Who was King Bhoja ?

Siraj-ud-Daulah did not share his grandfather’s esteem for the English settlement. He immediately resolved to evict the East India Company from Bengal.

His reputation was so great that 500 years after him, Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara also called himself Abhinava Bhoja or the new Bhoja. Stories from Bhojaprabandha like Akbar-Birbal or Tenali Rama stories have regaled Indians for centuries.

On the excuse that they were increasing their fortifications against him and that they were harbouring political offenders, Siraj-ud-Daulah seized the Company’s factory (a storage and trading rather than a manufacturing facility) at Cossimbazar on 4th June 1756. He imprisoned the garrison and appropriated the Company’s property.

There have been a lot of Kings and Emperors who were skilled at warfare, annexed and ruled over a huge landmass.

On 19th June 1756, Siraj-ud-Daulah with a large army captured Calcutta after a four day siege (the war with the British became known as the Third Carnatic War and was to lead to British domination of Bengal).

But there are very few who are remembered for reasons other than their military conquests. One of them was King Bhoja, of the Paramara Dynasty who lived in Medieval India in the 11th Century AD (He ruled between 1000 and 1050 AD).

Raja Bhoj was the ruler of Bhopal and is associated with many fabled legends. In fact the name Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh derived its name from Raja Bhoj, The capital city of his empire was earlier named Bhojpal, which in time became Bhopal.

The Black Hole of Calcutta:
That night the incident took place, subsequently known as the ‘Black Hole of Calcutta’. Traditionally, it is claimed that 123 of 146 prisoners from the captured British garrison and their families held in the hole died during the night due to the heat and the number of persons in a cell designed for 2 or 3 prisoners.

Of course, Bhoja was a good military commander too. He had a vast kingdom in the Central/ Western India. He had a strong alliance with the powerful King of South – Rajendra Chola and had even helped the Shahi Kings to resist the attacks of Mohammad of Ghazni.

The figure was computed by John Holwell, a survivor, and is disputed. It seems clear that Siraj-ud-Daulah did not directly cause the detention of the prisoners in the cell and that he ordered the release of the survivors the next morning.

Raja Bhoj was a giant and an exceptional warrior. Apart from this, he was a patron of art, music & literature. He had waged many battles, won many, lost many but his greatest achievement was defeating Mahmud of Ghazni repeatedly and driving him away from India.

That, the formidable King of Arabia had to take a devious route via Kutch and Sind for his return after the historic plunder of Somnath to avoid a clash with Bhoja in 1025 provides the political strength and importance that Bhoja had gained in Western India at that time.

Many of the garrison escaped from Calcutta on board English ships and sailed down river to Fulta, to await the arrival of a relieving force from Madras.

There have been a lot of Kings and Emperors who were skilled at warfare, annexed and ruled over a huge landmass. But there are very few who are remembered for reasons other than their military conquests. One of them was King Bhoja, of the Paramara Dynasty who lived in Medieval India in the 11th Century AD (He ruled between 1000 and 1050 AD).

But, not all kings who ruled over a large landmass are remembered! In addition to being a King, he was a great scholar, great poet, great critic, great builder, great virtuoso, great experimenter, great thinker and great giver! It seems, even the weavers of his land were fluent in Sanskrit (which was the dominant language of the time) and he stressed much on education.

News of the loss of Calcutta reached Madras on 15th July 1756 and a force under Major Kilpatrick was dispatched to Fulta at the mouth of the Hugli in Bengal.

Of course, Bhoja was a good military commander too. He had a vast kingdom in the Central/ Western India. He had a strong alliance with the powerful King of South – Rajendra Chola and had even helped the Shahi Kings to resist the attacks of Mohammad of Ghazni. That, the formidable King of Arabia had to take a devious route via Kutch and Sind for his return after the historic plunder of Somnath to avoid a clash with Bhoja in 1025 provides the political strength and importance that Bhoja had gained in Western India at that time.

The copper grant plates given by him are found even today. The remnants of the Bhojeswara temple, near Bhopal speaks of the magnificence of the structures built under his regime.

A Royal Navy squadron was present in the Bay of Bengal, commanded by Vice Admiral Watson. The Company authorities at Madras resolved to send as many of the troops and ships at their disposal to retake Calcutta, in spite of the imminence of hostilities with the French, who were present in strength in Southern India.

Of course, Bhoja was a good military commander too. He had a vast kingdom in the Central/ Western India. He had a strong alliance with the powerful King of South – Rajendra Chola and had even helped the Shahi Kings to resist the attacks of Mohammad of Ghazni. That, the formidable King of Arabia had to take a devious route via Kutch and Sind for his return after the historic plunder of Somnath to avoid a clash with Bhoja in 1025 provides the political strength and importance that Bhoja had gained in Western India at that time.

In the words of a renowned historian Vincent Arthur Smith, “He (King Bhoja) reigned gloriously for more than forty years.

It took some time to assemble the military force and decide that it was to be commanded by Robert Clive, the fleet being commanded by Admiral Watson. The fleet sailed on 16th October 1756 for the Hugli River.

Of course, Bhoja was a good military commander too. He had a vast kingdom in the Central/ Western India. He had a strong alliance with the powerful King of South – Rajendra Chola and had even helped the Shahi Kings to resist the attacks of Mohammad of Ghazni. That, the formidable King of Arabia had to take a devious route via Kutch and Sind for his return after the historic plunder of Somnath to avoid a clash with Bhoja in 1025 provides the political strength and importance that Bhoja had gained in Western India at that time.

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.

The remnants of the Bhojeswara temple, near Bhopal speaks of the magnificence of the structures built under his regime. In fact, a dam that he constructed in Bhojpura (In Betwa river) is considered as a unique feat of hydraulic engineering of that time.