The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c16.217

v1.c16.217

Dharmapāla, who was probably, as Mr. R. D. Banerji has suggested, the ruler of "the marchland between Orissa and Bengal," is otherwise unknown. The ending of his name in *pāla* is at the present stage of our knowledge an insufficient reason for connecting him with the Pālas. The name of Raṇaśūra, who was apparently the ruler of the tract situated to the north of *Daṇḍa-Bhukti*, raises the question of the authenticity of the Śūra kings of Bengal, who are mentioned in the genealogical lists of Bengal match-makers (*ghaṭakas*). The *Kulapañjikās* of these *ghaṭakas* contain the following list of Śūra kings: (1) Ādiśūra, (2) Bhūśura, (3) Kṣitiśūra, (4) Avanīśūra, (5) Dhāraṇīśūra, and (6) Raṇaśūra.² The traditional account of the first of these princes, who is said to have brought five Brāhmaṇas and Kāyasthas from Kānyakubja to Bengal has been doubted on good grounds by more than one scholar.³ But it is significant that the name of the 6th prince should be identical with the name of the ruler of *Dakṣiṇa-Rāḍha*. In the commentary of the *Rāmacarita* (II, 5), there occurs the name of one Lakṣmīśūra, the ruler of Apara-mandāra, who is described as one of the chief feudatories of Rāmapāla. It has been suggested by some scholars that Apara-mandāra was situated in Western Bengal. The authenticity of a line of princes bearing names ending in Śūra is further proved by the Barrackpur grant of Vijayasena which