THE PALAS OF BENGAL. 45 



Govinda III caused Karkaraja's arm to become the doorbar of the country of the 

 Lord of the Gurjaras, who had become evilly inflamed by conquering the Lord of 

 Gauda and Vanga. The verses in both grants do not refer to the same person. 

 The first verse refers to Vatsaraja, the contemporary of Dhruva, but the second verse 

 refers to Nagabhata II, son of Vatsaraja, who was defeated by Govinda III. 



This brings us to the fourth foreign invasion of this period, the invasion of the 

 Rastrakutas. It is evident from the verses quoted above that the Gurjara king's 

 conquest was not a lasting one. Close on his heels followed the southerner and 

 obliged him to relinquish his conquests and even forced him to retire into the desert 

 country, his original home. When the double white umbrella was snatched away 

 from Vatsaraja, the Kingdom of Gauda and Vahga must also have passed into the 

 hands of the Rastrakuta conquerer. Nothing is known definitely about the close of 

 the Rastrakuta occupation, but most probably it did not last long. As soon the 

 Rastrakuta forces were withdrawn, the local princes must have re -asserted their 

 authority. 



During this period of foreign invasions and consequent anarchy and misrule, the 



old Royal dynasty must have come to an end, the harassed populace felt the 



necessity of a strong and able ruler. They held an election about the details of 



The election of a king which we know nothing. As a result of this election 



by the subjects Gopaladeva, the son of a successful soldier named Vapyata, 



was elected king. In the Khalimpur grant of Dharmmapala it is said that the people 

 made him take the hand of fortune : — 



Matsya-nyayam-apohitum prakrtibhir-laksmyah karan-grahitah Sri-Gopala iti 

 ksitis'a-s'irasam cudamanis-tat-sutah, Y asy-anukriyate sanatana-yas'o-rasir-dis'am- 

 aSaye ivetimna yadi paurnnamasa-rajaiil jyotsn-atibhara-s'riya. — verse 4/ 



The composer of the Khalimpur inscription puts the cause of this election very 

 nicely in the above verse: Matsya-nyayam-apohitum, ' ' to escape from anarchy," as 

 Mr. K. P. Jayaswal translates it. 2 That the danger of being swallowed up into the 

 kingdom of a powerful neighbour, was not exaggerated, is amply evident from the 

 foregoing account of the foreign invasions of Bengal during the dark period. 



Nothing is known about the origin of this new line of kings, who continued to 

 hold sway over Bihar or Bengal till the final conquest of the country by the Muham- 

 madans. In the oldest inscription of this dynasty Dayitavisnu, the grandfather of 

 Gopala I, is called the progenitor of this line of kings, and it was stated, that he 

 was sanctified by all sorts of knowledge (sarvva-vidyavadatah) 3 Most probably the 

 family was of such a humble origin that even the names of Dayitavisnu's forefathers 



were not known in the time of his great-grandson. In later 



biographical works and inscriptions like the Ramacarita of 



Sandhyakara-nandi and the Kamauli grant of Vaidyadeva, mythical accounts are 



given of the origin of the Palas. The Kamauli grant mentions very distinctly that 



1 Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 248. 5 Artha'sastra of Cannhya. 



8 J.A.S.B., 1894, p. 47, and Mem. A.S.B., Vol. Ill, p. 3- 



