Gaudeshwar Mahipala - The Hindu King who Saved Varanasi from Mahmud Gaznavi
Gaudeshwar Parambhattaraka Mahipala - the Pala dynasty Monarch of Bengal who resisted invasion of Gaznavids & saved Varanasi
Gaudeshwar Parambhattaraka Mahipala l (গৌড়েশ্বর পরমভট্টারক মহীপাল/ गौड़ेश्वर परमभट्टारक महीपाल; r. 988–1038) was the Monarch of the Pala dynasty, who ruled over a vast area of the eastern & sothern regions of the Indian subcontinent, from Varanasi in West to Chattagram in East & the Malaya mountains in South between the 8th and 12th centuries.
Gold coin of Gaudeshwar Mahipala engraved with his name in Bengali script circa 10th Century 
He was the son and successor of Vigrahapala II. Mahipala's reign marked a resurgence in fortunes for the Pala empire, whose boundaries were expanded as far as Varanasi. He resisted the invasion of Mahmud Gaznavi & Masud Gaznavi in North & saved the holy pilgrim of Varanasi.
The first half of 11th century is remembered in Indian history for Mahmud Ghaznavi's 17 invasions of India and the destruction of countless temples. These raids caused extensive damage in Indian economy, looting the wealth of many temples. But despite wreaking havoc in almost the whole of northern India, Mahmud was never able to destroy the Varanasi shrine, as the powerful Pala dynasty emperor Mahipal crushed the Ghaznavid invaders in the northwestern region.
● 1st Pala-Gaznavid war (1018-1019 AD) :-
In 1013 AD, Mahmud attacked the Hindu Shahi kingdom under Anandpala and defeated him in the Battle of Waihind, the Hind shahi capital near Peshawar. Then in 1014 AD he captured Thaneswar & attacked Kashmir in 1015 AD.
In 1018, he attacked Mathura and defeated the coalition of rulers. The mighty Gajanvi forces under direction of Sultan Mahmud destroyed the grand Krishna temples of Mathura and Kannauj. At this time, Samrat Mahipal marched to Kashi with a huge Gaudiya army to protect the sanctity of Varanasi Dham. Gaudeshwar Mahipal defeated Mahmud Ghaznavi in a devastating battle. As a result, Gajanvi's tyranny was confined to Kanauj, and his destruction was not happened in Varanasi.
● Established 100 Ishana-Chitraghanta Temples at Varanasi :-
After expelling the Ghaznavids, Gaudeshwar Mahipal re-established Sanatana Dharma by constructing more than 100 temples at Varanasi Dham. According to his Sarnath inscription,
Gaudādhipa Samrāṭa Mahīpāla established hundred temples of Īśhāna-Chitraghanṭā ( identical form of Śhiva-Śhakti) at Varanasi Dham.
"वाराणसीसरस्यां गुरव श्रीबामराशिपादाब्जं ।
आराध्य नमितभूपति-शिरोरुहै: शैवलाधीसं ।।
ईशानचित्रघण्टादिकीर्तिरत्नशतानी यौ ।
गौड़ाधिपो महीपाल: काश्यां श्रीमानकार्येत ।।"
● Pala- Chola war (1019 AD) :-
In such hard times when King Mahipal was busy fighting the Gaznavids, Rajendra Chola l of Chola dynasty started invasion towards Bengal. In 1019 CE, Rajendra's forces marched through Kalinga towards the river Ganga. Cholas were also a mighty Hindu power, but instead of resisting Gaznavid invaders, they attacked Hindu kingdoms of east & entered Rāṛhadēśha.
● River Battle with Raja Govinda Chandra
In such situation Baṅgādhipathi Rājā Gōvinda Chandra of Chandra dynasty resisted Cholas at his best destroying Chola warships with Baṅghāl-Ḍiṅghi boats. The Chandra army successfully repulsed the Chola invasion at the midst of the river Meghna. King Govinda Chandra's well-organized Chandra Bāhinī Baṅghāl-Ḍiṅghi Navy destroyed the Chola warships in the best possible way. In fact, the Dinghy boats of the Chandra Bahini strategically encircle the Chola warships and launch a barrage of flammable gunpowder from a distance, in which several Chola warships sank in the waters of the Meghna River.
Frightened by the loss of several important warships in the attack of the Chandra Bahini, Rajendra Chola fled from South Bengal and took refuge in the Takkanalāṛama, which is referred to as 'தக்கனாலதம்' in the Tirumalai inscription. According to the historians, this Takkanaladham is the southern region of Rarh adjoining Orissa (Takkan-Dakshin, Ladh-Rarh).
