<P> The resurgent Hindu Sena dynasty dethroned the Pala Empire in the 12th century, ending the reign of the last major Buddhist imperial power in the Indian subcontinent . The Pala period is considered one of the golden eras of Bengali history . The Palas brought stability and prosperity to Bengal after centuries of civil war between warring divisions . They advanced the achievements of previous Bengali civilisations and created outstanding works of art and architecture . They laid the basis for the Bengali language, including its first literary work, the Charyapada . The Pala legacy is still reflected in Tibetan Buddhism . </P> <P> According to the Khalimpur copper plate inscription, the first Pala king Gopala was the son of a warrior named Vapyata . The Ramacharitam attests that Varendra (North Bengal) was the fatherland (Janakabhu) of the Palas . The ethnic origins of the dynasty are unknown, although the later records claim that Gopala was a Kshatriya belonging to the legendary Solar dynasty . The Ballala - Carita states that the Palas were Kshatriyas, a claim reiterated by Taranatha in his History of Buddhism in India as well as Ghanaram Chakrabarty in his Dharmamangala (both written in the 16th century CE). The Ramacharitam also attests the fifteenth Pala emperor, Ramapala, as a Kshatriya . Claims of belonging to the legendary Solar dynasty are unreliable and clearly appear to be an attempt to cover up the humble origins of the dynasty . The Pala dynasty has also been branded as Śudra in some sources such as Manjushri - Mulakalpa; this might be because of their Buddhist leanings . According to Abu'l - Fazl ibn Mubarak (in Ain - i - Akbari), the Palas were Kayasthas . There are even accounts that claim Gopala may have been from a Brahmin lineage . </P> <P> After the fall of Shashanka's kingdom, the Bengal region was in a state of anarchy . There was no central authority, and there was constant struggle between petty chieftains . The contemporary writings describe this situation as matsya nyaya ("fish justice" i.e. a situation where the big fish eat the small fish). Gopala ascended the throne as the first Pala king during these times . The Khalimpur copper plate suggests that the prakriti (people) of the region made him the king . Taranatha, writing nearly 800 years later, also writes that he was democratically elected by the people of Bengal . However, his account is in form of a legend, and is considered historically unreliable . The legend mentions that after a period of anarchy, the people elected several kings in succession, all of whom were consumed by the Naga queen of an earlier king on the night following their election . Gopal, however managed to kill the queen and remained on the throne . The historical evidence indicates that Gopala was not elected directly by his citizens, but by a group of feudal chieftains . Such elections were quite common in contemporary societies of the region . </P> <P> Gopala's ascension was a significant political event as the several independent chiefs recognised his political authority without any struggle . </P>

Who was the first ruler of pala dynasty