Hinglish

The 'Great King of Kings'

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 15: Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 15.1

Learn

By about 600 CE the Gupta Empire had faded. In its place rose many strong regional kingdoms, each with its own art and ideas, yet all part of one India. In the north, Harṣhavardhana of the Puṣhyabhūti dynasty took the throne in 606 CE and ruled from Kannauj (Kānyakubja) on the Ganga, no longer from Pāṭaliputra. His signature in Nagari script, a forerunner of Devanagari, reads "By my own hand, the great king of kings, Śhrī Harṣha". He wrote three Sanskrit plays and supported the poet Bāṇabhaṭṭa, who wrote Kādambarī, one of the world's first novels, and Harṣhacharita, a life of Harṣha.

The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang travelled across India from 630 to 644, visiting Buddhist sites and teachers, and carried home over 600 manuscripts on 20 horses. He described Kannauj as rich and beautiful and Harṣha as just and energetic. Every five years at Prayāga, Harṣha gave away great wealth to Buddhists, Brahmins and the poor. He tried to push south of the Narmada but was stopped by Pulakeśhin II of the Chālukyas. Harṣha honoured Śhiva and also supported Buddhism, respecting all schools of thought.

Explore: place events on the timeline.

  1. Harṣha came to the throne in 606 CE. Put the marker there.
  2. Xuanzang began his travels in India in 630 CE. Put the marker there.

Remember

  • After the Guptas, many regional kingdoms rose; Harṣha ruled the north from Kannauj from 606 CE.
  • Bāṇa's writings and Xuanzang's travelogue are key sources for his reign.

Quick check

Who stopped Harṣha from expanding south of the Narmada?

  1. Pulakeśhin II
  2. Xuanzang
  3. Bāṇabhaṭṭa
  4. Gopāla
Answer

Pulakeśhin II. Pulakeśhin II was the great Chālukya king of the Deccan.

Think about it

How can a novel or a play help historians, even though it is a story?

One answer

Stories show everyday details of their time, such as food, clothes, courts, jobs and beliefs, which historians can compare with inscriptions and other sources.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.