Bhoja II
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[edit] Bhoja II (1175 CE - 1212 CE)
The last of the family was Bhoja II. He appears to have assumed the imperial titles from the beginning of his rule and was determined to retain the imperial glory so strenuously won by his father. His greatness is described in one of his own inscriptions as follows: -" fear of the edge of Bhoja's sword caused Cholaraja to take a spear on his head and frightened other kings; but by the favour of Mahalaksmi, Bhoja II was worshipped by the kings; he was a Vikram of the Kali age". The fortunes of Bhoja II however, received a crushing defeat at the hands of Singhana, the king of the newly rising power of Yadavas in 1212 CE He had to run away in disgrace. The kingdom was annexed by the Yadavas and thus ended the career of the Shilaharas of Kolhapur.
As regards the termination of their power, there has been no trace of any member of the family after Bhoja II; and, in Saka 1135 (1213-14 CE), Srimukha samvatsara, the Devgiri-Yadav king Singhana II was in possession of the country round Miraj, as is proved by his Khedrapur inscription which records the grant by him of the village of Kudaladamavada, the modern, Kurundavad,. in the Mirinji country; and as inscriptions of Singhana II shortly after that date are found at Kolhapur itself, it would seem that Bhoja II was the last of his family and that he was overthrown and dispossessed by Singhana II in or soon after Saka 1131 (1209-10 CE) Sukla samvatsara, which was the commencement of Singhana's reign It is said that Singhana defeated Shilahara Bhoja II at Umalvad in 1210 CE. This is borne out by one of Singhana's inscriptions dated Sak 1160, which speaks of him as having been "a very Garuda in putting to flight the serpent which was the mighty king Bhoja, whose habitation was Panhala." [Pannala-nilara-prabala-Bhojabhnpala-vyala-vidravana-Vihatngaraja.] An inscription of Saka 1194 indicates that the first king of the Yadava dynasty, Simha, had his original seat of power near Kolhapur at Mirijaya (Miraj), while two earlier inscriptions of the kings Mahadeva and Narayana, dated Saka 1162 and 1172 respectively refer to the temple of Mahalaksmi at Kolhapur and the district (Desa or Visaya) of the same name.
[edit] References & Bibliography
- Bhandarkar R.G. (1957): Early History of Deccan, Sushil Gupta (I) Pvt Ltd, Calcutta.
- Fleet J.F (1896) :The Dynasties of the Kanarese District of The Bombay Presidency, Written for the Bombay Gazetteer .
- Department of Gazetteer , Govt of Maharashtra (2002) : Itihaas : Prachin Kal, Khand -1 (Marathi)
- Department of Gazetteer , Govt of Maharashtra (1960) : Kolhapur District Gazetteer
- Department of Gazetteer , Govt of Maharashtra (1964) : Kolaba District Gazetteer
- Department of Gazetteer , Govt of Maharashtra (1982) : Thane District Gazetteer
- A.S.Altekar (1936) : The Silaharas of Western India
