Two Inscriptions of Gopala III of Bengal
By Nalini Kanta Bhattasali
Summary
Focusing on the late Pāla ruler Gopāla III (mid‑10th century CE), this article presents authoritative editions and translations of two inscriptions that illuminate eastern Indian history. The first is a stone inscription discovered at Nimdighi (previously mislabelled “Manda”), which records a donation by Gopāla III and provides a genealogy stretching back to earlier Pāla kings. Previous scholars had published garbled readings and deemed the record untranslatable; the author corrects the text, arranges the verses properly and offers a coherent translation. The second document is a copper‑plate inscription from Raibpur (or Rajibpur) which grants land to Brahmins. Together the inscriptions mention Gopāla III’s achievements, including military campaigns and temple constructions, and situate his reign between that of his father, the powerful king Rājyapāla, and his successor. The paper discusses the palaeographic features of the scripts—showing transitions from angular to round characters—and notes regional phonetic peculiarities. The author also addresses confusion over the provenances of the inscriptions and quotes correspondence from Kumar Sarat Kumar Ray of the Varendra Research Society to identify the correct findspots. A detailed commentary explains Sanskrit terms, royal epithets and religious references, revealing the king’s devotion to Buddhist and Śaiva deities. These records allow the author to refine the chronology of the later Pālas: Gopāla III ruled from about 940 to 960 CE, a period previously considered obscure. By comparing these inscriptions with the Pala genealogies in other copper plates and literary sources, the article emphasises that Gopāla III’s brief reign nevertheless witnessed active patronage of monastic establishments in Varendra (north Bengal) and reinforces the view that the dynasty persisted longer than sometimes assumed.
Conclusion
Through meticulous re‑editing of the Nimdighi and Rajibpur inscriptions, the article clarifies the reign of Gopāla III and corrects earlier misreadings. The texts show that this little‑known ruler continued Pāla traditions of religious patronage and maintained political control in Varendra. By fixing his place in the dynasty’s genealogy, the study contributes to a more accurate chronology of late Pāla history and demonstrates the importance of careful epigraphic work for reconstructing regional pasts.