Pala Rule in the Tippera District

Summary

In this study of eastern Bengal’s history, the author examines the extent of Pāla control over the Tippera District (modern Tripura). Using copper‑plate grants, inscriptions and literary allusions, he reconstructs a picture of intermittent Pāla presence rather than continuous imperial administration. Several land grants issued by rulers such as Dharmapāla and Devapāla mention villages and beneficiaries in Tippera, suggesting that the kings rewarded Brahmins and monasteries there to secure loyalty. The paper analyses geographical descriptions in the plates to delimit the boundaries of Pāla influence and compares them with the territories described in contemporary Chandra and Sena inscriptions. It concludes that the Pāla kingdom reached into parts of the eastern delta and hill country but had to accommodate powerful local chiefs. The author also discusses evidence for conflict between the Pālas and neighbouring dynasties; for example, grants imply that the Chandras controlled certain areas soon after Devapāla’s reign. Through this analysis, the article argues that early medieval Bengal consisted of overlapping spheres of authority and that Tippera provides a case study of how the Pālas extended their influence through religious endowments rather than direct administration.