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Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

, Maharashtra and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

states of India" width="400" height="400" zoom="5" longitude="75.18" latitude="22.60">

Bhoja Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all ...

was an Indian king from the

Paramara dynasty The Paramara dynasty ( IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs. The dynasty was established in either t ...

, whose kingdom was centered around the

Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syn ...

region in present-day

. By 2003, 12 inscriptions dated to Bhoja's region had been discovered at

Banswara Banswara is a city in the Banswara district in southern Rajasthan, India. The name, Banswara, came from "Bans wala" (bamboo) forests, as Bamboo grew in abundance around this place within the area. Banswara is also known as "City of a Hundred ...

, Betma, Bhojpur, Depalpur,

Dhar Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dh ...

Kalwan Kalwan is a tehsil in Kalwan subdivision of Nashik District in Maharashtra, India. Kalwan is situated 80 km from Nashik and 251 km from state capital Mumbai. Saptashrungi Gad, a religious shrine of Goddess Saptashrungi, is situated ...

, Mahaudi, Kokapur (in Modasa

taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

), Piploda, Tilakwada and

Ujjain Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: �d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...

. Some of these inscriptions, including those issued by Bhoja himself, are described below. All the inscriptions issued by

are in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

language and

Nagari script Nagari may refer to: Writing systems * Nāgarī script, a script used in India during the first millennium * Devanagari, a script used since the late first millennium and currently in widespread use for the languages of northern India * Nandinag ...

, although some inscriptions feature a few

Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...

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 Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...

'' and '' Parameshvara''. All of Bhoja's own inscriptions feature the Paramara emblem of a flying

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. 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 The royal sign-manual is the signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive act (for example, an appointmen ...

1011 CE Modasa copper-plates

This inscription is in the form of two copper-plates. It is dated 1067 VS. The exact date corresponds to 6 May 1011 CE, assuming ''

Karttikadi The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a s ...

'' convention practiced in

('' Kartik'' is the first month of the year in this convention). In 1944, R. P. Soni found this inscription in possession of a bania widow at Kokapur village of Modasa

in Gujarat. The widow could not remember when and how she got these plates. The two plates contain 16 and 5 lines respectively. The inscription begins with the Siddham symbol, followed by the date and the Paramara genealogy. It records the grant of agricultural land situated in the Sayanapataka (modern Shenvad) village of Mohadavasaka (modern Modasa) sub-division. The name of the donor and the donee is not clear from the surviving record. The land was either donated by Bhoja's subordinate Vatsaraja to a

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...

named Deddaka; or it was donated by Deddaka to someone else, with Vatsaraja ratifying the grant. The charter then names the witnesses, and also names its writer as Chhadaka, son of Amnaka. The inscription ends with a sign-manual of Vatsaraja. Unlike the rest of the inscription (which is in Sanskrit), the sign-manual is in Prakrit language ("Vachchharajasya"). Vatsaraja is styled as ''Maharajaputra'' ("

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...

's son") in this inscription. Based on this,

D. C. Sircar Dineshchandra Sircar (1907–1985), also known as D. C. Sircar or D. C. Sarkar, was an epigraphist, historian, numismatist and folklorist, known particularly in India and Bangladesh for his work deciphering inscriptions. He was the Chief Ep ...

theorized that he was a son of Bhoja. However, other scholars believe that "Maharajaputra" was a feudatory title. H. V. Trivedi identifies Vatsaraja with a ruler of the Chalukya house of Lata. This ruler was the son of Kirttiraja, and might have been a vassal of Bhoja.

1018 CE Mahaudi copper-plates

This inscription is in form of two copper plates. It is dated 1074 VS; the exact day corresponds to 30 July 1018 CE. The plates were found in possession of one Ratansingh Saindhava of Mahaudi (Jivapur Mahodia) village near Ashta in

Sehore district Sehore District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The town of Sehore is the district headquarters. The district is part of Bhopal Division. Demographics According to the 2011 census, Sehore District has a population of ...

. Saindhava refused to part away with the plates, but archaeologist V. S. Wakankar managed to prepare a

rubbing A rubbing ('' frottage'') is a reproduction of the texture of a surface created by placing a piece of paper or similar material over the subject and then rubbing the paper with something to deposit marks, most commonly charcoal or pencil but ...

