History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s6.9

v3.c34.s6.9

Whatever the true account of this dispossession, Mahīpāla I began a new life of the Pāla dynasty and ruled justly and vigorously for 48 years and more. Of all the Pāla kings he is the best remembered and " songs in his honour are still to be heard in remote corners of Orissa and Kuch Bihar." His kindom extended to the west over Magadha and Bihar and included northern and eastern Bengal and even Orissa and Assam. His reign was marked by the revival of Buddhism and Dharmapāla and other holy men from Magadha went to Tibet in 1013 and did much to restore the religion of Gautama to honour in that country (Smith p. 400). Atiśa, another missionary from Vikramaśīla went to Tibet in the reign of Nayapāla the successor of Mahīpāla in 1042 A. D. Mahīpāla I reigned according to Smith from 980 to 1038 when his son Nayapāla succeeded him and he was succeeded by his son Vigrahapāla III in 1059 and he is credited with having defeated Karna of Chedi who was extending his power during the decline of the Pratihāra emperors to the east of Benares and particularly in Champāranya. His Āmagāchhi inscription has been noticed in Vol. II and has been thrice edited once by Kielhorn (I. A. XXI p. 97) correcting Dr.