Kamboja Dynasty of Bengal - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Kamboja-Pala Dynasty ruled parts of Bengal

Bengal

Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

in the 10th to 11th centuries CE, gradually gaining independence from their former liege lords, the Palas

Pala Empire

The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...

Origins

During the last centuries BCE, many clans of the Kambojas

Kambojas

The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

entered India in alliance the with Saka

Saka

The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....

s, Pahlavas, Yavanas and spread into Sindhu, Saurashtra, Malwa, Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

, Punjab

Punjab region

The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...

and Surasena. The Kamboh Darwaza in the city of Meerut is named after the Kambojas. An offshoot of these Kambojas moved eastwards and entered Bengal

Bengal

, Bihar

Bihar

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

and Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

and in 10th century, they founded a large empire in north-west Bengal. Kamboja chieftains were employed by the Pala dynasty following Devapala

Devapala

Deva Pala , was a powerful emperor from the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the third king in the line and had succeeded his father, emperor Dharamapala...

's conquests due to the lack of native cavalry in Bengal

Bengal

Ancient sources on Kamboja Rule in Bengal

There are several ancient inscriptions which attest Kamboja

Kambojas

rule in Bengal and Bihar

Bihar

. The most important sources are:

Dinajpore Pillar Inscription

The Dinajpur Pillar Inscription makes mention of a certain Kamboja king called the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati (i.e. lord of Gauda

Gauda

*Sanskrit ' :**Gauḍa region is a historical country in eastern India, which included Gaur in Bengal, of its eponymous capital, and of its inhabitants .**The ' , a branch of Panch-Gauda...

, born in Kamboja family). The Pillar Inscription was originally established in a Siva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

Temple

A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...

which was built by Kambojanvaya Gaudapati in Gauda country. But during Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

rule, the Pillar was brought to Bangar about 40 miles east of Gauda. During 18th century AD, 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.

According Dr R. C. Majumdar, Kunjarghatavarsheyan was a personal name of Kambojanvaya Gaudapati, but that may also imply his epithet. The imperial title Gaudapati (Gaudeshawara) as testified by the Dinajpore Pillar Inscription is obviously his imperial title. Term Kambojanvaya implies that he belonged to the Kamboja

Kambojas

lineage. The inscription further reveals that Kambojanvaya Gaudapati was a devotee

Bhakti

In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...

of lord Siva

Shiva

. The date of this record has been shown to be 888 Saka

Saka

The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....

, though this is stated to be doubtful (Dr R. C. Majimdar). Scholars state that the Dinajpore Pillar Inscription belongs to the second half of 10th c AD.

Irda Copper Plate (Tamrapatra)

Irda Copper plate (Irda Tamarapatra) is another very important source on the Kamboja-Pala dynasty of Bengal. The Copper Plate was discovered in 1931 from a landlord named Mrityunjaya Narayan Prahraj of Irda, District Balasor in Orissa

Orissa

. The Inscription was edited by Dr N. G. Majumdar and published with his comments in 1934 in the Epigraphia Indica. Irda Copper plate is written in Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

tongue and has 49 lines of text written in ancient Bengali script

Writing system

A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...

. The Vamsa or the tribal

Tribe

A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...

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

Indian copper plate inscriptions

Indian copper plate inscriptions play an important role in the reconstruction of the history of India. Prior to their discovery, historians were forced to rely on ambiguous archaeological findings such as religious text of uncertain origin and interpretations of bits of surviving traditions,...

is also thought to belong to the second half of 10th c AD (Dr N. G. Majumdar, Dr R. C. Majumdar). Hence the scholar 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

Kambojas

family. But whereas the Dinajpur Pillar inscriptions refer just to one Kamboja ruler eith appellation as "Kambojanvaya Gaudapati", the Irda Copper plate, on the other hand, mentions generation after generation of the Kamboja-Pala kings of Bengal i.e. Rajyapala, Narayanapala and Nayapala etc. The Kamboja-Pala kings of Irda Copper plate had ruled north-west Bengal in 10/11th c.

Bangar Grant of Mahipala I

Bangar Charter of Mahipala I

Mahipala

Mahipala I is considered the second founder of the Pala dynasty. Gopala I established the dynastic rule of the Palas in the middle of the 8th century CE. The Pala Dynasty ruled Bengal and Bihar for about four centuries from the middle of the 8th century CE...

is the third very important ancient source of Kamboja rule in Bengal. The charter asserts that Mahipala had re-conquered nearly the whole of north and east Bengal "after defeating the usurpers who had seized his ancestral kingdom". The same verse has been repeated in the Aamgaachhi Charter of Vigrahapala-3. But "Who were the usurpers the inscription does not tell, but other evidences indicate that the rulers belonging to the Kamboja family were in possession of the north and west Bengal". Scholars believe that Mahipala's Charter alludes to the seizing of the northern parts of Bengal by Kamboja dynasty from the Gopala II or Vigrahapala II of the Pala dynasty, which the great king Mahipala I claims to have won back by the force of his arms

See: Kamboj in ancient Inscriptions for more information: Kambojas in ancient Inscriptions#Bengal Inscriptions

Extent of Kamboja Empire

No definite information is available on the precise geographical area of the Kamboja-Pala kingdom of Bengal. According to Irda Copper plate evidence, the Kamboja-Pala kingdom definitely comprised Varadhmana-Bhukti Mandala (modern Burdman division) and Dandabhukti Mandala within the Kamboja empire. The Dandabhukti division is believed to have comprised southern and south-western parts of district Midnapore

Midnapore

Midnapore is the district headquarters of Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River . This area had taken a pioneering role in India's freedom struggle...

as well as the lower parts of river Suvaranrekha in district Balasore

Balasore

Balasore is a strategically located city in the state of Orissa, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar, in eastern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It is best known for Chandipur beach. It is also the site of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense...

