1. Harshavardhana
2. Harshavardhana’s Reign
3. Administration
4. Military Conquests
5. Society
6. Religion
7. Learning and the Arts
8. Decline of Harshavardhana
9. Pushyabhuti dynasty.
10. Harshavardhana as Patron of Mahayana Buddhism
10.1. Harshavardhana and Buddhism
10.2. Religious Council at Kannauj 643 CE
10.3. Prayag (Allahabad) Buddhist Council 643 CE
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Topic – Harshvardhana: Political Achievements; Contribution to Religion Learning(Notes)
Subject – History
(Early Medieval Indian History)
Table of Contents
Harshavardhana was a northern Indian ruler who reigned from 606 to 647 CE. He was a member of the Vardhana dynasty and is regarded as one of the most important Indian monarchs of the seventh century AD. He established a vast empire that stretched from northern and northwestern India to the Narmada River in the south. Kannauj was his capital. His reforms and policies were benevolent and always focused on improving his people’s peace and prosperity.
Harshavardhana
- In 590 AD, Harshavardhana was born to King Prabhakaravardhana of Sthaneshwar (Thanesar, Haryana).
- He was a Pushyabhuti, commonly known as the Vardhana dynasty.
- He was a Hindu who converted to Mahayana Buddhism.
- Durgavati was his wife. He has two boys and a daughter.
- His daughter married a Vallabhi monarch, but his sons were murdered by his own minister.
- Following the death of Prabhakara Vardhana, his elder son Rajyavardhana came to the throne.
- Harsha had a sister named Rajyashri, who was married to Kannauj’s King Grahavarman.
- The Gauda monarch, Sasanka, slew Grahavarman and imprisoned Rajyashri.
- This compelled Rajyavardhana to confront Sasanka. However, Sasanka murdered Rajyavardhana.
- This resulted in Harshavardhana, a 16-year-old, ascending to Thanesar’s throne in 606 AD.
- He promised to avenge his brother’s death while also saving his sister.
- For this, he formed an alliance with Kamarupa King Bhaskaravarman. Harsha and Bhaskaravarman go out to confront Sasanka. Sasanka eventually fled for Bengal, and Harsha became the ruler of Kannauj as well.
- The Harshacharita, a prose biography authored by Banabhatta, court poet of King Harshavardhana, and the chronicle of the Chinese traveller Xuanzang are two primary sources of knowledge about the Pushyabhuti kingdom.
- In his writings, Chinese Buddhist traveller Xuanzang commended King Harshavardhana’s actions.
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