Bhojadynasty

The Bhoja dynasty, commonly identified with the Paramara dynasty of Malwa, refers to a medieval Indian royal line named after the celebrated king Bhoja. They ruled the Malwa region of central India, with their power base centered in Dhar and surrounding districts, roughly from the 9th to the 13th centuries.

The most famous ruler of the Bhoja line was King Bhoja, who reigned around the early to mid-11th century. His court is remembered for patronage of learning, literature, and the arts, and his reign is often described in traditional sources as a high point of Malwa’s cultural flowering. A Sanskrit prose work traditionally attributed to him, the Samarangana Sutradhara, deals with statecraft, politics, and temple architecture, though authorship is debated among scholars. The era also produced architectural and temple-building activity that contributed to the region’s material culture.

Architectural remains associated with the Bhoja/Paramara period include temples and monuments in Malwa, notably the Bhojeshwar Temple at Bhojpur, which is linked to Bhoja’s patronage. The dynasty’s influence extended over parts of neighboring regions during its height, and its capital movements reflected shifting political fortunes.

Decline came in the later medieval period, as external invasions and internal challenges weakened Bhoja rule and Malwa’s political cohesion. By the 13th century, the Delhi Sultanate and other powers had transformed the region’s political landscape, contributing to the end of the Bhoja/Paramara line as a ruling dynasty.

Today, the Bhoja/Paramara heritage is remembered for its contributions to architecture, literature, and court culture in central India, and its legacy persists in place names and historical inscriptions.