RAMACARITA. 
3 
of the Ocean God, and not his uncle Vakpala, whose descendants really reigned. How 
the subsequent kings of this dynasty belonged to the Samudrakula is a mystery. As 
time went on, their pretensions seem to have been on the increase, for Vaidya Deva in 
his Assam inscription describes his liege Ford, Madanapala, as belonging to solar race. 
Rampalacarita and the Vaidya Deva-prasasti are very late works. In none of the 
early inscriptions do the Palas advance any such pretensions. They were Plebeians, and 
so they thought well to remain. A contemporary of Dharmapala, however, calls him 
as Rajabhata Vamsapatita, that is, the descendant of a military officer of some king 
[see infra]. 
They were made kings by election. The subjects forced Gopala to accept the 
, , . hands of the goddess of fortune. The words in Sanskrit 
How they became kings ° . 
can have two interpretations. They may also mean 
that the subjects forced him to accept revenue or tribute. This is a case of election. 
Mr. Tawney wrote a paper about elections in ancient India, but this is a historical 
instance of election; so the Palas got the kingdom not by conquest, nor by inheritance, 
nor by marriage. 
The reason is given thus: Matsyam Nyayamapohitum, to escape from being 
absorbed into another kingdom, or to avoid being swal- 
Why were they elected P ... -. . , , , , , 
lowed up like a fish. The state of the country since 730 
iVD. was deplorable. After the fall of the king of Gauda, the king of Assam 
conquered greater part of the Eastern India, and Gauda is mentioned by name as one 
of the countries held by him in subjection 1 at least up to the year 759 A.D. 
A banished king Jaya-Pida ofKasmir came to Paundra-Varddhana z , obtained the hand 
of the daughter of a local chief, and freed him from the subjection of his liege Lord (760 
or later). Vatsaraja, theGurjara king, too, is said to have become very proud by acquir- 
ing the sovereignty of Gauda and Bengal; and by taking away the two Royal umbrellas 
of Gauda \Ep. Ind., vol. vi, 243]. All this shows how the country was weak and 
how torn it was by dissensions. Any great power outside Bengal might easily have 
conquered it. But fortunately there were no such powerful kings near at hand, and so 
the Bengalis very wisely thought of electing the son of Vappata, a soldier of fortune, to 
the throne, and saved their independence. This event, I believe, took place shortly after 
the Kasmir raid (760 or later). For quarter of a century they had peace, and their 
country made a good deal of progress; at the end of this quiet time Dharmapala found 
opportunities to conquer Kanauj [see infra]. 
The question may be asked, if they were not Ksatriyas, how could they marry in 
Ksatriya families, such as Rastrakutas, Chedis, and so on ? 
How could they marry The reason j s no t f ar t 0 se ek. The term Ksatriya has 
Ksatriya princesses ? J 
undergone various changes of meaning. About 400 B.C. 
it meant a caste. But the puranas are unanimous in saying that the Ksatriyas 
were all destroyed by Nandas, and this is borne out by a passsage in Savara’s 
1 Ind. Ant., vol. ix,.p. 7 8. 
2 Kalhan puts him between 751— 782. But this requires a correction, says Dr. Stein. It may be from 760 or 70 
to 800. 