. Evidence from Dinajpore Pillar Inscription attests that the Gauda country also formed parts of Kamboja-Pala kingdom. But as long as we do not include northern Ladha (Radha or W. Bengal) in Kamboja-Pala empire, the region does not constitute one viable political entity. Hence it appears likely that northern parts of Radha may also formed parts of Kamboja-Pala kingdom. Dr R. C. Majumdar says that Gauda and Radha both formed parts of Kamboja-Pala empire During second half of the 10th century, Chandella king Yashovarman invaded the Palas and the Kambojas and he claims to have conquered Gauda and Mithila

Mithila

Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...

. It is also stated that Chandela chief Dhanga of Jejabhukti, the successor of Yashovarman, had invaded Radha towards the end of 10th century AD. As a consequence, the Kamboja power in the north Bengal received a severe jolt. This political scenario enabled the Pala king Mahipala I to re-conquer Gauda from the Kambojas. The last king of the Kambojas

Kambojas

was Dharamapala who continued to rule Dandabhukti in the first quarter of 11th century AD. The Capital of the Kamboja Pala kingdom is stated to be Pryangu which has not been identified yet, though some scholars tend to identify the same with an old village known as Pingvani located in Garvet Thana.

Known Kamboja Kings of Bengal

We know the names of three Kamboja

Kambojas

rulers of the Kamboja Pala family for sure viz. Rajyapala, Narayanapala and Nayapala. The Charter (Copper Plate Inscription) was issued by Kamboja king Nayapala wherein he and his father are given the imperial titles like Parameshevara, Paramabhattacharya and Maharajadhiraja. The Copper Plate Inscription also attests that the founder of the Kamboja Pala dynasty was king Rajyapala. He has been referred to as Kambojavamshatilaka Paramasaugata Maharajadhiraja parameshvara paramabhattAraka-Rajyapala. This proves that this line of kings belonged to the Kamboja

Kambojas

lineage. The second king is Narayanapala who was son of Rajayapala. Narayanapala was succeeded by his younger brother Nayapala, the author of the Irda Copper plate. Dr R. C. Majumdar states that the expression Kunjarghatavarshan of the Dinajpore Pillar Inscription indicates that Kunjarghatavarshan was personal name of Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of the Dinajpore Pillar Inscription. If this is so, then this Kambojanvaya Gaudapati is the fourth known Kamboja king of Kamboja dynasty of Bengal. Some scholars however believe that the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of the Dinajpore Pillar Inscriptions is same as Kambojavamshatilaka Rajyapala of the Irda Copper plate. This does not seem to be true since Rajyapala of the Irda Copper plate is described as devotee

Worship

Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...

of Buddha

Gautama Buddha

Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...

(Parama-saugata) where as Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of Dinajpore Pillar Inscriptions claims in his own inscription to be a Siva

Shiva

devotee

Bhakti

. It may however be possible that Kambojanvaya Gaudapati is same as Kamboja king Nayapala of the Irda Copper plate since king Nayapala also claims to be a Saivite (Siva devotee) in the Irda Copper plate. The last known ruler of the Kamboja Pala dynasty is stated to be king Dharamapala who ruled in Dandabhukti in first quarter of 11th century AD.

Pala Dynasty vs Kamboja-Pala Dynasty

Curiously, there are several similarities between the Kamboja Pala ruling family and the so-called Pala ruling family of Bengal: e.g.

The names Rajyapala, Narayanapala and Nayapala born by the Kamboja-Pala kings (mentioned in Irda Copper plates) are also born by Pala emperors of the (so-called) Pala dynasty of Bengal ,

The Kamboja-Pala king Rajyapala of Irda Copper plate and king Rajyapala (II) of the so-called Pala dynasty belong exactly to the same era and time frame,

Kamboja-Pala king Rajyapala of the Irda Copper plate and king Rajyapala (II) of the so-called Pala dynasty assumed exactly similar imperial titles i.e. Parmeshevara, Paramabhattacharya and Maharajadhiraja ,

Kamboja-Pala king Rajyapala of the Irda Copper plate and Rajyapala (II) of the so-called Pala dynasty have assumed exactly similar religious epithets i.e. Paramasaugata (devotee of the Buddha),

The queen of Kamboja-Pala king Rajyapala of Irda Copper plate is named Bhagyadevi, which very interestingly is also the name born by the queen of the so-called Pala king Rajyapala (II),

The Kamboja-Pala kings of Irda Copper plate as well as the Pala kings of the so-called Pala dynasty use 'Pala' as the last part of their names,

The Kamboja-Pala kings of Irda Copper plate as well as the Pala kings of the so-called Pala dynasty are known to have similar religious beliefs,

The script
Writing system
A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...

and language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...

of Irda Copper plate and that of the Dinajpur Pillar inscriptions belonging to the Kamboja-Pala dynasty is very identical to that of the numerous charters and grants of the kings of the so-called Pala dynasty of Bengal.

