Question

Harshavardhana’s earliest capital was______.
A. Kannauj
B. Magadha
C. Thaneswar
D. Pataliputra

Answer 1

Hint: In its finest aspects, Harsha was a true symbol of the ancient monarchy. The king was absolute and all-powerful in concept. But in practice, being subject to the rules of the Dharma, the laws and customs of the country, and the excellent advice of officials and countries, he enjoyed limited power.

Complete answer:
 Harshavardhana, from \[606\] to \[647\] CE, was an Indian Emperor who ruled North India. He was a descendant of the dynasty of Vardhana, and was the son of Prabhakara Vardhana, who conquered the invaders of Alchon Huns, and the younger brother of Rajyavardhana, the king of Thaneswar, now Haryana.
King Maukhari, the eldest son of King Avanti-varman, was married to Rajyasri, sister to Rajyavardhana and Harshavardhana of the Pushyabhuti dynasty. Grahavarman died at the hands of the Malava king, who ostensibly imprisoned Rajyasri as well. Upon hearing the news, Rajyavardhana led a military effort and won against Malava. In control of his brother's kingdom, Harsha lived at home. Then Harsha ascended to the throne (c. \[606\] AD) and swore vengeance against Sasanka. In Bhaskaravarman, king of Pragjyotisha, he found an ally (Assam). It is assumed that Harsha routed Sasanka and the other kings on his way to establish an Empire that spread from modern-day Punjab and from the foothills of the Himalayas to modern Madhya Pradesh.
The transfer of his capital from Thaneswar to Kannauj by Harsha presumably indicates the fact that he first launched his eastern campaign to Bengal. Making his capital Kannauj would have equipped him with a greater opportunity to direct his forces to the east. In the tradition of his illustrious forebears, the Imperial Guptas, Harsha is also considered to have proclaimed himself king of Magadha and took up the epithet of Siladitya. The grandmother of Harsha was a Gupta princess.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note:There were two distinctive forms of territory in the Vardhana Empire: regions immediately under the jurisdiction of Harsha, such as the Central Provinces, Gujarat, Bengal, Kalinga, Rajputana, and the states and kingdoms that had been feudatories under him, including Jalandhar, Kashmir, Nepal, Sind, Kamarupa (modern-day Assam).