Who was King Bhoja ?

The ships arrived at Fulta between 11th and 20th December, other than the Marlborough, which arrived at the end of January 1757, and the Cumberland which was forced south and went aground, finally arriving in mid-March 1757.

In the words of a renowned historian Vincent Arthur Smith, “He (King Bhoja) reigned gloriously for more than forty years. Although his fights with neighboring powers, including one of the Muhammadan armies of the Mohammad of Ghazni are forgotten, his fame as an enlightened patron of learning and a skilled author remains undimmed”

The ships arrived at Fulta between 11th and 20th December, other than the Marlborough, which arrived at the end of January 1757, and the Cumberland which was forced south and went aground, finally arriving in mid-March 1757.

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 his neighbours in attempts to extend his kingdom, with varying degrees of success.

Once Clive landed in Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah’s main force left Calcutta. The small garrison left behind surrendered to Clive on 2nd January 1757. On 9th January 1757 Clive captured the town of Hugli.

The royal titles, books and temples created by him were estimated to be around 84, a figure that he perhaps liked. His works covered diverse fields of knowledge like poetry, grammar, lexicography, philosophy, Dharmasastra, astronomy, astrology, applied sciences, medicine, architecture, engineering, etc.

After re-occupying Calcutta Clive disposed of a force of some 900 European soldiers, 1,200 sepoys and around 15 guns

At its zenith, his kingdom extended from Chittor in the north to upper Konkan in the south, and from the Sabarmati River in the west to Vidisha in the east.

Literary criticism was one of his favorite topics, and he wrote two exhaustive books on that subject – Srirangaprakasa and Sarasvatikanthabharana. Perhaps his unique contribution to Indian poetics is his contention that ‘Sriranga’ is the one and only rasa. ‘Sriranga’ denotes highest and the zenithal phase of bliss and according to him, it is the highest aesthetic principle. Prior to Bhoja, Bharata had categorized 49 Bhavas (qualities/ emotions) and Bhoja wanted to establish that all those Bhavas were below the state of ‘Sriranga’.

Siraj-ud-Daulah resolved to attack Calcutta again. For this operation he raised an army said to have comprised 18,000 cavalry, 25,000 infantry and 40 guns. He marched on Calcutta arriving at the edge of the Marratha Ditch, a defensive work intended to provide some protection to the settlement, on 3rd February 1757.

Bhoja is best known as a patron of arts, literature, and sciences. The establishment of the Bhoj Shala, a centre for Sanskrit studies, is attributed to him.

On 4th February 1757, Clive attacked Siraj-ud-Daulah’s camp. He intended a night attack, but being delayed Clive attacked in a thick fog in the early hours of the morning. The fog lifted, revealing Clive’s small force in the middle of the camp. Clive fought his way out, leaving Siraj-ud-Daulah so intimidated by the aggressive assault that he withdrew.

He was a polymath, and several books covering a wide range of topics are attributed to him. He is also said to have constructed a large number of Shiva temples, although Bhojeshwar Temple in Bhojpur (a city founded by him) is the only surviving temple that can be ascribed to him with certainty.

On 4th February 1757, Clive attacked Siraj-ud-Daulah’s camp. He intended a night attack, but being delayed Clive attacked in a thick fog in the early hours of the morning. The fog lifted, revealing Clive’s small force in the middle of the camp. Clive fought his way out, leaving Siraj-ud-Daulah so intimidated by the aggressive assault that he withdrew.

Because of his patronage to scholars, Bhoja became one of the most celebrated kings in the Indian history

On 4th February 1757, Clive attacked Siraj-ud-Daulah’s camp. He intended a night attack, but being delayed Clive attacked in a thick fog in the early hours of the morning. The fog lifted, revealing Clive’s small force in the middle of the camp. Clive fought his way out, leaving Siraj-ud-Daulah so intimidated by the aggressive assault that he withdrew.

After his death, he came to be featured in several legends as a righteous scholar-king. The body of legends clustered around him is comparable to that of the fabled Vikramaditya.

On 9th February 1757 Siraj-ud-Daulah signed a treaty restoring to the Company its former privileges and agreeing to hand over the property looted in the capture of Calcutta and Cossimbazar.

Bhoja's father and predecessor was Sindhuraja. According to Bhoja-Prabandha, his mother's name was Savitri

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 is best known as a patron of arts, literature, and sciences.

Soon after the signing of the treaty between the East India Company and Siraj-ud-Daulah, news reached the English in India from Europe of the outbreak of war between England and France. This posed a considerable dilemma

Soon after the signing of the treaty between the East India Company and Siraj-ud-Daulah, news reached the English in India from Europe of the outbreak of war between England and France. This posed a considerable dilemma

Clive was under orders to return to Madras with his army. This would leave Calcutta at the mercy of a combination between Siraj-ud-Daulah and the French. Clive resolved to act decisively before leaving Bengal for Madras.

For Clive the obvious course was to attack and destroy the French settlement at Chandranagar (now Chandernagore). This would be a provocation to Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab, as all the foreign settlements were under his protection and warfare between them could only be conducted with his permission.

Bhoja's reputation as a scholar-king suggests that he was well-educated as a child. The Bhoja-Prabandha states that he was educated by his guardians as well as other learned scholars.