Based on these startling similarities, some scholars have gone to the extent of stating that the Pala dynasty and the Kamboja-Pala Dynasty of Irda Copper plate & Dinajpore Pillar Inscription is one and the same dynasty. But if this is really so, then the inescapable conclusion which must follow is that the unified Kamboja/Pala dynasty of Bengal must belong to the Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

lineage.

It is very curious to note that whereas the identity of the Kamboja Pala rulers of Bengal has been referred to twice and is indisputably connected to the Kamboja ethnicity, that of the Palas has nowhere been specifically stated in any of the Pala traditions in numerous of their Grants, Charters and Inscriptions (Dr D. C. Sircar). According to Manjuśree Mūlakalpa, Gopala I was a Śudra

Shudra

Shudra is the fourth Varna, as prescribed in the Purusha Sukta of the Rig veda, which constitutes society into four varnas or Chaturvarna. The other three varnas are Brahmans - priests, Kshatriya - those with governing functions, Vaishya - agriculturalists, cattle rearers and traders...

. Balla-Carita says that "The Palas were low-born Ksatriyas". Tibetan Historian Taranatha Lama, in his "History of Buddhism in India" and Ghanarama, in his "Dharma Mangala", (both of 16th century CE), also give the same story. Arabic accounts tell us that Palas were not kings of noble origin. According to Abu Fazal

Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak

Shaikh Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak also known as Abu'l-Fazl, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami was the vizier of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, and author of the Akbarnama, the official history of Akbar's reign in three volumes, and a Persian translation of the Bible...

(Ain-i-Akbari

Ain-i-Akbari

The Ain-i-Akbari or the "Institutes of Akbar", is a 16th century, detailed document recording the administration of emperor Akbar's empire, written by his vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak...

), Palas were Kayasthas. Khalimpur Plate of Dharmapala, son of Gopala I (the founder of the dynasty), states that Gopala was a son of a warrior (Khanditarat) Vapyata and grandson of a highly educated (Saryavidyavadat) Dayitavishnu. Ramachrita of Sandhyakaranandi attests Pala king Ramapala as a Kshatriya, but in another portion of the same text, Dharmapala is described as Smudrakula-dipa, though, the reason why the origin of the Palas has been ascribed to the Sea (Samudrakula) remains obsecure. In the Udaya-sundari-katha, a Champu-Kavya, written by Soddhala in the eleventh century, Pala king Dharmapala

Dharmapala

In Vajrayana Buddhism, a dharmapāla is a type of wrathful deity. The name means "Dharma-defender" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapālas are also known as the Defenders of the Law , or the Protectors of the Law, in English....

is said to have belonged to the family of Mandhata of the Ikshvaku

Ikshvaku

Ikshvaku pāli: Okkāka) was the first king of the Ikshvaku dynasty and founder of the Solar Dynasty of Kshatriyas in Vedic civilization in ancient India.-In Hinduism:He is remembered in Hindu scriptures as a righteous and glorious king...

line which is known to belong to solar race. It is also stated that they were born of a Ksatriya mother. "All these hear-says practically have no value at all for discussion".

The Kamauli Copper Plate inscription of king Vaidyadeva of Kamarupa (Assam

Assam

Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

) indisputably connects the Palas to the Kshatriyas of "Mihirasya vamsa" (Surya lineage).

Since Mihira means Sun or Sun worshipper, the expression Mihirasya implies connected with or relating to the Sun or Sun Worship (Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Mitra, Persian

Persian language

Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

Mithira > Mihira = Sun). According to Bhavishya Purana, the Mihira lineage originated from the union of Nishkubha, daughter of Rsi

RSI

-Business:*RADARSAT International, a subsidiary of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates*Red Sector Incorporated, a demo and "warez" group*Resource Software International Ltd., a communication management call accounting software company* Resin Systems Inc....

Rijihva and the Sun (Mihira). From this wedlock was born a sage called Zarashata, who apparently is Zoroaster

Zoroaster

Zoroaster , also known as Zarathustra , was a prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism who was either born in North Western or Eastern Iran. He is credited with the authorship of the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Gathas, hymns which are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrianism...

of the Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

ian traditions. Mihirasya Vamsa means Mihira Vamsa which is also found written as Mihirkula i.e. lineage of the Sun-worshippers. The reference to Mihirasya vamsa as being the lineage of the Palas of Bengal as attested independently by the Kamauli Grant of king Vaidyadeva of Assam holds a probable clue that the Palas may have come from the Sun-Worshipping lineage i.e. Iran

Iran

ian or Zoroastrian line of the Kambojas.

The fact that Gopala I

Gopala (Pala king)

Gopala was the founder of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal. The last morpheme of his name pala means "protector" and was used as an ending for the names of all the Pala monarchs...

, the founder of the so-called Pala dynasty was a Buddhist and that he has also been branded as a Śudra king may also carry a clue to his connections to the Kamboja lineage since the Kambojas were also predominantly Buddhists in post-Christian times and have also been branded as Vrishalas (degraded Kshatriyas or Śudras) in several Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

texts like Manu Smriti

Manu Smriti

' , also known as Mānava-Dharmaśāstra , is the most important and earliest metrical work of the Dharmaśāstra textual tradition of Hinduism...

, Mahabharata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

, Harivamsha and numerous Puranas

Puranas

The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...

