Gopala I
| Gopala | |
|---|---|
| Pala Emperor | |
| Reign | 750–775 CE |
| Predecessor | position established |
| Successor | Dharmapala |
| Born | c. 690s CE |
| Died | c. 770s CE |
| Spouse | Deddadevi of the Bhadra dynasty |
| Issue | Dharmapala Vakpala |
| House | Pala Dynasty |
| Dynasty | Pala |
| Father | Vapyata |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Gopala (Bengali: গোপাল) (ruled 750–768 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 or caste considerations of the Pala dynasty. He came to power in later half of eighth century AD in Bengal after being elected by a group of regional chieftains.