In the king’s shadow: Petitioner-donors of eighth–ninth century PÄ la copper plate land grant charters

Six early copper plate charters of the PÄ la dynasty of eastern India introduce petitioners requesting the reigning king to grant tax-free land to either a Buddhist monastery or a temple of Viṣṇu or Åšiva established by them. The structure and content of such charters are similar to yet somewhat distinct from contemporary copper plates recording direct land grants made by the PÄ la kings. By analysing the representation of petitioners in different segments of a copper plate inscription, the article shows that they are the primary donors seeking the king’s ratification of property transfers made by them. Consequently, in acknowledgement of their role in the donative act, the term petitioner-donors has been coined to refer to them. What enriches the group of PÄ la petitioner-donors is the presence of both royal and private individuals, one of whom was the ruler of a Southeast Asian kingdom. On the basis of the profile of the six petitioner-donors, the article classifies them into three distinct categories, each of which registered its donative activity at a different locus within the PÄ la domain. A comparative analysis of the eulogies (praÅ›astis) of the petitioner-donors shows how the power balance was worked out between them, on the one hand, and the PÄ la kings from DharmapÄ la to GopÄ la II, on the other, in the period between the late eighth century and the third quarter of the ninth century.