Draft:Devapala's Expedition in South India

In his campaign in Southern India, Devapala the emperor of Pala empire defeated a hostile confederation consisting of the Pandyas, Gangas, Pallavas, Cholas, Kalingas, Magadhas and others.

Identification of the Dravida king
"Dravida" is generally believed to be a reference to the Rashtrakutas (led by Amoghavarsha), but RC Majumdar believes that it may refer to the Pandyan king Sri Mara Sri Vallabha. However, there is no definitive record of any expedition of Devapala to the extreme south. In any case, his victory in the south could only have been a temporary one, and his dominion lay mainly in the north.

Among the adversaries whom Devapala humbled were Bhoja I, the king of the Gurjaras, the traditional rival of the Palas and of the Pandya ruler Srimara-Sriballabha, who has been referred to in the inscription as the king of Dravidas. There is enough indirect evidence to suggest a victorious campaign by Devapala in the extremely southern part of south India and other nations.