Page:Biographical Sketches of Dekkan Poets.djvu/17

x was the lord of an aera, employed at Ms court nine poets, who were styled "Nava Ratna" or nine gems. This monarch likewise founded colleges for students, and encouraged literary men in order to perpetuate his fame. Although many poems must have been written to illustrate his actions, yet few have been handed down to posterity, except the Vekrama Charitra; but a number of g^rants that have been discovered by antiquarians, testify the king's liberality to bards, who were no doubt celebrated for their talents at one time, although their works are now lost

Bhoja Raja, sovereign of Dharapore, had for his chief poet the noted Kalidas, together with other excellent bards, who wrote works that are still made use of in schools and colleges. This monarch was a great patron of literature, and many learned men flocked to his court from different provinces, attracted by his patronage and munificence.