. The actual copper plates are now reported as lost. The two plates contain 15 and 14 lines respectively, and an image of the Garuda emblem. The inscription begins with the Siddham symbol and two verses praising

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, who is named ''Vyomakesha'' ("sky-haired") and ''Smararati'' ("enemy of the god of love"). It then lists the Paramara kings from Siyaka to Bhoja. Next, the inscription records Bhoja's donation of the Dugayi or Dugaryi village to one Markanda-sarman. The donee was a Brahmin of Vatsa gotra and Vajasaneya

shakha A shakha (Sanskrit ', "branch" or "limb") is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school.V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column.Moni ...

; he hailed from Shravanabhadra town of Gauda country. Bhoja is described as a resident of Dhara. It is stated that he took a bath, performed his daily duties and then ordered the village's officials (including ''pattalika'') and residents to render their taxes and a share of the crop produce to the donee. The inscription states that the donation was made on the day of a lunar eclipse, but there was no lunar eclipse on 30 July 1018. It appears that the donation had already been made, and the inscriptional record was created at a later date. The inscription also mentions another date corresponding to 17 September 1018 CE, when the record was formally handed over to the donee. Next, the inscription contains the traditional benedictive and imprecatory verses. It ends with the sign-manual of Bhoja and the name of Jatasa, who executed the grant. The identity of the donated village (Dugayi or Dugaryi) is not certain. On basis of similar-sounding names, H. V. Trivedi speculates that it might be the Dupadiya (or Dugariya) village located near Ashta. The identity of Shravanabhadra is also unclear. According to inscription, it was located in the Gauda country. The most famous territory by this name was the Gauda region in present-day

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

. Accordingly, Trivedi identifies Sravanabhdra as a place in that state. K. N. Dikshit, while analyzing another inscription, identified Shravanabhadra as Sonbhadra near

Kannauj Kannauj ( Hindustani pronunciation: ənːɔːd͡ʒ is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is a corrupted form of the class ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

. Swati Datta notes that Gauda might not necessarily refer to the region in Bengal: other territories in India were also known by this name. The name Gauda was also used as a collective name for the following five territories of north India: Sarasvata ( Kurukshetra),

Kanyakubja Kannauj ( Hindustani pronunciation: ənːɔːd͡ʒ is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is a corrupted form of the c ...

(Kannauj), Gauda (of Bengal),

Mithila Mithila may refer to: Places * Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state ** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha * Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepal ...

and Utkala.

1020 CE Betma inscription

This inscription is in form of two copper plates. It is dated 1076 VS; the exact date is not known, but assuming

year, it can be dated to September 1020 CE. The inscription was found by a farmer in Betma, in the early 20th century. The two plates contain 13 and 14 lines respectively, and the second plate features the Garuda emblem. Like the 1018 CE record, this inscription begins with an auspicious symbol, two verses praising Shiva and the Paramara genealogy. It then states that Bhoja granted the Nalatadaga village to Pandita Delha after performing the daily duties and worshipping Bhavani-pati. The village was located in the Nayapadra territory. D. B. Diskalkar, the first scholar to transcribe and translate the inscription, identified Nala-tadaga with Nar village in

Kheda district Kheda District is one of the thirty-three districts of Gujarat state in western India. Its central city, Kheda, is the administrative headquarters of the district. History Formerly known as Kaira district, it was divided in two with the sou ...

and Nayapadra with Napad town (now part of

Nadiad Nadiad is a city in the state of Gujarat, India and the administrative centre of the Kheda district. The city is managed by the Nadiad Municipality. It is known for the Santram Mandir, the Mai Mandir,

). Because these places are located nearly 300 km away from Betma, he assumed that the descendants of the donee may have migrated to Malwa. The donee Delha was the son of Bhatta Thatthasika of

Kaushika Vishvamitra ( sa, विश्वामित्र, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mantr ...

gotra and Madhyandini shakha. He was a migrant from Sthanvishvara (modern

Thanesar Thanesar city or old Kurukshetra city is a historic town and an important Hindu pilgrimage centre in Kurukshetra district of the state of Haryana in northern India. It is located in Kurukshetra district, approximately 160 km northwest of D ...

), and his ancestors lived at Vishala-grama (unidentified). The donation was made on the occasion of ''Konkana-Grahana-Vijaya-Parvva'' ("Konkana Conquest Festival"), to mark Bhoja's conquest of Konkana region. Like the 1018 CE inscription, the record ends with imprecatory and dedicatory verses.

1020 CE Banswara inscription

This inscription is in form of two copper plates. It is dated to year 1076 of an unspecified era. Assuming that the era is

Vikrama Samvat Vikram Samvat (IAST: ''Vikrama Samvat''; abbreviated VS) or Bikram Sambat B.S. and also known as the Vikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent. Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calend ...

and the year as ''

'', the exact date corresponds to 3 January 1020 CE. G. H. Ojha found the plates in possession of the widow of a

Thathera The Thathera is a Hindu and Sikh artisan caste in India, who traditional occupation is the making of brass and copper utensils. In 2014, the craft of the Thathera community of Jandiala Guru were included in UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultur ...

