24 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S. XII, 



executed in the reign of Dharmapala. l Let us take another 

 instance; we find it stated by Taranatha that Mahlpala I and 

 Rampala reigned for 52 and 46 years respectively. 2 This might 

 probably be regarded as not very far from truth, as many metal 

 images have been discovered which were executed during the 

 48th year of Mahlpala' s reign and one of stone dated the 42nd 

 year of the reign of Ramapaladeva. But Taranatha fails to give 

 a correct genealogy of the Palas of Bengal in spite of their im- 

 portance in the history of Northern School of Buddhism. 

 They were the last of the royal patrons of the religion and it 

 was under them that so many sects and doctrines originated, 

 such diverse opinions were entertained, and such an abstruse 

 metaphysics was developed as made the Mahayanism a pro- 

 found subject of study for the Orientalists. According to Tara- 

 nath, 3 Devapala was the father of Dharmapala and Yaksapala 

 was the son of Ramapala. 4 But from the inscriptions and 

 copper-plate grants we have come to know that Devapala was 

 the son of Dharmapala 5 and that Yaksapala had no blood- 

 relationship with the Pala Kings of Bengal. 6 In the Manahali 

 copper-plate inscription of Madanapaladeva 7 a complete gene- 

 alogy of the Palas has been found which, when compared with 

 the one given in Taranatha's History, will show the discrepan- 

 cies in the latter : — 



The list of Palas as given by Taranatha. 



Gopala. 



Devapala. 

 Rasopala. 



Dharmapala. 



Masuraksita. 



Vanapala. 



Mahlpala. 



Mahapala. 



Srestapala. 



Canakapala. 



Virapala. 



Nlyapala. 



Amarapala. 



Hastipala. 



Ksantipala. 



Ramapala. 



Samupala. Yaksapala. 





The genealogy of the Palas as derived from the copper- 

 plate grants of Dharmmapala and Madanapala, the 2nd and 

 the last kings of this dynasty respectively : 



i Epi. Ind., Vol. IV, 243 ff., A.S.B. H94, I, 46 ff. 



* Gesch. d Bud. i. Ind. Schiefner, pp. 225 and 251. 

 8 Ibid., p. 208. 



* Ibid., p. 251. 



6 Ind. Ant., Vol. XX, 253 ff. 



« Ibid., Vol. XVI, 63 ff. 



1 J.A.S.B., Vol. LXIX, I. 66 ff. 



