Bengal's Buddhist Pala Empire: The Dharmapala Legacy

Before the Mughals or the British, the Pala Empire ruled Bengal for nearly 400 years, spreading Buddhism across Asia and building the great university of Vikramashila. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Emperor Dharmapala (c. 770–810 CE), who expanded Pala power from Bihar to Bengal, founded the Vikramashila monastery, and engaged in a bitter struggle for Kannauj with the Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas. They discuss his patronage of Mahayana Buddhism, the artistic flowering of the 'Pala School,' and how his successors like Devapala sustained the empire. Lucas also touches on the decline under later Palas and the legacy of their libraries and bronzes. Specific details include the Tripartite Struggle, the Somapura Mahavihara, and the role of the Buddhist scholar Atisha. The conversation avoids rehashing earlier episodes on Mughals, famines, or the 1971 war, offering a fresh lens on pre-Islamic Bengal.

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