Paramaras
Also called: Paramara dynasty · Topic: Early Medieval North India: Harsha to the Rajputs · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 4 "Turning Tides: The 11th and 12th Centuries"
Meaning
The Paramaras were a Rajput dynasty of Malwa in central India. Their capital was Dhara (modern Dhar, Madhya Pradesh). At first they were samantas (vassals, or junior chiefs who served a bigger king) of the Gurjara-Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas. They became independent in the late 10th century. They matter because they show how ex-vassals grew into strong regional kingdoms, and because their court turned Dhara into a famous centre of learning.
Example
The greatest Paramara king was Bhoja (r. c. 1010–1055). He helped the Hindu Shahis against Mahmud of Ghazni. He founded Bhojpur, built the unfinished Bhojeshwar temple and made a vast lake near Bhopal. He also wrote the Samarangana Sutradhara, a book on architecture.
Don't confuse with
- Gurjara-Pratiharas: the Paramaras' former overlords, who ruled from Bhillamala and later Ujjayini and fought for Kannauj in the 8th–9th centuries.
Related concepts
- Agnikula legend
- Raja Bhoja
- Bhojeshwar temple
- Bhojshala
- Samarangana Sutradhara
- Chandela dynasty
- Khajuraho group of monuments
- Kandariya Mahadeva temple
- Chaulukya dynasty
- Modhera Sun temple