Harshavardhana Era

A lot is said and speculated about the Harshavardhana era and what happened during that time. It is definitely one of the most important parts of history that we study today. The capital city under the empire of Harshavardhana was Kannauj. The ruler was responsible for the empire from about 606 AD to 647 AD. The extension of the Empire under the rule of Harshavrdhana king was between Punjab and Northern parts of Orissa as well as the Banks of Narmada River and the Himalayas as well. 

In this article, we are going to talk about the era during the rule of this king and the important information related to it. 

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History of Harshvardhan King 

King Harshavardhana was born into the Pushyabhuti dynasty. The founder of the dynasty was named Navavardhana. It was during the 5th or the 6th century when this particular dynasty was founded. The name of king Harshavardhana’s father was Thaneswar Prabhakara Vardhana and he was king during the time the Pushyabhuti dynasty had any chance of flourishing in the best way. He was the one who was awarded the title of Maharajadhiraja by the people. 

The capital of Harshavardhana was Kannauj. Harshavardhana was made king when he succeeded the throne from his brother in about 606 A.D. It was after the death of his elder brother Rajyavardhana in the war when he succeeded to the throne. Rajyavardhana was killed by Sasanka while he was in his attempt to suppress the different kingdoms of Malawa and Gauda. Another one of the names provided to Harshavardhana was Sakalottarapathanatha. 

Harshavardhana managed to rescue his elder sister Rajyasri and then moved to conquer Sanaska in which he was not successful. Here we are going to learn more about the Harshavardhana Dynasty in the best way. This will definitely help people in understanding more about the rule of the king and everything that happened during these events. 

Who Is Harshavardhana?

There are some details provided about King Harshavardhana in the very well-documented book Harshacharita which was written by Banabhatta. In this book, the second expedition of Harshavardhana, right after the death of Sasanka is explained in great detail. It is said that during the second expedition the King managed to get a hold of the empire of Sasanka and Magadha as well. It was during that time when Harshavardhana decided to make Kannauj the capital city during his empire. The Kingdom of Harshavardhana also extended from the parts of Punjab to different parts of Orissa. Not to mention that several parts of the Narmada banks, as well as the Himalayas, came under the rule of Harshavardhana. However, when he tried expanding the kingdom outside Narmada, his attempts failed. 

Harshavardhana was defeated by Pulakesin II, the Chalukya ruler of Badami. There is a very detailed account of the rule of Harsha in the books of Harshacharitra. It was after Harshavardhana’s death in about 647 A.D. when the empire also died with him. 

Administration During Harshavardhana Dynasty 

According to the facts about the Harshavardhana administration, the empire was properly divided into 4 different parts when it came to revenue. The 1st part of the revenue was spent mostly on the king. The scholars would receive the 2nd installment of the revenue. The 3rd part was reserved for the public servants and the 4th one was spent mostly for religious activities. This was the administration under the ruler and everyone was pretty much happy with the distribution of the revenue. The needs and requirements of the people were definitely taken care of during the rule of the king and hence everyone was pretty much satisfied. The manner of administration was very approachable and is still remembered to this day for sure. 

Cultural As Well As Socio-Economic Setup During the Harshavardhana Era 

One of the most important visitors of the Kingdom of Harshavardhana was Hiuen-Tsang, the Chinese traveler. According to this Buddhist monk, the kingdom of the ruler has a very elaborate caste system that is seen in Indian society for sure. Also, there were some very different mixed as well as sub-castes in the kingdom as well. There is also a mention of the outcastes as well as the untouchables in the rule of Harshavardhana, according to Hieun Tsang. 

It is also said that the position that women held in society was also experiencing a decline during the rule of the king. However, women were not really in a position that was considered inferior to all the males of the society. The religious activities were also pretty much complicated during the time when Harshavardhana was the king of the empire. It was seen that due to the increase of the Brahmin followers, there was a decline in the Buddhist religion in the country as well. 

There were some other religions that were practiced during the rule of the king and some of these religions were Shaivism, Jainism, and Vaishnavism as well. It is said that Harshavardhana was a very secular and liberal king. The main source for the revenue of the state was the land produce that gave almost 1/6th of the revenue for the kingdom. Apart from that, there were taxes that were imposed on the ferries and ports. The tributes provided to the kingdom by foreign travelers along with some of the royal land returns made the revenue of the kingdom increase in the best way. 

Important Personalities During the Rule Of Harshavardhana King

When it comes to the important personalities that were present during the time King Harshavardhana ruled the land, there are 2 names that come into mention. 

Hiuen-Tsang was a Chinese Buddhist monk and also was a pilgrim that visited the court of Harshavardhana. He was the one who wrote a book after returning to his land, China, and named it ‘Shi-Yu-Ki’ which can be translated as ‘the world of the west’. There were mentions of different kings and Harshavardhana was one of them. In his book, Hiuen Tsang wrote about the administration and culture in the court of Harshavardhana. 

Another one of the main personalities during the rule of Harshavardhana was Banabhatta. He was a poet who was also a member of the court that was established by the king during his rule. Banabhatta was the person who wrote the biography of King Harshavardhana and named it “Harshacharitra”. The book was composed in the language of Sanskrit and had several details about the life and history of king Harshavardhana. 

Harshavardhana Important Facts 

Here we are going to mention some of the important facts related to the life of Harshavardhana that people need to know about. 

• Harshavardhana king was a great patron of education and learning. He was a writer himself and composed some Sanskrit plays named Priyadarshika, Ratnavali, and Nagananda. 

• Different hospitals and rest houses were built under the rule of Harshavardhana. 

• The grand assembly of king Harshavardhana in Kannauj had 20 kings as guests and 4000 Buddhist monks as well. There were about 3000 Brahmins and Jains present. 

• The Mahamoksha Parishad was a festival organized by Harshavardhana at Allahabad, Prayaga after every 5 years. 

So, these are some details about the Harshavardhana era that can help people get a detailed understanding of the king’s reign.