King Harshvardhana (Indian History) PDF
King Harshvardhana (Indian History) PDF
Submitted to - Submitted by –
Dr. Priya Darshini Kumar Utsav
Faculty of Indian History Roll no. - 2123
1st semester,B.A.LLB(Hons)
KUMAR UTSAV
ROLL NO. – 2123
B.A. LLB. (Hons.)
1st Semester
KUMAR UTSAV
6. RELIGION ...………………………………………………....16
7. CONCLUSION ……………………………………………….18
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY …...………………………………………..22
The founder of the family of Harsha was Pushyabhuti. Pushyabhutis were the
feudatories of the Guptas. They called themselves Vardhanas. After the Hun
invasions they assumed independence. The first important king of Pushyabhuti
dynasty was Prabhakaravardhana. His capital was Thaneswar, north of Delhi.
He assumed the title Maharajadhiraja and Paramabhattaraka. After
Prabhakaravardhana’s death, his elder son Rajyavardhana came to the throne.He
had to face problems right from the time of his accession. His sister, Rajyasri
had married the Maukhari ruler called Grihavarman. The ruler of Malwa,
Devagupta in league with Sasanka, the ruler of Bengal had killed Grihavarman.
Immediately on hearing this news, Rajyavardhana marched against the king of
Malwa and routed his army. But before he could return to his capital, he was
treacherously murdered by Sasanka. In the meantime, Rajyasri escaped into
forests. Harsha now succeeded his brother at Thaneswar. His first responsibility
was to rescue his sister and to avenge the killings of his brother and brother-in-
law. He first rescued his sister when she was about to immolate herself.
In his first expedition, Harsha drove out Sasanka from Kanauj. He made Kanauj
his new capital. This made him the most powerful ruler of north India. Harsha
INDIAN HISTORY Page 4
fought against Dhuruvasena II of Valabhi and defeated him. Dhuruvasena II
became a vassal. The most important military campaign of Harsha was against
the Western Chalukya ruler Pulakesin II. Both the accounts of Hiuen Tsang and
the inscriptions of Pulakesin II provide the details of this campaign. Harsha with
an ambition to extend his kingdom south of the Narmada river marched against
the Chalukya ruler. But the Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II mentions the
defeat of Harsha by Pulakesin, who after this achievement assumed the title
Paramesvara. Hiuen Tsang’s accounts also confirm the victory of Pulakesin.
Harsha led another campaign against the ruler of Sindh, which was an
independent kingdom. But, it is doubtful whether his Sind campaign was a
successful one. Nepal had accepted Harsha’s overlordship. Harsha established
his control over Kashmir and its ruler sent tributes to him. He also maintained
cordial relations with Bhaskaravarman, the ruler of Assam. Harsha’s last
military campaign was against the kingdom of Kalinga in Orissa and it was a
success. Thus Harsha established his hold over the whole of north India. The
regions modern Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa were under
his direct control. But his sphere of influence was much more extensive. The
peripheral states such as Kashmir, Sind, Valabhi and Kamarupa acknowledged
his sovereignty.
About 620 the armies of the northern and southern empires met. The result of
this encounter was that Harsha was forced to accept the Narbada river as his
southern frontier. At the end of his reign Harsha held sway over the whole of
the Gangetic plain from the Himalayas to the Narbada, while the kings of
Kamarupa (Assam), Valabhi (in Kathiawar), and Nepal were his vassals. By this
time Kalinga had been depopulated and was for the most part covered with
jungle. In the west the independent kingdom of Sindh was ruled by kings of the
Sudra caste, and the Punjab and Multan formed one kingdom.
The Chalukya dynasty rose into importance in the middle of the 6th century.
They seem to have been Eajputs from the north imposing their rule on the
Dravidian inhabitants of the Dekkan. Their capital was at Vatapi (the modern
Badami). The Pallavas, between the Kistna and Godaveri, were driven from
their homes by the Chalukyas; but the Pallavas of Kanchi struggled eagerly for
their liberty, and victory inclined now to one side, now to the other.
The administration of Harsha was organized on the same lines as the Guptas
did. Hiuen Tsang gives a detailed picture about this. The king was just in his
administration and punctual in discharging his duties. He made frequent visits
of inspection throughout his dominion. The day was too short for him. Taxation
was also light and forced labor was also rare. One sixth of the produce was
collected as land tax. Cruel punishments of the Mauryan period continued in the
times of Harsha. Hiuen Tsang condemned the trials as barbarous and
superstitious. Harsha’s army consisted of the traditional four divisions – foot,
horse, chariot and elephant. The number of cavalry was more than one lakh and
the elephants more than sixty thousands. This was much more than that of the
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. How did King Harshavardhana rise to the throne?
