Chapter 15: Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries
After the Guptas, India had no single great empire but many strong kingdoms. In this chapter we meet Harṣha of Kannauj, the three rivals who fought over that city, the kings of Kashmir, and the dynasties of the Deccan and the far south, and see how government, trade, society, religion and science changed, and how India met the Hūṇas and the Arabs.
In this chapter you will
- describe Harṣha's reign and the sources about it
- explain the Tripartite Struggle and the southern dynasties
- describe changes in polity, economy, society and culture
- explain how India responded to the Hūṇas and Arabs
Topics
- The 'Great King of Kings' NCERT 15.1
After the Guptas, many regional kingdoms rose; Harṣha ruled the north from Kannauj from 606 CE.
- A Tripartite Struggle for Kannauj NCERT 15.2
The Pālas, Gurjara-Pratīhāras and Rāṣhṭrakūṭas fought over Kannauj for two centuries.
- Kashmir NCERT 15.3
Kalhaṇa's Rājatarangiṇī tells Kashmir's history and sets high standards for historians.
- The Deccan and Beyond NCERT 15.4
The Chālukyas of Badami and Pallavas of Kānchī were great rivals in the 7th century.
- Other Developments NCERT 15.5
Kings ruled through sāmantas; land grants, irrigation, trade and guilds grew.
- Foreign Invasions NCERT 15.6
The Hūṇas were defeated by the Aulikaras and absorbed into Indian society.
Key words
- Tripartite
- involving three parties
- Sāmanta
- a subordinate ruler serving a king
- Monolithic
- carved from a single rock
- Dvārapaṇḍita
- scholar gatekeeper of a university
- Bhakti
- personal devotion to a deity
- Ālvārs / Nāyanārs
- Tamil devotees of Viṣhṇu / Śhiva
- Rājatarangiṇī
- Kalhaṇa's history of Kashmir
- Mlechchha
- a term that came to mean foreigners
Summary
- Regional kingdoms replaced the Gupta Empire; Harṣha ruled from Kannauj.
- Pālas, Gurjara-Pratīhāras and Rāṣhṭrakūṭas fought over Kannauj; Chālukyas, Pallavas, Pāṇḍyas and Cholas ruled the south.
- Land grants, trade, Bhakti and mathematics flourished.
- The Hūṇas were absorbed, and Arab advances beyond Sindh were long resisted.