Inscriptions of Bhoja

rdf:langString Inscriptions of Bhoja

rdf:langString Bhoja was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty, whose kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. By 2003, 12 inscriptions dated to Bhoja's region had been discovered at Banswara, Betma, Bhojpur, Depalpur, Dhar, Kalwan, Mahaudi, Kokapur (in Modasa taluka), Piploda, Tilakwada and Ujjain. Some of these inscriptions, including those issued by Bhoja himself, are described below. All the inscriptions issued by Bhoja are in Sanskrit language and Nagari script, although some inscriptions feature a few Prakrit words. They are usually in form of copper plates that record land grants. They begin with the auspicious Siddham symbol, and verses praising Shiva. They contain a brief genealogy, naming Bhoja's predecessors as Sindhuraja-deva, Vakpatiraja-deva and Siyaka-deva. Bhoja himself is mentioned as Bhoja-deva, and his titles are given as Parama-bhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja and Parameshvara. All of Bhoja's own inscriptions feature the Paramara emblem of a flying Garuda (with a bird's head and a man's body). The Garuda is shown holding a cobra snake in its left hand, about to strike it with his right hand. The grant records are usually followed by benedictive and imprecatory verses (the latter curse the person who does not honour the grants made in the inscriptions). Bhoja's own inscriptions end with his royal sign-manual.