(coppersmith) at

. The plates were later moved to the Rajputana Museum in

Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "' ...

. The content at the start and the end of the inscription is exactly same as the 1020 CE Betma inscription, comprising verses and genealogy. The second plate features the Garuda emblem. The inscription records the donation of a piece of land in Vatapadraka village, which was located in Vyaghradora ''bhoga'' (district) of Sthali ''mandala'' (province). H. V. Trivedi identifies Vatapadraka with either Barodiya or Barliya village, and Vyaghradora with Bagidora. The Sthali province was probably same as the

Vagada Vagad (also known as Vagar, Hindi: वागड) is a region in southeastern Rajasthan state of western India. Its boundaries are roughly defined by those of the districts of Dungarpur and Banswara. Major cities of the region are Dungarpur and ...

region, and might have been named after the present-day Thali village near Arthuna. The land was donated by Bhoja to a Brahmin named Bhaila, the son of Vamana. The donee belonged to

Vashistha Vasishtha ( sa, वसिष्ठ, IAST: ') is one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vashistha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the ''Rigveda''. Vashishtha ...

gotra and Vajimadhyana

; his ancestors were natives of Chhinchchaha-sthana (modern

Chhinch Chhinch is a village in Banswara District, Rajasthan, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List ...

). Like the Betma grant, the donation was made on the occasion of ''Konkana-Vijaya-Parva'' ("Konkan Conquest Festival"; the word "''Grahana''" is missing from this particular inscription).

1021 CE Ujjain copper plates

This inscription is in form of two copper plates. It is dated to 1076 VS, and the exact date corresponds to 24 December 1021 CE. It was found by a farmer in an agricultural field near Ujjain. As with other inscriptions, it begins with the Siddham symbol, the verses praising Vyomkesha and Smararati (aspects of Shiva) and the Paramara genealogy. The second plate features the Garuda emblem. The inscription records the donation of the Viranaka village, which was located in Nagaharda-''paschima-pathaka'' subdivision. The identity of the Viranaka village is not certain. H. V. Trivedi identifies Nagaharda-paschima-pathaka as a territory lying to the west of the Nagjhiri stream near Ujjain. The village was donated by Bhoja (who resided at Dhara) to a Karnataka Brahmana named Dhanapati-Bhatta. The donee was the son of Bhatta-Govinda, who belonged to

Agasti Agastya ( kn, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ, ta, அகத்தியர், sa, अगस्त्य, te, అగస్త్యుడు, ml, അഗസ്ത്യൻ, hi, अगस्त्य) was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the I ...

gotra and Asvalayana

. He was a migrant from Srivada in Velluvalla (unidentified). The inscription ends with five imprecatory verses, and the sign-manual of the king.

1022–23 CE Depalpur copper-plates

This inscription is in form of two copper-plates. It is dated to 1079 VS, and the exact date corresponds to 19 March 1022 CE (assuming

Chaitradi The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a s ...

year). Alternatively, the inscription can be dated to 1023 CE (assuming

year). In 1931, R. G. Ojha of Indore Museum purchased these plates from one Kishore Singh Kanungo of Depalpur. It is not known how and when did the plates came into possession of Kanungo. The inscription features the usual genealogy and the Garuda emblem. It then records the donation of some land in Kirikaika village (present-day Karki near Depalpur) located to the west of Ujjayani. The land was donated by Bhoja to a Brahmin named Vachchhala, who was the son of Soshvara, and belonged to the

Atreya Atreya (आत्रेय) Rishi, or Atreya Punarvasu, was a descendant of Atri, one of the great Hindu sages (rishis) whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas. Sage Atreya was a renowned scholar of Ayurveda and six schools of early Ayu ...

gotra. The inscription ends with four imprecatory verses and sign-manual of the king. The inscription suggests that Vacchala had migrated from

Manyakheta Malkhed originally known as Manyakheta (IAST: Mānyakheṭa, Prakrit: "Mannakheḍa"), and also known as Malkhed,Village code= 311400 Malkhed (J), Gulbarga, Karnataka is a town in Karnataka, India. It is located on the banks of Kagina river i ...

