Harsha Vardhana

The period assigned to Harsha or Harsha Vardhana (हर्षवर्धन) reign is 606AD until 648 AD. For Harsha’s period, though the historians have the ordinary numismatics and epigraphic sources, there are two most important sources (literary Works), which shed light on this era’s political and social conditions.

• The first is a book of travels compiled by Chinese Pilgrim Huen Tsang, who visited almost all parts of India from 630 AD till 643-644 AD. Apart from the narrative, the work is supplemented by biographies of the pilgrim, which is written by his friend Hwui-li, and this provides some additional information.
• The second is Harshacharita authored by Banabhatta. Banabhatta was a Brahmin who stayed in the court of Harsha and enjoyed his patronage.

Apart from the above, the official Chinese history documents also provide some details about the reign of Harsha.

Family of Harsha

The family of Harsha is linked to Pushyabhuti of Thenshwar. In the later part of the 6th century, the Raja of Thaneshwar, Prabhakarvardhana raised himself against the neighbors including the Hunas settled in the North Western Punjab and also the clans of the Gurjars. He assumed the title of Maharajadhiraj and Parama Bhattaraka. This was the beginning of the Vardhana Dynasty in the north India. The Mother of Prabbhakarvardhana was a princess of the Gupta lineage and this probably stimulated the royal ambitions of Prabhakaravardhana.

There were two sons of Prabhakarvardhana, the elder Rajyavardhana and younger Harshavardhana. In 604 AD, Prabhakarvardhana had sent a large army led by Rajyavardhana to attack the Huns at the North Western frontiers and sent his younger son Harsha with a cavalry. While Rajyavardhana advanced into the Hills, Harsha lingered in the forests of the foothills of the mountains.While he was employed in the forests, he got the news of the nearh death illness of his father. He needed to return and as he retunred, assuming that Rajyavardhana might have been killed, the court men favored Harsha to be the next King. Prabhakarvardhana had died. Meanwhile Rajya Vardhana returned. Without any struggle, he took place of his father at this point of time.

The sister of these two brothers named Rajyashri was married to the Maukhari King Grahavarmana of Kannauj. Since, at the time of the death of Prabhakarvardhana, Rajya Vardhana was engaged in the battle against the Hunas, a king of Gupta lineage Devagupta of Malwa attacked the Maukharis and killed Grahavarmana. The windowed Rajyashri was confined in jail and probably mis-used by the attacker.

The young King Rajyavardhana vowed to seek avenge and he led a ten thousand cavalry to atack the Malwa King. The King of Malwa was defeated without much effort, but the victory became sad soon after as a Gaur King Shashanka who had come to help Devagupta killed Rajyavardhana. Rajyavardhana was inveigled to a peace conference by fair promises by Sashaanka and was killed there.

Coronation of Harsha and Annexation of Kannauj

The son of Rajyavardhana was too young to assume cares of the government and the court men did not hesitate to offer the crown to Harsha. When Harsha became the king, the tasks before him were to:

• Take avenge of his brother’s killing
• Free Rajyashri from prison.

The assassins were able to escape and Rajyashri was about to burn herself alive with her attendants. However, Harsha chased them, guided by the tribals and was able to trace her in the Vindhya Jungles. Shashanka escaped, though his kingdom was later annexed to that of Harsha’s. However, Shashanka remained a headache for Harsha for a longer period. Son of Rajyashri was also an infant and this was the reason that Kannauj was also annexed with the kingdom of Harshavardhana.

Conquests of Harsha

Harsha was a brave king who had the desired ability and energy to bring all India “under an umbrella”. He overran the northern India, went from east to west and subdued all who were not obedient. In around five years, he had conquered the northwestern regions as well as a large part of Bengal. This was enough to raise his army strength from five thousand war elephants to fifty thousand war elephants and twenty thousand cavalry to one lakh cavalry. His great career of victory continued until 643 AD and the last attack was on the inhabitants of Ganjam on the Coast of Bay of Bengal.

Conflict with Pulkesin II

However, his long career of victory was eclipsed by one great failure against Pulkesin II.

Pulkesin II, the greatest of the Chalukya dynasty vied with Harsha and was able to stop the ambitions of Harsha towards south.

If Harsha was Uttarpathapati, Pulkesin II, the Chalukya King of Vatapi was able to raise himself to the rank of lord paramount of the South and called himself Dakshinapathapati. Harsha, unable to endure the existence of such a powerful rival in south, planed to overthrow Pulkesin II and advanced towards south with troops from all parts of his reign. However, his effort failed. The passes on the Narmada River were guarded so efficiently that Harsha accepted that river as his southern frontier. This was sometime in 620 AD (some sources say 635AD).

Conquest of Ganjam:

The last conquest of Harsha was the Ganjam in modern Odisha. Harsha was not able to annexe initially because of his enmity with Shashanka. However, Ganjam was conquered in 642-643 AD and after that, Harsha became content to sheathe the sword. The later part of Harsha’s life is almost an imitation to the Great Asoka Maurya, but it took 37 years and numerous conquests to Harsha to adopt the Asoka route.

Territories of Harsha:

The reign of Harsha was from whole of basin of Ganga including Nepal, to the Narmada in South. Harsha ruled on the pattern of the Gupta Kings and the local administration remained in the hands of the local Kings. From King of Kamarupa in Assam to King of Vallabhi in Gujarat, several local kings attended the courts of Harsha. Harsha was the last true Hindu King of Northern India.

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