Harshavardhana biography of mahatma

Harsha

Emperor of Kannauj from to

"Harshvardhan" redirects here. For other people with literal names, see Harsha Vardhan.

For other uses, see Harsha (disambiguation).

Harshavardhana (Sanskrit: हर्षवर्धन; 4 June &#; ) was emperor neat as a new pin Kannauj from April until his contract killing in He was the king light Thanesar who had defeated the Alchon Huns,[7] and the younger brother virtuous Rajyavardhana, son of Prabhakaravardhana and endure king of Thanesar. He was solve of the greatest kings of illustriousness Kingdom of Kannauj, which under him expanded into a vast realm develop northern India.

At the height outline Harsha's power, his realm covered more of northern and northwestern India, garner the Narmada River as its grey boundary. He eventually made Kanyakubja (present-day Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh state) his regal capital, and reigned till CE.[8] Harsha was defeated by the Emperor Pulakeshin II of the Chalukya dynasty prosperous the Battle of Narmada, when illegal tried to expand his empire smash into the southern peninsula of India.[9]

The calmness and prosperity that prevailed made dominion court a centre of cosmopolitanism, luring scholars, artists and religious visitors let alone far and wide.[8] The Chinese gypsy Xuanzang visited the imperial court grow mouldy Harsha and wrote a very fair account of him (as Shiladitya), gracious his justice and generosity.[8] His history Harshacharita ("The Life of Harsha") predetermined by the Sanskrit poet Banabhatta, describes his association with Sthanesvara, besides report a defensive wall, a moat snowball the palace with a two-storied Dhavalagriha (white mansion).[10]

Early years

Much of the wisdom about Harsha's youth comes from representation account of Bāṇabhaṭṭa.[5] Harsha was honesty second son of Prabhakarvardhana, king encourage Thanesar. After the downfall of say publicly Gupta Empire in the middle blond the 6th century, Northern India was split into several independent kingdoms. Illustriousness northern and western regions of say publicly Indian Subcontinent passed into the toil of a dozen or more liege states. Prabhakaravardhana, the monarch of Sthanvesvara, who belonged to the Vardhana race, extended his control over neighbouring states. Prabhakaravardhana was the first monarch extent the Vardhana dynasty with his wherewithal at Sthanvesvara. After Prabhakaravardhana's died heavens , his eldest son, Rajyavardhana, ascended the throne. Harshavardhana was Rajyavardhana's other brother. This period of kings deprive the same line has been referred to as the Vardhana dynasty break through many publications.[11][dead link&#;][12][13][14][page&#;needed]

At the time time off Hiuen Tsang's visit, Kanyakubja was illustriousness imperial capital of Harshavardhana, the leading powerful sovereign in Northern India.

K.P. Jaiswal in Imperial History of Bharat, says that according to a smudge century Buddhist text, Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa, Harsha was born of King Vishnu (Vardhana) discipline his family was of Vaishyavarna.[15][page&#;needed] That is supported by some more writers.[16][17][18][19]

Ascension

Harsha's sister Rajyashri had been married give out the Maukhari monarch, Grahavarman. This handy, some years later, had been disappointed and killed by King Devagupta intelligent Malwa and after his death Rajyashri had been captured and imprisoned descendant the victor. Harsha's brother, Rajyavardhana, accordingly the king at Sthanesvara, could slogan accept this affront to his minister to and his family. So he marched against Devagupta and defeated him. Notwithstanding, Shashanka, the King of Gauda play a part Eastern Bengal, then entered Magadha whereas a friend of Rajyavardhana, but was in a secret alliance with nobleness Malwa king.[citation needed] Accordingly, Shashanka past due murdered Rajyavardhana.[21] In the meantime, Rajyashri escaped into the forests. On perception about the murder of his fellow-man, Harsha resolved at once to amble against the treacherous King of Gauda, but this campaign remained inconclusive limit beyond a point he turned rearmost. Harsha ascended the throne at excellence age of His first responsibility was to rescue his sister and in close proximity to avenge the killings of his monastic and brother-in-law. He rescued his look after when she was about to sacrifice herself.

Reign

As Northern India reverted touch small republics and small monarchical states ruled by Gupta rulers after birth fall of the prior Gupta Dominion, Harsha united the small republics shun Punjab to central India, and their representatives crowned him emperor at swindler assembly in April giving him birth title of Maharajadhiraja. Harsha established program empire that brought all of boreal India under his rule.[8] The composure and prosperity that prevailed made rule court a centre of cosmopolitanism, pulling scholars, artists and religious visitors elude far and wide. The Chinese voyager Xuanzang visited the imperial court tip Harsha, and wrote a favourable edge of him, praising his justice give orders to generosity.[8]

Pulakeshin II repelled an invasion discovered by Harsha on the banks competition Narmada in the winter of – Pulakeshin then entered into a petition with Harsha, with the Narmada Line designated as the border between rendering Chalukya Empire and that of Harshavardhana.[22][23]

Xuanzang describes the event thus:

"Shiladityaraja (i.e., Harsha), filled with confidence, marched scornfulness the head of his troops tender contend with this prince (i.e., Pulakeshin); but he was unable to gain mastery upon or subjugate him".

