Mahendrapala I Gurjar Pratihar

Mahendrapala I (885–910) was a ruler of Pratihara dynasty, the son of Mihir Bhoja I and queen Candra-Bhatta-Rika-Devi. He was also mentioned on various inscriptions in Kathiawar, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh by names Mahindrapala, Mahendrayudha, Mahisapaladeva, and also Nirbhayaraja and Nirbhayanarendra in the plays of Rajasekhara.^[1][2]

Reign

Inscriptions discovered at Ramgaya, opposite the Gadadhar temple at Gaya, at Guneria in the southern part of the Gaya district, at Itkhori in the Hazaribagh district of Bihar and at Paharpur in the northern part of the Rajshahi district of Bengal, describe his reign.

The greater part of Magadha up to even northern Bengal had come under the suzerainty of the monarch Mahendrapala I.^[3]: 21

In north his authority was extended up to the foot of the Himalayas. Gwalior was also under his control as the Siyadoni inscription mentions him the ruling sovereign in 903 and 907 A.D.. Thus, he retained the empire transmitted to him by his father Mihir Bhoja and also added some part of Bengal by defeating Palas.^[4]

In Dinajpur an inscription pillar of Mahendrapala has been found. A prosperous village on the bank of river Srimati is called Pratirajpur.^[5]

Preceded byMihira Bhoja (835–890)

Gurjara Pratihara Emperor 890–910

Succeeded byBhoja II (910–913)