for students of BA I Sem BHU

1. BA I sem
Pushyabhuti Dynasty
By
Prachi Virag Sontakke

2. Introduction
• 6th cent CE North India: Arena with
multiple ruling dynasties.
• Rise of local and regional powers.
• Pushyabhutis ruled in and around
Sthanishwar/Thaneshwar (ancient
Kurukshetra).
• Established Kannauj as new political
centre.

3. Sources
• Madhuban copper plate (Azamgarh)
• Banskheda copper plate (Shahjahanpur)
• Nalanda & Sonipat seal.
• Aihole inscription of Pulkesin II.
• Harshacharita by Banabhatta
• Accounts of Xuan Zang: Si-Yu-Ki.
• Accounts of Itsing.

5. Succession
geneology Pushyabhuti
Narvardhan
Rajyavardhan I
Adityavardhan
Prabhakarvardhan
Rajyavardhan II
Harshavardhan

6. Origin
• Banabhatta: refers to Pushyabhuti family as Chandra vamshi.
• Nihar Ranjan Ray: Pushyabhutis were Kshatriyas.
• Si-Yu-Ki + Aryamanjushrimulkalpa : Pushyabhuti’s were Vaishya.

7. Pushyabhuti
• Inscriptions of Harsha make no mention of Pushyabhuti.
• Banabhatta: First known ancestor = Pushyabhuti.
• Pushyabhuti got hold of Thaneshwar & some areas around it (in Ambala).
• He was a devout Shaiv.
• Harshacharita: Addressed as Raja & Bhupala.
• Indicative of feudatory status.
• Whose feudatory??

8. Narvardhan
• No idea about his relation to Pushyabhuti.
• Harshacharita: Called the first ruler of Pushyabhuti dynasty.
• His son was Rajyavardhan I.

9. Rajyavardhan I
• Father of Adityavardhan
• Married his son Adityavardhan with Princess Mahasenaguptaa of
Later Gupta dynasty.

10. Adityavardhan
• Father of Prabhakarvardhan.
• Madhuban copper plate + Sonipat seal: Mother of Prabhakarvardhan was
Mahasenaguptaa.
• Rajvant Rao: Mahasenaguptaa= Sister of Later Gupta king Mahasenagupta
• H.C. Rai Chaudhary: Due to threat of Maukharies, Later Guptas entered
into matrimonial alliance with Vardhan family.

11. Prabhakarvardhan
• First mighty ruler of Pushyabhuti family.
• Established his influence over neighbouring kingdoms.
• Father of Rajyavardhan, Harshavardhan & Rajyashri.
• Also known as Pratapsheel.
• Titles: Maharajadhiraja, Parambhattaraka.

12. Imperialistic conquests: Harshacharit
• हूणहरिणक
े शिी: Hunas. Near his boundaries. Sent his son to subdue Hunas.
• स िंधुिाजज्वि: Sindhu. Far from Thaneshwar. May be?
• गुजजिप्रजागि: Gurjar. In Rajputana. Near his boundaries. May be?
• गिंIधिाधधपगिंधद्ववपक
ू टपाटज्वि: Gandhar. Probably in the campaign against
Hunas, went as far as Gandhar?
• लाटपाटवपाटच्चि: Laat = Gujrat. very far from Thaneshwar. Seems improbable.
• मIलवलक्ष्मीलतापिशु: Malva. Probably subdued Later Gupta king of Malva.

13. Matrimonial alliance
• Married his daughter Rajyashri with Maukhari king Grahavarma.
• Alliance to counter the threat of Later Guptas.
• Far reaching consequences for both Pushyabhuti and Maukhari
dynasty.

14. Rajyavardhan: As a prince
• Eldest son of Prabhakarvardhan.
• Harshacharit: During the later days of his father’s rule, he was sent to subdue Hunas.
• Harsha also accompanied him.
• Messenger came with news of his father being very ill.
• Harsha returned to Thaneshwar.
• In absence of his eldest son, Prabhakarvardhan asked Harsha to ascend Pushyabhuti
throne.
• Prabhakarvardhan died. His Queen became Sati.
• Rajyavardhan returned back after defeating Hunas.