. Also the fact that Gopala I's grandfather was a learned man, his father a warrior, and king Gopala himself was elected to the throne of Bengal, he therefore, was definitely not initially of a distinguished royal blood from the Hindu point of view. Some surmise that he may have been from a Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

lineage but since the Palas are called Śudras

Shudra

as well as Ksatriyas

Kshatriya

*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...

, these references qualify them more as the Indo-Iranian Kambojas than of any other lineage. The ancient Indian traditions also incidentally attest the scholarship and learning of the Kambojas who excelled in education and produced many outstanding teachers and sages in ancient and medieval times. Scholars further note that Vapyata, the grand father of Gopala I, had come into east from the north-west Punjab, which if true, definitely means Gandhara/Kamboja region.

It is notable that one section of scholars like Dr N. G. Majumdar, Chandra Chakrabarty, E. Vasey Westmacott etc. consider that the so-called Pala Rulers of Bengal (authors of Pala Empire
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...

) actually belonged to Kamboja race. Dr N. G. Majumdar was the original editor of Irda Copper plate, and had initially thought that the Pala Dynasty and the Kambboja Pala dynasty were two separate dynasties, but later on, had modified his views in light of new discovery which demonstrated that king Rajyapala-II of the so-called Pala dynasty, just like king Rajyapala of the Irda Copper plate, was found as adorned with religious epithet of Parama-saugata (devoted Buddhist) as well as the imperial title of the Maharajadhiraja. Based on this new evidence and earlier similarities, Dr N. G. Majumdar, had accordingly changed his views and got inclined to identify the Pala Dynasty of Bengal with the Kambojas, and thereby, also dispelling the earlier views on the origin of the Pala kings of Bengal.

Dr H. C. Ray however, has advised a policy of 'wait' till the discovery of more powerful evidence before we can say that the Pala dynasty and the Kamboja Pala Dynasty belonged to the Kamboja race. He oberserved: "I can only suggest that we must wait for more definite proof before we can say that the Palas were Kambojas". Dr Ramananda Chatterjee writes that "as regards the Kamboja origin of the Pala, one cannot be definite in the present state of our knowledge". Dr J. L. Kamboj cautions that if we identify Rajyapala of the Pala Dynasty with the Rajyapala

Rajyapala kamboja

Rajyapala of Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka was the founder of the Kamboja Pala dynasty of Bengal. This dynasty had ruled over northern and western Bengal. Four rulers of this dynasty are known who ruled, either over north-west Bengal or parts thereof, from second half of tenth century to the first quarter...

of the 'Irda Copper Plate', then we will have no option other than to accept that the Pala Dynasty of Bengal had sprang from the Kamboja race. Dr R. C. Majumdar advises that if we identify the Kamboja-vamsa-tilaka Rajyapala of the Irda Copper plate with the Rajyapala of the Pala dynasty, then we must also accept that after Rajyapla, the Pala empire had split up into two. Dr R. C. Majumdar further advises that "although the presumption about the identity (of the Palas with the Kambojas) is certainly a reasonable one, the evidence in favor of it can not be regarded as conclusive..".

In spite of the above, the probabilities of unification of two dynasties and their connection to Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

lineage seem to have tremendously increased though.
New Possible Interpretation of Dinajpore Inscription
The Rajyapala of Irda Copper plate has been referred to as Kambojavamshatilaka (i.e. belonging to the Kamboja lineane). If he and Rajyapala II of the Pala dynasty is one historical personage, then one shall have accept that the Palas dynasty originated from the Kambojas

Kambojas

. The only other source referring to the Kamboja rulers in Bengal

Bengal

is the Dinajpore Pillar Inscription which refers to a ruler Kambojanvaya Gaudapati and its date has been fixed to later half of 10th century. Up till recently, the scholars believed that the Kambojas could not have won Gauda

Gauda

*Sanskrit ' :**Gauḍa region is a historical country in eastern India, which included Gaur in Bengal, of its eponymous capital, and of its inhabitants .**The ' , a branch of Panch-Gauda...

without defeating the Palas of Bengal hence it was assumed that Kambojanvaya Gaudapati came as some foreign invader from the northern hills and wrested north and western Bengal from the Paslas. If it is proved that the Palas and the Kambojas are one people, the Dinajpore Pillar shall have to be interpreted differently i.e. . if the Palas and Kambojas are unified, then Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of the Dinajpore Pillar inscription shall have to be accepted as a representative of the Palas, and there shall be no need to assert that the Kambojas came as foreign invaders from the northern hills and wrested the Gauda from the Palas. The only basis of the so-called usurpation of Bengal by the Kambojas is the vague statement of king Mahpala I

Mahipala

, the author of Bangar Grant which asserts that Mahipala had re-conquered nearly the whole of north and east Bengal "after defeating the usurpers who had seized his ancestral kingdom" but "Who were the usurpers the inscription does not tell but other evidences indicate that the rulers belonging to the Kamboja family were in possession of the north and west Bengal. Scholars have only speculated that Mahipala's Charter alludes to 'seizing of the northern parts of Bengal from the Gopala II or Vigrahapala II by the Kambojas', which the great king claims to have won back by the force of his arms. If the two dynasties are united, then this may mean that Rajyapala II had three sons: Gopala II, Narayanpala and Nayapala. Gopala II inherited Magadha

Magadha

Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...

