Mihira Bhoja
Mihira Bhoja | |
---|---|
Adivaraha | |
6th Gurjara-Pratihara Emperor | |
Reign | c. 836 – c. 885 CE |
Predecessor | Ramabhadra |
Successor | Mahendrapala I |
Died | 885 Narmada River |
Queen | Candra-Bhattarika-devi |
Issue | Mahendrapala I |
Father | Ramabhadra |
Mother | Appa-devi |
Religion | Hinduism |
Mihira Bhoja (c. 836–885 CE) or Bhoja I was the
At its height, Bhoja's empire extended to the Narmada River in the south, the Sutlej River in the northwest, and up to Bengal in the east. It extended over a large area from the foot of the Himalayas up to the river Narmada and included the present district of Etawah in Uttar Pradesh.[3][4]
Reign
During his reign, the capital was
He was a bitter enemy of the Arab-Islamic invaders[2] who, according to an Arab chronicler, Sulaiman, maintained a large army and had a fine cavalry.[2]
He was succeeded by his son Mahendrapala I (c. 836 – 910 CE).
Military career
Mihira Bhoja first consolidated his territories by crushing the rebellious feudatories in Rajasthan, before turning his attention against the old enemies the Palas and Rastrakutas.[9] The Palas of Bengal, ruled by Emperor Devapala (c. 810–850), were reputed to have
Eradicated the race of the
Inscription.
When Mihira Bhoja started his career, reverses and defeats suffered by his father Ramabhadra had considerably lowered the prestige of the royal family. He invaded the Pala Empire, but was defeated by Devapala. [citation needed]
He then launched a campaign to conquer the territories to the south of his empire and was successful,
The Gurjara-Pratiharas were defeated in large battle in Ujjain by Rastrakutas of Gujarat however, retribution followed on the part of the Pratiharas,by the end of his reign, Bhoja had successfully destroyed the Gujarat Rashtrakuta dynasty.[10]: 20–21
Bhoja's feudatory, the Guhilas Samanta named Harsha of Chatsu, is described as :
“defeating the northern rulers with the help of the mighty elephant force”, and “loyally presenting to Bhoja the special ‘Shrivamsha’ breed of horses, which could easily cross seas of sand."[9] He gradually rebuilt the empire by conquest of territories in Rajputana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh[2]
Besides being a conqueror, Bhoja was a great diplomat.[2]
The kingdoms which were conquered and acknowledged his suzerainty includes Travani, Valla, Mada, Arya, Gujaratra, Lata Parvarta and
Kalhana's Rajatarangini states that the territories of Bhoja extended to Kashmir in the north, and Bhoja had conquered Punjab by defeating ruling 'Thakkiyaka' dynasty .[9][11]
After Devapala's death, Bhoja defeated the Pala emperor Narayanapala and expanded his boundaries eastward into Pala-held territories near Gorakhpur.
Hudud-ul-Alam, a tenth-century Persian geographic text, states that most of the kings of India acknowledged the supremacy of the powerful 'Rai of Qinnauj', (Kannauj was the capital of the Imperial Pratiharas) whose mighty army had 150,000 strong cavalry and 800 war elephants.[9]
His son Mahendrapala I (890–910) expanded further eastward in Magadha, Bengal, and Assam.[citation needed]
Coins of Mihira Bhoja
Mihira Bhoja's epithet was Srimad-Adivaraha (the fortunate primeval boar incarnation of Vishnu) and therefore there is a broad agreement amongst the scholars on the attribution of adivaraha dramma billon coins to him. These coins have a depiction of Adivaraha on the obverse.[14] On the obverse along with the god Adivaraha, in his right there is a solar wheel with spokes and in the left are other emblems such as mace, lotus flower and conch-shell. Under the feet of the god is probably a two-headed serpent.[15]
According to Alexander Cunningham these types of coins are only found in silver and copper. It is suggested that copper coins were originally coated with silver to circulate as silver coins.[15]
Adivarah coins were noted by Thakkar pheru in the 13th-century text Dravya-Pariksha who was mint master under Alauddin khilji.[9]
Notes
- ^ Satish Chandra, National Council of Educational Research and Training (India) (1978). Medieval India: a textbook for classes XI-XII, Part 1. National Council of Educational Research and Training. p. 9.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-269-0027-5.
He was undoubtedly one of the outstanding political figures of India in ninth century and ranks with Dhruva and Dharmapala as a great general and empire builder.
- ^ E-gazeteer-History of Etawah district
- ^ Digital South Asia Library
- ISBN 978-81-263-1155-2.
- ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9.
- ^ Rajan, K. V. Soundara (1984). Early Kalinga Art and Architecture. Sundeep. p. 103.
When we have to compare a khākhärä temple of Kalinga with anything outside its borders , the most logical analogue coming to our mind will be that of Teli ka Mandir at Gwalior of the time of Pratihara Mihira Bhoja.
- ISBN 978-81-284-0067-4.
- ^ ISBN 8129108909.
- ISBN 9789380607344
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma, Rajasthan Through the Ages "a comprehensive and authentic history of Rajasthan" Bikaner , Rajasthan State Archives 1966, pp.144–54
- ^ Smith, Vincent Arthur; Edwardes, S. M. (Stephen Meredyth) (1924). The early history of India : from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan conquest, including the invasion of Alexander the Great. Oxford : Clarendon Press. p. Plate 2.
- ISBN 9781000227932.
- ^ Deyell 1999, pp. 28–29
- ^ a b Puri, Baij Nath (1986). The History of the Gurjara-Pratihāras. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. pp. 229–231.
References
- Deyell, John S. (1999), Living without Silver, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, ISBN 0-19-564983-4