Rise of Maukharis after Gupta Empire

• In the 6th century AD, after the Gupta empire's disintegration, smaller kingdoms that were once under Gupta rule grew as independent entities across India.
• Yasodharma and kingdoms such as the Maukharis, Hunas, and Magdhan Guptas rose to prominence, along with the Pushyabhutis of Thaneswar, the Maitrakas of Kanauj, the Gaudas of Sasanka, and the Varmans of Kamarupa.
• The time's political instability led to the rise of Pushyabhuti of Thaneshwar, located in Srikanta Janapada in present-day Haryana.
• Harshavardhana brought political stability in the 7th century and established a larger kingdom, succeeding his brother Rajya Vardhan in 606 AD.

The Maukharis

• Kannauj or Kanyakubja became the capital of the Maukhari dynasty during the 6th century.
• The first three Maukhari kings of the Gupta dynasty were given the title of Maharaja.
• Ishana Varman (550-560 AD), the 4th Maukhari king, took the title Maharajadhiraja and expanded the kingdom, battling the Andhras, Gaudas, and Magadha Guptas.
• Sarva Varman succeeded Ishana Varman and solidified the Maukharis' power in Madhya Desha.
• Graha Varman, was married to Rajyashri of Thaneshwar's Pushyabhuti family.
• Graha Varman killed by the Malwa king, and Queen Rajyashri imprisoned; later, Kannauj was incorporated into Harsha Vardhan's Thaneshwar kingdom.

The Pushyabhutis

• Aditya Vardhan's son Prabhakara Vardhan, was the dynasty's first king and took the title "Param Bhattarak Maharajadhiraja", and he ruled from 583 to 605.
• Prabhakara Vardhan defeated the Hunas, Gurjaras, Sindh, Gandhara, and Malwa kings.
• Nara Vardhan, Rajya Vardhan, and Aditya Vardhan, the first three Pushyabhuti kings, held the title of Maharaja, consistent with their Gupta dynasty feudal status.
• Rajya Vardhan succeeded Prabhakar Vardhan but was killed in battle with Bengal's Shashank Gauda, and Harsha Vardhan then took the throne with ministerial support.

Harsha Vardhana (606-647 AD)

• Information on Harsha is available from Hieun-Tsang's writings.
• Harsha was initially reluctant to assume kingship responsibilities, eventually ruling most of northern India, and was also known as 'Siladitya'.
• The Prayag and Kanauj assemblies occurred during Harsha's reign.
• Harsha wrote Parvathi Parinayam, Harsha Charita, and Kadambari.
• Harshacharita written by Banabhatta, combined with Hiuen-Tsang's accounts, is a key source on Harsha and his era.
• Ratnavali, Naganada, and Priyadarshika are Harsha's dramas that provide significant insights.
• The Madhuban plate, Sonipat plate, and Banskhera inscription are three inscriptions valuable for understanding Harsha's history, with the Banskhera inscription bearing Harsha's signature.
• Shashanka of Gaud was driven out of Kannauj, which Harsha made his new capital, becoming North India's most powerful ruler.
• Harsha's most notable conflict was against Pulakesin II, a Western Chalukya ruler, as documented by Hieun-Tsang and in Pulakesin II's inscriptions.
• Harsha was defeated by Pulakesin II during his southern campaign, while wars were also fought against Dhruvasana-II of Valabhi.
• Pulakesin II's victory over Harsha also reaffirmed by Heiun Tsang's accounts.
• Harsha led a campaign against Sindh's ruler, but its success is uncertain.
• Nepal accepted Harsha's authority, and he controlled Kashmir, receiving tributes, and maintained relations with Assam's King Bhasakarvarman.
• Harsha's final military campaign was successful against the Kalinga kingdom.
• Harsha's army included foot soldiers, chariots, horses, and elephants, and was larger than the Mauryan army.

Political Structure and State Administration

• Harsha united Thanesar and Kannauj upon gaining control of Kannauj.

• Historians note similarities between the Gupta and Harsha's rule.

• Harsha favored personal supervision over an organized bureaucracy.

• Hieun-Tsang detailed Harsha's officer compensation, which included land grants and payments in kind based on job profile.

• Upkeep of records/archives showed the administration's progressive nature.

• Those deemed traitors faced life imprisonment.

• Land grants to priests continued, with grants also given to officers via charters such as for Agrahara lands.

• Hieun-Tsang described four types of revenue allocation: king's expenses, scholars, officials/public servants endowments, and religious purposes.

• Harsha had complete command over his feudatories.

• Harsha's reign marked feudalism's rise in India.

• Robbery considered treason, punished by hand amputation.

• The influence of Buddhism reduced these punishments, replaced by life presentment.

• Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism coexisted during the 7th century AD.

• Hieun-Tsang did not mention Buddhism's decline, but historians inferred it from his descriptions of destroyed ancient Buddhist locations such as Gaya/Kapilvastu.

• Harsha's power was focused in North India.

• He defeated the Vallabhi king and achieved success in Gujarat.

• The assessment grouped villages into sets of 10 in Deccan, 12-16 in the northern region to assess accounts, villages were divided into 10 in Deccan, 12 to 16 in the northern region.

• Feudatories had close, friendly relationships with the state.

