Historical evidence suggests that Durlabha achieved military success against the
Pala Empire of present-day Bengal, as a vassal of the
Gurjara-Pratihara king
Vatsaraja. The
Prithviraja Vijaya states that Durlabha's sword bathed in
Ganga-sagara (presumably the confluence of the
Ganga river and the ocean), and tasted the sweet juice of Gauda. This refers to Durlabha's military achievements in the Gauda region. Durlabha's son Guvaka is known to have been a vassal of the Gurjara-Pratihara king
Nagabhata II. This suggests that Durlabha was also a feudatory of the Pratiharas, most probably that of Nagabhata's father Vatsaraja. This theory is supported by the Radhanpur Plate Inscription, which refers to Vatsaraja's successful military campaign in the Gauda region. Durlabha appears to have achieved his victories in Gauda during Vatsaraja's campaign against the Pala king
Dharmapala. The Palas came into conflict from time to time with the Pratiharas. The 812 CE
Baroda Inscription also refers to Nagabhata's victory over the
Gauda king
Dharmapala. Historian
R. C. Majumdar theorizes that "Gauda" here refers to the
Ganga-Yamuna Doab in present-day
Uttar Pradesh. Other historians, such as
Dasharatha Sharma and Rima Hooja, identify it with the
Gauda region in
Bengal, which was the core Pala territory. According to the Radhanpur inscription Dharmapala, was deprived of his two white
royal umbrellas, and fled, pursued by the Pratihara forces. The inscription suggests that through vigorous campaigning, Vatsraja extended his dominions to include a large part of northern India, from the
Thar Desert in the west up to the frontiers of
bengal in the east. Both Vatsaraja and Dharmapala were later subdued by the
Rashtrakuta king
Dhruva. As Dhruva died in 793, Durlabha's military successes in Gauda can be dated before this year. Durlabharaja's daughter,
Mahata Devi, was married to Dharmapala's son
Devapala, the emperor of Pala dynasty. She was mother to two subsequent Pala emperors,
Mahendrapala and
Shurapala I. == Successor ==