Gopala

Gopala I (ruled 750–783 CE) was the founder of the Pala dynasty, which was based in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. The last morpheme of his name Pala means "protector" and was used as an ending for the names of all the Pala monarchs. Pala does not suggest or indicate any ethnic considerations of the Pala dynasty. He came to power in the later half of the eighth century in Bengal after being elected by a group of regional chieftains.