Shurapala I

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Shurapala I

| image = Indian Kanauj triangle map.svg

| caption = Pala empire with neighbours

| succession = Pala Emperor

| predecessor = Mahendrapala

| successor = Gopala II

| dynasty = Pala

| father = Devapala

| mother = Mahata Devi

| queen = Manikyadevi

| issue = Gopala II

| reign = {{circa}} mid-9th century

}}

Shurapala I (also spelt Surapala) was a 9th-century ruler of the Pala Empire, in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. He was the fifth Pala emperor. He ruled for at least 12 years.

Ancestry

Previously, the historians believed that Shurapala and Vigrahapala were the two names of the same person. However, the discovery of a copper plate in 1970 in the Mirzapur district conclusively established that these two were cousins. They either ruled simultaneously (perhaps over different territories) or in rapid succession.{{cite book | author=Susan L. Huntington | title=The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLA3AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA32 | date=1 January 1984 | publisher=Brill Archive | isbn=90-04-06856-2 }}{{rp|32–37}} If they ruled in succession, it seems more likely that Shurapala preceded Vigrahapala, since Vigrahapala I and his descendants ruled in unbroken succession. Vigrahapala either dethroned Shurapala, or replaced him peacefully in absence of any direct heir to the throne.{{cite book | author=Dilip Kumar Ganguly | title=Ancient India, History and Archaeology | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N2tlKzxwhY8C&pg=PA27 | date=1 January 1994 | publisher=Abhinav Publications | isbn=978-81-7017-304-5 | pages=29 }}

Earlier, it was believed that Shurapala and Vigrahapala succeeded Devapala. However, the discovery of a copper plate charter at Jagjivanpur indicates that Shurapala was preceded by Mahendrapala. Both were sons of Devapala and his queen Mahata.{{cite book | title=Dimensions of Human Cultures in Central India: Professor S.K. Tiwari Felicitation Volume | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jUwFL3IipK0C&pg=PA239 | year= 2001 | publisher=Sarup & Sons | isbn=978-81-7625-186-0 | page=239 }} According to the Jagjivanpur inscription Shurapala I was Mahendrapala's younger brother and royal envoy.{{cite book | author1=Niharranjan Ray | author2=Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya | title=A Sourcebook of Indian Civilization | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zcyho16xzWEC&pg=PA623 | date=1 January 2000 | publisher=Orient Blackswan | isbn=978-81-250-1871-1 | pages=621–623}}

Reign

Based on the different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historical records, the different historians estimate Shurapala's reign as follows:{{rp|32–37}}

class="wikitable"

! Historian

! Estimate of reign

RC Majumdar (1971)

| 850–853 (along with Vigrahapala I)

AM Chowdhury (1967)

| 861–866 (along with Vigrahapala I)

BP Sinha (1977)

| 860–865 (along with Vigrahapala I)

DC Sircar (1975–76)

| 850–858