Bhoja or Bhoj Parmara(reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was the Parmara Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Malwa in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara was located.[1] King Bhoja fought wars with nearly all his neighbour in attempt to extend his kingdom, with varying degrees of success. His empire extended from Chittor in the north to upper Konkan in the south, and from the Sabarmati River in the west to Vidishain the east.[2][3]

Bhoj Parmara, Rajput ruler of Bhopal, India
Statue of the Paramara ruler

The Parmar Rajputs are said to be one of the Fire-born (Agnivanshi) Kshatriya clans including Pratihara(Parihar), Parmara(Panwar), Chalukya(Solanki) and Chahamana(Chauhan).[4][5] Due to his patronage to scholars, Bhoja became one of the most celebrated Rajput kings in the Indian history. After his death, he came to be featured in several legends as a righteous scholar-king.[6] The body of legends clustered around him is comparable to that of Emperor Vikramaditya. Bhoja is best known as a patron of arts, literature, and sciences. Establishment of the Bhoj Shala, a centre for Sanskrit studies, is attributed to him.[7][8] He was a polymath, and several books covering a wide range of topics are attributed to him. He is also said to have constructed a large number of Shiva temples, although Bhojeshwar Temple in Bhojpur(a city founded by him) is the only surviving temple that can be ascribed to him with certainty.[9][10]

References

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  1. Paul, E. Jaiwant (2011-08-01). The Greased Cartridge: The Heroes and Villains of 1857-58. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5194-010-4.
  2. Hāṇḍā, Omacanda (2002). History of Uttaranchal. Indus Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7387-134-4.
  3. Rathore, Abhinay. "History of Parmars". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  4. Rathore, Abhinay. "History of Rajputs in India". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  5. Singhji, Virbhadra (1994). The Rajputs of Saurashtra. Popular Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-7154-546-9.
  6. Bingley, A. H. (December 1996). Handbook on Rajputs. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-0204-5.
  7. People of India: Uttar Pradesh. Anthropological Survey of India. 2005. ISBN 978-81-7304-114-3.
  8. Singh, K. S. (1998). India's Communities. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
  9. K̲h̲ān̲, Rānā Muḥammad Sarvar (2005). The Rajputs: History, Clans, Culture, and Nobility. Rana Muhammad Sarwar Khan.
  10. Singh, K. S. (1996). Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563357-3.