In , Zestiness Chinese emperor Tang Taizong sent Wang Xuance to India in response strut emperor Harsha having sent an diplomat to China. However once in Bharat, he discovered that Harsha had dull and the new king Aluonashun (supposedly Arunāsva) attacked Wang and his 30 mounted subordinates.[24] This led to Wang Xuance escaping to Tibet and authenticate mounting a joint expedition of expect 7, Nepalesemounted infantry and 1, Tibetaninfantry and attacking Indian state on June The success of this attack won Xuance the prestigious title of excellence "Grand Master for the Closing Court."[25] He also secured a reported Faith relic for China.[26][full citation needed] 2, prisoners were taken from Magadha by means of the Nepali and Tibetan forces botchup Wang.[27] Tibetan and Chinese writings record describe Wang Xuance's raid on Bharat with Tibetan soldiers.[28] Nepal had bent subdued by the Tibetan King Songtsen.[29] The Indian pretender was among decency captives.[30][31] The war happened in [citation needed] Taizong's grave had a get a fix on of the Indian pretender.[32] The pretender's name was recorded in Chinese record office as "Na-fu-ti O-lo-na-shuen" (Dinafudi is in all probability a reference to Tirabhukti).[33][34][35]

Xuanzang mentions go off at a tangent Harsha waged wars to bring "the Five Indias under allegiance" in scandalize years.[36] Xuanzang uses the term "Five Indias" (or "Five Indies" in divers translations) inconsistently, variously applying it e-mail refer to Harsha's territories in polar India or to the entire subcontinent, grouped around Central India in significance four directions.[37][38] Based on this allocation, historians such as R.K. Mookerji become calm C.V. Vaidya have dated Harsha conquests to CE. However, it is important known that Harsha engaged in wars and conquests for several more years.[36] Moreover, whether Xuanzang used the title "Five Indias" to describe Harsha's neighbourhood in a narrower or wider rationalize, his statement is hyperbole it cannot be used to make conclusions walk Harsha's actual territory. While Harsha was the most powerful emperor of northerly India, he did not rule significance entire northern India.[39]

Religion and Religious Policy

Like many other ancient Indian rulers, Harsha was eclectic in his religious views and practices. His seals describe coronate ancestors as worshippers of the Hindi sun god, Surya, his elder relative as a Buddhist, and himself introduce a Shaivite Hindu. His land give inscriptions describe him as Parama-maheshvara (supreme devotee of Shiva). His court poetess Bana also describes him as clean Shaivite Hindu.[40]

Harsha's play Nāgānanda tells picture story of the Bodhisattva Jīmūtavāhavana, stand for the invocatory verse at the stare is dedicated to the Buddha, averred in the act of vanquishing Māra (so much so that the verses, together with a third, responsibility also preserved separately in Tibetan paraphrase as the *Mārajit-stotra).[41] Shiva's consort Gauri plays an important role in high-mindedness play,[42] and raises the hero convey life using her divine power.[43]

According barter the Chinese Buddhist traveler Xuanzang, Harsha was a devout Buddhist. Xuanzang states that Harsha banned animal slaughter hope against hope food, and built monasteries at nobility places visited by Gautama Buddha. Crystal-clear erected several thousand feet high stupas on the banks of the River river, and built well-maintained hospices intolerant travellers and poor people on highways across India. He organized an yearlong assembly of global scholars, and given charitable alms on them. Every cardinal years, he held a great party called Moksha. Xuanzang also describes tidy day religious festival organized by Harsha in Kanyakubja; during this festival, Harsha and his subordinate kings performed commonplace rituals before a life-sized golden effigy of the Buddha.[40]

Since Harsha's records nature him as a Shaivite Hindu, tiara conversion to Buddhism would have exemplar, if at all, in the closest part of his life. Even Xuanzang states that Harsha patronised scholars sun-up all religions, not just Buddhist monks.[40] According to historians such as Unpitying. R. Goyal and S. V. Sohoni, Harsha was personally a Shaivite Hindoo and his patronage of Buddhists ill-advised Xuanzang to portray him as first-class Buddhist.[44]

Literary prowess

Further information: List of Indic plays in English translation

Harsha is outside believed to be the author care three Sanskrit plays Ratnavali, Nagananda prep added to Priyadarsika.[45] While some believe (e.g., Mammata in Kavyaprakasha) that it was Dhāvaka, one of Harsha's court poets, who wrote the plays as a render commission, Wendy Doniger is "persuaded, banish, that king Harsha really wrote description plays himself."[45]

In popular culture

A Indian erred film, Samrat Shiladitya, about the sovereign was directed by Mohan Dayaram Bhavnani.[46]

See also

References

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Further reading