At the beginning of the Chola invasion, Gaudeshwar Mahipal was engaged in battle with Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi on the north-western frontier. Then Mahmud was defeated by Mahipal, gave up the hope to loot Varanasi and returned to Ghazni. Meanwhile, on hearing the news of the attack of the Cholas in Rarhkshetra, Maharaja Mahipal quickly returned to Gauda and again attacked the Cholas on the western banks of the Ganges.
Rajendra Chola was already aware of the power and might of Gaudeshwar Mahipal, and he dared to invade Bengal at the opportunity of the emperor's absence. On hearing the news of the sudden return and attack of Maharaja Mahipal's army, the despairing Chola king did not dare to cross the Ganges and immediately fled from Takkanaladham.
● The South India Expedition of Samrat Mahipala and the Conquest of Malaya Mountains :
Emperor Mahipala successfully avenged the Chola invasion of his kingdom by invading the Chola territory in the Southern part of India. With the escape of Rajendra Chola, Emperor Mahipal with a huge Gajēndra-elephant cavalry entered the Chola-occupied South India conducting a military campaign, conquered the region up to the Malaya Mountains in the south and established the victory flag of the Gauda Empire. The eleventh stanza of the Bangarh copperplate given during the reign of Emperor Mahipala mentions -
ॐ स्वस्ति
देशे प्राचि प्रचुरपयसि स्वच्छ मापीय तोयं
स्वैरं भ्रांता तदनु मलयोपत्यकाचन्दनेषु ।
कृत्वा सांद्रस्तरषु जड़तां श्रीकररैरभ्रतुल्यां:
प्रालेयाद्र: कटकमभजन यस्य सेना-गजेंद्रा: ।
That is to say, Gaudeshwara Mahipala's army of Gajēndra-elephant cavalry travels giantly on the sandalwood-tarutal of the valley of the Malaya Mountains and provides inertia of the trees by concentrated stalks. Occupying vast territories and establishing dominance in the region of South.
● 2nd Pala- Gaznavid War (1033 AD) :-
According to the Persian chronicles "Tārikha-i-Bā'yhāqī" (تاریخ بیهقی) Mahmud's son Masud Ghaznavi and the ruler of Lahore Ahmed Nialtigin attacked and looted Kashi in 1033 AD. The Gajnavi army arrived in the morning and and after the second prayer or noon, they started looting in the market.
But in afternoon, the mighty Gaudiya army entered Kashi and crushed down the Ghaznavid looters. Masud was engaged in conversation with Sarfu-l Mulk when Gopal, the eldest son of Mahipal charged him and aiming with his mace at his head, wounded him on the nose, and struck out two of his teeth. Gajanvi was forced to flee from Kashi by immense attack of Gaudiya army.
British historian Henry M Elliot provides the notable description of the battle -
"To resume: Rai Mahipál was alarmed at this accession to the forces of his enemy. Four days after the two armies joined in battle. Mas'ud was engaged in conversation with Sharfu-l Mulk, when Gopál, son of Mahipál, charged him, and, aiming with his mace at his head, wounded him on the nose, and struck ont two of his teeth."
For the reason of protecting Kashi Dham from Mohammedans, Samrat Mahipala was felicitated with honour in all over Bhāratavarṣha. Āryakṣhēmīśhwara in his
"Chaṇḍakauśhika" (চণ্ডকৌশিক/चण्डकौशिक) nāṭaka compared Gaudadhip Mahipal as "Chandragupta- swarupa" (চন্দ্রগুপ্ত-স্বরূপ/चन्द्रगुप्त-स्वरूप).
● Sources :
1) Muhammadan Historians of India Vol ll, Henry Miers Elliot, pp- 531-532
2) Tarikh-i-Bayhaqi, Khwaja Abul Fazl Muhammad Bin Husain Bayhaqi Dabeer
3) Banger Jatiya Itihash - Rajanya Kanda, Prachyavidyamaharnab Nagendra Nath Basu, pp- 160- 161
4) History of Gauda - Rajanikanta Chakrabarty, pp- 81-82
5) Dr. E Hultzsch's South Indian Inscriptions, Vol l, p 99
Not only Pala and Sena rule in Bengal but Pala and Sena rule in Himachal, Uttarakhand, Varman rule in Kashmir and Cambodia must be noted. Ankor Vat was also created during Surya Varman, a Bengali King..
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