and northern Bengal while Narayanapala got rest of the empire including western Bengal. Narayanapala was thus rival and competitor of Gopala. Narayanapala was succeeded by his younger brother Nayapala. These two sons of Rajayapala, in all probability, were the usurpers of the ancestral land of Mahipala I, the grand son of Gopala II. This may be the reason as to why these two kings do not find any mention in the main genealogy of the Palas which was continued by Mahipala I

Mahipala

onwards. It is also interesting to note that the genealogy

Genealogy

Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...

of rulers mentioned in the Irda Copper plate of king Nayapala does not go beyond Rajyapala.
Religion of Kamboja rulers of Bengal
The Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of Dinajpore Pillar Inscriptions is stated to be a builder of Siva

Shiva

temple

Temple

and therefore was devotee

Bhakti

of Siva. He is said to be a great bestower of the charities. Kambojavamsatilaka Rajayapala, the first king of the Irda Copper plate is referred to as Parama-saugata (devotee of Buddha). The third ruler Narayanapala Kamboja is stated to be a devotee of god Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

. King Nayapala Kamboja, the author of Irda Copper plate is known to have practiced Siva cult. There is no information on the Kamboja ruler Dharamapala, but it appears likely that he may have also been a Vedic

Historical Vedic religion

The religion of the Vedic period is a historical predecessor of Hinduism. Its liturgy is reflected in the mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites...

follower i.e. either Saivite or a Vishnu devotee. The Irda Copper plate has references to Hindu

Hindu

gods, high rising temple buildings as well as to the sacred smokes rising from the Yagya fires into the skies. This again alludes to the Hinduism of the Pala Kambojas. Irda Copper plate also makes special references to the Purohits, Kritivajyas, Dharmagyas and other holy officials. Thus we find that the Kamboja kings of Bengal were mostly Vedic

Historical Vedic religion

Hindu

s, of course, with the exception of king Rajyapala. Mention is made of grants of lands and villages to the Purohits in the Burdwan district of east Bengal. According to Prof R. C. Majumdar: "More significant, however, is the inclusion of Purohits in the land grants of the Kamboja

Kambojas

, Varman

Varman

Varman is a village in Sirohi District in Rajasthan state in India. It is 45 km from Abu Road and formerly known as Brahmana.It was a prosperous town in the past. The place was famous for Sun Temple known as Brahmana Svamin. The temple is also called Surya Narayana and was built in the seventh...

and Sena

Sena

The word sena literally means army in Hindi and Bangla, and to praise in arabic language.In Benin, West Africa, the name SENA means "bringing Heaven to Earth".Sena could also refer to:-Places:...

kings of Bengal

Bengal

. It indicates the great importance was attached to religious and social aspects of administration during rules of these dynasties which were all followers of orthodox Hinduism." (History of Bengal, Vol I., p 281, Dr R. C. Majumdar Dr B. N. Sen says that the Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

which had followers in the early Pala and Candra rulers was probably on the decline in Bengal during 10th c AD. On the other hand, the Vedic religion

Historical Vedic religion

was on the rise. Since the Kamboja Pala kings of Bengal were mostly Vedic

Historical Vedic religion

Hindu

s, hence they must have got full support from their subject which must have helped them raise a powerful empire in Bengal.
Kambojas in Caste System of Bengal
In the ancient caste classification in Bengal, there are references to people who came as invaders from northwest or accompanied the invaders. These people have been described as Mlechchas in the brahmanical Caste System in Bengal. Ancient Sanskrit

Sanskrit

and Pali

Páli

- External links :* *...

texts and inscriptions profusely attest the Kambojas as a Mlechcha tribe

Tribe

of Uttarapatha

Uttarapatha

Ancient Buddhist and Hindu texts use Uttarapatha as the name of the northern part of Jambudvipa, one of the "continents" in Hindu mythology.The name is derived from the Sanskrit terms uttara, for north, and patha, for road...

or Udichya division belonging to Indo-Iranian

Indo-Iranians

Indo-Iranian peoples are a linguistic group consisting of the Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dardic and Nuristani peoples; that is, speakers of Indo-Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family....

or Scytho-Aryan and not to the Mongolian stock. The north-westerners including the Kambojas

Kambojas

, Saka

Saka

The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....

s, Huna

Huna

For other uses, see HunaHuna is a Hawaiian word adopted by Max Freedom Long in 1936 to describe his theory of metaphysics which he linked to ancient Hawaiian kahuna...

s, Yavanas, Abhiras, Khasas

Khasas

The Khasas / Khas or Khasiyas are an ancient people, believed to be a section of the Indo-Iranians who originally belonged to Central Asia from where they had penetrated, in remote antiquity, the Himalayas through Kashgar and Kashmir and dominated the whole hilly region...

