Kamboja-Pala Dynasty of Bengal
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The Kamboja-Pala dynasty ruled parts of Bengal in the 10th to 11th centuries CE, after invading during the reign of Gopala II, the Palas. The last Kamboja ruler of the Kamboja-Pala Dynasty Dharmapala was defeated by the south Indian Emperor Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty in the 11th century.
During the last centuries BCE, many clans of the Kambojas entered India in alliance with the Sakas, Pahlavas, Yavanas and spread into Sindhu, Saurashtra, Malwa, Rajasthan, Punjab and Surasena. An offshoot of the Meerut Kambojas moved eastwards and entered the Pala domains and in the 10th century, conquering north-west Bengal. Kamboja tribes were employed by the Palas following Devapala's conquests due to the lack of native cavalry in Bengal
There are several ancient inscriptions which attest Kamboja rule in Bengal and Bihar. The most important sources are:
The Dinajpur Pillar Inscription records to a Kamboja king called the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati (i.e. lord of Gauda).. The Pillar Inscription was originally established in a Siva temple that was built by the king but removed to Bangar, about 40 miles east of Gauda, during the period of Muslim rule. During 18th century, the Pillar was further moved to Dinajpore by Maharaja Ram Nath and as a result, the inscription came to be known as Dinajpore Pillar Inscription. The Dinajpore Pillar Inscription dates to the second half of 10th century.
The Irda Copper plate (Irda Tamarapatra) is another source on the Kamboja-Pala dynasty and was discovered in 1931. It is written in Sanskrit and has 49 lines of text in ancient Bengali script. The Vamsa or the tribal identity of the rulers mentioned in the Irda Copper Plate is specifically stated to be Kamboja-Vamsha-Tilaka (i.e. Ornament of the Kamboja family or Glory of the Kamboja tribe). Like the Dinajpore Pillar Inscriptions, the Irda Copper plate is also thought to belong to the second half of tenth century (Dr N. G. Majumdar, Dr R. C. Majumdar). Hence the academic community believes that the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of Dinajpore Pillar Inscriptions and the Kambojavamshatilaka Paramasaugata Maharajadhiraja parameshvara paramabhattaraka Rajyapala of Kamboja-Pala dynasty of Irda Copper Plate Inscriptions refers to the same Kamboja family. But whereas the Dinajpur Pillar inscriptions refer just to one Kamboja ruler with the appellation of "Kambojanvaya Gaudapati", the Irda Copper plate, mentions generation after generation of the Kamboja-Pala kings of Bengal i.e. Rajyapala, Narayanapala and Nayapala etc. The Kamboja-Pala kings of the Irda Copper plate had ruled north-west Bengal in tenth or eleventh century.
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