Mod 1: Matsyanyaya and the Rise of the Palas — Gopala’s Election (c. 750 CE), Sources and the Pala Heartland in Bihar and Bengal
Concept
14.1 From matsyanyaya to Gopala
🏫 School level · NCERT Class 6–12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
How the Palas began
After the deaths of Shashanka of Gauda (c. 625 CE) and Harsha (647 CE), Bengal and Bihar fell into chaos. Pala records call this matsyanyaya — “the law of the fishes”, where big fish swallow small ones. The Khalimpur copper plate of Dharmapala says the people (prakritis) then chose Gopala as king, around 750 CE.
The word prakriti can mean subjects, ministers or leading chiefs. Most historians (R. C. Majumdar, B. P. Sinha) think a group of local chiefs and notables agreed on Gopala — not a popular election in the modern sense. Still, it is a rare example in early India of a ruler raised by consent to end anarchy.
- Matsyanyaya after Shashanka and Harsha; Gopala chosen c. 750 (Khalimpur plate).
- Question: What is matsyanyaya? Answer: Anarchy — big fish eating small fish.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[School] The Pala dynasty was founded by:
[BPSC level] “Matsyanyaya” in Pala records means:
[UPSC level] The Khalimpur copper plate of Dharmapala says Gopala was chosen by the:
[BPSC level] Before the Palas, the Gauda king who opposed Harsha was:
[BSSC pattern] The Pala kings mainly followed:
[UPSC level] Most historians interpret Gopala’s “election” as:
[School] The Palas ruled mainly over:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
What is matsyanyaya?
Anarchy — big fish eating small fish.Concept
14.2 Sources and the Pala heartland
🏫 School level · NCERT Class 6–12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Copper plates, poems and travellers
| Source | What it tells |
|---|---|
| Khalimpur copper plate (Dharmapala) | Matsyanyaya; Gopala chosen; Dharmapala’s court at Kanauj |
| Monghyr (Munger) copper plate (Devapala) | Issued from the victory camp at Mudgagiri (Munger) |
| Nalanda copper plate (Devapala) | Five villages granted at the request of Balaputradeva of Suvarnadvipa |
| Badal pillar (Guravamishra) | Devapala’s conquests; Brahmana ministers |
| Ramacharita (Sandhyakaranandi) | Ramapala and the Kaivarta revolt (double meaning poem) |
| Taranatha (Tibetan, 1608) | Pala patronage of monasteries |
| Sulaiman (Arab merchant, 851) | Calls the Pala realm “Ruhma”, with a huge army |
The Palas ruled Bengal and Bihar for about four centuries (c. 750–1160s) — one of the longest dynasties of ancient India. Many of their greatest monuments are in Bihar: Vikramashila (Bhagalpur), Odantapuri (Bihar Sharif) and the Pala phase of Nalanda; and they issued grants from Munger and Pataliputra.
- Sources: Khalimpur, Monghyr, Nalanda plates; Badal pillar; Ramacharita; Taranatha; Sulaiman (Ruhma).
- Palas ruled ~400 years; Bihar monuments Vikramashila, Odantapuri, Nalanda.
- Question: What did Sulaiman call the Pala kingdom? Answer: Ruhma.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] The Monghyr copper plate of Devapala was issued from:
[UPSC level] The Arab merchant Sulaiman (851 CE) called the Pala kingdom:
[BPSC level] Ramacharita, a source on Ramapala, was written by:
[BSSC pattern] The Pala dynasty ruled for about:
[UPSC level] The Tibetan historian whose 1608 work describes Pala patronage of monasteries is:
[BPSC level] The Badal pillar inscription was set up by the Brahmana minister:
[School] Copper plates of kings mostly record:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
What did Sulaiman call the Pala kingdom?
Ruhma.Concept
🎯 UPSC · BPSC · BSSC · State PSC level: PYQs and traps
| Exam | What it asks from this module |
|---|---|
| UPSC | Matsyanyaya; Pala sources; Buddhism under Palas |
| BPSC | Founder Gopala c. 750; Khalimpur plate |
| BSSC / SSC | Founder of the Pala dynasty |
The founder of the Pala dynasty was: (a) Dharmapala (b) Gopala (c) Devapala (d) Mahipala
- Gopala was chosen around 750 CE to end matsyanyaya; Dharmapala was his son.
- Matsyanyaya = anarchy, not a fishing tax or law code.
- Pala kings were mostly Buddhist but gave grants to Brahmanas and temples too.
- Gopala founder; Dharmapala son; mostly Buddhist rulers.
- Question: Who wrote the Ramacharita? Answer: Sandhyakaranandi.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] Which pair of a Pala source and its content is correct?
[UPSC level] Why are the Palas important for Bihar’s history?
[BSSC pattern] Gopala became king in about:
[UPSC level] Arab writers called the Pratiharas “Jurz” and the Rashtrakutas “Balhara”; the Palas were:
[BPSC level] Dharmapala was the son of:
[School] Which Bihar town was called Mudgagiri?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Who wrote the Ramacharita?
Sandhyakaranandi.