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Chapter 10 : Harshavardhana Period

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Chapter 10 : Harshavardhana Period

Introduction

King Harshavardhana, who is also known as Harsha, was a member of the Vardhana dynasty. There was a political disunity in North India with the fall of the Gupta dynasty. After the Huns invasion, Pushyabhutis, who were the feudatories of the Guptas, assumed independence. King Harshavardhana came to power in the early 7th century A.D. He ruled over North India from 606 – 647 A.D. 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 at 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.

Harshavardhana 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.
  • Under Harsha, there were two sorts of territories. One category was directly under him, while the other was feudatories.
  • 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.
  • With Pataliputra losing its prominence, he made Kanauj (situated in Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh) as his seat of power.
  • He ruled over entire North India except for Kashmir.
  • Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa were under his direct control.

Harshavardhana – Administration

  • We don’t have much information on Harshavardhana’s administration, although there appears to be a lot of continuity in official designations from the Gupta period.
  • Bana describes forest guardians called vanapalas. A sarva-palli-pati officer is mentioned (chief of all the villages).
  • Important officers of Harsha’s administration:
  • The ‘sreshti’ (Chief Banker or Merchant)
  • The ‘sarthavaha’ (Leader of Merchant Caravans)
  • Prathama kulika (Chief Craftsman)
  • Kayasthas (head of the scribes)
  • According to Xuanzang, people were lightly taxed, and the monarch received one-sixth of the farmer’s yield as his grain portion.
  • Inscriptions describe dues such as bhaga, bhoga, kara, and hiranya—terms familiar from previous inscriptions.
  • Xuanzang describes the army as composed of infantry, cavalry, chariots, and elephants.
  • The Banskhera and Madhuban inscriptions mention the king’s victorious camp, which includes boats, elephants, and horses.
  • During Harsha’s reign, trade and commerce had decreased. This is evidenced by the loss of commercial centres, a decrease in the quantity of coinage, and the sluggish activity of merchant guilds.
  • When compared to the Gupta period’s economy, there was a dramatic economic fall.
  • King Harshavardhana divided his revenue into four parts
    1. To meet the expenditure of the king
    2. For scholars
    3. For the endowment of public servants and officials
    4. For religious purposes.
  • The administration of King Harshavardhana was more feudal and decentralised.
  • He frequently made inspections throughout his empire.
  • The law and order was not maintained well during his reign.
  • The land tax collected from the people was one sixth of their produce
  • The important feature of his administration was the maintenance of public records.
  • He made land grants to priests and officers. This practise seems to have begun for Harsha’s time.
  • Huge army was maintained by him. His army consisted of four divisions – Cavalry, chariot, elephant and horse.
  • Harsh punishments continued to exist. However, under the influence of Buddhism, it was mitigated to some extent.

Military Conquests

  • Harsha’s most notable military expedition was against Western Chalukya monarch Pulakesin II.
  • The specifics of this campaign can be found in both Hiuen Tsang’s chronicles and Pulakesin II inscriptions.
  • Harsha marched against the Chalukya monarch in order to expand his dominion south of the Narmada river. Pulakesin defeated Harsha and earned the title of Paramesvara as a result.
  • Nepal had accepted Harsha’s rule. Harsha took control of Kashmir, and the ruler paid tribute to him.
  • He also maintained friendly connections with Assam’s monarch, Bhaskaravarman.
  • Harsha’s most recent military operation was a triumph against the kingdom of Kalinga in Orissa.
  • Harsha thus cemented his dominance over all of north India.
  • He had direct influence over contemporary Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Orissa, as well as outlying states such as Kashmir, Sind, Valabhi, and Kamarupa.
  • King Harshavardhana’s first expedition was against the ruler Sasanka. He defeated him and captured Kannauj.
  • Then he marched against the Chalukya ruler Pulakesin II, to extend his empire south of river Narmada. From Aihole inscription it is evident that Pulakesin II won against Harshavardhana.
  • His final expedition was against the kingdom of Kalinga and it was won.

King Harshavardhana – Society 

Position of women

  • The position of women under King Harshavardhana’s reign was not acceptable.
  • The choice of choosing her husband (Swayamvara ) declined.
  • Dowry became a very common practise.
  • The practise of sati too existed.
  • Remarriages of widows were not permitted.

Varna System

  • Four fold division of society existed during the reign of King Harshavardhana
    1. Brahmanas – the privileged section of the society
    2. Kshatriyas – the ruling class
    3. Vysyas – the traders
    4. Sudras – the agriculturists
  • Brahmins were the most favoured members of society, and rulers granted them land grants.
    • Women’s positions were unsatisfactory.
    • Swyamvara (the institution of choosing her spouse) has decreased.
    • Widow remarriage was forbidden, especially among the upper classes. Dowrying had also grown prevalent.
    • Sati was another popular ritual.
    • Hiuen Tsang discusses three methods of burying the dead: cremation, river burial, and exposure in the forests.

