THE PALAS OF BENGAL

The ground plan of a history of Eastern India from 800 to 1200 A. D. has already been sketched out by Mahamahopadhyaya Hara Prasad Sastri in his short introduction to Sandhyakaranandi’s Ramacarita. At that time, the author intended to develop it and add all the available material in a fresh article. This article was finished in October 1911. It was revised by Dr. J. Ph. Vogel, Ph. D. , then Officiating Director General of Archaeology, and submitted to the Society. For various reasons, the publication of this part of the Memoirs has been delayed, among which may be mentioned the loss of several impressions of inscriptions. He has not been able to edit the inscriptions quoted in the body of this paper to his satisfaction, on account of want of time and space. The readings quoted are for the most part true readings. Pandit Binod Bihari Bidyabinod has helped him considerably in deciphering them. The majority of the new records were read by him, and the texts were then revised and modified by him. But in each case a mechanical estampage has been reproduced so that a worthier scholar may reedit it from the plates. The historical information supplied by each record has been given in the form of a summary in the body of the text. On the context of the Palas of Bengal, he says the Pala Empire was a Buddhist supreme power in ancient India. The kingdom was focused around presentday Bangladesh and eastern India. The Palas had introduced a time of soundness and thriving in the BengalBihar area. They were the supporters of the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism. The book is the product of extensive study of this dynasty with other relevant materials to make it an indispensable discourse.