2. What was the Extent of Harsha’s Empire?
3. Of which religion Harshavardhana was the follower?
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
The researcher has confined to the books and online sources. Since the
researcher is 1st year student of 5 year course at CNLU, Patna, he can access
only a limited area. Apart from this, the research work is done in short span of
time. Consequently the research work gets limited to certain depth. The
uniqueness of this topic makes it difficult for the researcher to have ample
amount of information available on the topic.
Hence, after facing all the difficulties the researcher have managed to frame a
complete and the clearest image of the topic, he could make through his best
efforts.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research work is centered on the literature available in library. Hence the
method of research is purely doctrinal. The researcher while doing this research
work completely relied on books available in library and the information
available on internet.
Rajya Vardhana in the meanwhile had defeated the Hunas, though himself
wounded. He returned and reached the capital, and felt so much depressed at the
death of his father that he asked Harsha to take the throne, expressing his desire
to renounce the world and become a monk. But the noble younger brother
pleaded before the elder not to go by that drastic decision, but to accept the
challenges of kingship as a sacred duty in the interest of the subjects. Rajya
Vardhana changed his mind and became the king.
INDIAN HISTORY Page 8
But he was not destined to rule. Hardly he had come to the throne when the
tragic news reached him that King Grahavarman of Kanauj, the husband of
Rajyasri, had been defeated and killed by Devagupta, the King of Malwa, and
that Rajyasri had been captured and thrown into a prison in Kanauj. King Rajya
Vardhana thereupon hurried with a cavalry force to recover Kanauj from the
hands of the enemy and to save his sister from danger. Harsha was left in charge
of the capital.
Rajya Vardhana defeated the army of Malwa. But, fate was against him. The
‘wicked King’ of Gauda, Sasanka, who was a friend of the Malwa King, lured
Rajya Vardhana to confidence by false show of friendship, and when Rajya
Vardhana was alone and armless he was killed treacherously. Bana’s
description of this event is supported by an inscription which states that “Rajya
in battle curbed Devagupta and all the other kings together, and uprooted his
adversaries; then he, through his trust in promises, lost his life in the enemy’s
quarters”.Thus that the Kings of Malwa and Gauda combined in alliance as well
as in conspiracy to kill the new King of Thaneswar, and also to take possession
of the Kingdom of Kanauj. So ended the reign of Rajya Vardhana when it had
just begun.
Harsha’s sorrows knew no bounds when he received the sad news at
Thaneswara. In his disgust at the worldly ways of life, he came under a feeling
of detachment towards the throne and Kingship. But at that critical juncture, the
ministers and officers of the state rose to the occasion to save the situation.
Bhandi, the Chief Minister, at once summoned a meeting of the Council of
Ministers and addressed it in the following words: “The destiny of the nation is
to be fixed today.The old King’s son is dead; the brother of the Prince is dutiful
and obedient. Because he is strongly attached to his family, the people will trust
in him. I propose that he assume the royal authority: let each one give his
opinion on this matter, whatever he thinks.”
All the ministers, having been aware of Harsha’s worth, agreed to accept him as
the new king, and together with others, pleaded with the prince to accept the
kingship. Thus that Harsha ascended the throne of Thaneswara in the year 606
A.D. when he was a youth of only sixteen. It was also necessary for the young
king to take over the administration of the kingdom of Kanauj where the throne
was lying vacant after the death of his brother-in-law in lands of his enemies.
It is known from the accounts of Hiuen Tsang that Harsha was invited to accept
the throne of Kanauj by the nobles and notables of that kingdom who gathered
in an assemblage when their country was passing through evil days. Harsha
accepted the offer with reluctance, and in extreme modesty, wanted to be known
as Prince or Rajaputra Siladitya, a name in which he is also famous in history.
In due course of time, Harsha made Kanauj the capital of the united kingdoms
of Thaneswara and Kanauj.
