Gupta and Post-Gupta Period (Part-IV)

Eminent author Banabhatta composed the text "Harshacharita". This is the major source of Vardhana dynasty. It is a fable in which the author presented the description of his contemporary ruler and biographies of their ancestors.

Chinese sources revealed that Harsha and Rajyashri ruled together over Kannauj. Harsha shifted his capital to Kannauj from Thanesar to help his sister Rajyashri in the proper administration of Kannauj. Kannauj was a suitable place to rule over the extensive empire of Harsha.

Chinese sources revealed that Harsha and Rajyashri ruled together over Kannauj. Harsha shifted his capital to Kannauj from Thanesar to help his sister Rajyashri in the proper administration of Kannauj. Kannauj was a suitable place to rule over the extensive empire of Harsha.

Harsha held a massive council of various religions and sects in Kannauj to prove the excellence of Mahayana over other religions. According to Chinese evidence, rulers of 20 countries along with their eminent Brahmins, Shramads. courtiers, etc. arrived there. This meet was presided over by Hiuen Tsang. A function used to be held at Sangam region of Prayaga every fifth year of harsha's rule, which is stated as 'Mahamoksha council.' Hiuen Tsang himself attended the 6ᵗʰ function which was attended by 18 rulers of various countries.

Harsha held a massive council of various religions and sects in Kannauj to prove the excellence of Mahayana over other religions. According to Chinese evidence, rulers of 20 countries along with their eminent Brahmins, Shramads. courtiers, etc. arrived there. This meet was presided over by Hiuen Tsang. A function used to be held at Sangam region of Prayaga every fifth year of harsha's rule, which is stated as 'Mahamoksha council.' Hiuen Tsang himself attended the 6ᵗʰ function which was attended by 18 rulers of various countries.

Emperor Harsha's southward march was stopped on the Narmada river by Pulakeshin II, a Chalukyan ruler who defeated Harsha. This incident is mentioned in Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin II and description of Hiuen Tsang.

Emperor Harsha's southward march was stopped on the Narmada river by Pulakeshin II, a Chalukyan ruler who defeated Harsha. This incident is mentioned in Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin II and description of Hiuen Tsang.

Harsha's southward march was stopped on Narmada river by the Chalukya king Pulakeshin who ruled over a great part of modern Karnataka and Maharashtra with his capital at Badami in the modern Bijapur district of Karnataka. According to Altekar, the battle between Harsha and Pulakesin was fought sometime between 630 to 634 AD. The first reason in support of, this battle is the result between battle of the Vallabhi which itself cannot be said to be fought before 630 AD. Again Pulakeshin's lohnara inscription of 630 AD which mentions the name of his defeated enemies do not iclude the name of Harsha, but Aihole inscription of 634 AD mentions this battle. In these conditions, the correct timing be between 630 AD and 634 AD, so the nearest answer can be option (d). In April 2016, researchers from the Bhandarkar oriental Research institute claimed that the date of Pulakeshin's great triumph over Harsha could be fixed at 618 AD. This information was based on a recently discovered copper plate inscription of Pulakeshin II. Jharkhand Provincial Service Commission has accepted option (b) as the correct answer.

Banabhatta, the poet, was born in the village Prithikuta, on the bank of Son River in Aurangabad district (Present Bihar). The name of his fathe and mother was Chitrabhanu and Rajdevi respectively.

The arrival of Hiuen-Tsang was the most important event of Harsha's period. His desire was to visit the places related to Mahatma Buddha and study Buddhist texts, which was available in India. He departed for India in 629 AD from Changan, the capital of Tang Ruler. He wrote a book on his tour to India named 'Sei-Yu-Kei'.