Mod 3: Devapala — the Pala Peak, the Capital at Munger, Conquests in the Badal Pillar, Viradeva at Nalanda and the Grant to Balaputradeva of Suvarnadvipa
Concept
14.5 Devapala: the Pala peak
🏫 School level · NCERT Class 6–12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Munger and the conquests
Devapala (c. 810–850 CE), son of Dharmapala and the Rashtrakuta princess Rannadevi, took the Palas to their peak. His records were issued from Mudgagiri (Munger), which served as his main capital and military base on the Ganga.
| Theme | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capital | Munger (Mudgagiri) — Monghyr copper plate |
| Conquests (Badal pillar of Guravamishra) | Claims over the Utkalas (Odisha), Pragjyotisha (Assam), Hunas, Dravidas and Gurjaras — partly exaggerated |
| Rivals | Pratihara Mihira Bhoja and Rashtrakuta Amoghavarsha |
| Nalanda | Ghosrawan inscription (Nalanda district): Viradeva of Nagarahara (Jalalabad, Afghanistan), honoured by Devapala, headed Nalanda |
| Foreign witness | Arab merchant Sulaiman (851) praises the army of “Ruhma” — perhaps 50,000 elephants |
- Devapala (c. 810–850): capital Munger; Badal pillar conquests; rivals Mihira Bhoja, Amoghavarsha.
- Ghosrawan: Viradeva of Nagarahara headed Nalanda.
- Question: From where was the Monghyr plate issued? Answer: Mudgagiri (Munger).
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
Question 3: Which Pala emperor shifted the imperial capital to Munger?
[BPSC level] Devapala was the son of:
[UPSC level] Devapala’s conquests are praised in the pillar inscription at:
[BPSC level] Pragjyotisha, claimed among Devapala’s conquests, is in modern:
[BSSC pattern] Devapala reigned approximately:
[UPSC level] Devapala’s rivals included the Pratihara king:
[BPSC level] The Ghosrawan inscription tells of a scholar from Nagarahara who headed Nalanda under Devapala:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
From where was the Monghyr plate issued?
Mudgagiri (Munger).Concept
14.6 Nalanda and Suvarnadvipa
🏫 School level · NCERT Class 6–12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
A royal grant across the sea
The Nalanda copper plate of Devapala records that Balaputradeva, the Shailendra king of Suvarnadvipa (Sumatra–Java, Indonesia), built a monastery at Nalanda and asked Devapala for support. Devapala granted five villages so that their income could feed monks, copy manuscripts and repair the buildings.
- Vigrahapala I and Narayanapala followed; Narayanapala’s Bhagalpur copper plate shows a Pala king also endowing a Shiva temple.
- The Pratiharas under Mihira Bhoja and Mahendrapala briefly took parts of Magadha — Pratihara inscriptions are found in Bihar (e.g. at Ramagaya and Guneria).
- Nalanda plate: five villages for Balaputradeva’s monastery (Shailendra, Suvarnadvipa).
- Narayanapala (Bhagalpur plate, Shiva temple); Pratiharas briefly in Magadha.
- Question: Who was Balaputradeva? Answer: Shailendra king of Suvarnadvipa.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] The Nalanda copper plate records a grant of how many villages?
[UPSC level] Balaputradeva belonged to which dynasty?
[BSSC pattern] Suvarnadvipa in the Nalanda plate refers to:
[BPSC level] The income from the villages granted to Nalanda was used for:
[UPSC level] Narayanapala’s Bhagalpur copper plate shows that the Palas also:
[BPSC level] Pratihara inscriptions found in Bihar show that the Pratiharas:
[School] Devapala is considered the greatest king of the:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Who was Balaputradeva?
Shailendra king of Suvarnadvipa.Concept
🎯 UPSC · BPSC · BSSC · State PSC level: PYQs and traps
| Exam | What it asks from this module |
|---|---|
| UPSC | Shailendra–Pala link; Nalanda plate; Pala foreign relations |
| BPSC | Munger capital; five villages; Ghosrawan |
| BSSC / SSC | Greatest Pala king |
The Shailendra king who built a monastery at Nalanda and received villages from the Pala king Devapala was: (a) Balaputradeva (b) Rajendra Chola (c) Jayavarman (d) Sanjaya
- The Nalanda copper plate records Devapala granting five villages at Balaputradeva’s request.
- Five villages to Nalanda = Devapala, not Dharmapala.
- The Nalanda plate says Suvarnadvipa (Sumatra/Java). Some books loosely write “Suvarnabhumi” — strictly that name is used for Myanmar/Thailand; in exam options either may mean Balaputradeva’s kingdom.
- Viradeva came from Nagarahara (Afghanistan) — Ghosrawan inscription.
- Five villages = Devapala; Suvarnadvipa = Indonesia.
- Question: What is the Ghosrawan inscription about? Answer: Viradeva of Nagarahara at Nalanda.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] Which Pala king granted villages to Nalanda at the request of a Shailendra king?
[UPSC level] Which pair is correct?
[BSSC pattern] The Ghosrawan inscription is in which district of Bihar?
[BPSC level] Munger served as an important Pala centre because of its position on the:
[UPSC level] Sulaiman’s mention of a huge Pala army comes from which period?
[School] Which modern country did Balaputradeva come from?
[BPSC level] Which Pala king is linked with the Bhagalpur copper plate?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
What is the Ghosrawan inscription about?
Viradeva of Nagarahara at Nalanda.