, which was located in the

Western Chalukya The Western Chalukya Empire ruled most of the western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This Kannadiga dynasty is sometimes called the ''Kalyani Chalukya'' after its regal capital at Kalyani, today's Basavakalyan in th ...

territory ruled by Jayasimha II. Swati Datta theorizes that by this time, Jayasimha's kingdom was under attack from the Chola- Kalachuri-Paramara confederacy. The Cholas had previously attacked the Chalukya kingdom during the reign of Jayasimha's ancestor

Satyashraya Satyashraya (; ), also known as Sattiga or Irivabedanga, was a king of the Western Chalukya Empire. During a time of consolidation of the empire in the early 11th century, Satyashraya was involved in several battles with the Chola dynasty of Th ...

. During this invasion, they are said to have killed the Brahmin men and married off Brahmin girls to the men from other castes. According to Datta, Vacchala might have feared a repeat of this episode in case of a Chalukya defeat. This might have motivated him to seek shelter with Bhoja, who was reputed as a patron of learned Brahmins. Jayasimha was able to repulse the invasion by 1024 CE.

1033–34 CE Dhar inscription

This 4-line inscription appears on the

pedestal A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

of the

Ambika Statue from Dhar The Ambika Statue from Dhar is a marble statue of the Jain goddess Ambika discovered in the city of Dhar, central India in the late nineteenth century. The statue is famous for its long inscription in Nāgarī on the base that provides a direct ...

. The statue was found in 1875 at the ruins of the palace at

. Major General William Kincaid later gave it to the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The record consists of a dedicatory verse in ''shardulavikridita''

metre The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

. It records the installation of the statue during the reign of Bhoja. The inscription is dated 1019 (presumably

), which corresponds to 1033–34 CE. The inscription was written by Shivadeva, and the sculptor was Manathala, who was the son of the mason Sahira. In 1924, art historian O. C. Gangoly and archaeologist K. N. Dikshit mistakenly identified the statue as that of Vagdevi (Sarasvati), based on an incomplete reading. They theorized that the statue was from a Sarasvati temple (

Bhoj Shala The Bhojshala (IAST: Bhojaśālā, sometimes Bhoj Shala, meaning 'Hall of Bhoja') is an historic building located in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India. The name is derived from the celebrated king Bhoja of the Paramāra dynasty of central India, a ...

) in Dhar. This mistake was corrected by the Sanskrit scholar Harivallabh Bhayani and Kirit Mankondi in a 1981 article. The image is actually that of the Jain goddess

Ambika Ambika may refer to: Mythology * Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti * Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess * Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...

. The inscription states that

Vararuchi Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...

commissioned a statue of Ambika after having commissioned statues of Vagdevi and three

Jinas In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a ' ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passa ...

. It describes Vararuchi as Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of Chandranagari and Vidyadhari (branches of the Jainism). Vararuchi is identified with Dhanapala, a prominent Jain courtier of Bhoja.

1046 CE Tilakwada inscription

This inscription was probably in form of 3 copper plates, out of which only the last two are now available. It is dated 1103 VS, and the exact date corresponds to 17 November 1046 CE. The two plates were discovered in May 1917 by swimmers and divers in the bed of the Narmada river at Tilakwada, Gujarat. The surviving portion of the inscription begins with a description of Bhoja's reign. Bhoja is said to have bravely slayed numerous enemy soldiers, and to have enjoyed a long reign. It is possible that the now-lost first plate mentioned Bhoja's genealogy. Next, the inscription describes Bhoja's feudatory and Suraditya, who was a migrant from

, and belonged to the ''Shravana-bhadra'' lineage. Suraditya was made the feudal lord of ''Samgama-khetaka-mandala'' (present-day Sankheda area) for having killed Bhoja's enemies. The inscription names only one of the enemies defeated by Suraditya: Sahavahana, whose identity is not certain (see Military career of Bhoja#Sahavahana). Suraditya's father Jasoraja (I) had

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

and was leading a religious life on the banks of Narmada. His son Jasoraja (II) inherited the feudal lordship. Next, the inscription records the grant of the Viluhaja village (modern Velpur) and a plot of land in Ghantapalli village (modern Ghantoli). The land was donated by Suraditya's son Jasoraja (or Yashoraja) to Dinakara for worship of a deity called Ghanteshvara. The deity was locally known as Dakshina-Murti Maneshvara, and its temple was located at the confluence of Mana stream with Narmada river. When J.S. Kudalkar visited the village in 1919, he found the ruins of a temple known as Ghanteshvara there. The inscription describes Dinakara as a Shaivite ascetic, who was born in the ''Shravana-bhadra'' lineage, and was reputed as an incarnation of Shankara. The inscription ends with six imprecatory verses and a brief description of Sohika, the composer. Sohika states that he wrote the content at the request of the king Bhoja, and asks for forgiveness for any composition mistakes. He is described as the son of Aiyala, a Kayastha of the Valabhya family.