, Sabaras, Turushakas, Suhmas etc. have all been labelled as outsiders, foreigners or Mlechchas within the Bengali society and therefore were left outside the Caste Classification of ancient Bengal. http://tanmoy.tripod.com/bengal/caste.html
Compare also: Part-II: VI. Ancient peoples of Bengal: https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no27183.htm.
Evidence on Later Kamboja Rulers in Bengal
There is a literary evidence which attests one Kamboja king known as Jagan Nath ruling in Bengal as late as that 16th century AD. King Jagan Nath is stated to have patronized a Brahmana

Brahmana

The Brāhmaṇas are part of the Hindu śruti literature. They are commentaries on the four Vedas, detailing the proper performance of rituals....

scholar Sura Mishra who had composed Jagannathaprakasa, a Smriti Granth in honor of this Kamboja king:

Ashesh.Kambojakula.vatansah Shri Jagana Natha iti parsidhah

Akaryad dharmanibandhmaytam dhradhipaiapayairkablai nreshe

This shows that the Kamboja rule in some parts of Bengal must have continued, as late as 16th century AD.
Opinions of Some Scholars
Dr V. A. Smith:

"During the later part of tenth century, the rule of Palas was interrupted by the intrusion of hillmen known as Kambojas, who set up one of their chief as the king. His rule is commemorated by an inscribed pillar at Dinajpore created apparently in AD 966"

Dr Benjamin Walker
Benjamin Walker
Benjamin Walker is the truncated pen name of George Benjamin Walker, who also writes under the pseudonym Jivan Bhakar...

:

"A branch of Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

seem to have migrated eastwards along the Himalayan foothills, hence their notices in the Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

an and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

i chronicles. Later, they entered the Gangetic plains and by nine century AD came into conflict with the Palas of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

. In the 10th c, the Pala rule in Bengal was terminated by Kambojas who had set up one of their chiefs as king. The Kamboja rule in Bengal lasted until they were deposed by resurgent Palas in 980 AD. The descendants of Kambojas are still found in Northern Bengal

Dr P. C. Baghci:

"The Kambojas, a nomadic tribe, lived beyond Himalayas in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

. One of their branches entered India in very early times and after a while lost its identity as distinct people by merging into the local population, but other batches of them must have entered east Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

and the valley of Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....

from another direction. By this assumption only, we can explain why the name Kambuja was given to the kingdom founded in the middle valley of the Mekong. In eastern Tibet their name can be traced in the name of the province of Khams and it was probably from this region that the Kamboja invasion of Assam took place in later times. A branch of them migrated to North Bengal at an early period though their actual invasion came at a later date"

Dr B. C. Law:

"In 9th c AD, the Kambojas are said to have been defeated by Devapala, the great king of the Pala dynasty of Bengal. But during latter part of 10th c, the tables were turned and the rule of Palas kings was interrupted by the Kambojas, who had set up one of their chiefs as a king. In a certain place called Vanagarh in Dinajpore, mention is made of a certain king of Gauda, born in Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

family. It is probable that during the reign of Devapaladeva, the Kambojas first attempted to conquer Gauda
Gauda
*Sanskrit ' :**Gauḍa region is a historical country in eastern India, which included Gaur in Bengal, of its eponymous capital, and of its inhabitants .**The ' , a branch of Panch-Gauda...

, but were, at that time defeated. Dr. R. R. Chanda supposes that in the middle of 10th c AD, the Kambojas of Himalayas again attacked North-Bengal and took away north-east Bengal from them. The present inhabitants of North Bengal viz Koch
Koch dynasty
The Koch dynasty of Assam and Bengal, named after the Koch tribe, emerged as the dominant ruling house in the Kamata kingdom in 1515 after the fall of the Khen dynasty in 1498...

, Mech and Palia were descended from them. The Kamboja rule in Bengal was terminated by Mahapala I, the 9th king of Pala line, who is known to have been reigning in AD 1026 and may be assumed to have regained his ancestral throne from Kambojas at about 980 AD" .

B. G. Karlsson:

Cf: "The Rajbansis (which means of 'royal race') intellectuals have traced their lineage to the purer ancient Kamboj dynasty in the northwestern India. It was the wrath of Parsurama that forced them away from their original homeland and led them to settle in north Bengal (Basu 1994, p 59-61)".

Hasna Jasimuddin Mouddud:

Cf: After Devapala's death, the decline of the Pala dynasty in North India was rapid. Northern Bengal was first invaded and annexed by the king of Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...

, Mahendrapala, sometime before 898 AD and later northern and western Bengal were annexed by the Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

, a powerful hill tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...

from the north or the east India"

R. R. Diwarkar:

"In course of his military campaign, Pala king Devapala
Devapala
Deva Pala , was a powerful emperor from the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the third king in the line and had succeeded his father, emperor Dharamapala...

is said to have reached Kamboja. The Kambojas of ancient India are known to have been living in north-west, but in this period, they are known to have been living in the north-east India also, and very probably, it was meant Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

. Thus Devapala might have come into conflict with Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

, there is nothing surprising in this because Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

an sources claim that their kings Khri-Srong-Ide-Btson and his son Mu-Tag-Btsan-Po subdued India and forced Dharamapala to submit. Devapala may have also clashed with them and defeated them"

Alternative View (in line with view of R. R. Diwarkar)

A branch of the Pamir
Pamir
Pamir may refer to:* a pamir, a U-shaped grassy valley in the Pamir Mountains**Great Pamir, a high valley in the Wakhan on the border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan**Little Pamir, a high valley in the Wakhan, Afghanistan...

ian Kambojas seems to have migrated eastwards towards Tibet hence their notice in the chronicles of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

(Kam-po-tsa, Kam-po-ce, Kam-po-ji) and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

(Kambojadesa). Burmese chronicles refer to it as Kampuchih. The Pamirian Kambojas may have receded to Tibet in wake of the Kushana (1st century) or Huna
Huna
For other uses, see HunaHuna is a Hawaiian word adopted by Max Freedom Long in 1936 to describe his theory of metaphysics which he linked to ancient Hawaiian kahuna...