15. Rajyavardhan: Accession (c. 604/5 CE)
• Harshacharita : Reluctant to ascend throne.
• Wanted to renounce the world.
• Requested Harshavardhan to take charge of Pushyabhuti throne.
• News of killing of his brother-in-law and imprisonment of Rajyashri by
evil Malavraja.
• Under pressure agreed to become king.

16. March against Malavraj
• Swore to uproot king of Malva.
• Positioned Harshavardhan in Thaneshwar to safeguard home territory and himself
marched towards Kannauj.
• His commander-in-chief Bhandi and 10,000 horsemen accompanied him.
• Harshacharita: Rajyavardhan very easily defeated Malavraj but he himself was killed
by deceit at the hands of Gaud king.
• Xuan Zang + Madhuban & Banskheda copper plates: Verify the same.
• Scholars: Gaud king = King Shashanka of Bengal.
• No idea as to where this battle was fought.
• S.Chattopadhyaya: Rajyavardhan defeated a confederation of enemy kings and not
just Malavraj.
• Xuan Zang: Blames Rajyavardhan’s ministers for his death. He was ill advised.
• Rajyavardhan had the bravery of youth but lacked political far sightedness.

17. Aftermath of Rajyavardhan’s death
• Harshacharit: After the murder of Rajyavardhan, a person by the name of
Gupta captured the throne of Kannauj. And in ensuing confusion, Rajyashri
fled.
• R.S.Tripathi: Shashanka occupied the throne of Kannauj.
• To divert the attention of Pushyabhuti army led by Bhandi from Kannauj,
released Rajyashri from prison.
• Others: though Shashanka attacked Kannauj but he was not successful in
capturing and annexing it.

18. Harshavardhan (c.606-647CE)
• Stressful-Pitiful situation: Forced 16 years old Harshavardhan to ascend
throne.
• Additional expectation/responsibility to avenge death of his brother.
• Harshacharita: Made preparations and led his army towards Kannauj.
• Messenger of king Bhaskarvarman of Kamrupa met him on the way and
extended help, offerings & friendship of King Bhaskarvarman.
• R.D.Benerji+ R.G.Basak: Bhaskarvarman’s self interest in friendship with
Harsha = Help against King Shashanka of Bengal.

19. Rescue of Rajyashri
• Harsha’s armies met retreating Pushyabhuti army led by Bhandi.
• Informed of Rajyashri’s escape.
• Change of plan: Rescuing Rajyashri top priority.
• R.S.Tripathi: Halted his army in Ganga-Yamuna doab and himself left for Vindhyas.
• Informed about Rajyashri’s whereabouts by a Buddhist monk.
• Arrived just in time to save Rajyashri as she was about to immolate herself in fire.

20. Accession on throne of Maukhari of Kannauj
• Watters & Beal: Reluctant to ascend Kannauj throne.
• Harshacharita: Advised by ministers to do the needful.
• Xuan Zang: Harsha took permission to ascend the throne from an idol of
Bodhisattva.
• Harsha seized the throne of Kannauj from some king named Gupta.
• Accession to throne of Kannauj probably in 606 CE.
• Later , he also transferred his capital from Thaneshwar to Kannauj.

21. Imperialistic conquests
• Xuan Zang: Harsha defeated all those kings from east to west who
refused to listen to his command.
• Six years later, he won over पिंच भाित
• V.Pathak: Panchbharata = Uttarapath, Dakshinapath, Prachi, Pratichi,
Madhyadesha.
• R.K.Mookherji + R.S.Tripathi: Panchbharata = Punjab, Kannauj, Gaud,
Mithila, Utkal.

22. Victory over king Shashank: Gaud kingdom
• Ganjam inscription of Shashank of 619 CE: Refers to Shashank as Maharajadhiraja
• Banskheda copper plate of 628 CE: Issued from military camp at Vardhamankoti.
• Vardhamankoti = Bardawan in West Bengal.
• Midnapur inscription of Shashank of 629 CE: Refers to Shashank without title
‘Maharajadhiraja’.
• By this time Shashank was a feudatory of Harsha.
• Probably the battle between the two was fought between 628-629 CE
• Aryamanjushrimulkalpa: Shashank was defeated by Harshavardhan.
• Nidhanpur inscription of Bhaskarvarman: Bhaskarvarman’s control over Karna-Suvarna.
• S.Chattopadhyaya: Harsha and Bhaskarvarma together attacked Shashank and after
victory, divided Gaud kingdom amongst themselves.
• R.S.Tripathi: It was only after death of Shashank that whole of Gaud came under direct
control of Harshavardhan.

