihira Bhoja defeated the Palas. Encouraged by the Pala decline, the King Harjara of Assam assumed imperial titles. Naryanapala's son Rajyapala ruled for at least 32 years, and constructed several public utilities and lofty temples. Earlier it was thought that his son Gopala III lost Bengal after

350-855: A devotee of Shiva. The Palas supported the Saiva ascetics, typically the ones associated with the Golagi-Math. Besides the images of the Buddhist deities, the images of Vishnu , Siva and Sarasvati were also constructed during the Pala dynasty rule. Devapala built a temple dedicated to Shiva's consort, and Mahipala patronised a Shaivite monastery. A 1026 CE inscription recording renovations of Buddhist structures at Sarnath by Pala princes states that Mahipala I had them built "hundreds" of temples of Shiva, Chitraghanta, and other deities in Varanasi. Narayanapala's Bhagalpur inscription suggests that he built several Shiva temples, and records his grant of

420-765: A few years of rule, and then ruled only Bihar. However, it has been debunked by his Bhagalpur inscription, in which he granted a Brahmin two villages in Pundrabardhanabhukti in Northern Bengal, signalling his control over it. His son and the next king, Vigrahapala II , had to bear the invasions from the Chandelas and the Kalachuris . During his reign, the Pala empire disintegrated into smaller kingdoms like Gauda, Radha, Anga and Vanga. Kantideva of Harikela (eastern and southern Bengal) also assumed

490-515: A major part of the Pala kingdom along with its capital. Mahipala I recovered northern and eastern Bengal within three years of ascending the throne in 978 CE. He also recovered his capital, Gauda, which had been lost to he Kambojas. He also recovered the northern part of the present-day Burdwan division . During his reign, Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Empire frequently invaded Bengal from 1021 to 1023 CE to get Ganges water and in

560-637: A matrimonial alliance, by marrying off his cousin Kumaradevi to the king. In the region of Magadha , Vallabharāja, an adventurer from Ratanpur led a campaign against the Ramapala with his base of operations in Bodh Gaya . It has been speculated that he was aided in his campaign by Govindachandra of the Gahadavala dynasty . After gaining control of Bodh Gaya he converted to Buddhism and took on

630-538: A naval war in southern Bengal for his liege. but after Kumarapala's death, Vaidyadeva practically created a separate kingdom. Kumarapala's son, Gopala IV ascended the throne as a child, and according to the Rajibpur copperplate inscription, his uncle Madanpala acted as his regent. Gopala IV either died in battle or was murdered by Madanapala. During Madanapala's rule, the Varmans in east Bengal declared independence, and

700-580: A pitched battle. Dharmapala was forced to surrender and to seek alliance with the Rashtrakuta emperor Govinda III , who then intervened by invading northern India and defeating Nagabhata II. The Rashtrakuta records show that both Chakrayudha and Dharmapala recognised the Rashtrakuta suzerainty. In practice, Dharmapala gained control over North India after Govinda III left for the Deccan. He adopted

770-499: A short reign. He was succeeded by his brother Ramapala, who launched a major offensive against Divya's nephew Bhima. He was supported by his maternal uncle Mathana and cousin Sivarajadeva of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, as well as several feudatory chiefs of south Bihar and south-west Bengal. Ramapala conclusively defeated Bhima, killing him and his family in a cruel manner. After gaining control of Varendra, Ramapala tried to revive

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840-410: A stronghold and their copper plates emphasised Buddhist affiliation. André Wink mentions that the founder, Gopala was elected, and "definitely not of royal blood but probably of a line of brahmans which transformed itself into kshatriyas". Similarly, the 11th century Persian scholar Al-Biruni mentions the rulers of Pala dynasty to be of brahman origin. After the fall of Shashanka 's kingdom,

910-550: A village to Pashupatas . Narayanapala also attended a sacrifice by his Brahmin minister. Nayapala's Siyan inscription suggests that he built several temples dedicated to Shiva and his various aspects (such as Bhairava ), plus temples dedicated to the Nine Durgas , the Mother Goddess , Vishnu , and Lakshmi . Despite this, it is unlikely that Nayapala had rejected Buddhist teachings, since Taranatha states that he had

980-452: Is a World Heritage Site . It is a monastery with a 21-acre (8.5 ha) complex with 177 cells, numerous stupas, temples and a number of other ancillary buildings. The gigantic structures of other Viharas, including Vikramashila, Odantapuri, and Jagaddala are the other masterpieces of the Palas. These mammoth structures were mistaken by the forces of Bakhtiyar Khalji as fortified castles and were demolished. The art of Bihar and Bengal during

