The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c30.s4.169

v2.c30.s4.169

makes it clear that the success of the Karṇāṭas was due to their alliance with the powerful Kalacuri king Karṇa.¹ The mention of Karṇa in this Nagpur inscription as one of the forces that brought about Bhoja's downfall shows that the Udaipur *praśasti* was right in mentioning the *Cediśvara* as one of the adversaries of the Paramāra king. The same inscription also refers to the *Gūrjara-rāṭ* as another enemy of Bhoja. There is little doubt that this Gurjara prince is to be identified with Bhīma I, who is mentioned in the same verse as one of the chief enemies of Bhoja, the other being the 'lord of Cedi.' Merutuṅga records stories of many conflicts between Bhīma and Bhoja. On one occasion, we are told, Bhoja's general, the Digambara Kulacandra, taking advantage of Bhīma's absence in Sindh, 'sacked the city of Anahilla, and having caused cowries to be sown at the gate of the clock-tower of the palace, extorted a record of victory.'² On another occasion when worshipping his family goddess in a temple in the suburbs of Dhārā, Bhoja was surprised and nearly captured by a party of Gujarati cavalry.³ The Jain chroniclers are agreed that Bhoja died during a joint attack on Dhārā by the Caulukya Bhīma I, and Karṇa, king of Dāhala.⁴ Thus it seems that as an answer to the 'confederacy of Mālava,' the enemies of the Paramāras succeeded in forming another league, in which the Caulukya Bhīma, the Kalacuri Lakṣhmī Karṇa, and the Cāḷukya Someśvara were the chief partners. This league may have also included the Lāṭa prince Trilocanapāla, for whom we have the date Saka 972 (c. 1051 A.D.). In the struggle that followed Bhoja was overwhelmed and lost his life when Karṇa's armies stormed the gates of Dhārā.⁵ Bhoja's military activities were however not confined only to fighting with these adversaries. Before the Kalacuris of Tripurī could raise themselves into a position of importance on his eastern frontier and bring about his downfall, Bhoja had been maintaining contact with the Candellas of Bundelkhand and their allies the Kacchapaghātas of the Gwalior Residency. The statement in the Candella inscriptions that Bhoja worshipped Vidyādhara 'full of fear like a pupil,' shows that the relation between the two princes were probably not very friendly.¹ The victory claimed by Kīrtirāja, one of the Gwalior Kacchapaghātas (*c.* 1015-35 A.D.) of whom the Sasbahu temple inscription of Mahīpāla records that he conquered the countless hosts of Mālava, was probably gained with the assistance of his sovereign, the Candella Vidyādhara. I have elsewhere suggested that the defeated Mālava prince was possibly the Paramāra Bhoja.² The statement of the Dubkund inscription of the Kaccapaghāta Vikramasiṁha that the "highly intelligent king, the illustrious Bhoja" had widely celebrated the skill shown in the management of horses and chariots of Abhimanyu (*c.* 1035-44 A.D.), one of his predecessors, may, as I have already suggested, contain a veiled hint of his subservience to the great Paramāra.³ Bhoja possibly succeeded in extending his influence in the Kunu valley by taking advantage of the weakness of Vidyādhara's successors. It was prabably in this region that Bhoja met and defeated some detachment of the Turuṣka prince Maḥmūd of Ghazni, when the latter invaded Gwalior and Bundelkhand. In the N. W. Bhoja, following the policy of Muñja, maintained his pressure on the Cāhamānas of Nadol and the Guhilas of Medapāṭa. This is proved by the statement of the Sundha hill-inscription, which informs us that Aṇahilla slew Sāḍha, a general (*daṇḍ-ādhīśa*) of the Mālava king Bhoja.⁴ The Chirwa inscription of the Guhila Samarasiṁha (V. S. 1330) indicates that Bhoja was in possession of the fort of Citrakūṭa (Chitor) and built there a temple to Tribhuvana-Nārāyaṇa.¹ It was probably for his assistance during these campaigns that the Banswara Paramāra Satyarāja received a fortune from Bhoja.²