In the east, the empire included Bengal, and touched the Bay of Bengal. In the
north-east it extended as far as the Brahmaputra valley. If the empire also
included Kashmir and Nepal, it touched the Himalayas in the north. Thus, with
almost the whole of Northern India, from the snowy mountains of the north to
the river Narmada in the south, and from Ganjam in the eastern coast to
Vallabhi in the western coast, the Empire of Harsha was one of the most
extensive empires of Indian history. Harsha’s political influence was also
deeply felt outside the limits of his direct rule. Beyond the river Brahmaputra,
the King of Kamarupa regarded Harsha as his superior. It is known from the
Chinese source that he did not venture to disobey the orders of Harsha whom he
regarded as a mighty monarch. The Chinese source suggests that the King of
Kamarupa could not dare to detain a Chinese pilgrim in his capital against the
INDIAN HISTORY Page 10
wishes of Harsha. Similarly, if Kashmir was not included in Harsha’s Empire,
his power was nevertheless felt there.
The Chinese source refers to an incident when the King of Kashmir was forced
to surrender a tooth relic of Buddha to Harsha. In another instance, King Udito
of Jalandhar, who accepted Buddhism, was commanded by Harsha to conduct
Hiuen Tsang safely to the frontiers with a military escort on the pilgrim’s
homeward journey. King Udito obeyed the order. It is known from the Chinese
source that the rulers of distant lands up to China’s borders, helped the pilgrim
with escorts out of respect for Harsha.
It is proved, thus, that the neighoubring states of Harsha’s Empire were greatly
afraid of the emperor’s power, and obeyed his wishes or orders. So was the case
with several local rulers who survived within the empire, paying their homage
to the emperor. Even the most powerful enemy of Harsha in the South, the
Chalukyas, acknowledged Harsha’s supremacy in the whole of Uttarpatha by
calling him Sakala-Uttarapatha-natha or the Lord Paramount of the North.
According to V.A. Smith, Harsha ruled over “the whole of the basin of the
Ganges, from the Himalayas to the Narmada”. The extent of his empire as well
as the extent of his political influence made him the paramount sovereign of the
whole of Northern India. The term ‘Five Indies’ used by Hiuen Tsang to
describe Harsha’s dominion might be taken as well justified when we take into
account his sway over the different regions of India.” Harsha ruled his empire
from his capital at Kanauj, on the bank of the Ganges. It is known from the
accounts of Hiuen Tsang that the city was well fortified and strongly defended.
It abounded with majestic buildings, beautiful gardens, and tanks of clean water.
It was also a centre of learning and culture. The inhabitants of the capital lived a
prosperous life. The city of Kanauj enjoyed the hey-day of its splendour in the
age of Harsha.
In his first expedition Harsha drove away Sasanka from Kannauj who had
occupied it after murder¬ing Harsha’s brother. Harsha’s early relations with the
rulers of Valabhi were cordial but soon Malwa became the bone of contention
between the two and so he had to turn his attention to western India.
It resulted in the defeat of the Valabhi ruler, Dhruvasena II and his acceptance
of the position of a feudatory vassal. His hostilities with Valabhis ended through
a matrimonial alliance. The above suc¬cess however proved to be the
immediate cause of conflict between Harsha and Pulakesin II, the Chalukya
ruler of Badami.
Figure 4- Pulakesin- II
Further, the question of over lordship over the Latas, Malwa and Gurjaras seems
to have been the long-standing cause of conflict between the two. An eulogy or
Prasastioi Pulakesin II by Ravi Kirti (the court poet of Pulakesin II) placed on a
temple wall at Aihole, also mentions Pulakesin’s military success against
Harsha. Hiuen Tsang’s account mentions that inspite of his victories over many
kingdoms Harsha was not able to defeat Pulakesin II.
Harsha was successful in his eastern campaign. A Chinese account mentions
him as the king of Magadha in 641 A.D. The king of Kamarupa,
Bhaskaravarman, was his ally in his campaign of Bengal and other parts of
During the course of his rule, Harshavardhana built a strong army. Historical
records suggest that he had 100,000 strong cavalry, 50,000 infantry and 60,000
elephants during the peak of his reign. He was also a patron of literature and art.
Thanks to the numerous endowments that were made to the Nalanda University,
a mighty wall enclosing the edifices of the university was constructed during his
rule. This wall saved the university from attack and invasions by the enemies
and that ensured the prosperity of this great centre of learning.
Harshavardhana’s interest in the field of prose and poetry is well-documented.
A famous Indian writer and poet named Banabhatta served as the ‘Asthana
Kavi’ (primary poet of the kingdom) in the court of Harshavardhana. The
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