Harshavardhana (606 CE – 647 CE)

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. 

Background

• 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.

Harsha’s Reign

• One of his first moves was to rush to Kanyakubja and save his sister, who was about to commit sati. Kanauj was eventually taken over by the Pushyabhutis.
• Harsha was successful in uniting many of them under his authority. Punjab and central India were under his power.
• He conquered Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha after Sasanka’s death.
• In Gujarat, he also vanquished the Vallabhi king. (The Vallabhi monarch and Harsha reached an agreement through the marriage of Harsha’s daughter and the Vallabhi king Dhruvabhata.)
• Harsha’s attempts to conquer areas to the south, however, were thwarted when the Chalukya monarch, Pulakesin II, defeated him in 618-619 A.D.
• The Narmada River became Harsha’s southern territorial border as a result of this.
• The Vardhana Empire was divided into two types of territories:
  • those directly under Harsha’s rule, such as the Central Provinces, Gujarat, Bengal, Kalinga, and Rajputana, and
  • those that had become feudatories under him, such as Jalandhar, Kashmir, Nepal, Sind, and Kamarupa (modern-day Assam).
• Harsha had complete control over the feudatories. Harsha’s reign saw the birth of feudalism in India.
• During Harsha’s reign, Hiuen Tsang visited India. He has painted a glowing picture of King Harsha and his realm. He compliments him on his generosity and justice.
• Harsha was a generous supporter of the arts.
• He was a skilled writer in his own right. He is known for his Sanskrit writings Ratnavali, Priyadarshika, and Nagananda.
• Banabhatta was his court poet, and he wrote the Harshacharita, which describes Harsha’s life and actions.
• Harsha gave liberally to Nalanda University.
• He had an excellent tax structure. A quarter of the taxes collected were spent for charitable and cultural causes.
• Harsha was a capable military conqueror and administrator.
• Before the Muslim invasions, Harsha was the last ruler to preside over a wide realm in India.