Post Guptan Period
Post Guptan Period
Harshavardhana(606 -47 AD)
After the decline of the Guptas northern India was divided into four main kingdoms, those of the Guptas of Magadha (not to be confused with the main Gupta dynasty), the Maukharis, the Pushyabhutis, and the Maitrakas. The first of these, the Guptas of Magadha, were a minor line bearing the same name. The Maukharis at first held the region of western Uttar Pradesh around Kannauj, and gradually they ousted the Magadhan Guptas from their kingdom, after which the Guptas moved to Malwa.
The Pushyabhutis ruled in Thanesar, north of Delhi. They had made a marriage alliance with the Maukharis. Grahavarman , The Maukhari ruler was the husband of Rajyasri (daughter of Prabhakara vardhana) . Grahavarman was killed by Deva Gupta , the ruler of Malwa and ally of Sasanka (ruler of Bengal) .
On the death of the last Maukhari king, the Maukhari nobles requested Harsha Vardhan, the reigning Pushyabhuti king, to unite his kingdom with the Maukhari kingdom and rule from Kanauj.
The Pushyabhuti family came to the fore after the Hun invasion and achieved influence on the accession of Prabhakara Vardhana. Prabhakara Vardhanas desire for conquest was eventually carried out by his younger son, Harsha Vardhana, generally known as Harsha.
Harsha began his reign in A.D. 606. Banabhatta has written a biography of his patron, Harsha Vardhana called theHarshacharita (Life of Harsha). There is also an account of a Chinese visitor, the Buddhist pilgrim Hsuan Tsang, who was in India during Harshas reign. In the course of the forty-one years that he ruled, Harsha included among his feudatories kings as distant as those of Jalandhar (in the Punjab), Kashmir, Nepal, and Valabhi. However, Harsha Vardhana was unable to extend his power into the Deccan or southern India. He suffered his one of the worst defeat at the hands of a Deccan king, Pulakeshin II.
Harsha Charita written by Bana Bhatta under the patronage of Harshavardhan throws light on Harshavardhanas life and rule. It has eight chapters. The book traces the, history of Harshavardhanas family till the rescue of Rajyashri who was getting ready to immolate herself. Written in Sanskrit, it throws light on social, political, religious and economic conditions of the period. It is a biographical account written in an ornate style. Bana Bhatta also wrote Kadambari and Parvati parinay. Harsha wrote dramas such as Ratnavali, Nagananda and Priyadarsika.
On the death of the last Maukhari king, the Maukhari nobles requested Harsha Vardhan, the reigning Pushyabhuti king, to unite his kingdom with the Maukhari kingdom and rule from Kanauj.
The Pushyabhuti family came to the fore after the Hun invasion and achieved influence on the accession of Prabhakara Vardhana. Prabhakara Vardhanas desire for conquest was eventually carried out by his younger son, Harsha Vardhana, generally known as Harsha.
Harsha began his reign in A.D. 606. Banabhatta has written a biography of his patron, Harsha Vardhana called theHarshacharita (Life of Harsha). There is also an account of a Chinese visitor, the Buddhist pilgrim Hsuan Tsang, who was in India during Harshas reign. In the course of the forty-one years that he ruled, Harsha included among his feudatories kings as distant as those of Jalandhar (in the Punjab), Kashmir, Nepal, and Valabhi. However, Harsha Vardhana was unable to extend his power into the Deccan or southern India. He suffered his one of the worst defeat at the hands of a Deccan king, Pulakeshin II.
Harsha Charita written by Bana Bhatta under the patronage of Harshavardhan throws light on Harshavardhanas life and rule. It has eight chapters. The book traces the, history of Harshavardhanas family till the rescue of Rajyashri who was getting ready to immolate herself. Written in Sanskrit, it throws light on social, political, religious and economic conditions of the period. It is a biographical account written in an ornate style. Bana Bhatta also wrote Kadambari and Parvati parinay. Harsha wrote dramas such as Ratnavali, Nagananda and Priyadarsika.
Pallavas (560-903 AD)
For three hundred years after the mid sixth century three major kingdoms of south India were involved in conflict. These were the Chalukyas of Badami, the Pallavas of Kanchipuram, and the Pandyas of Madurai. The Chalukyas began with their base in northern Mysore at Vatapi or Badami and the adjacent Aihole, from where they moved northwards and annexed the kingdom of the Vakatakas, which was centred around Nasik and the Upper Godavari.