1050-479: Is a slab with a main figure, rather over half life-size, in very high relief, surrounded by smaller attendant figures, who might have freer tribhanga poses. Critics have found the style tending towards over-elaboration. The quality of the carving is generally very high, with crisp, precise detail. In east India, facial features tend to become sharp. Much larger numbers of smaller bronze groups of similar composition have survived than from previous periods. Probably

1120-613: Is an important source of Pala history. A form of the proto- Bengali language can be seen in the Charyapada s composed during the Pala rule. The Pala school of sculptural art is recognised as a distinct phase of the Indian art, and is noted for the artistic genius of the Bengal sculptors. It is influenced by the Gupta art . The Pala style was inherited and continued to develop under

1190-797: Is currently kept at the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library in Bankipore , Patna , Bihar . The anti-Mughal leader of the Baro-Bhuiyans , Isa Khan , died of natural causes in September 1599. He was buried in the village of Bakhtarpur . During the governorship of Subahdar Mir Jumla II , a bridge was constructed in Tongi . The British colonials built indigo factories in Raniganj and Barmi. The first armed resistance of

1260-959: Is divided into the following upazilas: Gazipur city has 57 wards. The area of the town is 321.32 km. The town's population is 2890796; male 52.52%, female 47.48%; density is 2,905 per km. There are six universities in Gazipur: Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology , Islamic University of Technology , Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (formerly the Institute of Postgraduate Studies on Agriculture), Bangladesh Open University , German University Bangladesh, Bangladesh National University , and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University . Establishments such as Gazipur Cantonment College, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and others are located here. There are two masters level colleges in

1330-635: Is well-documented by Sandhyakar Nandi in Ramacharitam . Mahipala II imprisoned his brothers Ramapala and Surapala II, on the suspicion that they were conspiring against him. Soon afterwards, he faced a rebellion of vassal chiefs from the Kaibarta (fishermen). A chief named Divya (or Divvoka) killed him and occupied the Varendra region. The region remained under the control of his successors Rudak and Bhima. Surapala II escaped to Magadha and died after

1400-640: The Eastern Gangas renewed the conflict in Orissa. Madanapala captured Munger from the Gahadavalas, but was defeated by Vijayasena, who gained control of southern and eastern Bengal. Two rulers, named Govindapala and Palapala ruled over the Gaya district from around 1162 CE to 1200 CE, but there is no concrete evidence about their relationship to the imperial Palas. The Pala dynasty was replaced by

1470-715: The Geography section below). His oldest son, Rajyapala predeceased him, and as so Mahendrapala , his next older son succeeded him. He possibly maintained his father's vast territories and carried out further campaigns against the Utkalas and the Hunas. He passed his empire intact to his younger brother Shurapala I , who held sway over a considerably large territory encompassing Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, proven by his Mirzapur copperplate. What happened in Gopala II's rule,

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1540-531: The Rashtrakutas for the control of Kannauj and were defeated. After a short-lived decline, Emperor Mahipala I defended imperial bastions in Bengal and Bihar against South Indian Chola invasions. Emperor Ramapala was the last strong Pala ruler, who gained control of Kamarupa and Kalinga . The empire was considerably weakened with many areas engulfed and their heavy dependence on Samantas being exposed through 11th century rebellion . It finally led to

1610-530: The Sena Empire . During this time, the style of sculpture changed from "Post-Gupta" to a distinctive style that was widely influential in other areas and later centuries. Deity figures became more rigid in posture, very often standing with straight legs close together, and figures were often heavily loaded with jewellery; they very often have multiple arms, a convention allowing them to hold many attributes and display mudras . The typical form for temple images

1680-817: The Sena dynasty . The descendants of the Palas, who claimed the status of Kshatriya, "almost imperceptibly merged" with the Kayastha caste. The borders of the Pala Empire kept fluctuating throughout its existence. Though the Palas conquered a vast region in North India at one time, they could not retain it for long due to constant hostility from the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Rashtrakutas and other less powerful kings. No records are available about

1750-498: The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War took place in Gazipur on 19 March 1971. According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh , Gazipur District had 1,579,781 households and a population of 5,263,450 with an average 3.29 people per household. Among the population, 827,272 (15.72%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 2,914 people per km. Gazipur District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 81.42%, compared to