(5th century) pressure. Later the same Kamboja branch appears to have moved towards Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

from where they may have invaded Bengal during the bad days of the Palas and wrested north Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

. Fifth century AD Brahma Purana
Brahma Purana
The Brahma Purana is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. The extant text comprises 246 chapters. It is divided into two parts, namely the Purvabhaga and the Uttarabhaga . The first part narrates the story behind the creation of the cosmos, details the life and...

mentions Kambojas around Pragjyotisha and Tamraliptika. Buddhist text Sasanavamsa also attests the Kambojas in/around Assam. These Kambojas had made first bid to conquer Bengal during the reign of king Devapala (810 AD-850 AD) but were repulsed. A latter attempt was crowned with success when they were able to deprive the Palas of the suzerainty over North and West Bengal and set up a Kamboja dynasty in Bengal towards the middle of 10th century AD.

A Short History of Bengal

"On the other hand, they may be the Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

from north west India from where the Pala used to get their horses, the Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

ans, or the Koca tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...

(the related tribe Mleca may be the origin of the term Mleccha). There is also a south India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n reference to a Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

king gifting a stone to Rajendra Cola for the Nataraja temple. Other references to Kambojas abound in the ancient literature, and this may have been just the expansion of an Indo-European
Proto-Indo-Europeans
The Proto-Indo-Europeans were the speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language , a reconstructed prehistoric language of Eurasia.Knowledge of them comes chiefly from the linguistic reconstruction, along with material evidence from archaeology and archaeogenetics...

tribe with both Persian and Indic
Indic
Indic can refer to:* Indo-Aryan languages* Indic scripts* Related to the Indian Subcontinent* of or related to India ; see Indica...

affinity from their homeland in the Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

-Turkistan
Türkistan
*Türkistan is the local name for Turkestan, a region of Central Asia.*Türkistan, Kazakhstan is a historic city and place of pilgrimage in southern Kazakhstan...

(Some relate their name to Cambyses
Cambyses
Cambyses can refer to two ancient rulers and two plays:-*Cambyses I, King of Anshan 600 to 559 BCE*Cambyses II, King of Persia 530 to 522 BCE*Cambyses, a tragedy by Thomas Preston...

of the Achaemenian empire of early 6th cent BC) region along the foothills of the Himalayas towards Bengal, along the coast to Gujarat, to Ceylon, and maybe to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

. Extracted from: "http://tanmoy.tripod.com/bengal/index.html

Dr Debala Mitra:

"A section of the Kambojas, originally living on the north-western frontier of India, most probably in Afghanistan, and belonging to the Parasaka vanna, according to the Buddhaghosa, came and permanently settled in different parts of India. They lent their name to some of the localities occupied by them. A few of the families went to the extent of carving out principalities like the one temporarily eclipsing the fortunes of the Palas of eastern India (Bengal) in the tenth century A.D. …..".

Dr A. D. Pusalkar:

"It is held by some scholars that the Kambojas were a hill tribe from tribe from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

or other regions who had conquered Bengal. But it is more likely that some high official of the Palas belonging to the Kamboja family or tribe took advantage of the weakness of the Pala kings and set up an independent kingdom".

Dr R. C. Majumdar:

"The Palas employed mercenaries forces, and certainly recruited horses from Kamboja tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...

. N. G. Majumdar has very rightly observed that if horses could be brought into Bengal from north-western frontiers of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

during Pala period, it is not unreasonable to suppose that for trade and other purposes, some adventurers could also have found their way into that province". Mercenary soldiers (speciality cavalry) might have been recruited from Kambojas and some of them might have been influential chiefs. It has been suggested that the Kambojas might have come to Bengal with the Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...

s when the latter conquered part of this province Indian.

Airavat Singh

"Devpala in the 9th Century repeated his father's feat by leading an army into the Punjab region
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...

and further north into the lands of Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

(near the Indus). But no territory was gained in this campaign—even the neighboring kingdoms of Kamarupa (Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

) and Utkala (Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

) were only compelled to render tribute. The two successors of Devapala were more religious-minded and in that period the Pratihars
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...

annexed both Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...

and Varendri (Bengal) while Kamarupa and Utkala also resumed independence. To make matters worse feudatories of the Palas also carved out their own states like the Chandras of East Bengal and the Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

of Radha—the latter are believed to be descendants of the Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

officers and men that had joined the army of Devapala
Devapala
Deva Pala , was a powerful emperor from the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the third king in the line and had succeeded his father, emperor Dharamapala...

during his campaign in their country near the Indus....". http://horsesandswords.blogspot.com/

Dr. H. C. Ray:

Dr. H. C. Ray writes that Kamboja rulers of Bengal came from Punjab with Gurjara Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...

s. The Kambojas had joined the forces of Gurjara Pratiharas and there were separate regiments of the Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

in the Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...

army which were entrusted with the defense of north-eastern borders of the Pratihara empire. The Kambojas did not leave the province after the collapse of Pratihara power. They rather took advantage of the weakness of the Pala kings and set up an independent kingdom which was not a difficult task for them Dr H. C. Ray also writes: "I must also admit however, that the Kambojas of Bengal may also have come from north-west as mercenaries and then formed into an independent army under a Kamboja chief by successful rebellion"

Dr H. Chander Raychaudhury:

Dr Hem Chander Raychaudhury also states that the Kambojas came to Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

with the armies of the Gurjara Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...

s

Nagendra Nath Vasu"

According to Nagendra Nath Vasu, the Kambojas came to Bengal from Kambey in Gujarat

Dr Jogindra Ghosh:

Dr Jogindra Ghosh also says that the Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

rulers of Bengal had come from the Kambey in Gujarat, but curiously he connects the Kamboja rulers of Bengal with the Pratiharas of Gujarat.

