Harshavardhana (
IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a
Pushyabhuti
The Pushyabhuti dynasty ( IAST: Puṣyabhūti), also known as the Vardhana dynasty ruled in northern India during 6th and 7th centuries. The dynasty reached its zenith under its last ruler Harsha Vardhana (c. 590–647 CE), and the Empire of Ha ...
emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of
Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the
Alchon Huna invaders, and the younger brother of
Rajyavardhana, a king of
Thanesar, present-day
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ...
.
At the height of Harsha's power, his territory covered much of north and northwestern India, with the
Narmada River as its southern boundary. He eventually made
Kannauj (in present
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
state) his capital, and ruled till 647 CE.
[International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania by Trudy Ring, Robert M. Salkin, Sharon La Boda p.507] Harsha was defeated by the Emperor
Pulakeshin II of the
Chalukya dynasty in the
Battle of Narmada, when he tried to expand his empire into the southern peninsula of India.
The peace and prosperity that prevailed made his court a centre of cosmopolitanism, attracting scholars, artists and religious visitors from far and wide.
The Chinese traveller
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
visited the court of Harsha and wrote a very favourable account of him (as
Shiladitya), praising his justice and generosity.
His biography ''
Harshacharita'' ("Deeds of Harsha") written by Sanskrit poet
Banabhatta, describes his association with Thanesar, besides mentioning the defence wall, a moat and the palace with a two-storied ''Dhavalagriha'' (white mansion).
Early life
Much of the information about Harsha's youth comes from the account of
Bāṇabhaṭṭa. Harsha was the second son of
Prabhakarvardhana, king of
Thanesar. After the downfall of the
Gupta Empire in the middle of the 6th century, North India was split into several independent kingdoms. The northern and western regions of India passed into the hands of a dozen or more feudatory states. Prabhakara Vardhana, the ruler of Sthanvisvara, who belonged to the Vardhana family, extended his control over neighbouring states. Prabhakar Vardhana was the first king of the Vardhana dynasty with his capital at
Thaneswar. After Prabhakar Vardhana's death in 605, his eldest son, Rajya Vardhana, ascended the throne. Harsha Vardhana was Rajya Vardhana's younger brother. This period of kings from the same line has been referred to as the Vardhana dynasty in many publications.
At the time of
Hwen Tshang's visit,
Kanoj was the capital of Raja Harshvardhan, the most powerful sovereign in Northern India. According to
Xuanxang, Emperor Harsha was of the
Vaishya
Vaishya (Sanskrit: वैश्य, ''vaiśya'') is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order in India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of caste hierarchy.
The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly of agriculture, taking care ...
caste.
K.P. Jaiswal in Imperial History of India, says that according to a 7-8th century Buddhist text,
Mañjuśrī-mūla-Kalpa, Harsha was born of King Vishnu (Vardhana) and his family was of
Vaishya
Vaishya (Sanskrit: वैश्य, ''vaiśya'') is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order in India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of caste hierarchy.
The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly of agriculture, taking care ...
caste. This is supported by some more writers.
Ascension
Harsha's sister Rajyashri had been married to the Maukhari king, Grahavarman. This king, some years later, had been defeated and killed by king Devagupta of Malwa and after his death Rajyashri had been cast into prison by the victor. Harsha's brother, Rajya Vardhana, then the king at
Thanesar, could not accept this affront on his family. So he marched against Devagupta and defeated him. However,
Shashanka, king of Gauda in Eastern
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
, then entered
Magadha as a friend of Rajyavardhana, but in secret alliance with the
Malwa king. Accordingly, Shashanka treacherously murdered Rajyavardhana.
In the meantime, Rajyasri escaped into forests. On hearing about the murder of his brother, Harsha resolved at once to march against the treacherous king of Gauda, but this campaign remained inconclusive and beyond a point he turned back. Harsha ascended the throne at the age of 16. His first responsibility was to rescue his sister and to avenge the killings of his brother and brother-in-law. He rescued his sister when she was about to immolate herself.
Reign
As
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Centr ...
reverted to small republics and small monarchical states ruled by Gupta rulers after the fall of the prior
Gupta Empire, Harsha united the small republics from Punjab to central
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
, and their representatives crowned him king at an assembly in April 606 giving him the title of Maharaja. Harsha established
an empire that brought all of northern India under his control.
The peace and prosperity that prevailed made his court a centre of
cosmopolitanism, attracting scholars, artists and religious visitors from far and wide. The Chinese traveller
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
visited the court of Harsha, and wrote a very favourable account of him, praising his justice and generosity.
Pulakeshin II repelled an invasion led by Harsha on the banks of Narmada in the winter of 618–619. Pulakeshin then entered into a treaty with Harsha, with the
Narmada River designated as the border between the Chalukya Empire and that of Harshavardhana.
Xuanzang describes the event thus:
: "
Shiladityaraja (i.e., Harsha), filled with confidence, marched at the head of his troops to contend with this prince (i.e., Pulakeshin); but he was unable to prevail upon or subjugate him".