23. Other victories
• Banabhatta: Harsha took the wealth of King of Sindhu.
• No corroboratory evidence.
• Mat-wa-lin: Harsha was Magadhraja.
• Si-Yu-Ki: Harsha gave grants in Odisha.
• Banabhatta: Harsha received taxes from ice clad mountain regions.
• Buhler +Fleet + Smith: victory over Ice-clad mountain regions=Nepal
• R.S.Tripathi : Harsha married daughter of some powerful Himalayan king.
• Nausari copper plate: Shri Harshadeva defeated Vallabhi king.
• Vallabhi king = Dhruvabhatta II
• Harsha did not annex Vallabhi in his kingdom
• Made it a buffer state between his kingdom and kingdom of western Chalukya
king Pulkesin II.
• Xuan-Zang: Harsha married daughter of Dhruvabhatta to cement his
relationship with Vallabhi.

25. Battle with Western Chalukya king Pulkesin II
• R.C.Majumdar + R.S.Tripathi: Harsha fought a federation of kings of Lat,
Malva & Gurjar led by Pulkesin II?
• Aihole inscription of 634 CE: Pulkesin II defeated Sakaluttarapathnatha
• Xuang-Zang: Harsha could neither defeat nor subdue Pulkesin II.
• To celebrate this victory, Pulkesin II took the title ‘Parmeshwar’
• Harsha attacked Kangod (Karnataka) in 643 CE to avenge his defeat and
took some areas from Pulkesin II.

26. Conquests in south India
• N.Ray + A.Benreji + S.Shashtri: Harsha conquered Kuntal, Chola &
Kanchi.
• Basis: Gaddmanai inscription (Kerala)+A Eulogy text by Mayurbhatta.
• Not acceptable.

27. Diplomatic relations
• With king Bhaskarvarman of Kamrupa : He attended Prayag’s Mahamoksha
Parishad organised by Harshavardhan.
• With Kashmir king Durlabhavardhan: Harsha requested him to show
Buddha’s tooth housed in a monastery in Kashmir. Durlabhvardhan forcefully
took the tooth of Buddha against the will of monastery and showed it to
Harsha. Harsha by might of his influential power took it back with him.
• With Chinese king: Chinese messenger along with a Chinese official were
sent to the court of Sheeladitya (Harshavardhan) in 643 CE.

28. Extension of empire
• N.Ray + K.M.Panikkar :
N: Nepal
W: Jalandhar.
E: Assam
S: Narmada.
• R.C.Majumdar: U.P, Bihar, Parts of Eastern Punjab.
• Titles: Sakaluttarapathnatha, Magadhraja, Maharajadhiraj
Parmeshwar, Sakalrajachakrachoodamani, chatussasamudradhipati.
• Alias: Sheeladitya, Shri Sheel.

29. Harshavardhan: Remarks
• Credited to have established Kanyakubja as the symbol of royal power in north
India.
• Patron of scholars: Banabhatta, Xuan-Zang
• Himself a writer: Sanskrit dramas- Ratnavali, Nagnanda, Priyadarshika.
• Organised Mahamoksha Parishad (75 days) in Prayag after every five years-
attended by other kings.
• Organised Kannauj dharma assembly every year.
• Concerned with welfare of his subjects.
• Gave grants to Nalanda university.
• Started a new era: Harsha smavat from 606 CE
• Religious tolerance: Worshipper of Aditya, Shiva and Buddha.
• R.K.Mookherji: Character of Harsha was a mix of qualities of Ashoka and
Samudragupta.

30. Aftermath
• No successor to carry forward the Pushyabhuti name & dynasty.
• Chinese sources: The throne of Harsha had been usurped by someone.
• With the help of forces from Nepal and Assam the usurper was
defeated by Chinese and taken as a prisoner to China.
• This event shows the growing interest of the Chinese in the politics of
north India.
• Ultimately, Yashovarman of Kannauj was successful in usurping the
throne of Kannauj as left unattended by Harshavardhan.