Dr J. L. Kamboj:

According to Dr J. L. Kamboj, during second/first centuries BCE, many clans of the Kambojas entered India in alliance the with Sakas, Pahlavas, Yavanas and spread into Sindhu, Saurashtra, Malwa, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

, Punjab and Surasena. The Kamboh Darwaza in the city of Meerut is named after the Kambojas. An offshoot of these Kambojas moved eastwards and entered Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and in 10th century, they founded a large empire in north-west Bengal.

Dr B. R. Chattetjee:

Interestingly, Dr B. R. Chattetjee supposes that the Kambojas who founded the Kamboja empire in Bengal may have come from the Kambuja of Indo China.

Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...

Kamboja Migration

Pala Empire
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...

Gopala
Gopala (Pala king)
Gopala was the founder of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal. The last morpheme of his name pala means "protector" and was used as an ending for the names of all the Pala monarchs...

Dharmapala
Dharmapala of Bengal
Dharama Pala was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the son and succeessor of Gopala , the founder of the Pala Dynasty. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the Pala Empire founded by his father and made the Palas the most dominant power in...

Devapala
Devapala
Deva Pala , was a powerful emperor from the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the third king in the line and had succeeded his father, emperor Dharamapala...

Mahipala
Mahipala
Mahipala I is considered the second founder of the Pala dynasty. Gopala I established the dynastic rule of the Palas in the middle of the 8th century CE. The Pala Dynasty ruled Bengal and Bihar for about four centuries from the middle of the 8th century CE...

Middle Kingdoms of India
Middle kingdoms of India
Middle kingdoms of India refers to the political entities in India from the 3rd century BC after the decline of the Maurya Empire, and the corresponding rise of the Satavahana dynasty, beginning with Simuka, from 230 BC...

Books and Megazines

The History and Culture of Indian People, The Classical Age, Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar
The History and Culture of Indian People, The Age of Imperial Kanauja, Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar
The History and Culture of Indian People, The Struggle For Empire, Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar
Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country, 1981, Dr J. L. Kamboj
The Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, S Kirpal Singh
These Kamboja People, 1979, Kirpal Singh Dardi
The Rise and Decline of Buddhism in India, 1995, (The Kamboja-Pala Dynasty (c. AD 911-92), Chapter 9), Kanai Lal Hazra.
The People and Culture of Bengal: A Study in Origins, Volume 1— Part 1 & 2, 2002, Annapurna Chattopadhyaya.
Kamboj Itihaas, (Punjabi), 1972, H. S. Thind
Ancient India, 2003, Dr V. D. Mahajan
A Critical Study of The Geographical Data in the Early Purana, 1972, Dr M. R. Singh
History of Bengal, Part I, 1971, Dr R. C. Majumdar
Some Historical Aspects of the Inscriptions of Bengal, 1962, B. C. Sen
The Dynastic History of Northern India, II, Dr H. C. Ray
Some Kshatria Tribes of Ancient India, 1924, Dr B. C. Law
Candelas of Jejabhukti, R. K. Dikshit
Hindu World, Vol I, 1968, Benjamin Walker
Jataka, 1957, Fausboll
District Gazeteer, Rajashahi,1915
India and Central Asia, 1956, Dr P. C. Bagchi
History of the Origin and Development of the Bengali Language, 1926, Dr S. K. Chatterjee
Early History of India, 1957, Dr V. A. Smith
Decline of the Kingdom of Magadha, 1953, B. P. Sinha
Dacca University Studies, Vol I, No 2
Bharatvarsha, 1344 (Bangala Samvata)
Library of India Office, Vol II, Part II
Modern Review, 1937, N. G. Majumdar
Epigraphia Indica, Vol V, XII, XXII, XXIV
Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol XV-4, 1939
Bihar Through the Ages, 1958, Ed, R. R. Diwarkar
Journal of Proceedings of Royal Society of Bengal (NS), Vol VII

External links

Kamboja Rule in Bengal: http://indiaculture.net/talk/messages/128/9735.html?1024102308
Bengal in the Pala and Varmana Period—Rise of Independent Kingdoms: http://tanmoy.tripod.com/bengal/pala.html

See: BANGLAPEDIA Links below:
The Chandra Dynasty:http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/C_0124.htm
Mahipala I: http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/M_0066.htm
Trailokyachandra: http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/T_0208.htm
Pala Dynasty:http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/P_0037.htm
Dandabhukti:http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/D_0021.htm
Kamata-Koch Behar:http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/K_0064.htm
History of Bangla, then Bangladesh: http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:-y2qycCqlk0J:banglacricket.com/alochona/viewthread.php%3Ffid%3D4%26tid%3D9976%26action%3Dprintable+Banglapedia+kamboja&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=12
Military History & Fiction (Bihar, Nepal, and Orissa), Airavat Singh http://horsesandswords.blogspot.com/

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