Harshavardhana – Religion

  • According to inscriptions, the early Pushyabhuti monarchs were Surya worshipers.
  • Rajyavardhana was a Buddhist devotee. Harshavardhana appears to have been a Shiva devotee who was also interested in Buddhism.
  • He called a large gathering at Kannauj, where Xuanzang and others delivered lectures on Mahayana principles.
  • Shramanas, Brahmanas, and sectarian devotees are said to have been invited to this magnificent meeting.
  • Various subordinate rulers were also present, including those of Assam and Valabhi.

Harshavardhana – Learning and the Arts

  • Harshavardhana was a patron of scholarship and the arts who possessed a variety of abilities.
  • He is said to have written three tragedies, a grammar book, and at least two Sutra writings.
  • He is credited with three plays: Ratnavali, Priyadarshika, and Nagananda.
  • The Nagananda tells the story of the bodhisattva Jimutavahana, while Ratnavali and Priyadarshika are love comedies.
  • The wording of the Banskhera and Madhuban inscriptions might have been written by the monarch himself.
  • The inscription at Banskhera has the king’s signature and demonstrates his calligraphic abilities. According to Bana, the monarch was a skilled lute player.
  • Among the brilliant authors affiliated with his court were Bana, Mayura, and Matanga Divakara.
  • Following Harsha’s death in 648 CE, there was a period of political turmoil until the advent of Yashovarman in 715-45 CE.
  • Following that, a number of families vied for control of Kanauj.
  • The tripartite battle between the Rashtrakutas, Palas, and Gurjara-Pratiharas was a prominent component of the periods’ political history.

King Harshavardhana and Buddhism

  • In his early life, King Harshavardhana was a shaivite and later became an ardent Hinayana Buddhist.
  • The Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang converted him into a follower of Mahayana Buddhism.
  • Thousands of Stupas were erected by him during his reign.
  • He prohibited slaughtering of animals for food and severe punishments were imposed for those who break the law.
  • He convened an assembly at Kannauj to honour Hieun Tsang and spread the doctrines of Mahayana.
  • Later he also conveyed a great assembly at Prayag, which was known as Allahabad assembly.

King Harshavardhana – Sources

The literary and archaeological sources that trace King Harshavardhana and his times are as follows:

  • Bana’s Harshacharita – Banabhatta was the court poet of King Harshavardhana. He wrote the biography of Harshavardhana in his book Harshacharita.
  • Hiuen Tsang’s Si-yu-ki – Hiuen Tsang was a Chinese traveller who visited India in Seventury A.D. In his travel account Si-yu-ki, he had mentioned Harshavardhana’s reign.
  • Dramas such as Ratnavali, Nagananda and Priyadarshika were written by King Harshavardhana. They provide useful information regarding his reign.
  • The Madhuben plate inscription and Sonpat plate inscriptions are helpful to know about the chronology of King Harshvardhana.
  • Signature of Harsha is present in the Banskhera inscription.

Decline of Harshavardhana

  • Harsha died in 647 AD, having reigned for 41 years.
  • His dominion fell quickly after his death since he died without successors.
  • Harshavardhan, an effective military leader and skilled administrator, died without heir in 647 CE and is regarded as the last Hindu King to dominate a substantial area of North India.
  • As a result, his death marks the end of the Pushyabhuti dynasty and the beginning of Muslim hegemony over North India.

Pushyabhuti dynasty

  • ‘Pushyabhuti’ Founded the Pushyabhuti Dynasty in Thaneshwar (District Ambala, Haryana).
  • The Pushyabhuti Dynasty ruled over Thanesar or Sthaneshwar.
  • Thanesar was its capital. During the sixth and seventh centuries, the Pushyabhuti dynasty, also known as the Vardhana dynasty, governed areas of northern India.
  • The dynasty reached its pinnacle under its last monarch, Harsha-Vardhana, whose Empire of Harsha included most of north and northwestern India, reaching as far east as Kamarupa and as far south as the Narmada River.
  • According to Xuanzang‘s writings and an 8th-century Buddhist treatise, the Arya-manjushri-mula-kalpa, the dynasty belonged to the Vaishya caste.

Conclusion 

King Harshavardhana is called the last great Hindu ruler in India though he was not an ardent follower of Hinduism. He died in the year 647 A.D. After his death, the Vardhana dynasty came to end as he had no heir and eventually the empire dissolved.