In 648,
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
emperor
Tang Taizong sent
Wang Xuance
Wang Xuance (, fl. 7th century) was a Tang Dynasty guard officer and diplomat. In 648, Tang Taizong sent him to India in response to Harshavardhana sending an ambassador to China. However once in India he discovered Harshavardhana had died and the ...
to India in response to emperor Harsha having sent an ambassador to China. However once in India he discovered Harsha had died and the new king Aluonashun (supposedly
Arunāsva) attacked Wang and his 30 mounted subordinates. This led to Wang Xuance escaping to Tibet and then mounting a joint expendition of over 7,000
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
ese
mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infant ...
and 1,200
Tibetan infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and m ...
and attack on the Indian state on June 16. The success of this attack won Xuance the prestigious title of the "Grand Master for the Closing Court." He also secured a reported Buddhist relic for China. 2,000 prisoners were taken from Magadha by the Nepali and Tibetan forces under Wang.
Tibetan and Chinese writings document describe Wang Xuance's raid on India with Tibetan soldiers.
Nepal had been subdued by the Tibetan King
Songtsen.
The Indian pretender was among the captives.
The war happened in 649. Taizong's grave had a statue of the Indian pretender.
The pretender's name was recorded in Chinese records as "Na-fu-ti O-lo-na-shuen" (Dinafudi is probably a reference to
Tirabhukti)
During Harshvardhan's rule Vardhan dynasty's geographical boundaries was spread from North to South, Nepal to Narmada river and East to West from Assam to Gujarat. He had a friendly relations with King of
Kamrup,
Bhaskarvarman and sent his envoy in the court of Chinese King, formed friendly relations. Harshvardhan established state's capital at
Kannauj. He use to spend major part of state's income to welfare of his subjects. He use to donate his wealth after every 5 years.
Religion
Like many other ancient Indian rulers, Harsha was
eclectic in his religious views and practices. His seals describe his ancestors as
sun-worshippers, his elder brother as a
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
, and himself as a
Shaivite. His land grant inscriptions describe him as ''Parama-maheshvara'' (supreme devotee of Shiva). His court poet
Bana also describes him as a Shaivite.
Harsha's play ''
Nāgānanda'' tells the story of the Bodhisattva Jīmūtavāhavana, and the invocatory verse at the beginning is dedicated to the Buddha, described in the act of vanquishing Māra (so much so that the two verses, together with a third, are also preserved separately in Tibetan translation as the *Mārajit-stotra.
[ ] Shiva's consort
Gauri
Gauri may refer to:
Religion
* ''Gauri'', an epithet of the Hindu goddess Parvati
* Mahagauri, a manifestation of Hindu goddess Durga
* Lajja Gauri, a goddess associated with abundance and fertility, also euphemistically described as Lajja
Fil ...
plays an important role in the play, and raises the hero to life using her divine power.
According to the Chinese Buddhist traveler
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
, Harsha was a devout
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
. Xuanzang states that Harsha banned animal slaughter for food, and built monasteries at the places visited by
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in ...
. He erected several thousand 100-feet high
stupas on the banks of the
Ganges river, and built well-maintained
hospices for travellers and poor people on highways across India. He organized an annual assembly of global scholars, and bestowed charitable alms on them. Every five years, he held a great assembly called
Moksha. Xuanzang also describes a 21-day religious festival organized by Harsha in
Kannauj; during this festival, Harsha and his subordinate kings performed daily rituals before a life-sized golden statue of the Buddha.
Since Harsha's own records describe him as Shaivite, his conversion to Buddhism would have happened, if at all, in the later part of his life. Even Xuanzang states that Harsha patronised scholars of all religions, not just Buddhist monks.
According to historians such as S. R. Goyal and
S. V. Sohoni
Dr. Shridhar Vasudev Sohoni (1914–2002) was an eminent scholar of Sanskrit, and a noted antiquarian and numismatist. He was an officer in the Indian Civil Service (British India), and later in his career served as the Chief Secretary of Bihar, ...
, Harsha was personally a Shaivite and his patronage to Buddhists misled Xuanzang to portray him as a Buddhist.
Literary prowess
Harsha is widely believed to be the author of three Sanskrit plays
Ratnavali,
Nagananda and
Priyadarsika.
While some believe (e.g.,
Mammata in Kavyaprakasha) that it was Dhāvaka, one of Harsha's court poets, who wrote the plays as a paid commission,
Wendy Doniger is "persuaded, however, that king Harsha really wrote the plays ... himself."
In popular culture
A 1926
Indian silent film, ''
Samrat Shiladitya'', about the emperor was directed by Mohan Dayaram Bhavnani.
See also
*
Surasena Kingdom
*
History of India
According to consensus in modern genetics, anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. Quote: "Y-Chromosome and Mt-DNA data support the colonization of South Asia by ...
*
Bhaskar Varman
References
Further reading
* Reddy, Krishna (2011)
Indian History Tata McGraw-Hill Education Private Limited, New Delhi
* Price, Pamela (2007), Early Medieval India
HIS2172 - Periodic Evaluation University of Oslo
"Conquests of Siladitya in the south" by
S. Srikanta Sastri
{{Authority control
Ancient Indian dramatists and playwrights
People from Kurukshetra district
6th-century Indian monarchs
7th-century Indian monarchs
Pushyabhuti dynasty
Indian male dramatists and playwrights
Indian Buddhist monarchs