1820-413: The Bengal region was in a state of anarchy. There was no central authority, and there was constant struggle between petty chieftains. The contemporary writings describe this situation as matsya nyaya ("fish justice" i.e. a situation where the big fish eat the small fish). Gopala ascended the throne as the first Pala king during these times. The Khalimpur copper plate suggests that the prakriti (people) of

1890-531: The Buddhist scholars mentioned in the Religion section above, Jimutavahana , Sandhyakar Nandi , Madhava-kara , Suresvara and Chakrapani Datta are some of the other notable scholars from the Pala period. The notable Pala texts on philosophy include Agama Shastra by Gaudapada, Nyaya Kundali by Sridhar Bhatta and Karmanushthan Paddhati by Bhatta Bhavadeva. The texts on medicine include Sandhyakar Nandi's semi-fictional epic Ramacharitam (12th century)

1960-469: The Deccan region, Dharmapala built a mighty empire in the northern India. He defeated Indrayudha of Kannauj , and installed his own nominee Chakrayudha on the throne of Kannauj. Several other smaller states in North India also acknowledged his suzerainty, as far as Jalandhara . Soon, his expansion was checked by Vatsaraja's son Nagabhata II , who conquered Kannauj and drove away Chakrayudha. Nagabhata II then advanced up to Munger and defeated Dharmapala in

2030-750: The Gangas managed to annexe 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 Senas in check but lost Mithila to a Karnat chief named Nanyadeva who formed his own kingdom based out of Mithila. He also held back the aggressive design of the Gahadavala ruler Govindacharndra through

2100-572: The Kannauj throne, Dharmapala organised an imperial court. According to the Khalimpur copper plate issued by Dharmapala, this court was attended by the rulers of Bhoja (possibly Vidarbha ), Matsya (Jaipur region), Madra (East Punjab), Kuru (Delhi region), Yadu (possibly Mathura, Dwarka or Simhapura in the Punjab), Yavana , Avanti , Gandhara and Kira ( Kangra Valley ). These kings accepted

2170-606: The North") for his suzerainty over North India. In Devapala's own inscription and in the inscription referring to his reign, he is credited with the subjugation of the Gurjaras, Dravidas, Utkalas, Pragjyotisas, Hunas and the Kambhojas: His sons and grandson probably managed to keep the core area of the empire intact. However, the empire started disintegrating shortly after. Narayanapala lost control of Assam and Orissa. It

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2240-399: The Pala and Sena dynasties influenced the art of Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka and Java. 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. Based on their different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, different historians estimate

2310-469: The Pala chronology as follows: Note: The highest military officer in the Pala empire was the Mahasenapati (commander-in-chief). The Palas recruited mercenary soldiers from a number of kingdoms, including Malava , Khasa , Huna , Kulika , Mithila , Kanrata , Lata , Odra and Manahali . According to the contemporary accounts, the Rashtrakutas had the best infantry, the Gurjara-Pratiharas had

2380-505: The Pala empire with some 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;

2450-441: The Palas. Historians rely on indirect evidence to understand their reign, leading to controversies about their ancestry. According to the Khalimpur copper plate inscription, the first Pala king Gopala was the son of a warrior named Vapyata. The Ramacharitam attests that Varendra ( North Bengal ) was the fatherland ( Janakabhu ) of the Palas. The ethnic origins of the dynasty are unknown, although later records claim that Gopala

2520-557: The Vikramashila and the Nalanda universities. Nalanda, considered one of the first great universities in recorded history, reached its height under the patronage of the Palas. Noted Buddhist scholars from the Pala period include Atisha , Santaraksita , Saraha , Tilopa , Bimalamitra, Dansheel, Dansree, Jinamitra, Jnanasrimitra, Manjughosh, Muktimitra, Padmanava, Sambhogabajra, Shantarakshit, Silabhadra, Sugatasree and Virachan. As

2590-480: The achievements of previous Bengali civilisations and created outstanding works of arts and architecture. The Charyapada in Proto-Bengali language was written by Buddhist Mahasiddhas of tantric tradition, which laid the basis of several eastern Indian languages in their rule. Palas built grand Buddhist temples and monasteries ( Viharas ), including the Somapura Mahavihara and Odantapuri , and patronised

2660-724: The capital of the Chandalas and Shishu Pal had his capital in modern-day Sreepur , which the ruins of can still be seen today. Another fort was built in Dardaria in 1200. During the reign of the Sultan of Bengal Alauddin Husain Shah (1494-1519), an Islamic scholar known as Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yazdan Bakhsh Bengali visited Ekdala where he transcribed Sahih al-Bukhari and gifted it to the Sultan in nearby Sonargaon . The manuscript

