PALA Dynasty:Its founder, Gopala, was a local chieftain who rose to power in the mid-8th CENTURY during a period of anarchy.His successor, Dharmapala, greatly expanded the kingdom and for a while was in CONTROL of Kannauj.The incredible Buddhist complex of Paharpur was created under the Pala dynasty in Bengal and FOSTERED by successive leaders.The Pala dynasty ruled the regions of Bengal and Bihar for about 400 years, from the 8th century until the end of the 11th century, with about 20 leaders on the throne during the period.To begin to understand the Pala Dynasty, it's useful to look at the state of affairs when the first ruler took power.The region that is now north-eastern India and Bangladesh had been in a state of anarchy for about a century following the fall of the POST Gupta dynasty. Feudal lords had found themselves in a cycle of a petty conflict with no obvious path to resolution.It wasn't until one feudal lord named Gopala managed to gain the support of other leaders that stability started to emerge.Through a democratic process, he took control of the region called Varendra, made up of north-western Bangladesh, West Bengal, and the Indian area of Bihar. He would be the founder and first ruler of the Pala Empire. It was the dynasty's second ruler, the son of Gopala, who would have the biggest impact, though.His name was King Dharma Pala Deva (also known as Dharmapala) and he greatly expanded the territory of the empire, spreading across northern India. He is regarded as an efficient administrator and, during this period, the region flourished economically