The earliest records of the Pallavas are inscriptions in Prakrit followed by inscriptions in Sanskrit and subsequently in both Sanskrit and Tamil. According to one of the earlier inscriptions the Pallava king performed various Vedic sacrifices, including the ashvamedha. Amongst the later group of PaIlava rulers,Mahendra-Varman I (600-630) was responsible for the growing political strength of the Pallavas and established the dynasty as the patrons of early Tamil culture. He was a contemporary of Harsha Vardhan and was also a dramatist and poet of some standing, being the author of a play, Matta-vilasa-prahasana (The Delight of the Drunkards). It was during his reign that some of the finest rock-cut Pallava temples were built, including the famous temples at Mahabalipuram. Mahendra-Varman began his life as a Jain but was converted to Shaivism by the saint Appar. But his reign was not merely one of poetry, music, and temple-building. wars had also to be fought. He was defeated by Pulakesin II and a part of His kingdom was occupied. Mahendra-Varmans successor Narasimha-Varman I was determined to win back the lost provinces, and this he succeeded in doing with the assistance of the king of Ceylon in 642. Narasimha-Varman swept right into the capital Badami, killing Pulakeshin II. Hence he assumed the title Vatapikonda, He was great builder and constructed Mamallapuram and various building in it. Hiuen Tsang visited kanchi during his reign.
The next important ruler was Narasimhavarman II (700- 28) who built shore temple at Mamallapuram and Kailasanatha temple at Kanchi. He assumed the title Rajyasimha. Nandivarman II built the famous vaikuntaperumal temple at Kanchi. The last ruler of Pallava was Aparajita who was defeated by Aditya Chola.
The earliest records of the Pallavas are inscriptions in Prakrit followed by inscriptions in Sanskrit and subsequently in both Sanskrit and Tamil. According to one of the earlier inscriptions the Pallava king performed various Vedic sacrifices, including the ashvamedha. Amongst the later group of PaIlava rulers,Mahendra-Varman I (600-630) was responsible for the growing political strength of the Pallavas and established the dynasty as the patrons of early Tamil culture. He was a contemporary of Harsha Vardhan and was also a dramatist and poet of some standing, being the author of a play, Matta-vilasa-prahasana (The Delight of the Drunkards). It was during his reign that some of the finest rock-cut Pallava temples were built, including the famous temples at Mahabalipuram. Mahendra-Varman began his life as a Jain but was converted to Shaivism by the saint Appar. But his reign was not merely one of poetry, music, and temple-building. wars had also to be fought. He was defeated by Pulakesin II and a part of His kingdom was occupied. Mahendra-Varmans successor Narasimha-Varman I was determined to win back the lost provinces, and this he succeeded in doing with the assistance of the king of Ceylon in 642. Narasimha-Varman swept right into the capital Badami, killing Pulakeshin II. Hence he assumed the title Vatapikonda, He was great builder and constructed Mamallapuram and various building in it. Hiuen Tsang visited kanchi during his reign.
The next important ruler was Narasimhavarman II (700- 28) who built shore temple at Mamallapuram and Kailasanatha temple at Kanchi. He assumed the title Rajyasimha. Nandivarman II built the famous vaikuntaperumal temple at Kanchi. The last ruler of Pallava was Aparajita who was defeated by Aditya Chola.
Chalukyas (543- 755)
Pulakesin I was the founder of Chalukya dynasty. The greatest of Chalukya rulers was Pulakesin II. Pulakeshin tested the strength of his army by attacking the Kadambas and the Gangas to the south. His success, in this campaign led him to make an equally successful attack on Andhra territory, and finally he faced the army of Harsha Vardhan on the banks of the Narmada, which he defeated, and pressed on to receive the submission of Lata, Malwa, and Gujarat. On returning to Badami he conducted another successful campaign, this time against Mahendra-Varman the Pallava, resulting in the annexation of the northern Pallava provinces. However Pulakesin II was killed by Narasimhavarman I The last ruler of Chalukyan ruler wasKirtivarman II who was defeated by Dandi Durga the founder of Rastra Kuta dynasty.
Social and economical structure
Land grants had its origin in pre gupta period, grew in Gupta agebut became quite frequent in post Gupta period. Another significant feature of this period was that salaries were sometimes paid not in cash but in grants of land, as is evident both from the frequency of land-grant inscriptions (in stone and metal) found from this period onwards and also from the specific reference to this practice by Hsuan Tsang in his account of India. Cash salaries were paid for military services alone. Itsing , a Chinese pilgrim who visted in 7th AD informs us that most of the Indian monastries got their lands cultivated by servants. From 6th century onwards the peasants and share croppers were required to stick to the land granted to the beneficiaries. Thus this period witnessed the tremendous growth in Indian feudalism. The oppression of the peasants was so severe that they was forced to revolt against this social setup. Kaivarts in East Bengal was revolted and it was described by Sandhyakaranandi in Ramcharita. It was a peasant uprising directed against the Palas. The feudal order was based on more or less self sufficient economic units in various parts of the country. This is indicated by the rarity of coins, prevalence of local weights and measures, transfer by the kings and chiefs of income in cash and kind from trade and industries to temples. The institution of the Samantawas the main innovation which distinguished the post Gupta period from the other periods of ancient India.
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