Mahipala

For the Gurjara-Pratihara monarch of the same name, see Mahipala I.

Mahipala (or Mahipala I; r. 978–1026) was a notable king of the Pala dynasty, which ruled over much of the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent between the 8th and 12th centuries. He was the son and successor of Vigrahapala II. Mahipala's reign marked a resurgence in fortunes for the Pala empire, whose boundaries were expanded as far as Varanasi. However, his rule was temporarily hampered by the northern expedition of the Chola Emperor, Rajendra I.^[3][4]

Mahipala
Gold coin of the Pala Empire, Mahipala I and later. c. 988–1161.
Pala Emperor
Reign	978–1026[1]
Predecessor	Vigrahapala II
Successor	Nayapala
Issue	Nayapala
Dynasty	Pala
Father	Vigrahapala II
Religion	Shaivism[2]

Biography

The Palas continued to patronise Shaivism, and epigraphic evidence suggests that Mahipala I and Nayapala were initiated as Shaivites by their royal preceptors. Vigrahapala III's Amagachi inscription describes him as "devoted to Śiva worship", and this tradition continued under his successor Ramapala. Poet Sandhyakar Nandi describes Ramapala's son Madanapala as a devotee of Shiva.^[5]

Mahipala was succeeded by his son, Nayapala.^[6]