Kalwan inscription

This inscription comprises three copper plates. It was found in possession of a

Bhil Bhil or Bheel is an ethnic group in western India. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages. As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India. Bhils are listed as tribal people of t ...

(or Kalvan) in Nashik district, and later acquired by the

Prince of Wales museum Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, (CSMVS) originally named Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is a museum in Mumbai (Bombay) which documents the history of India from prehistoric to modern times. It was founded during Briti ...

. The inscription does not mention a year: it only states that it was issued on the occasion of a solar eclipse, on an amavasya (dark moon day) in the

Chaitra Chaitra (Hindi: चैत्र) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Cho ...

month. In ''List of Inscriptions of North India'' edited by

D. R. Bhandarkar Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar ( mr, देवदत्त रामकृष्ण भांडारकर; 19 November 1875 – 13 May 1950) was an Indian archaeologist and epigraphist who worked with the Archaeological Survey of India (AS ...

, the inscription is dated to 17 March 1048 CE, but the text is silent on how this date was assigned. According to H. V. Trivedi, its

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ...

characters resemble those of the 1020 CE Banswara and Betma plates, and therefore, the inscription is probably from the same period. The inscription begins with a ''svasti'' (blessing), followed by a genealogy of Paramara kings from

Siyaka Siyaka (IAST: Sīyaka; reigned c. 949-972 CE), also known as Harsha (IAST: Harṣa), was a Paramara king, who ruled in west-central India. He appears to have been the first independent ruler of the Paramara dynasty. Siyaka is the earliest Para ...

to Bhoja. It describes Siyaka's son Vakpati as a highly ranked poet. It states that Bhoja had defeated the rulers of Karnata,

Lata Lata (Hindi: लता) is a Hindu/Sanskrit Indian female given name, which means "creeper" and "vine". Lata may refer to: Notable people named Lata *Lata Bhatt (born 1954), Indian singer. * Lata (born 1975), Musician. *Lata Mangeshkar (1929–2 ...

, Gurjjara, Chedi and Konkana. Next, the record describes Bhoja's feudatory Yashovarman, who controlled half of the Selluka (probably modern Satane) town and 1500 villages. The inscription records a donation, which was probably made in Yashovarman's territory. The donation, of several properties, was made by one Ranaka Amma to a Jain monk Suvrata-deva. The properties include plots of land, oil mills, shops and 14 ''dramma''s (gold coins). The donee Suvrata-deva is named as a

tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a ' ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the '' dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable pass ...

Muni of the Kalakeshvara tirtha. The donor Ranaka Amma is described as a ''

samanta Samanta was a title and position used in the history of the Indian subcontinent between 4th and 12th centuryThe Journal of the Bihar Research Society, Volumes 69-70, p.77 to denote a vassal or tributary chief. The term roughly translates to ''neig ...

'' of the Ganga family. At the time of the donation, he resided in the Muktapalli village (possibly modern Mohadi) in Audrahadi ''

vishaya A vishaya (IAST: Viṣaya) was a historical administrative unit of India, generally equivalent to a modern district. Several other terms for units equivalent to a modern district appear in historical inscriptions, including ''āhāra'', ''rashtra'' ...

'' (province). He had become a Jain after listening to the teachings of the Shvetambara monk Ammadevacharya. His wife Chachchai was born in the Chalukya family. She poured water from a ''

kamandalu Kamandalu (Sanskrit: कमण्डलु, ) or kamandal or kamandalam is an oblong water pot, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made of a dry gourd (pumpkin) or coconut shell, metal, wood of the Kamandalataru tree, or from clay, usually ...

'', with which Ranaka Amma washed the feet of the Jain monk before making the donation.

Bhojpur inscription

This two-line undated, fragmentary inscription is engraved on the pedestal of the large

statue at the

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

temple of Bhojpur. The first verse in the inscription is in ''Vasantatilaka''

. It eulogies Chandrardha-mauli and Bhoja, who is titled '' ajadhiaja Parameshvara''. The second verse is in ''Upajati'' metre. It records the installation of the tirthankara image by Sagaranandin, and mentions that the learned Jain monk Nemichandra performed the installation ceremony. H. V. Trivedi identifies Chandrardha-mauli as

, and believes that Sagaranandin was devoted to both Jainism and

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{ref end Bhoja Sanskrit inscriptions in India 11th-century inscriptions