2730-821: The district: Bhawal Badre Alam Government College and Tongi Government College . There are 19 degree colleges in the district. Honors level colleges include: Kaliakair Degree College, Jatir Pita Bangabandhu Degree College , Kaligonj Sramik College , Kapasia Degree College (founded in 1965), and Kazi Azim Uddin College. Notable secondary and higher secondary schools include Rani Bilashmoni Government Boys' High School , founded in 1905, Safiuddin Sarker Academy and College , M. E. H. Arif College , and Tongi Pilot School & Girls' College . The madrasa education system includes 26 fazil and 3 kamil madrasas. Pala Empire The Pāla Empire (r. 750–1161 CE)

2800-452: The exact boundaries of original kingdom established by Gopala, but it might have included almost all of the Bengal region. The Pala empire extended substantially under Dharmapala's rule. Apart from Bengal, he directly ruled the present-day Bihar. The kingdom of Kannauj (present-day Uttar Pradesh) was a Pala dependency at times, ruled by his nominee Chakrayudha. While installing his nominee on

2870-698: The finest cavalry and the Palas had the largest elephant force. The Arab merchant Sulaiman states that the Palas had an army bigger than those of the Balhara (possibly the Rashtrakutas) and the king of Jurz (possibly the Gurjara-Pratiharas). He also states that the Pala army employed 10,000–15,000 men for fuelling and washing clothes. He further claims that during the battles, the Pala king would lead 50,000 war elephants . Sulaiman's accounts seem to be based on exaggerated reports; Ibn Khaldun mentions

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2940-702: The great universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila . The Pala empire enjoyed relations with the Srivijaya Empire , the Tibetan Empire and the Arab Abbasid Caliphate . Islam first arrived in Bengal during this period as a result of flourishing mercantile and intellectual contacts with Middle-East. The Pala legacy is still reflected in Tibetan Buddhism . There is no clear evidence for their origin or early history of

3010-591: The installation of Chakrayudha on the Kannauj throne, while "bowing down respectfully with their diadems trembling". This indicates that his position as a sovereign was accepted by most rulers, although this was a loose arrangement unlike the empire of the Mauryas or the Guptas . The other rulers acknowledged the military and political supremacy of Dharmapala, but maintained their own territories. The poet Soddhala of Gujarat calls Dharmapala an Uttarapathasvamin ("Lord of

3080-483: The invasions of Mahmud of Ghazni , which exhausted the strength of other rulers of North India. He may have also conquered Varanasi and surrounding area, as his brothers Sthirapala and Vasantapala undertook construction and repairs of several sacred structures at Varanasi. Later, the Kalachuri king Gangeyadeva annexed Varanasi after defeating the ruler of Anga, which was probably Mahipala's son Nayapala. Nayapala,

3150-469: The legendary Solar dynasty seems to be unreliable and appear to be an attempt to cover up the humble origins of the dynasty. The Pala dynasty has also been branded as Shudra in some sources such as Manjushri-Mulakalpa . A medieval writer Abul Fazl going by this tradition described these kings as Kayasthas . According to K. N. Sahay, "we can claim Palas also as Kayasthas". But modern scholars believe Palas were staunch Buddhists, as their court became

3220-429: The major cities of Gauḍa , Vikramapura , Pāṭaliputra , Monghyr , Somapura , Ramavati ( Varendra ), Tāmralipta and Jagaddala . The Pālas were astute diplomats and military conquerors. Their army was noted for its vast war elephant corps. Their navy performed both mercantile and defensive roles in the Bay of Bengal . At its zenith under emperors Dharmapala and Devapala in the early ninth century, Pala empire

3290-484: The national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 923 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 64.29% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 9,773. At the 2011 census, the district had a population of 3,403,912. 94.02% are Muslims , 5.19% Hindus and 0.70% Christians . Unlike most of Bangladesh, religious minorities are more concentrated in rural areas than urban areas. The Christians are largely concentrated in few unions of Kaliganj Upazila around

3360-464: The new name, Devaraksita. At this point, he made peace with the Palas by marrying the daughter of Mahana Pala (uncle of Ramapala). His dynasty became known as the Pithipatis . Ramapala was the final strong Pala Emperor, although his son Kumarapala managed to keep most of his territories. After his death, a rebellion broke out in Kamarupa during his son Kumarapala's reign. The rebellion was crushed by Vaidyadeva, minister of Kumarapala. Vaidyadeva also won

