Harshavardhana: Empire of Harsha, History, Reign | UPSC Notes

DYNASTY

• Hieun Tsang’s travel account Si-Yu-Ki, Banbhatta’s Harshacharita and Aihole stone inscription of Pulkeshin II.
• Madhuban & Sonpat inscriptions record chronology. Banshekhra inscriptions have a signature of Harshavardhana.
• Pushyabhutis were feudatories of Gupta. They became independent after the Huna invasion.
• Important rulers of this dynasty were Prabhakarvardhana, Adityavardhan and Harshavardhana.
• He was the son of Prabhakarvardhana.

(606 CE – 647 CE)

• Kannauj was conquered and united with Thaneswar.
• Harshavardhana attacked Shashank of Gauda Kingdom and established his control over regions of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha and befriended Bhashkarvarman of Kamrup (Assam).
• Vallabhi King Dhruvbhata in Gujrat too was defeated and a truce was negotiated with him by marriage of Harsha’s daughter to Dhruvbhata.
• He assumed titles of Uttarapathanatha or Uttarapathapati (Lord of the North).
• While marching southwards, Regions of Malawa and after crossing Narmada he was defeated by Pulkeshin II in the Battle of Narmada.
• He was greatly influenced by the personality of Hieun Tsang and organized a Buddhist assembly at Kannauj under his chairmanship.
• Hieun Tsang, in his book, has appreciated Harshvardhan’s justice and munificence (generosity).
• The able military commander and good administrator, died in 647 CE without heir and is regarded as the last Hindu King to have ruled a large part of North India.
• Hence, He’s death also marks the end of Pushyabhuti dynasty and beginning of Muslim rule over North India.

• Harshavardhana governed his empire on the same lines of Gupta.
• The basic unit of administration was a village.
• Offices under the king became hereditary as Harisena who was a ‘mahadandanayaka’, or Chief Judicial Officer inherited the office from his father.
• One person could bear more than one office as Harisena also held offices of ‘Kumaramatya’ and ‘Sangrahvigrahika’
• The ‘sreshti’ (Chief Banker or Merchant), the ‘sarthavaha’ (Leader of Merchant Caravans), ‘prathamakulika’ (Chief Craftsman), and the ‘kayashthas’ (head of the scribes) were other important officers of administration.
• Maintainance of Public Records is an important feature of Harsha rule.

• One-sixth of the produce was collected as tax and was the main source of revenue.
• Taxes imposed on ports, income from mines and tributes from vassals were other important revenue sources.
• Overall, trade and commerce are said to have declined during this phase.

• According to Hiuen-Tsang, there were castes, a mix of sub-castes, untouchables and also outcastes, yet, forced labour was absent.
• The position of women declined during this period as the institution of Swyamvara (the ceremony of choosing husband) had become dysfunctional.
• Widow remarriage was not allowed and Sati & dowry systems were prevalent.

• As he was a secular king, all sects of religion peacefully coexisted but Brahmanism grew more than others.
• Harshvardhan was a Shiva devotee. Later he converted to Mahayana Buddhism.
• According to Hieun Tsang, He held the Allahabad conference once every 5 years.

• A patron of art and literature, Harshavardhana patronized the Banabhatta, Mayura, Matanga Divakara etc.
• Banabhatta wrote – Harshacharita, Kadambari & Parvatiparinay.
• He was a poet and composed three Sanskrit plays: Nagananda, Ratnavali, and Priyadarsika.
• He held 5 yearly donation (Daan) ceremonies at Prayag and donated munificently in favour of: Administration, Royal Household, Scholars and Religion.
• Brick temple of Laxamana at Sirpur was built during Harsha rule.