Picture: Coin of King Bhoja-I (Mihirabhoja or Adivaraha), Silver Dramma or Adivaraha Dramma, circa 836-885AD. Obv: Figure of Varaha (Adivaraha), The boar incarnation of Vishnu wearing long "Vanamala" to right with left leg raised; below a small lion, to right a sun or wheel (chakra) symbol, Moon symbol and dumbbell like symbol above, A trident and conch shell on left side of Adivaraha. Rev: Two lined inscription "Shrimad Adi Varaha" with traces of Stylised fire alter accompanied with two ladies (attendants) to right and left.
Mihira Bhoja I (836-885 CE) or Bhoja I was a ruler of the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty of India. He succeeded his father Ramabhadra.
Reign: Mihira Bhoja seems to have started his career with a debit balance of reverses and defeats suffered by his father Ramabhadra which had considerably lowered the prestige of the Pratihara family. He invaded the Pala Empire of Bengal, but was defeated by Devapala. He then launched a campaign to conquer the territories to the south of his kingdom, and was successful.
He gradually rebuilt the empire by his conquests of the territories in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The Chandelas of Bundelkhand acknowledged his suzeranity. At its height, Bhoja’s kingdom extended to Narmada River in the South, Sutlej River in the North-West, River and up to Bengal in the East. It extended over a large area from the foot of the Himalayas up to the river Narmada and included the present district of Etawah in Uttar Pradesh.
A follower of Brahmanism, he was a bitter enemy of the Muslims. According to an Arab chronicler, Sulaiman, Mihira Bhoja I maintained a large army and had a fine cavalry. The territories under his rule were most prosperous in India and safe from robbers. His state was rich in natural resources, especially gold and silver mines. Bhoja I was succeeded by his son Mahendrapala (c. 885-910 CE). During his reign, the capital was in Kannauj (in present Uttar Pradesh), during his period Kannauj was referred as Panchala.
Salaiman an arab invader who visited India praised his administarion as follows: "The king of Gurjars maintain numerous faces and no other Indian prince has so fine a cavalry .He has great riches and his camels and horses are numerous.There is no country in India more safe from robbers"
He was undoubtebly one of the outstanding political figure of India in ninth century and ranks with Dhruva and dhampala as a great general and empire builder.
The Great Gurjar King Mihira Bhoja I’s epithet was Srimadadivaraha (the fortunate primeval boar incarnation of Vishnu) and therefore there is a broad agreement amongst the scholars on the attribution of adivaraha dramma billon coins to him. These coins have a depiction of adivaraha on the obverse. On the reverse,Proto-Devanagari legend srimadadivaraha is written along with some pictorial elements.
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