3430-489: The night following their election. Gopal, however managed to kill the queen and remained on the throne. The historical evidence indicates that Gopala was not elected directly by his citizens, but by a group of feudal chieftains. Such elections were quite common in contemporary societies of the region. Gopala's ascension in 750 CE was a significant political event as several independent chiefs recognised his political authority without any struggle, consolidating his power over

3500-450: The number of elephants as 5,000. Since Bengal did not have a good native breed of horses, the Palas imported their cavalry horses from the foreigners, including the Kambojas. They also had a navy, used for both mercantile and defence purposes. The main sources of information about the Pala empire include: Tongi Government College Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

3570-415: The numbers produced were increasing. These were mostly made for domestic shrines of the well-off, and from monasteries. Gradually, Hindu figures come to outnumber Buddhist ones, reflecting the terminal decline of Indian Buddhism, even in east India, its last stronghold. As noted earlier, the Palas built a number of monasteries and other sacred structures. The Somapura Mahavihara in present-day Bangladesh

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3640-443: The process, succeeded to humble the rulers, acquiring considerable booty. The rulers of Bengal who were defeated by Rajendra Chola were Dharmapal, Ranasur and Govindachandra, who might have been feudatories under Mahipala I of the Pala Dynasty. Rajendra Chola I also defeated Mahipala, and obtained from the Pala king "elephants of rare strength, women and treasure". Mahipala also gained control of north and south Bihar, probably aided by

3710-401: The region made him the king. Taranatha, writing nearly 800 years later, also writes that he was democratically elected by the people of Bengal. However, his account is in form of a legend, and is considered historically unreliable. The legend mentions that after a period of anarchy, the people elected several kings in succession, all of whom were consumed by the Naga queen of an earlier king on

3780-414: The rise of resurgent Hindu Senas as sovereign power in the 12th century and final expulsion of the Palas from Bengal by their hands marking the end of last major Buddhist imperial power in the subcontinent. The Pala period is considered one of the golden eras of Bengali history. The Palas brought stability and prosperity to Bengal after centuries of civil war between warring divisions. They advanced

3850-465: The rulers of Gautama Buddha 's land, the Palas acquired great reputation in the Buddhist world. Balaputradeva, the Sailendra king of Java, sent an ambassador to him, asking for a grant of five villages for the construction of a monastery at Nalanda. The request was granted by Devapala. He appointed the Brahmin Viradeva (of Nagarahara , present-day Jalalabad) as the head of the Nalanda monastery. The Buddhist poet Vajradatta (the author of Lokesvarashataka),

3920-402: The son of Mahipala I, defeated the Kalachuri king Karna (son of Ganggeyadeva) after a long struggle. The two later signed a peace treaty at the mediation of the Buddhist scholar Atiśa . During the reign of Nayapala's son Vigrahapala III, Karna once again invaded Bengal but was defeated. The conflict ended with a peace treaty, and Vigrahapala III married Karna's daughter Yauvanasri. Vigrahapala III

3990-400: The son of Surapala I, is still unknown. After Gopala II, Dharmapala's line came to an end for reasons which are not known yet. Dharmapala's descendants, if any, were passed over as Dharmapala's younger brother, Vakapala's lineage assumed the throne. Shortly afterwards, the empire gradually started disintegrating. Vakapala's grandson and Jayapala's son, Vigrahapala I abdicated the throne after

4060-424: The structures at Somapura Mahavihara, which also features several themes from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata . Mahipala I also ordered construction and repairs of several sacred structures at Saranath, Nalanda and Bodh Gaya. The Mahipala geet ("songs of Mahipala"), a set of folk songs about him, are still popular in the rural areas of Bengal. The Palas developed the Buddhist centres of learnings, such as

4130-422: The time of Madanapala's death, the Pala kingdom was confined to parts of central and east Bihar along with northern Bengal. The Pala rule was monarchial. The king was the centre of all power. Pala kings would adopt imperial titles like Parameshwara , Paramvattaraka , Maharajadhiraja . Pala kings appointed Prime Ministers. The Line of Garga served as the Prime Ministers of the Palas for 100 years. Pala Empire

