Mahendrapala

Mahendrapala (r. c. 839–854) was the fourth king of the Pala dynasty of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. He was the son of Devapala and his queen Mahata.

==Reign== thumb|Copper plate inscription of Mahendrapala, at the State Archaeological Museum in Kolkata. Mahendrapala has been mentioned in some Pala records, but earlier, the historians used to believe that these mentions referred to the Gurjara-Pratihara king Mahendrapala I. However, the discovery of the Jagjivanpur copper plate charter issued by Mahendrapala made it clear that he was a distinct Pala emperor, who succeeded Devapala. The charter, issued in the 7th year of Mahendrapala's reign (believed to be 854 CE), mentions the construction of a monastery at Nandadirghika Udranga by Mahendrapala's mahasenapati ("great general") Vajradeva. The grant is dated in his 7th regnal year and issued from the Kuddalakhataka jayaskandhavara (the camp of victory).