The poet of King Bhoj who accepted Jainism was
- (a)Granthapal
- (b)Rajpal
- (c)Mahipal
- (d)Dhanpal
Correct — D, Dhanpal (Dhanapala). Dhanapala was a celebrated Sanskrit–Prakrit poet at the court of the Paramara king Bhoja of Dhar (11th century). Born into a Shaiva Brahmin family, he embraced Jainism — tradition credits the influence of his younger brother Shobhana, who had become a Jain monk. His works include the Sanskrit prose romance Tilakamanjari and the Prakrit lexicon Paiyalachchhi.
- (a)Granthapal — Not the poet of Bhoja's court linked with a conversion to Jainism.
- (b)Rajpal — Not associated with King Bhoja or with the conversion story; a look-alike '…pal' distractor.
- (c)Mahipal — Not Bhoja's Jain-convert poet — the answer the commission's key credits is Dhanpal.
The Paramara king Bhoja of Dhar (r. c. 1010–1055 CE) was a renowned patron of learning whose court attracted many scholars and poets. Dhanapala, one of them, is notable both as a Sanskrit/Prakrit litterateur and as a Brahmin who converted to Jainism — reflecting the strong Jain presence in medieval Malwa and Gujarat.
The four options are look-alike '…pal' names, so the choice hinges on remembering the specific poet Dhanapala and his conversion story. Anchor the chain: Bhoja's court → Dhanapala → Tilakamanjari → Jainism.
- King Bhoja: Paramara ruler of Dhar (Malwa) in the 11th century; a great patron of scholarship.
- Dhanapala: a Sanskrit–Prakrit poet of his court who converted to Jainism.
- Works of Dhanapala: Tilakamanjari (Sanskrit prose romance) and Paiyalachchhi (a Prakrit lexicon).
- His conversion is traditionally linked to his brother Shobhana, a Jain monk.
- Confusing Paramara Bhoja of Dhar with the Pratihara Bhoja (Mihira Bhoja) of Kannauj
- Mixing up the look-alike '…pal' option names
MPPSC asks 'the court poet of Bhoja' or the authorship of Tilakamanjari; UPSC frames Bhoja under Paramara chronology and patronage — keep the two Bhojas apart.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Sanskrit prose romance Tilakamanjari was written by which poet at the court of King Bhoja?
- (a)Dhanapala
- (b)Bilhana
- (c)Bana
- (d)Kalhana
Answer(a) Dhanapala — author of Tilakamanjari and the Prakrit lexicon Paiyalachchhi.
- practice — not a real PYQ
King Bhoja, a great patron of learning who is credited with the temple at Bhojpur, belonged to which dynasty?
- (a)Paramara
- (b)Pratihara
- (c)Chandela
- (d)Kalachuri
Answer(a) Paramara — Bhoja ruled the Paramara kingdom of Malwa from Dhar.