4200-426: The title Maharajadhiraja , and established a separate kingdom, later ruled by the Chandra dynasty . The Gauda state (West and North Bengal) was ruled by the Kamboja Pala dynasty . The rulers of this dynasty also bore names ending in the suffix -pala (e.g. Rajyapala , Narayanapala and Nayapala ). However, their origin is uncertain, and the most plausible view is that they originated from a Pala official who usurped

4270-502: The title Paramesvara Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja . Dharmapala was succeeded by his son Devapala, who is regarded as the most powerful Pala Emperor. His expeditions resulted in the invasion of Pragjyotisha (present-day Assam) where the king submitted without giving a fight and the Utkala (present-day Northern Odisha) whose king fled from his capital city. The inscriptions of his successors also claim several other territorial conquests by him, but these are possibly exaggerated (see

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4340-399: The village of Nagori which were part of Rupganj Upazila until the 1990s, and are the Bhawal Catholics who converted during Portuguese times. Gazipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bangladesh. There are several tourist attractions in this area. Most notable are: Gazipur District was established in 1984. It has one city corporation , the Gazipur City Corporation , and

4410-429: The whole of Bengal including Gaur, Varendra and Banga, also extending his rule over parts of Magadha . According to R. C. Majumdar , Gopala ruled till 770 CE. Gopala's empire was greatly expanded by his son Dharmapala and his grandson Devapala . Dharmapala was initially defeated by the Pratihara ruler Vatsaraja . Later, the Rashtrakuta king Dhruva defeated both Dharmapala and Vatsaraja. After Dhruva left for

4480-448: Was a Kshatriya or descended from the legendary Solar dynasty . The Ballala-Carita states that the Palas were Kshatriyas, a claim reiterated by Taranatha in his History of Buddhism in India as well as Ghanaram Chakrabarty in his Dharmamangala (both written in the 16th century CE). The Ramacharitam also attests the fifteenth Pala emperor, Ramapala , as a Kshatriya . According to Nitish Sengupta , such claims of belonging to

4550-437: Was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent , which originated in the region of Bengal . It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffix Pāla ("protector" in Sanskrit ). The empire was founded with the election of Gopāla as the emperor of Gauda in late eighth century CE. The Pala stronghold was located in Bengal and eastern Bihar , which included

4620-470: Was divided into separate Bhukti s (Provinces). Bhuktis were divided into Vishaya s (Divisions) and Mandala s (Districts). Smaller units were Khandala , Bhaga , Avritti , Chaturaka , and Pattaka. Administration covered widespread area from the grass root level to the imperial court. The Pala copperplates mention following administrative posts: The Palas were patrons of Mahayana Buddhism . A few sources written much after Gopala's death mention him as

4690-637: Was in his court. The Buddhist scholars from the Pala empire travelled from Bengal to other regions to propagate Buddhism. Atisha, for example, preached in Tibet and Sumatra , and is seen as one of the major figures in the spread of 11th-century Mahayana Buddhism. The Palas continued to patronise Shaivism , and epigraphic evidence suggests that Mahipala I and Nayapala were initiated as Shaivites by their royal preceptors. Vigrahapala III's Amagachi inscription describes him as "devoted to Śiva worship", and this tradition continued under his successor Ramapala. Poet Sandhyakar Nandi describes Ramapala's son Madanapala as

4760-405: Was later defeated by the invading Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI . Vigrahapala III also faced another invasion led by the Somavamsi king Mahasivagupta Yayati of Orissa. Subsequently, a series of invasions considerably reduced the power of the Palas. The Varmans occupied eastern Bengal during his reign. The successor and older son of Vighrahapala III by his wife Yauvanashri, Mahipala II's reign

4830-426: Was the dominant power in the northern Indian subcontinent, with its territory stretching across the Gangetic plain to include some parts northeastern India, Nepal and Bangladesh . Dharmapala also exerted a strong cultural influence through Buddhist scholar Atis Dipankar in Tibet, as well as in Southeast Asia. Pala control of North India was ultimately ephemeral, as they struggled with the Gurjara-Pratiharas and

4900-524: Was thought he also briefly lost control over Magadha and north Bengal, although it has now been debunked. Gopala III suffered serious reverses at the hands of the Chandra king, and ruled only from a part of northern Bengal. The Pala empire disintegrated into smaller kingdoms during the reign of Vigrahapala II. Mahipala recovered parts of Bengal, Bihar and up to Varansi. His successors lost east and south Bengal again. The last strong Pala ruler, Ramapala, gained control of Bengal, Bihar, Assam and parts of Orissa. By

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