• Tax-free lands were given with other advantages. Royal rights to salt/mines given to beneficiaries, along with admin privileges and rights to punish thieves.

• Transfer of magisterial and police powers reduced royal authority and caused persecution of local peasants expected to obey the order. The Nilopitu, Harsha's archives, had critical analyses of his reign.

Kannauj Assembly of Harsha

• Harsha organized a religious ceremony for Heiun-Tsang, attended by 1000 scholars from Nalanda University, 20 kings, and over 3000 Hinayatis and Mahayatis.

Impact of Harsha Reign on Society and Economy

• Banabhatta and Hiuen Tsang described a four-tiered society: Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishyas, and Shudra. Brahmans got land grants, Kshatriyas were rulers, Vaishyas traded, and Shudras farmed. Sub-castes existed.
• Women had low status and swayamvara and widow remarriage declined. Dowry and Sati were common.
• Hiuen-Tsang mentioned three methods of corpse disposal: cremation, water burial, and exposure in the woods.
• Trade and commerce, trade center, and merchant guild activity fell; handicraft/agriculture sectors and small scale farming declined, resulting in rise of self sufficient villages.

Cultural Advancement

• Harsha's reign lacked artistic and architectural progress; what existed was based on Gupta style.
• Heuin-Tsang wrote of Nalanda's multi-story monastery and an eight-foot-tall copper Buddha.
• Matanga Divakara and Barthrihari, poets, philosophers, and grammarians, contributed literary works.

Nalanda University

• Ancient Chinese travelers mentioned many universities, Mahayana University of Nalanda.
• Hiuen Tsang, who studied there, offered very valuable accounts about this particular university.
• Sanskrit word, meant 'Giver of Knowledge'.
• Kumaragupta I of the Gupta dynasty established Nalanda University.
• Dharmapala from Kanchipuram became president of Nalanda University.
• Boarding/lodging and education were free to.
• Subjects there: Vedas, Hinayana, Sankhya, Yoga, philosophy astronomy, grammar, logic, medicine, and art.
• Sanskrit language was used as the instruction's medium.
• East Asian students attended, admissions relied on a standard test.
• 3000 students had an enormous library and a three story observatory which can be found in the University, that accounts as per I Tsing's accounts.

Vakatakas

• The Vakataka dynasty led the central and Deccan regions of India, founded by Vindhya Shakti, rose before the Badami Chalukyas and rose to influence.
• Pravarasena-I was the most powerful ruler, performing four Ashwamedha yagnas and Rudrasen-l.
• Pravarasena was a devotee of lord Shiva.
• Vakataka's Rudrasen-II, married Chandragupta II's daughter Prabhavati.
• Rudrasen wrote a work called "Setu Bnadha" honouring Lord Ram.

Abhiras

• Following the Satavahanas' fall, Abhira Ishvarasena formed the Northern Maharashtra' 249 region, originating the "Kalachuri-Chedi era", for 10 Abhira rulers.

Shakas of Mahishaka

• Mana established following the defeat of the Satavahanas in the Deccan.
• The Traikutakas appeared to be Abhiras' feudatories' with Aniruddhapura as capital.

Rashtrakutas

• Dantidurga, originally district officers of the Badami Chalukya.
• The Ganga dynasty was also referred to as the Chedagangas of Orissa, which can found in present-day Odisha.

Palas of Bengal

• As the middle the 18th century came, the Pala dynasty of Bengal began to rule the power, found by Gopala, as of 750 AD.
• Devapala and his control region include Pragjyotishpur which can found in Assam, Balaputradeve a kind of monarch, gave grant five villages to endorse a Nalanda's monastery

Senas

• Successor to the Palas; Bengal's dynasty that establish Vijaya Sena, in remembrance of literature, the ‘Golden Era’ building magnificent monasteries-Somapura, and in Bangladeshi temple- Odantapuri.
• Vijaya Prasasti was founded during Srinarsha, Baliaa as successor, and Lakshmana, with Bengali Vaishnava, who called Gita Govinda, by Lakshmana power declined..

Post-Gupta Political Formations in South India

• In the south, the sixth century AD saw three way disputes for conquest from the Badami Chalukyas which formed by the dynasties between the Krishna and and Chalukyas with staunch oppression and the Pallavas during the same period:
• Chalukyas in the late 10th, claimed the Western, descended in, fought to with the Cholas.
• Hiuen Tsang an account of state, which became the Badami.

Art and Architecture wise for Chalukyas the Contribution:

• Chalukyas started Vesara Temples, used the Hoysalas well known as the stone construction, in the rock cave where built in stone with.

Kanchi in Pallavas

• One the dynasties found well, coming to ruling south India, as well as the Chalukyas from Pulakesin-II rule.
• Narsihwa Sympathetic who had rock temples from the and Cholas in Tamil and culture, to build city craft example were used during the Pallavas group during that time.
• There are 4 type of Tamil culture by the Pallava groups from 880 with Renuguta who reformed and the temple was run in Tamil, as well.
• The Bhakti of the reformation was known as the Mahendravarman in Sankaracharya where 7th century was very prominent, with customs from the literature due to that time period.
• Rock and time for new and trade from to the early, Sati, and tradition were made during that time.