THE HISTORY OF the Paramaras has, in the past, attracted attention of a number of scholars interested in the history of northern India during the early medieval period. Thus, sections on the history of the Paramaras were included in the History of Medieval Hindu India by C.V. Vaidya, Rajputane ka Itihasa by G.H. Ojha and Dynastic History of Northern India by H.C. Ray. King Bhoja of the Paramara family received special treatment at the hands of P.T.S. Aiyyangar and B.N. Reu who made him the subject of their study in their works entitled Bhoja-Raja and Raja-Bhoja (Hindi) respectively. The studies of these scholars were carried further in the form of a monograph entitled the History of the Paramara Dynasty by D.C. Ganguly. None of these works, however, are exhaustive as they concentrate on the political history of the Paramaras. The works of P.T.S. Aiyyangar and B.N. Reu are very limited in nature for they deal with the history of only one Paramara king, though of course the most important one. The social, economic and cultural conditions under the Paramaras, though generally admired by the historians, have not yet received a proper treatment in the sense that no systematic and detailed study of the subject has been conducted so far.

A number of new inscriptions of the Paramaras and their contemporary rulers as well as some literary works composed during the Paramara period have come to light after the publication of the above mentioned works. Recent researches in the history of the dynasties who ruled contemporaneously with the Paramaras have also shed new light on some aspects of their history, specially their inter-state relations. It was there- fore felt that a fresh study of the history of the Paramaras along with their administration, religion, social and economic conditions, literature and artistic achievements was necessary. It was with this object that I began to work on this subject which has proved fascinating and absorbing. The writing of this book has been a very pleasant task.

The first three chapters of this work are introductory in nature. They provide the necessary background-geographical and political-to the subject. The question of the origin and original home of the Paramaras has been re-examined. The political history of the Paramaras of Malwa in its successive phases has been dealt with in chapters IV-X, followed by the history of the Paramara dynasties of Arbudamandala, Vagada, Bhinmal-Kiradu and of Jalor in chapter XI. The causes of the decline of the Paramara power are discussed in chapter XII. Chapters XII-XVI deal with administration, religion, social and economic conditions and literature, architecture and arts in the Paramara dominions. These chapters are by no means exhaustive. Information on some very crucial points is inadequate and far from satisfactory. On some other points such as literature and architecture the evidence is far too much to be managed in a single chapter. Therefore only a brief survey of literature, architecture and arts has been attempted in order to give to the reader a complete picture of life as it was lived in those days.

To make for easier reading some of the discussions on doubtful points have been relegated either to foot-notes or appendices. The system of transliteration would be clear from the table. For current proper names ordinary spellings have been followed, and diacritical marks have been omitted in the case of the well-known river and place names. Some familiar place names of the old princely states such as Sirohi, Jodhpur, Jaswantpur, Bikaner, Dungarpur and Banswara have been retained.