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Question 50 of 93 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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The Pala king Dharmapala was succeeded by his son:

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Answer: Option B — Devapala

Detailed Solution

The Pala king Dharmapala was succeeded by his son Devapala, who ruled from about 810 to 850 CE.

About Devapala:

  • He is considered one of the most powerful rulers of the Pala dynasty, along with his father.
  • He continued his father's policy of expansion.
  • According to Pala inscriptions, he defeated the Utkalas (Odisha), the Pragjyotishas, the Hunas, the Dravidas, and the Gurjaras (Pratiharas).
  • His empire extended over much of eastern and northern India.
  • He was a great patron of Buddhism.
  • He granted five villages for the maintenance of a monastery built at Nalanda by Balaputradeva, the Shailendra king of Srivijaya (Sumatra), at Balaputradeva's request; this is recorded in the Nalanda copper plate.
  • This shows the close cultural and religious ties between the Palas and South-East Asia.
  • The Arab traveller Sulaiman refers to the Pala kingdom as "Ruhmi" (or "Dharma"), and describes its large army.

The Pala dynasty:

  • Gopala (about 750-770 CE): the founder; he was chosen by the people (or the chiefs) to end a period of anarchy ("matsyanyaya") in Bengal.
  • Dharmapala (about 770-810 CE): expanded the kingdom; founded great Buddhist monasteries.
  • Devapala (about 810-850 CE): the most powerful king.
  • Mahipala I (about 988-1038 CE): revived the Pala power after a period of decline.
  • Ramapala (about 1077-1130 CE): suppressed the Kaivarta revolt.
  • The dynasty declined in the 12th century.

Pala art:

  • The Palas were patrons of a distinctive style of sculpture in black stone and bronze, known as the "Pala style" or "Eastern Indian school", which influenced the art of Nepal, Tibet and South-East Asia.
  • Illustrated Buddhist manuscripts on palm leaves were made in the Pala period.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Gopala was the founder and Dharmapala's father.
  • ✗Mahipala I and Narayanapala were later rulers.

Quick tip

Remember: Palas = Gopala (founder) -> Dharmapala -> Devapala (most powerful; Nalanda grant for Balaputradeva's monastery); Mahipala I = revival; Ramapala = Ramacharitam.

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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